US 12,266,241 B2
Systems and methods for multiplayer gaming
Alfred Thomas, Ventura, CA (US); Larry Pacey, Calabasas, CA (US); Joseph Masinter, II, Las Vegas, NV (US); John Daley, Las Vegas, NV (US); Michele Rousseau, Las Vegas, NV (US); and Daniel Marks, Decatur, GA (US)
Assigned to Aristocrat Technologies, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed on Jun. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/338,375.
Application 17/338,375 is a continuation of application No. 16/588,257, filed on Sep. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,158,170.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/895,321, filed on Sep. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0295658 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G07F 17/00 (2006.01); G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G07F 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 17/3272 (2013.01) [G07F 17/3223 (2013.01); G07F 17/3227 (2013.01); G07F 17/3258 (2013.01); G07F 17/3267 (2013.01); G07F 17/34 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communal gaming system for providing a communal game that includes multiple gaming devices, the communal gaming system comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
initiating entry into the communal game, entry into the communal game shared amongst the multiple gaming devices being awardable to eligible player accounts for the game cycle;
receive, from a first gaming device of the multiple gaming devices, a first communal participation trigger message indicating an occurrence of a first trigger condition associated with the first gaming device, the first communal participation trigger message includes a first wager bet identified in a real currency;
receive, from a second gaming device of the multiple gaming devices, a second communal participation trigger message indicating an occurrence of a second trigger condition associated with the second gaming device, the second communal participation trigger message includes a second wager bet identified in a virtual currency;
provide a first entry to a first player account associated with the first gaming device based on receiving the first communal participation trigger message;
provide a second entry to a second player account associated with the second gaming device based on receiving the second communal participation trigger message;
assign a first communal game spot in a shared play area to a first gaming device based on receiving the first communal participation trigger message, thereby causing the first communal game spot to be occupied and associated with the first gaming device, wherein the first communal game spot displays an icon indicating a first game type and the first wager bet;
assign a second communal game spot in the shared play area to a second gaming device based on receiving the second communal participation trigger message, thereby causing the second communal game spot to be occupied and associated with the second gaming device, wherein the second communal game spot displays an icon indicating a second game type and the second wager bet; and
trigger a payout operation of the communal game that generates game awards for the first player account in the real currency and for the second player account in the virtual currency.