Patent Grant
7037192
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device bonus round having player selectable choices that prompt the game to generate a win, lose or draw outcome.
In known go-until gaming device bonus rounds, when a player makes a selection from a set of randomly placed masked awards, the game reveals the selected outcome, which results in the player winning an award or losing the opportunity to win further awards. For example, European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a game in which a player has one or more opportunities to select masked bonus awards from a pattern or group of masked awards. When the player selects a masked award, the player receives the value of the award. This process continues until the player selects a masked terminator, which ends the game, whereby the player keeps the previously accumulated awards. In no instance does the selection of a randomly assigned masked award yield a neutral outcome, i.e., a tie or a draw.
In “double up” video poker gaming machines, a player can risk a currently achieved award to double the player's award. In such games, the dealer deals the player and the dealer a card. If the player's card beats the dealer's card, the player obtains double the award. If the dealer's card wins, the player gets nothing. A tie results if the dealer deals out two cards having the same rank, whereafter the player can try again. In video blackjack gaming machines, the player and the dealer can also tie.
In an attempt to make gaming devices more exciting and enjoyable for a player, gaming device manufacturers strive to make games more suspenseful or generally suspense building. One method and apparatus for making games more suspenseful includes a bonus game that provides tie or draw outcomes, which does not require a player to risk a currently achieved award.
The present invention includes a bonus round of a gaming device, which provides the player with a plurality of selections, wherein the selections prompt the gaming device to generate an outcome, and wherein the outcome can be a positive outcome for the player, a negative outcome for the player or a neutral outcome for the player. The present invention displays a plurality of choices to the player and enables the player to select one of the choices.
The game preferably includes a database of choice comparisons or a choice comparator that takes any two of the choices presented to the player and determines a winner between the two choices. The game preferably reveals which choices beat or trump which other choices. In one embodiment, the player and the game each randomly generate a choice, whereby the game provides a positive outcome to the player if the player's choice trumps the game's choice, the game provides a negative outcome to the player if the game's choice trumps the player's choice and the game provides a neutral outcome if the player's choice is the same as or equal to the game's choice.
In a second embodiment, the game additionally includes a database of outcomes; namely, a positive player outcome, a negative player outcome and a neutral player outcome. The game can equally weight the outcomes or weight the outcomes so that the game randomly selects one or more outcomes more often than one or more other outcomes. In this embodiment, the player makes a choice and the game randomly generates an outcome, which can be a weighted outcome.
When the game generates a positive player outcome, the game determines its appropriate choice from the comparison database and displays both its choice and the positive outcome to the player. This embodiment proceeds backwards with respect to the previous embodiment. When the game generates a negative player outcome, the game determines its appropriate choice from the comparison database and displays both its choice and the negative outcome to the player. When the game generates a neutral player outcome, the game determines its appropriate choice from the comparison database and displays both the choice and the neutral outcome to the player.
In both bonus round embodiments, the game enables the player to continue to play until a negative outcome occurs. The player keeps any prior awards from positive outcomes and does not risk achieved awards for the chance to accumulate a higher award.
The game contemplates different choice display embodiments described in detail below. In one embodiment, the game structures the choice comparisons such that each choice either trumps or is trumped by every other choice. In this embodiment, only a random selection of the same choice by the player and the game generates a neutral outcome. Or, if the game randomly selects a neutral outcome, the game has only one choice to choose, the choice that the player selected.
In another embodiment, the game structures the choice comparisons such that not every choice trumps or is trumped by every other choice. In this other embodiment, a random selection of the player's choice or a choice not trumping or trumped by the player's choice generates a neutral outcome. Or, if the game randomly selects a neutral outcome, the game can randomly select the choice that the player selected or a choice not trumping or trumped by the player's choice.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device having player selectable choices that prompt the game to generate a win, lose and draw outcome.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having player selectable choices that prompt the game to generate a win, lose and draw outcome, whereby each choice trumps or is trumped by every other choice.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having player selectable choices that prompt the game to generate a win, lose and draw outcome, whereby each choice does not trump or become trumped by every other choice.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having win, lose or draw outcomes, whereby the player randomly selects a choice, the game randomly generates a choice and the game determines an outcome based on the selected and generated choices.
Still a further advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having win, lose or draw outcomes, whereby the player randomly selects a choice, the game randomly generates an outcome and the game determines a choice based on the player's selected choice and the game's generated outcome.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.
Referring now to the drawings, two embodiments of the gaming device of the present invention are illustrated in
Gaming device 10 can incorporate any primary game such as slot, poker or keno, any of their bonus triggering events and any of their bonus round games. The symbols and indicia used on and in gaming device 10 may be in mechanical, electrical or video form.
As illustrated in
As shown in
At any time during the game, a player may “cash out” and thereby receive a number of coins corresponding to the number of remaining credits by pushing a cash out button 26. When the player “cashes out,” the player receives the coins in a coin payout tray 28. The gaming device 10 may employ other payout mechanisms such as credit vouchers redeemable by a cashier or electronically recordable cards, which keep track of the player's credits.
Gaming device 10 also includes one or more display devices. The embodiment shown in
Each reel 34 displays a plurality of indicia such as bells, hearts, fruits, numbers, letters, bars or other images which preferably correspond to a theme associated with the gaming device 10. Furthermore, gaming device 10 preferably includes speakers 36 for making sounds or playing music.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
It should be appreciated that although a processor 38 and memory device 40 are preferable implementations of the present invention, the present invention can also be implemented using one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC's) or other hard-wired devices, or using mechanical devices (collectively referred to herein as a “processor”). Furthermore, although the processor 38 and memory device 40 preferably reside on each gaming device 10 unit, it is possible to provide some or all of their functions at a central location such as a network server for communication to a playing station such as over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Internet connection, microwave link, and the like. The processor 38 and memory device 40 are generally referred to herein as the “computer” or the “controller.”
With reference to
In addition to winning credits in this manner, preferably gaming device 10 also gives players the opportunity to win credits in a bonus round. This type of gaming device 10 will include a program which will automatically begin a bonus round when the player has achieved a qualifying condition in the game. This qualifying condition can be a particular arrangement of indicia on a display device. The gaming device 10 preferably uses a video-based central display device 30 to enable the player to play the bonus round. Preferably, the qualifying condition is a predetermined combination of indicia appearing on a plurality of reels 34. As illustrated in the five reel slot game shown in
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that in the choice structure 100, each choice either trumps or is trumped by every other choice. The choice structure 100 also maintains an equal percentage that any choice will either trump or be trumped. That is, there is a fifty percent chance that “A” trumps “B” and that “C” trumps “A” if the player or the game selects choice “A.” To maintain an equally weighted game, as illustrated in
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that in the choice structure 106, each choice either trumps or is trumped by every other choice. The choice structure 106 thereby maintains an unequal percentage that any choice will either trump or be trumped. That is, there is a 66.7 percent chance that “A” trumps “B” or that “A” trumps “D” and only a 33.3 percent chance that “C” trumps “A” if the player or the game selects choice “A.” Likewise, there is a 66.7 percent chance that “A” trumps “B” or that “D” trumps “B” and only a 33.3 percent chance that “B” trumps “C” if the player or the game selects choice “B.” It should be appreciated from
As illustrated in
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that in the choice structure 112, each choice either trumps or is trumped by every other choice. The choice structure 112 also maintains an equal percentage that any choice will either trump or be trumped. That is, there is a fifty percent chance that “A” trumps “B” or that “A” trumps “D.” There is also a fifty percent chance that “C” trumps “A” or that “E” trumps “A” if the player or the game selects choice “A.” To maintain an equally weighted game, as illustrated in
The choice structure 112 illustrates that the present invention includes providing any number of choices. Odd number embodiments, such as the choice structures 100 and 112, have an even number of combatant choices, which facilitates a choice structure having choices with equal chances of winning or losing. Even numbered embodiments, such as the choice structure 106, have an odd number of combatant choices and unequal winning percentages, unless as described below, some choice pairs do not have an associated comparator.
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that in the choice structure 118, each choice does not either trump or become trumped by every other choice. For example, there is no comparator, i.e., no winner or loser for the choices “A” and “D,” “A” and “E,” and “A” and “F.” The present invention contemplates ties or draws, such that the game's random generation of the choice “A” and the player's selection of the choice “D” preferably generates a draw and a try again.
Even though the choice structure 118 includes an even number of choices such as eight, the structure 118 maintains an equal percentage of any choice winning or losing. The game enables the equal percentage by not providing a comparator for all choice combinations and by providing an even number of choice combinations for each choice. As illustrated by the choice structure 118 and the comparison database 120, each choice trumps two other choices and is trumped by two other choices. The game preferably maintains a choice generation table or database 122 in the memory device 40, which is equally weighted, i.e., there is 12.5% that the game generates each choice “A” through “H.”
Referring now to
In
Referring now to
If the player does not input a decision, the game continues to display the choice structure and prompt the player, as indicated by the block 146. If the player inputs a decision, the game displays its choice, as indicated by the block 149, and thus determines whether player's choice ties the game's choice, as indicated by the diamond 150.
Referring to the choice structures 100, 106 and 112 of
If a tie occurs, as indicated by a positive response to the diamond 150, the game displays a draw or tie sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32, as indicated by the block 152, and the game resets the sequence by randomly generating a new choice, as indicated by the block 144. In an alternative embodiment, the game additionally awards the player an associated award upon a tie. The tie award is preferably less than an award associated with a player win result. A draw or tie sequence can be any display indicating a neutral outcome. The draw or tie outcome is effectively a gaming device nullity, wherein the player and game start over as if the previous choice selections have not occurred. If a tie does not occur, as indicated by a negative response to the query of the diamond 150, the game determines whether player's choice trumps the game's choice, as indicated by the diamond 156.
Referring to the comparison databases 102, 108 and 114 of
If the player's choice trumps the game's choice, the game displays a player win sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32 and awards the player an associated award, as indicated by the block 154. A player win sequence can be any display indicating a positive player outcome. The win outcome improves the player's status quo. That is, in a bonus round, the only loss the player experiences is a theoretical loss or a loss of potential awards. With a win outcome, then, the player's award total starts at zero or some point of status quo and adds thereto. The game resets the sequence by randomly generating a new choice, as indicated by the block 144.
If the player's choice does not trump the game's choice, as indicated by a negative response to the diamond 156, the game: (i) displays a player lose sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32; (ii) alternatively awards a consolation award, as indicated by the block 158; and (iii) ends the sequence, as indicated by the oval 160. A suitable player lose sequence is any that indicates a negative player outcome. As mentioned above, the bonus game only adds to the player's awards. The player's loss includes the loss of continued play or potential awards. That is, the player does not risk and thereby lose previously achieved awards in a game of the present invention.
It should be appreciated that the player continues play, i.e., winning and accumulating awards or tying and trying again, until the game's choice trumps the player's choice. The player keeps any accumulated award achieved before the game's choice trumps the player's choice.
The win awards, tie awards and consolation awards are preferably game credits although other awards are contemplated by the present invention. For example, the win awards and consolation awards can be game credit multipliers that multiply: (i) a win along one or more paylines; (ii) a total bet; (iii) a prior bonus round win; or (iv) any other suitable game credit amount. The associated awards can be a number representing any type of value, such as a number of selections from a prize pool.
In one award selection embodiment, the win awards and consolation awards are associated with the comparators. That is, the comparison databases 102, 108 and 114 of
Referring now to
When the game's choice trumps the player's choice, the game in one embodiment randomly selects one of the consolation prizes from the consolation column 166. The consolation prizes are typically less and have less variation than do the win prizes. The game also weights the consolation award generation. The present invention also contemplates including “0” consolation awards, such that the player sometimes receives a consolation award and other times receives nothing.
In a further award selection embodiment, the game always provides the same award and/or consolation award when the player wins and/or loses, respectively. This embodiment does not require a separate private pool or database, such as the one disclosed in connection with
Referring now to
If the player does not input a decision, the game continues to display the choice structure and prompt the player, as indicated by the block 176. If the player inputs a decision, the game determines and displays its choice based on the player's choice and the randomly generated outcome, as indicated by the block 180.
Referring to the comparison databases 102, 108 and 114 of
If the game randomly generates a tie in an embodiment such as the choice structures 100, 106 and 112, of
If the game randomly generates a tie in an embodiment such as the choice structure 118 of
If the game generates a tie, as indicated by a positive response to the query of the diamond 182, the game displays a draw or tie sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32, as indicated by the block 184, and the game resets the sequence by randomly generating a new choice, as indicated by the block 174. In an alternative embodiment, the game additionally awards the player an associated award upon a tie. The tie award is preferably less than an award associated with a player win result. A draw or tie sequence can be any display indicating a neutral outcome. As described in connection with
If the game generated a win for the player, as indicated by a positive response to the query of the diamond 186, the game displays a player win sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32 and awards the player an associated award, as indicated by the block 188. A player win sequence can be any display indicating a positive player outcome. As described above in connection with
The game awards the player in the manner and type described above in connection with the preferred embodiment of
If the game did not generate a win for the player, as indicated by a negative response to the query of the diamond 186, the game: (i) displays a player lose sequence on one of the display devices 30 or 32; (ii) alternatively awards a consolation award, as indicated by the block 190; and (iii) ends the sequence, as indicated by the oval 192. A suitable player lose sequence is any that indicates a negative player outcome. The lose outcome deprives the player of further award generation opportunity. That is, the player continues play, i.e., winning and accumulating awards or tying and trying again, until the game randomly generates a loss for the player. The player keeps any accumulated award achieved before the game generates a loss.
Referring now to
In an entertaining and exciting audiovisual display, the game represents its selection of a choice via an indicator 200.
It should be appreciated that the preferred display embodiment of
While the present invention is described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims. Modifications and variations in the present invention may be made without departing from the novel aspects of the invention as defined in the claims, and this application is limited only by the scope of the claims.
This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/772,763, filed Jan. 30, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,824. This application is related to the following commonly-owned co-pending patent applications: “GAMING DEVICE HAVING A BONUS ROUND WITH A WIN, LOSE OR DRAW OUTCOME,” Ser. No. 09/772,763; and “GAMING DEVICE HAVING A MULTI-ROUND BONUS SCHEME WHEREIN EACH ROUND HAS A PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS,” Ser. No. 09/688,441.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 09772763 | Jan 2001 | US |
| Child | 10163805 | US |
