Method and system for player group sharing and redistributing gaming awards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11158169-B2
Application number	US-201916280127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2019
Priority date	Feb 20, 2019
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

An electronic gaming system is capable of forming a multi-player group to play a game; receiving, from a first gaming device, first game play information for a first game played by a first player member of the multi-player group on the first gaming device; determining that the first game play information comprises a first winning outcome corresponding to a first winning outcome; in response, allocating the first winning outcome among the first and second player members; and notifying a second gaming device of the second player member that the second player member has received the second portion of the first winning outcome.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An electronic gaming system
comprising: a communication interface;
a processor coupled with the communication interface; and
a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
form a multi-player group to play a gaming session comprising multiple games to be played by the multi-player group, the multi-player group comprising first and second player members corresponding to different first and second gaming devices, respectively, wherein the first and second gaming devices are in communication, via a network, with each other and wherein each of the first and second player members in the multi-player group plays a game in the gaming session independent of games in the gaming session played by other player members of the multi-player group, wherein in forming the multi-player group the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, via the communication interface and from a plurality of gaming devices comprising the second gaming device, a plurality of join request responses; and
validate ach join request response by confirming for each join request; that a sequence of characters in the join request response matches a predetermined sequence of characters, that a location of a corresponding gaming device is within a specified location, that the join request response was received within a selected period of time, that the join request response was sent by a selected communication modality, and/or that the join request was received substantially synchronously with a group chat comprising the corresponding gaming device;

receive, from the first gaming device and via the communication interface, first game play information for a first game in the gaming session played by the first player member on the first gaming device;
determine that the first game play information comprises a first winning outcome corresponding to the first game played by the first player member;
in response to the determination that the first game play information comprises the first winning outcome corresponding to the first game played by the first player member, allocate the first winning outcome among the first and second player members, wherein a first portion of the first winning outcome is allocated to the first player member and a second portion of the first winning outcome is allocated to the second player member;
notify, via the communication interface, the second gaming device that the second player member has received the second portion of the first winning outcome; and
increment a value of an electronic record associated with an account of each of the first and second player members of the multi-player group to reflect an allocable share of the first winning outcome.

2. The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second gaming devices each comprises an electronic gaming machine, wherein the gaming session comprises a slot game, wherein the first winning outcome comprises a jackpot, and wherein the processor receives, from the first gaming device associated with the first player member, a group formation request to form the multi-player group, the group formation request comprising a number of player members invited to be in the multi-player group, an invitation code to be input by each of the invited potential player members, and a predetermined rule set defining the first winning outcome allocation among the first and second player members of the multi-player group and a duration of the multi-player group.

3. The electronic gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second player members have different allocable shares, wherein the first winning outcome comprises a progressive jackpot, and wherein the processor receives, from the second gaming device associated with the second player member, a join request to join the multi-player group, the join request comprising the invitation code and agreement by the second player member to the predetermined rule set; initiates the allocating and notifying when a join request is received from the number of player members of the multi-player group; and terminates the multi-player group when a duration of the multi-player group reaches a predetermined time.

4. The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first winning outcome comprises a bonus, wherein the first and second gaming devices each comprise a different type of gaming machine, wherein the processor allocates the first winning outcome and notifies the second gaming device after termination of a join time interval determined by the electronic gaming system, wherein the allocable share of each first and second player member is determined pseudo-randomly on a winning outcome-by-winning outcome basis, wherein the first and second portions are different, and wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to:
receive, via the communication interface and from the first gaming device associated with the first player member, a group formation request to form the multi-player group; and
send, via the communication interface to a gaming device associated with each of a plurality of potential player members for the multi-player group, a join request comprising an invitation to join the multi-player group;
wherein the processor forms the multi-player group after successfully validating each of the join request responses.

5. The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic gaming system comprises a virtual gaming machine, wherein the first winning outcome comprises a bonus, and wherein the processor initiates allocating the first winning outcome and notifying the second gaming device after at least a predetermined amount of money is received by the electronic gaming system to fund the games played by the first and second player members of the multi-player group; when an award sharing message is opened by a player member of the multi-player group, increments values of a first electronic record and second electronic record associated with accounts of the first and second player members to reflect each of the first and second player members allocable share of the first winning outcome, wherein each of the first and second player members shares equally in the first winning outcome; and terminates the multi-player group when at least an amount of money is used by the player members of the multi-player group to play games on virtual gaming machines.

6. The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the notification is sent to an account of the second player member on a social networking website, wherein the electronic gaming system comprises a video game gambling machine, wherein the gaming session is video poker, wherein the first winning outcome comprises a cash winning outcome, and wherein the processor:
when an award sharing message is opened by the second player member within a predetermined time, increments a value of an electronic record associated with the account of the second player member to reflect the second player member's allocable share of the first winning outcome;
when an award sharing message is not opened by the second player member of the multi-player group within the predetermined time, increments a value of an electronic record associated with the account of the first player member to reflect at least a portion of the second player member's allocable share of the first winning outcome; and
terminates the multi-player group when a selected number of player members have stopped playing games in the gaming session as part of the multi-player group.

7. The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second gaming devices each co

Assignees

• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Yi Fei
• Gong Wei

Classifications

• G07F17/3281

  wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars · CPC title

• G07F17/3225

  Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users · CPC title

• G07F17/3272 Primary

  Games involving multiple players · CPC title

• G07F17/3274

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

• G07F17/3253 Primary

  involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys · CPC title