US6758757B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for maintaining game state
Assignee: LNW Gaming Inc
•
Filing: 2001-02-15
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Granted: 2004-07-06
•
Expires: 2021-02-15
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for maintaining player's game state (award credits, partial award states, and non-award or non-credit states) in a gaming environment is disclosed. In particular, the player may restore the game state from previously played games either from the same game device or from another game device. The invention also provides for award redemption of the award credits (or game pieces) earned by a player during game play.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Anthony Luciano, Jr.
- 👤 Robert William Crowder
- 👤 Russ Frederick Marsden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:22
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 words
A gaming system comprising: at least one gaming device configured to allow a player to play at least one primary game involving wagering and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, said gaming device further configured to issue game state data upon a request event where said issued game state data comprises data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is issued and where said issued data comprises data that corresponds to other than: game play credits; a base state; a win state; or, a visible award credit count, and further configured to accept applicable game state data, and further configured to set said at least one secondary game in accordance with said applicable game state data; at least one input device operably disposed within said at least one gaming device, configured to receive game state data and to communicate said received game state data to said gaming device; and, at least one output device configured to produce game state data output based on said issued game state data, in a form receivable by a player and readable by said input device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
215 words
A gaming system comprising: at least one gaming device configured to allow a player to play at least one primary game involving wagering and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, said gaming device further configured to issue game state data upon a request event where said issued game state data comprises data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is issued and where said issued data comprises data that corresponds to other than: game play credits; a base state; a win state; or, a visible award credit count, and further configured to accept applicable game state data, and further configured to set said at least one secondary game in accordance with said applicable game state data; at least one input device operably disposed within said at least one gaming device, configured to receive game state data and to communicate said received game state data to said gaming device; and, at least one output device configured to produce game state data output based on said issued game state data, in a form receivable by a player and readable by said input device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
198 words
A game device configured to allow at least one player to play at least one primary game involving wagering and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, comprising: a game state manager operably disposed within said game device and in communication with said at least one secondary game, configured to receive game state data from said at least one secondary game and set game state in said at least one secondary game, where said game state comprises data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is received and where said received data comprises data that corresponds to other than: game play credits; a win state; a base state; or, a visible award credit count; an input device in operable communication with said game state manager, said game state manager configured to receive game state data from said input device; and, an output device in operable communication with said game state manager, said game state manager configured to output game state data to said output device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
198 words
A game device configured to allow at least one player to play at least one primary game involving wagering and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, comprising: a game state manager operably disposed within said game device and in communication with said at least one secondary game, configured to receive game state data from said at least one secondary game and set game state in said at least one secondary game, where said game state comprises data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is received and where said received data comprises data that corresponds to other than: game play credits; a win state; a base state; or, a visible award credit count; an input device in operable communication with said game state manager, said game state manager configured to receive game state data from said input device; and, an output device in operable communication with said game state manager, said game state manager configured to output game state data to said output device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The game device of claim 2 where said input device and said game state manager are further configured to receive vouchers having game state data comprising game state data for one of: a plurality of games; a plurality game states; or, a plurality of games and a plurality of game states.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The game device of claim 2 further comprising a network interface device configured to operably send and receive game state data over a LAN.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The game device of claim 4 where said input device is further configured to receive a player ID and said game state manager is further configured to retrieve any game state data from a database over a LAN, where said retrievable game state data is correlated with said player ID.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The game device of claim 4 where said game state manager is configured to output game state data to a database over a LAN using said network interface device, where said game state data is correlated with a player ID.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The game device of claim 2 where said game state manager is configured to set said at least one game in accordance with game state data received from one of: said input device; said network interface device; or, said input device and said network interface device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The game device of claim 2 where said game state manager is configured to send game state data from said at least one game to said output device in accordance with said at least one game.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The game device of claim 2 where said input device and said output device are implemented in the same physical device.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for maintaining game state of a game device, said game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, and configured to issue a voucher upon one of: winning game event, or, a player input to print a voucher, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state; and, issuing a voucher receivable by a player where said voucher has thereon machine readable indicia comprising data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is issued and where said issued game state data comprises data that is more than: game play credits; or, a visible award credit count, when one of: a winning event, or a player input to print a voucher occurs.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for maintaining game state of a game device, said game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, said primary game being a game whose outcome is based on chance and said secondary game playable by a player upon the occurrence of a pre-defined event in said primary game, and configured to issue a voucher upon one of: winning game event, or, a player input to print a voucher, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state; and, issuing a voucher receivable by a player where said voucher has thereon machine readable indicia comprising data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is issued and where said issued game state data comprises data that is more than: game play credits; or, a visible award credit count, when one of: a winning event, or a player input to print a voucher occurs.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for maintaining game state of a game device, said game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, said secondary game configured to have settable game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state; and, sending electronic data comprising data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is sent and where said sent game state data comprises data that is more than: game play credits; or, a visible award credit count, over a LAN in receivable by a database.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for maintaining game state of a game device, said game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, said secondary game configured to have settable game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state; and, sending electronic data comprising data corresponding to said secondary game's state when said game state data is sent and where said sent game state data comprises data that is more than: game play credits; or, a visible award credit count, over a LAN in receivable by a database.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
13 words
The method of 11 further comprising associating a player with said game state.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
13 words
The method of 11 further comprising associating a player with said game state.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for retrieving game state of a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept a voucher having thereon machine readable indicia of game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; reading a voucher having machine readable indicia of game state thereon; applying said game state to said game device; and, configuring said game device in accordance with said game state and viewable by a player.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for retrieving game state of a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept a voucher having thereon machine readable indicia of game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; reading a voucher having machine readable indicia of game state thereon; applying said game state to said game device; and, configuring said game device in accordance with said game state and viewable by a player.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for retrieving game state for a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept electronic signals over a LAN having game state therein, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; decoding said game state in said electronic signals; and, configuring said game device in accordance with said game state and viewable to a player.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for retrieving game state for a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept electronic signals over a LAN having game state therein, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different than a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; decoding said game state in said electronic signals; and, configuring said game device in accordance with said game state and viewable to a player.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
21 words
The method of 14 further comprising: accepting player ID; and, receiving electronic data comprising game state associated with said player ID.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
21 words
The method of 14 further comprising: accepting player ID; and, receiving electronic data comprising game state associated with said player ID.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of using savable game state by a player in a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept input and issue output in accordance with game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different that a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; accepting input containing game state provided by said player; processing said game state in accordance with said game device and input from said player; and, issuing output in accordance with said processing by said game device and said player.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of using savable game state by a player in a game device, the game device involving wagering and having at least one primary game and at least one secondary game, and further configured to accept input and issue output in accordance with game state, the method comprising: providing at least one game state in said secondary game different than a base state and different that a win state and different than either of: changes to a game play credit count; or, a visible award credit count; accepting input containing game state provided by said player; processing said game state in accordance with said game device and input from said player; and, issuing output in accordance with said processing by said game device and said player.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16 where said input according to said player comprises a voucher, and said issued output is a voucher receivable by said player.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 16 where said input according to said player is a player ID, the method further comprising: accepting said player ID; retrieving game state associated with said player ID in an electronic form over a LAN; and, issuing output in an electronic form over a LAN, containing therein game state configured to be associated with said player ID.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-07-06 | 2008-01-05 | 2008-07-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-07-06 | 2012-01-05 | 2012-07-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-07-06 | 2016-01-05 | 2016-07-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |