Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing group event with individual group event eligibility timers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773381-B2
Application number	US-201113287771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2011
Priority date	Nov 11, 2008
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A gaming system and method which provides a community group event to a plurality of players at a plurality of the gaming devices in the gaming system. Each gaming device participating in the group event is associated with an individual group event eligibility timer. Such individual group event eligibility timers regularly decrement based on time and may increment based on one or more aspects of the player's gaming experience, such as wagers placed. If the individual group event eligibility timer associated with a gaming device participating in the group event lapses before the conclusion of a group event timer or mode, that gaming device is eliminated from the group event. Upon the conclusion of the group event, a group event award is shared amongst the players at the remaining or non-eliminated gaming devices (i.e., the gaming devices associated with individual group event eligibility timers with any amount of remaining time).

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, at least one of the gaming devices including:
a housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including
an acceptor, and
a cashout device,

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, cause the at least one processor to:
responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
receive at least one wager placed on at least one game, and
responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance;

at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices; and
at least one controller configured to:
determine if a group event triggering condition occurs in association with one of the gaming devices;
responsive to the determination being that the group event triggering condition occurs for one of the gaming devices, trigger the group event for at least two of the gaming devices; and
thereafter, select one of said at least two of the gaming devices to cause to provide a group event award to a player of said gaming device, wherein each gaming device of said at least two of the gaming devices has a greater than zero probability of being selected that is determined, at least in part, based on:
any wagers placed at said gaming device during a designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event, and
any wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event, wherein:
a first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event is associated with a first probability of being selected, and
the first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a second, greater amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event is associated with a second, greater probability of being selected.

2. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a group event triggering condition occurs in association with one of a plurality of gaming devices, wherein for at least one of the gaming devices: (i) responsive to a physical item being received via an acceptor, a credit balance is established, said credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and (ii) responsive to a cashout input being received via a cashout device, an initiation is caused of any payout associated with the credit balance;
responsive to the determination being that the group event triggering condition occurs for one of the gaming devices, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to trigger the group event for at least two of the gaming devices; and
thereafter, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select one of said at least two of the gaming devices to cause to provide a group event award to a player of said gaming device, wherein each gaming device of said at least two of the gaming devices has a greater than zero probability of being selected that is determined, at least in part, based on:
any wagers placed at said gaming device during a designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event, and
any wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event, wherein:
a first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event is associated with a first probability of being selected, and
the first amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a second, greater amount of wagers placed at said gaming device during the triggered group event is associated with a second, greater probability of being selected.

3. The method of claim 2 , which is provided through a data network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data network is an internet.

5. A gaming system comprising:
a processor, and
a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine if a group event triggering condition occurs in association with one of a plurality of mobile devices;
responsive to the determination being that the group event triggering condition occurs for one of the mobile devices, trigger the group event for at least two of the plurality of mobile devices; and
thereafter, select one of said at least two of the mobile devices to cause a display of a group event award, wherein each mobile device of said at least two of the mobile devices has a greater than zero probability of being selected that is determined, at least in part, based on:
any wagers placed via said mobile device during a designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event, and
any wagers placed via said mobile device during the triggered group event, wherein:
a first amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a first amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the triggered group event is associated with a first probability of being selected, and
the first amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a second, greater amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the triggered group event is associated with a second, greater probability of being selected.

6. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to communicate with the mobile device over a wireless network.

7. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
causing a processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a group event triggering condition occurs in association with one of a plurality of mobile devices, wherein for at least one of the mobile devices;
responsive to the determination being that the group event triggering condition occurs for one of the mobile devices, causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to trigger the group event for at least two of the mobile devices; and
thereafter, causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select one of said at least two of the mobile devices to cause a display, by said selected mobile device, of a group event award, wherein each mobile device of said at least two of the mobile devices has a greater than zero probability of being selected that is determined, at least in part, based on:
any wagers placed via said mobile device during a designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event, and
any wagers placed via said mobile device during the triggered group event, wherein:
a first amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the designated period of time prior to the trigger of the group event and a first amount of wagers placed via said mobile device during the triggered group event is associated with a first probability of being selected, and
the first

Assignees

• Dewaal Daniel J
• Russell Glen Keith
• Sutich Alexandria Estella Ponte
• Baerlocher Anthony J
• Muir Sr David H
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Dewaal Daniel J
• Russell Glen Keith
• Sutich Alexandria Estella Ponte
• Baerlocher Anthony J
• Muir Sr David H

Classifications

• G07F17/3274 Primary

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

• G07F17/3227

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