System and method for enabling a player proxy to execute a gaming event

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10068420-B2
Application number	US-201213548980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2012
Priority date	Jul 13, 2012
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A gaming system that includes a server and a first gaming machine communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the first gaming machine includes an input device configured to receive game play events from a first player operating the first gaming machine. The gaming system further includes one or more additional gaming machines communicatively coupled to the server, wherein each of the one or more additional gaming machines is operated by a respective player. The gaming system also includes a processor programmed to provide a game of chance on the first gaming machine, determine that a triggering event as occurred, and based on the triggering event, enable one of the one or more players on one of the one or more additional gaming machines to execute a game play event for the first player.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming system comprising:
a first gaming machine, comprising:
at least one of a coin acceptor, a bill validator, a card reader, and a ticket reader for establishing a first credit balance, for a first player, from which a first wager is accepted for admitting the first player to a game of chance; and
a first input device configured to facilitate execution of game play events by the first player;

a second gaming machine, comprising:
at least one of a coin acceptor, a bill validator, a card reader, and a ticket reader for establishing a second credit balance, for a second player, from which a second wager is accepted for admitting the second player to the game of chance; and
a second input device configured to facilitate execution of game play events by the second player; and

a processor programmed to:
conduct the game of chance on the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine;
determine that a triggering event as occurred, wherein the triggering event comprises an elapsed predefined period of time of inactivity on the game of chance; and
enable the first player to execute a game play event for the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine in response to a request by the first player to execute the game play event from the first gaming machine upon occurrence of the triggering event.

2. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first gaming machine is remote from the second gaming machine.

3. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to send a request from the second gaming machine to respective players of at least one gaming machine, including the first gaming machine, to execute a game play event for the second player after the triggering event.

4. A gaming system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the processor is further programmed to determine an earliest of the respective players of the at least one gaming machine to accept the request to execute the game play event for the second player; and
wherein the first player of the first gaming machine is the earliest of the respective players.

5. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is a receipt of a request from the second gaming machine to execute the game play event for the second player through the first gaming machine.

6. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is an execution of any game action, by any player in the game of chance, determined to arrive earliest at the processor.

7. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the triggering event is the completion of a ball call.

8. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to disable an ability of the first player to execute an additional game play event for the second player until an additional triggering event has occurred.

9. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game play event is a wager.

10. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game play event is an event during the game of chance after receipt of a wager to initiate the game of chance.

11. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event is daubing the bingo card.

12. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event comprises a wager and daubing the bingo card.

13. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event comprises a wager, daubing the bingo card, and a claim.

14. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive the executed game play event for the second gaming machine from the first gaming machine.

15. A method for enabling a player proxy to execute a game play event for another player, the method comprising:
establishing a first credit balance for a first player using at least one of a coin acceptor, a bill validator, a card reader, and a ticket reader for a first gaming machine;
accepting a first wager for the first player from the first credit balance for admission to a game of chance;
establishing a second credit balance for a second player using at least one of a coin acceptor, a bill validator, a card reader, and a ticket reader for a second gaming machine;
accepting a second wager for the second player from the second credit balance for admission to the game of chance;
conducting the game of chance on the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine;
determining that a triggering event has occurred, wherein the triggering event comprises an elapsed predefined period of time of inactivity in the game of chance;
sending a request to respective players of a plurality of gaming machines, including the first player of the first gaming machine, to execute a game play event for the second player of the second gaming machine after the triggering event; and
enabling the first player to execute the game play event for the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine in response to a request by the first player to execute the game play event from the first gaming machine upon occurrence of the triggering event.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the first gaming machine is remote from the second gaming machine.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15 , further comprising:
determining an earliest of the respective players to accept the request to execute the game play event for the second player; and
wherein the earliest of the respective players is the first player.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the triggering event is a receipt of a request from the second gaming machine to execute the game play event for the second player through the first gaming machine.

19. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event is daubing the bingo card.

20. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event comprises a wager and daubing the bingo card.

21. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the game play event comprises a wager, daubing the bingo card, and a claim.

22. A method in accordance in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the triggering event is an earliest execution of any game action, by any player in the game of chance.

23. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the game of chance is a bingo game comprising a bingo card, and wherein the triggering event is completion of a ball call.

24. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising receiving the executed game play event for the second gaming machine from the first gaming machine.

25. One or more computer storage media embodying computer-executable instructions stored thereon for enabling a player proxy to execute a game play event for another player, the instructions comprising the steps of:
establishing a first credit balance for a first player using at least one of a coin acceptor, a bill

Assignees

• Yarbrough Jon
• Video Gaming Tech Inc

Inventors

• Yarbrough Jon

Classifications

• G07F17/3262

  Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played · CPC title

• G07F17/323 Primary

  wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions · CPC title

• G07F17/3274

  wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play · CPC title

• G07F17/329

  Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards · CPC title