Gaming system, gaming device and method for moderating remote host initiated features for multiple concurrently played games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9293000-B2
Application number	US-201113247540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2011
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

The gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to simultaneously or concurrently play a plurality of games at a gaming device regardless or independent of if the gaming device accounting system in communication with the gaming device is configured to support such simultaneous or concurrent game play. The gaming system disclosed herein additionally or alternatively enables a player to simultaneously play a plurality of games wherein certain of the games are eligible to operate with a remote host and certain of the games are ineligible to operate with the remote host.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A gaming system server comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
(a) determine whether to initiate a feature for a plurality of overlapping game plays wagered on by a player at a remote gaming device, wherein at least two of the plurality of overlapping game plays are enabled to accept the feature and at least one of the plurality of overlapping game plays is disabled from accepting the feature; and
(b) when the determination is to initiate the feature for the plurality of the overlapping game plays:
(i) for each of the at least two of the plurality of the overlapping game plays enabled to accept the feature, modify, based on the initiated feature, a parameter of said game play, wherein for each of said plurality of the overlapping game plays, at least one of:
(A) any generated outcomes for said game play,
(B) any display of any generated outcomes for said game play,
(C) any determined awards for said game play, and
(D) any display of any determined awards for said game play,

is based, at least in part, on the modified parameter of the played game, and a credit balance is increasable based on any determined awards for said play of the game, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable in association with a cashout input received via a cashout device, and
(ii) for each of the at least one of the overlapping game plays disabled from accepting the feature, not modify any parameters of said game play based on the initiated feature.

2. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor when the determination is not to initiate any feature for the plurality of overlapping game plays, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of the overlapping game plays, not modify any parameters of the game plays based on any initiated features.

3. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the remote gaming device to display at least one of the at least one of the overlapping game plays disabled from accepting any initiated features in a service window.

4. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the overlapping game plays are enabled to each accept at least one initiated feature.

5. The gaming system of server claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the overlapping game plays are each disabled from accepting any initiated features.

6. The gaming system of server claim 1 , wherein at least one of the overlapping game plays is enabled to accept at least one initiated feature and disabled from accepting at least another initiated feature.

7. A method of operating a gaming system server, the method comprising:
(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine whether to initiate a feature for a plurality of overlapping game plays wagered on by a player at a remote gaming device, wherein at least two of the plurality of overlapping game plays are enabled to accept the feature and at least one of the plurality of overlapping game plays is disabled from accepting the feature; and
(b) when the determination is to initiate the feature for the plurality of overlapping game plays:
(i) for each of the at least two of the plurality of the overlapping game plays enabled to accept the feature, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify, based on the initiated feature, a parameter of said game play, wherein for each of said plurality of the overlapping game plays, at least one of:
(A) any generated outcomes for said game play,
(B) any display of any generated outcomes for said game play,
(C) any determined awards for said game play, and
(D) any display of any determined awards for said game play,

is based, at least in part, on the modified parameter of the played game, and a credit balance is increasable based on any determined awards for said play of the game, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable in association with a cashout input received via a cashout device, and
(ii) for each of the at least one of the overlapping game plays disabled from accepting the feature, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to not modify any parameters of said game play based on the initiated feature.

8. The method of claim 7 , which includes, for each of the overlapping game plays, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to not modify any parameters of the game plays based on any initiated features when the determination is not to initiate any feature for the plurality of overlapping game plays.

9. The method of claim 7 , which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the remote gaming device to display at least one of the at least one of the overlapping game plays disabled from accepting any initiated features in a service window.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of the overlapping game plays are enabled to each accept at least one initiated feature.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of the overlapping game plays are each disabled from accepting any initiated features.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the overlapping game plays is enabled to accept at least one initiated feature and disabled from accepting at least another initiated feature.

13. The method of claim 7 , which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data network is an internet.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
(a) determine whether to initiate a feature for a plurality of overlapping game plays wagered on by a player at a remote gaming device, wherein at least two of the plurality of overlapping game plays are enabled to accept the feature and at least one of the plurality of overlapping game plays is disabled from accepting the feature; and
(b) when the determination is to initiate the feature for the plurality of overlapping game plays:
(i) for each of the at least two of the plurality of the overlapping game plays enabled to accept the feature, modify, based on the initiated feature, a parameter of said game play, wherein for each of said plurality of the overlapping game plays, at least one of:
(A) any generated outcomes for said game play,
(B) any display of any generated outcomes for said game play,
(C) any determined awards for said game play, and
(D) any display of any determined awards for said game play,

is based, at least in part, on the modified parameter of the played game, and a credit balance is increasable based on any determined awards for said play of the game, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable in association with a cashout input received via a cashout device, and
(ii) for each of the at least one of the overlapping game plays disabled from accepting the feature, not modify any parameters of said game play based on

Assignees

• Nelson Dwayne R
• Brosnan William R
• Higgins Kevin M
• Little William Chad
• Hollibaugh Larry R
• Petersen Erik B
• Marcu Adrian R
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Nelson Dwayne R
• Brosnan William R
• Higgins Kevin M
• Little William Chad
• Hollibaugh Larry R
• Petersen Erik B
• Marcu Adrian R

Classifications

• G07F17/3213 Primary

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title

• G07F17/3227 Primary

  Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters · CPC title

• 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