Adventure sequence activities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9454872-B2
Application number	US-34984406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2006
Priority date	Sep 28, 2001
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Some implementations of the invention provide methods and devices for various types of adventure sequences that preferably involve, at least in part, wagering games. Such sequences may involve wagering and/or other games at a plurality of gaming devices, tables and/or gaming establishments. Some implementations provide a virtual gaming experience wherein one or more other environments (e.g., environments that include gaming establishments) are simulated at a single location. Accordingly, adventure sequences described herein may comprise stages in one or more virtual environments, stages in one or more real environments or a combination of the two. Virtual players, also referred to herein as player game agents (“PGAs”), may act on behalf of real players. A PGA may be able to play games autonomously, e.g., when the associated player is at a different location and/or is not aware of the PGA's current activities. PGAs may be enabled to negotiate on behalf of real players, e.g., for comps, better pay table percentages, etc.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
determining, via a processor, gaming characteristics of a player;
configuring, via the processor, a software player gaming agent for autonomous gaming operations according to the gaming characteristics of the player;
transmitting, via a network interface and to a mobile device of the player, an offer to implement the software player gaming agent;
receiving, via the network interface and from the mobile device of the player, a request to implement the software player gaming agent;
determining, via the processor, whether the software player gaming agent is authorized to access and modify a monetary account of the player based on actions performed in association with the software player gaming agent;
if the software player gaming agent is authorized to access and modify the monetary account of the player based on actions performed by the software gaming agent:
(a) performing, via the processor, autonomous gaming operations through the software player gaming agent;
(b) accessing and modifying the monetary account of the player based on said performed autonomous gaming operations, the monetary account being increasable upon receipt, via an acceptor, of a physical item associated with a monetary value;

determining, via the processor, that a predetermined criterion is satisfied;
in response to determining that the predetermined criterion is satisfied, more effectively performing, via the processor, the autonomous gaming operations through the software player gaming agent; and
transmitting, via the network interface and to the mobile device of the player, results of the autonomous gaming operations performed through the software player gaming agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the gaming characteristics of the player comprises:
providing a graphical user interface; and
receiving, via at least one input device and the graphical user interface, data regarding gaming characteristics of the player.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the gaming characteristics of the player comprises at least one of (a) recording, via the processor, gaming characteristic information while the player is playing games and (b) analyzing, via the processor, player tracking data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to perform gaming operations that have previously been identified by the player.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to perform autonomous gaming operations by applying a set of rules based on the gaming characteristics of the player.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to perform gaming operations in a first location when the player is in a second location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to negotiate with super game agents that are configured to act on behalf of gaming establishments.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous gaming operations are constrained according to at least one predetermined control criterion.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating, via the processor, a digital certificate for the software player gaming agent;
storing the digital certificate in a memory; and
authenticating, via the processor, the software player gaming agent according to the stored digital certificate prior to the software player gaming agent's autonomous gaming operations.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
saving in a memory first results of a first session of autonomous gaming operations involving a first portion of an activity sequence at a first time;
retrieving, by the processor and from the memory, the first results at a second time; and
performing, by the processor, a second session of autonomous gaming operations involving a second portion of the activity sequence.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first location is within a first jurisdiction having a first set of gaming regulations and the second location is within a second jurisdiction having a second set of gaming regulations.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is at least one of a number of games played, a time of performing gaming operations, an amount of money wagered by the software player gaming agent, an average balance of an account accessible by the software player gaming agent and a minimum balance of an account accessible by the software player gaming agent.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent performs gaming operations more effectively due to an improved pay table percentage.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software player gaming agent is part of a team of software player gaming agents and wherein the predetermined criterion is a measure of the team's progress.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein one predetermined control criterion is an amount of money that the software player gaming agent is permitted to spend within a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gaming operations are legal according to the first set of gaming regulations but are not legal according to the second set of gaming regulations.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to transmit gaming data to the mobile device of the player, the gaming data comprise gaming result data.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the software player gaming agent is configured to transmit gaming data to the mobile device of the player, the gaming data comprise a reproduction of at least part of a gaming session.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising advancing, via the processor, the software player gaming agent's team in an activity sequence if the software player gaming agent's team meets the predetermined criterion.

20. The method of claim 16 , which includes determining the gaming characteristics of the player and configuring the software player gaming agent for autonomous gaming operations according to the gaming characteristics of the player within the first jurisdiction.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the reproduction is at least one of a video, a still image and an audio clip.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the reproduction is received at a first time, further comprising:
storing the reproduction in a memory; and
reproducing, via the processor, the reproduction at a second time.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the reproduction comprises a video and wherein the reproducing step comprises playing the video.

24. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
forming a communication link between a device and a server;
transmitting, via a network interface and to a mobile device of the player, an offer to implement a software player gaming agent;
receiving, via the network interface and from the mobile device of the player, a request to implement the software player gaming agent;
determining, via at least one processor, whether the software player gaming agent is authorized to access and modify a monetary account of the player based on actions performed in association with the software player gaming agent;
if the software player gaming agent is authorized to access and modify the monetary account of the player based on actions performed by the software gaming agent, enabling the software player ga

Assignees

• Muir David Hugh
• Nguyen Binh T
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Muir David Hugh
• Nguyen Binh T

Classifications

• G07F17/3293

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title

• G07F17/34

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

• G07F17/3206

  Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics · CPC title

• G07F17/329

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