# US 2013/0281189 A1 · Using non-wagering-game state for wagering games

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2013/0281189 A1
- Document ID: US20130281189A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/826,034
- Filed: 2013-03-14
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-19
- Assignees: WMS Gaming Inc.
- Applicants: Wms Gaming, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark B. Gagner; Larry J. Pacey; Danijel Stankovic; Jamie W. Vann; Matthew J. Ward
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130281189A1

## CPC

- G07F 17/3227: {Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters}
- G07F 17/3225: {Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include initiating a wagering game session and accessing a non-wagering game (e.g., a simulation social network game) during the wagering game session. The non-wagering game and wagering game can be associated with the same user. The operations can further include detecting a state (e.g., one or more virtual assets) of the non-wagering game. The operations can further include presenting the wagering game based on the state of the non-wagering game. For instance, the operations can select a type of wagering game content to present or modify a volatility of the wagering game based on the state of the non-wagering game.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating a wagering game session using one or more player accounts;
during the wagering game session, accessing, via at least one of one or more processors, a persistent-state, social network game associated with the one or more player accounts;
detecting a state of the persistent-state, social network game, wherein the state of the persistent-state, social network game is attained at least via play of the persistent-state, social network game; and
presenting the wagering game, via at least one of one or more processors, based on the state of the persistent-state, social network game.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state of the persistent-state, social network game depends on one or more virtual assets attained via one or more of attainment and modification of one or more virtual objects of a simulated community environment having limited virtual resources, wherein the one or more virtual objects persist with the one or more player accounts.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the presenting the wagering game comprises modifying a volatility of the wagering game proportional to one or more values assigned to the one or more virtual assets.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the wagering game based on the state of the social network game comprises one or more of modifying chances that a specific type of wagering game will be presented based on one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets and using characteristics of the one or more virtual assets to present wagering game content for the wagering game.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising updating the state of the persistent-state, social network game based on play of the wagering game.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game includes a community event in which a plurality of wagering game machines are eligible to participate, and wherein presenting the wagering game based on the state of the social network game comprising presenting the community event via the plurality of wagering game machines based on the state of the social network game.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implements method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game includes a community event in which a plurality of players are eligible to participate, and further comprising presenting the community event according to a state of the social network game for any one of the plurality of players.

### Claim 8

One or more machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
presenting wagering game content for a wagering game during a wagering game session associated with at least one player account;
accessing a persistent-state, non-wagering game associated with the at least one player account in response to presenting the wagering game content;
detecting a state of the persistent-state, non-wagering game in response to accessing the persistent-state, non-wagering game; and
modifying an element of the wagering game according to the state of the persistent-state, non-wagering game in response to the detecting the state of the persistent-state, non-wagering game.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the operation for modifying the element of the wagering game includes operations comprising:
determining at least one volatility modification value assigned to at least one of one or more virtual assets associated with the state of the persistent-state, non-wagering game; and
using the at least one volatility modification value to alter a range of potential payout values associated with an average payout for the wagering game based on the at least one volatility modification value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operation for using the at least one volatility modification value to alter the range of potential payout values for the wagering game proportional to the at least one volatility modification value includes an operation comprising increasing a high-end value of the range of potential payout values proportional to the at least one volatility modification value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the operation for using the at least one volatility modification value to alter the range of potential payout values for the wagering game proportional to the at least one volatility modification value includes an operation comprising decreasing a low-end value of the range of potential payout values.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the operation for modifying the element of the wagering game includes operations comprising:
accessing a plurality of tables associated with the one or more virtual assets of the persistent-state, non-wagering game, wherein each of the plurality of tables include at least one modification value;
combining the at least one modification value from each of the plurality of tables; and
modifying the element of the wagering game based on a result of the combining of the at least one modification value from each of the plurality of tables.

### Claim 13

A system comprising:
at least one input device configured to receive an indication of a wager to play a wagering game;
at least one display device configured to display the wagering game;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to
detect that a plurality of non-wagering game player accounts access a non-wagering game,
detect that virtual assets of the non-wagering game are associated with at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts that access the non-wagering game, and
select the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts to participate in community event for the wagering game based on detection that the virtual assets are associated with the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to
detect that the virtual assets are located within a portion of a virtual world associated with the non-wagering game, and
select the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts based on detection that the virtual assets are located within the portion of the virtual world.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the instruction to detect that the virtual assets of the non-wagering game are associated with the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to
group together the virtual assets within a virtual world based on the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts being concurrently logged in to the non-wagering game;
randomly select an area of the virtual world that includes the virtual assets of the at least two of the plurality of the non-wagering game player accounts; and
select the at least two of the plurality of the non-wagering game player accounts based on the virtual assets of the at least two of the plurality of the non-wagering game player accounts being within the area.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the virtual assets are domains assigned to the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game player accounts, and wherein the instructions further cause the system to group together graphical representations of the domains via a map of the virtual world, wherein the graphical representations are adjacent to each other on the map.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the system to
determine that a first of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts accesses the non-wagering game via a wagering game session,
make the first of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts eligible to receive a cash award via the community wagering game event based on determination that the first of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts accesses the non-wagering game via the wagering game session,
determine that a second of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts accesses the non-wagering game independent from a wagering game session, and
make the second of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts ineligible to receive a cash award via the community wagering game event based on determination that the second of the at least two of the plurality of non-wagering game accounts accesses the non-wagering game independent from the wagering game session.

### Claim 18

An apparatus comprising:
at least one input device configured to receive an indication of a wager to play a wagering game;
at least one display device configured to display the wagering game;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
present the wagering game during a wagering game session associated with a wagering game player account,
present, concurrently with presentation of the wagering game, a non-wagering game associated with a non-wagering game player account linked to the wagering game player account,
detect one or more virtual assets of the non-wagering game associated with the non-wagering game player account, and
modify a volatility of the wagering game based on detection of the one or more virtual assets of the non-wagering game.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein instructions to modify the volatility of the wagering game includes instructions that cause the apparatus to
determine a range of potential payout values associated with an average payout for the wagering game,
determine one or more volatility modification values associated with the one or more virtual assets, and
increase the range of potential payout values in accordance with the one or more volatility modification values.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instruction to increase the range of potential payout values comprises one or more of an instruction to increase a high end value of the range of potential payout values proportional to the one or more volatility modification values, and an instruction to decrease a low end value of the potential payout values proportional to the one or more volatility modification values.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the system to
search through a plurality of virtual assets that belong to the non-wagering game player account,
determine, via the search, that at least one of the one or more of the virtual assets, from the plurality of virtual assets, have at least one assigned volatility modification value, and
use the at least one assigned volatility modification value to modify the volatility.

### Claim 22

An apparatus comprising:
at least one input device configured to receive an indication of a wager to play a wagering game;
at least one display device configured to display the wagering game;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
initiate a wagering game session associated with a player;
access a non-wagering game associated with the player;
detect one or more virtual assets of the non-wagering game, which one or more virtual assets are persistent with the non-wagering game, and wherein the one or more virtual assets are attainable at least via play of the non-wagering game; and
present the wagering game according to one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions to present the wagering game based on the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
detect that the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets indicate a first type of wagering game characteristic that is different from a second type of wagering game characteristic, wherein the wagering game is configured to present the second type of wagering game characteristic by default; and
present the wagering game content with the first type of wagering game characteristic instead of the presenting the wagering game content with the second type of wagering game characteristic in response to the detecting that the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets indicate the first type of wagering game characteristic.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising wherein the instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:
detect one or more modification values assigned to the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets; and
modifying a volatility of the wagering game using the one or more modification values.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions to present the wagering game based on the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
detect a wagering game outcome to be presented for the wagering game; and
indicate that the wagering game outcome is based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics of the one or more virtual assets