A gaming device and method of operation thereof

Title: A gaming device and method of operation thereof

Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), Credit/debit Monitoring Or Manipulation (e.g., Game Entry, Betting, Prize Level, Etc.)

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060211489, A gaming device and method of operation thereof.

1. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a first element of a gaming device from a first value to a second value; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the value of the first element from the first value to the second value; determining a second element of the gaming device, wherein the second element corresponds to a third value; and determining a fourth value for the second element based on at least one of the first value of the first element, the second value of the first element, and the third value of the second element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element is the probability of occurrence of the outcome "bar-bar-bar" on the gaming device; wherein the second element is the minimum amount that must be wagered for a single game on the gaming device; wherein the first value of the first element is 0.001; wherein the second value of the first element is 0.002; wherein the third value of the second element is $0.50; and wherein the fourth value of the of the second element is $0.55.

3. A method, comprising: determining a first category of elements of a gaming device, wherein the first category of elements is the set of all elements, each of which describes the probability of occurrence of an outcome on the gaming device; determining a second category of elements of a gaming device, wherein the second category of elements is the set of all elements, each of which describes the payout of an outcome on the gaming device; determining an order in which to present the first category and the second category, thereby determining an order of customizable categories; presenting to a player the first and second categories according to the order of customizable categories; receiving a selection of one of the first category of elements or the second category of elements, thereby receiving a selection of a customizable category, wherein the customizable category is the first category; determining a first element in the customizable category, wherein the first element is the probability of occurrence of the outcome "orange-orange-orange" on the gaming device; determining a second element in the customizable category, wherein the second element is the probability of occurrence of the outcome "cherry-cherry-bar" on the gaming device; determining an order in which to present the first element and the second element, thereby determining an order of customizable elements; presenting to the player the first and second elements according to the order of customizable elements; receiving a selection of one of the first element or the second element, thereby receiving a selection of a customizable element, wherein the customizable element is the probability of occurrence of the outcome "cherry-cherry-bar" on the gaming device; determining a first value for the customizable element, wherein the first value is 0.005; receiving an indication of a second value for the customizable element, wherein the second value is 0.009; receiving a selection of a third element, thereby receiving a selection of a compensating element, wherein the compensating element is the number of comp points to be provided to the player for a single game played on the gaming device; determining a third value for the compensating element, wherein the third value is 3; and determining a fourth value for the compensating element based on at least one of the first value of the customizable element, the second value of the customizable element, and the third value of the compensating element, wherein the fourth value is 1.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: determining a third category of elements of a gaming device; determining a fourth category of elements of a gaming device; determining an order in which to present the third category and the fourth category, thereby determining an order of compensating categories; presenting to the player the third and fourth categories according to the order of compensating categories; receiving a selection of one of the third category of elements or the fourth category of elements, thereby receiving a selection of a compensating category; determining a fourth element in the compensating category; determining a fifth element in the compensating category; determining an order in which to present the fourth element and the fifth element, thereby determining an order of compensating elements; presenting to the player the fourth and fifth elements according to the order of compensating elements; and wherein the step of receiving an indication of a third element comprises: receiving a selection of one of the fourth element or the fifth element, thereby receiving a selection of a compensating element.

5. A method comprising: receiving a request from a player to be eligible to play a game in which an element assumes a particular value; and determining, based on the request, a rate of play that is to be required of the player in order for the player to be eligible to play the game in which the element assumes the particular value.

6. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a payout from a first value to a second value, wherein the payout corresponds to an outcome of a gaming device; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the payout from the first value to the second value; determining a rate of play that is to be required of the player in order for the player to be eligible to receive a payout of the second value; generating the outcome on the gaming device; determining whether the player has played in accordance with the rate of play required of the player; and providing, after determining that the player has played in accordance with the rate of play required of the player, a payout of the second value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rate of play is 600 games per minute.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first value is different from the second value.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the rate of play is a first rate of play, further comprising the step of: determining a second rate of play for the player at the gaming device; and wherein the step of determining a first rate of play comprises: determining a first rate of play based on at least one of the second value and the second rate of play.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining a first rate of play comprises: determining a first rate of play such that a profit the gaming device would be expected to make per hour when played at the second rate of play with the first value corresponding to the payout of the outcome is substantially equivalent to a profit the gaming device would be expected to make per hour when played at the first rate of play with the second value corresponding to the payout of the outcome.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining a profit the gaming device would be expected to make per hour; and wherein the step of determining a rate of play comprises: determining a rate of play based on at least one of the profit the gaming device would be expected to make per hour and the second value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a rate of play comprises: determining a rate of play such that the profit the gaming device would be expected to make per hour when played at the rate of play with the second value corresponding to the payout of the outcome substantially equals or exceeds a predetermined level of profit.

13. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a payout from a first value to a second value, wherein the payout corresponds to an outcome of a gaming device; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the payout from the first value to the second value; receiving a commitment from the player to perform an activity in exchange for which the player will be eligible to receive a payout of the second value upon the occurrence of the outcome; generating the outcome on the gaming device; and providing a payout of the second value.

14. The method of 13, wherein the step of modifying comprises: modifying, in response to a request from a player, the payout from a first value to a second value for a limited number of handle pulls.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of receiving comprises: receiving a commitment from the player to do at least one of: (i) answer survey questions; (ii) monitor the feed from a security camera; (iii) participate in a focus group; (iv) make a sales call; (v) provide expert advice; (vi) make a purchase; (vii) sample a product or service; (viii) receive a price quote on a product or service; (ix) transfer a balance to a financial account; (x) recommend a product or service to another; and (xi) make a payment.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: receiving an indication that the player has performed the activity.

17. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a payout from a first value to a second value, wherein the payout corresponds to an outcome of a gaming device; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the payout from the first value to the second value; receiving a payment from the player in exchange for which the player will be eligible to receive a payout of the second value upon the occurrence of the outcome; generating the outcome on the gaming device; and providing a payout of the second value.

18. The method of 17, wherein the step of modifying comprises: modifying, in response to a request from a player, a payout from a first value to a second value for a limited number of handle pulls.

19. The method of 17, wherein the step of receiving comprises: receiving from the player a payment that is not a wager.

20. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a payout from a first value to a second value, wherein the payout corresponds to an outcome of a gaming device; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the payout from the first value to the second value; receiving an agreement from the player to have a portion of future payouts withheld in accordance with predetermined rules in exchange for which the player will be eligible to receive a payout of the second value upon the occurrence of the outcome; generating the outcome on the gaming device; and providing a payout of the second value.

21. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify a value of a payout from a first value to a second value, wherein the payout corresponds to an outcome of a gaming device; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the payout from the first value to the second value; determining a first number of comp points provided per pull at the gaming device; determining a second number of comp points to be provided per pull based on at least one of the first number of comp points and the second value; and setting the second number of comp points as the number of comp points to be provided per pull in order for the player to be eligible to receive a payout of the second value upon the occurrence of the outcome.

22. A method, comprising: receiving from a player an indication of a first element at a gaming device; receiving from the player an indication that the value of the first element must not be changed; determining a second element at the gaming device, wherein the second element is not the first element; and determining a value for the second element.

23. A method comprising: receiving from a player a selection of a category of elements of a gaming device, wherein the category of elements comprises at least two elements, and wherein each element in the category is associated with a respective value; and modifying a respective value for each of one or more elements in the category of elements.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: receiving an indication from the player of a constraint to apply to the at least two elements in the category of elements; and wherein the step of modifying comprises: modifying a respective value for each element in the category of elements in accordance with the constraint.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of receiving an indication from the player of a constraint comprises: receiving an indication from the player of a range in which the values of the at least two elements in the category of elements are constrained to fall; and wherein the step of modifying comprises: modifying a respective value for each element in the category of elements such that the value for each element in the category of elements falls within the range.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising: providing the player with a choice of at least two categories of elements; and wherein the step of receiving comprises: receiving from a player a selection of a category of elements of a gaming device from among the at least two categories of elements.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of receiving comprises: receiving from a player a selection of one of: (i) payouts for two or more outcomes; (ii) probabilities of occurrence for two or more outcomes; (iii) numbers of comp points to be awarded for two or more sizes of wager; (iv) numbers of symbols to be present on two or more reels; and (v) amounts to be withheld from the payouts of two or more outcomes.

28. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify the value of a first element of a gaming device from a first value to a second value; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the value of the first element from the first value to the second value; determining at least two categories of elements of the gaming device, wherein the at least two categories each have a respective ranking relative to the others; selecting a category of elements from the at least two categories of elements based on the respective rankings; selecting a second element from the selected category; determining a third value for the second element; and determining a fourth value for the second element based on at least one of the first value of the first element, the second value of the first element, and the third value of the second element.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected category of elements is a first category of elements; further comprising the steps of: determining whether the fourth value satisfies a predetermined criterion; and if the fourth value does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, selecting a second category of elements from the at least two categories of elements, wherein the second category of elements has a lower ranking than the first category of elements; and selecting a third element from the second category of elements.

30. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify the value of a first element of a gaming device from a first value to a second value; modifying, in response to the request from the player, the value of the first element from the first value to the second value; determining two categories of elements; selecting one of the two categories of elements according to one or more predetermined criteria; selecting a second element from the selected category of elements; determining a third value for the second element; and determining a fourth value for the second element based on at least one of the first value of the first element, the second value of the first element, and the third value of the second element.

31. A method, comprising: receiving a request from a player to modify the value of a first element of a gaming device from a first value to a second value; receiving a request from the player to modify the value of a second element of the gaming device from a third value to a fourth value; modifying, in response to the requests from the player, the value of the first element of the gaming device from the first value to the second value, and the value of the second element of the gaming device from the third value to the fourth value.

32. A method, comprising: determining at least two categories of elements of a gaming device, wherein each of the at least two categories has a ranking relative to each of the others; presenting the at least two categories of elements to a player, wherein the at least two categories of elements are presented according to their respective rankings; receiving from the player a selection of one of the at least two categories of elements; presenting to the player one or more elements from within the selected category of elements; receiving from the player a selection of one of the presented elements; and modifying the value of the element.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of presenting the at least two categories of elements comprises: presenting two or more of the at least two categories of elements in rank order, wherein a higher ranking of the presented categories is presented before a lower ranking of the presented categories.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of presenting the at least two categories of elements comprises: determining, from among the at least two categories of elements, a first category of a first rank; determining, from among the at least two categories of elements, a second category of a second rank, wherein the second rank is lower than the first rank; presenting the first category; and not presenting the second category.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of presenting the at least two categories of elements comprises: presenting for player customization the at least two categories of elements, wherein the at least two categories of elements are presented according to their ranking.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of presenting the at least two categories of elements comprises: presenting, for use in compensating for player customizations, the at least two categories of elements, wherein the at least two categories of elements are presented according to their ranking.

37. A method, comprising: determining a category of elements of a gaming device; determining a score for the category of elements, wherein the score is based on at least one of: (i) the familiarity of a player with the category; (ii) the regulatory hurdles associated with changing the value of an element falling within the category; (iii) the complexity associated with changing the value of an element falling within the category; (iv) the number of elements within the category; (v) the anticipated psychological impact upon a player of changing the value of an element falling within the category; (vi) prior interest expressed by a player in the category; (vii) the information that would be revealed to a player by changing the value of an element falling within the category; and (viii) the degree to which changing an element falling within the category would be in keeping with an established metaphor; and determining whether to present the category of elements to a player based on the score.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of: determining a ranking for the category of elements based on the score.

39. A method, comprising: modifying, in response to a request from a player, a value of a first element of a gaming device from a first value to a second value; determining a first monetary worth per unit value of the first element; determining a second element of the gaming device; determining a third value of the second element; determining a second monetary worth per unit value of the second element; and determining a fourth value for the second element based on at least one of the first value of the first element, the second value of the first element, the first monetary worth, the second monetary worth, and the third value of the second element.

40. A method, comprising: receiving from a player a selection of a type of prize to be paid for an outcome at a gaming device, wherein the type of prize is at least one of: (i) cash; (ii) credits; (iii) foreign currency; (iv) merchandise; (v) discounts; (vi) free stays in a hotel room; (vii) services; (viii) video clips; (ix) audio clips; (x) software; (xi) tickets; (xii) stamps; (xiii) comp points; (xiv) frequent flyer miles; and (xv) internet currency.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

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