Patent Grant
7278919
This application is related to the following commonly-owned patent applications: “APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATING A GAMING DEVICE HAVING A CENTRAL GAME AND A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERAL GAMES,” Ser. No. 10/931,656, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/085,520 entitled “APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATING A GAMING DEVICE HAVING A CENTRAL GAME AND A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERAL GAMES,” which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,819 on Jul. 27, 2004.
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 having multiple interrelated secondary games wherein each secondary game is linked to the other secondary games.
Gaming machines are known to offer a player an opportunity to win an award in a primary game. The award provided to the player can be enhanced by a secondary game triggered in the primary game. The secondary game or bonus game often gives the players an opportunity to win additional awards or dramatically increase an award. Known gaming devices having bonus games employ a triggering event that occurs during play of the primary or base game of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts the base game play and enables a player to enter a second, different game, which is the bonus game. The player plays the bonus game and likely receives an award before returning to the base game. The potential for a player to win additional awards or dramatically increase an award adds additional enjoyment and excitement to the game. In many gaming devices, however, the bonus game associated with the gaming device is limited to one game. Most bonus games are limited to a single game provided to the player that produces its own award or enhances the award provided to the player in the base game.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/085,520 filed on Feb. 28, 2002, published Aug. 28, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,819, discloses a gaming device having one central game and at least one and a plurality of peripheral games. The central game includes at least one or a plurality of central game outcomes. At least one of the central game outcomes is a transfer outcome or transfer. After the player picks the transfer outcome, one of the peripheral games begins. The peripheral game enables the player to go to another peripheral game or return to the central game and pick at least one more central game outcomes.
There is a continuing need to provide a player with the enjoyment and excitement of a new and different bonus game which provides the player an opportunity to play a plurality of inter-linked bonus games without having to return to one or more of the same bonus games.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device having multiple games interlinked to provide a player the potential of receiving an award for one or more of the games. In one embodiment, when a triggering event occurs in the wagering base game, the gaming device initiates a bonus round by randomly selecting a secondary game from a plurality of secondary games which are preferably different. In one embodiment, each of the bonus games in the bonus round has different outcomes, different possible outcomes or different sets of outcomes available to the player. In a one embodiment, the different outcomes, different possible outcomes or different sets of outcomes available to the player depend on the order the bonus game is selected, played or presented by the gaming device or the player. In other words, certain outcomes for a particular bonus game are available to the player if that bonus game is picked first. Similarly, if that bonus game is picked second, different outcomes for that game are available to the player. If that game is picked third, a third, preferably different, set of outcomes is available to the player for that game.
In an alternative embodiment, the outcomes are the same for each order a bonus game is selected. In other words, a set of possible outcomes is associated with all bonus games in the bonus round picked first; another set of outcomes is associated with all bonus games picked second; etc. In a further alternative embodiment, a probability of receiving particular outcomes changes based on the order in which the bonus game is selected. The outcomes associated with a bonus game selected first in one embodiment, for example, have a probability table for the outcomes which is different from the probability table for the outcomes of the bonus game if the bonus game is selected second.
In one embodiment, each of the bonus games in the bonus round has a plurality of selections such as player-selectable selections to determine the outcome or outcomes, if any, provided to the player. In one embodiment, the selections or number of selections available to the player depend on the order in which the bonus game is selected.
In one embodiment, the outcome(s) associated with one or more of the selections of one, a plurality of, or all of the bonus games in the bonus round include transfer symbols that transfer or enable the player to be transferred to one of the other bonus games. The transfer symbols serve to interrelate or link the bonus games with one another, allowing the player the opportunity to sequentially play each bonus game and, potentially, win an award from each bonus game. In one embodiment, once a player has played one bonus game, the player is no longer eligible to be subsequently transferred to that bonus game. Therefore, transfer symbols that enable the player to be subsequently transferred to one of the other bonus games are preferably included among the outcomes of the presently played bonus games if at least one other bonus game remains available for selection. For example, in one embodiment, a bonus game selected first includes transfer symbols to each of the other bonus games among its outcomes. A bonus game selected second includes transfer symbols to the bonus games which have not been previously selected or played. A bonus game selected last, in a preferred embodiment, has no transfer symbols associated with its selections because all of the other bonus games have been selected or played.
In one embodiment, a plurality of bonus games in a bonus round are interrelated, and one of the bonus games is randomly or otherwise, selected by the game upon the triggering of a bonus event in the base game. In alternative embodiments, the player may select the first bonus game. In one embodiment, each of the bonus games in the bonus round has a plurality of selections such as player-selectable selections to determine the outcome or outcomes. In one embodiment, once a bonus game is selected and the order in which the bonus game was selected is determined, the player, in one embodiment, is presented with a plurality of selections with associated outcomes corresponding to the order in which the bonus game was selected. The outcomes may include advancing the player to the other bonus games, one or more awards (such as values or modifiers), or any other suitable outcome(s) adapted to be provided to the player. It should be appreciated that the award outcomes may also allow the player to make another selection. If the bonus game is the second game to be selected, or is selected second among the bonus games, the bonus game may include selections having a different set of outcomes associated with each selection. The outcomes may include advancing of the player to a bonus game that has not been selected, awards, or any other suitable outcome(s). If the bonus game is picked third out of three possible bonus games, or is the last bonus game to be selected, the outcomes associated with the selections preferably include awards or other suitable outcome(s), but do not include advancing the player to other bonus games if the player has previously played or selected all other bonus games.
In another embodiment, the bonus game can include outcomes that terminate the bonus round.
In one embodiment of a bonus game, the player is provided a plurality of selections having associated outcomes which include digits of an award. If the bonus game is selected first or second, the outcomes associated with the selections include digits of an award and transfers to other bonus games. If the bonus game is selected third out of three possible bonus games or last, the outcomes include only award digits and no transfers.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device having a variety of multiple interrelated secondary games.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device which advances the player to a different bonus game based on the player selections.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a gaming device which enables a player to advance from one bonus game to a different bonus game and be eligible for a particular group of outcomes based on the order in which the bonus game is selected.
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 alternative embodiments of the gaming device of the present invention are illustrated in
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, part or all of the program code and/or operating data described above can be stored in a detachable or removable memory device, including, but not limited to, a suitable cartridge, disk or CD ROM. A player can use such a removable memory device in a desktop, a laptop personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other computerized platform. The processor and memory device may be collectively referred to herein as a “computer” or “controller.”
In one embodiment, as discussed in more detail below, the gaming device randomly generates awards and/or other game outcomes based on probability data. That is, each award or other game outcome is associated with a probability and the gaming device generates the award or other game outcome to be provided to the player based on the associated probabilities. In this embodiment, since the gaming device generates outcomes randomly or based upon a probability calculation, there is no certainty that the gaming device will ever provide the player with any specific award or other game outcome.
In another embodiment, as discussed in more detail below, the gaming device employs a predetermined or finite set or pool of awards or other game outcomes. In this embodiment, as each award or other game outcome is provided to the player, the gaming device removes the provided award or other game outcome from the predetermined set or pool. Once removed from the set or pool, the specific provided award or other game outcome cannot be provided to the player again. This type of gaming device provides players with all of the available awards or other game outcomes over the course of the play cycle and guarantees the amount of actual wins and losses.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
The display devices may include, without limitation, a monitor, a television display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) a display based on light emitting diodes (LED) or any other suitable electronic device or display mechanism. In one embodiment, as described in more detail below, the display device includes a touch-screen with an associated touch-screen controller. The display devices may be of any suitable configuration, such as a square, rectangle, elongated rectangle.
The display devices of the gaming device are configured to display at least one and preferably a plurality of game or other suitable images, symbols and indicia such as any visual representation or exhibition of the movement of objects such as mechanical, virtual or video reels and wheels, dynamic lighting, video images, images of people, characters, places, things and faces of cards, tournament advertisements and the like.
In one alternative embodiment, the symbols, images and indicia displayed on or of the display device may be in mechanical form. That is, the display device may include any electromechanical device, such as one or more mechanical objects, such as one or more rotatable wheels, reels or dice, configured to display at least one and preferably a plurality of game or other suitable images, symbols or indicia.
As illustrated in
As seen in
In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, one input device is a cash out button 26. The player may push the cash out button and cash out to receive a cash payment or other suitable form of payment corresponding to the number of remaining credits. In one embodiment, when the player cashes out, the player receives the coins or tokens in a coin payout tray 40. In one embodiment, when the player cashes out, the player may receive other payout mechanisms such as tickets or credit slips redeemable by a cashier or funding to the player's electronically recordable identification card.
In one embodiment, as mentioned above and seen in
The gaming device may further include a plurality of communication ports for enabling communication of the processor with external peripherals, such as external video sources, expansion buses, game or other displays, an SCSI port or a key pad.
In one embodiment, as seen in
In one embodiment, the gaming machine may include a player or other sensor, such as a camera in communication with the processor (and possibly controlled by the processor) that is selectively positioned to acquire an image of a player actively using the gaming device and/or the surrounding area of the gaming device. In one embodiment, the camera may be configured to selectively acquire still or moving (e.g., video) images and may be configured to acquire the images in either an analog, digital or other suitable format. The display devices may be configured to display the image acquired by the camera as well as display the visible manifestation of the game in split screen or picture-in-picture fashion. For example, the camera may acquire an image of the player and that image can be incorporated into the primary and/or secondary game as a game image, symbol or indicia.
Gaming device 10 can incorporate any suitable wagering primary or base game. The gaming machine or device of the present invention may include some or all of the features of conventional gaming machines or devices. The primary or base game may comprise any suitable reel-type game, card game, number game or other game of chance susceptible to representation in an electronic or electromechanical form which produces a random outcome based on probability data upon activation from a wager. That is, different primary wagering games, such as video poker games, video blackjack games, video Keno, video bingo or any other suitable primary or base game may be implemented into the present invention.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, a base or primary game may be a poker game wherein the gaming device enables the player to play a conventional game of video poker and initially deals five cards all face up from a virtual deck of fifty-two card deck. Cards may be dealt as in a traditional game of cards or in the case of the gaming device, may also include that the cards are randomly selected from a predetermined number of cards. If the player wishes to draw, the player selects the cards to hold via one or more input device, such as pressing related hold buttons or via the touch screen. The player then presses the deal button and the unwanted or discarded cards are removed from the display and replacement cards are dealt from the remaining cards in the deck. This results in a final five-card hand. The final five-card hand is compared to a payout table which utilizes conventional poker hand rankings to determine the winning hands. The player is provided with an award based on a winning hand and the credits the player wagered.
In another embodiment, the base or primary game may be a multi-hand version of video poker. In this embodiment, the player is dealt at least two hands of cards. In one such embodiment, the cards are the same cards. In one embodiment each hand of cards is associated with its own deck of cards. The player chooses the cards to hold in a primary hand. The held cards in the primary hand are also held in the other hands of cards. The remaining non-held cards are removed from each hand displayed and for each hand replacement cards are randomly dealt into that hand. Since the replacement cards are randomly dealt independently for each hand, the replacement cards for each hand will usually be different. The poker hand rankings are then determined hand by hand and awards are provided to the player.
In one embodiment, a base or primary game may be a keno game wherein the gaming device displays a plurality of selectable indicia or numbers on at least one of the display devices. In this embodiment, the player selects at least one and preferable a plurality of the selectable indicia or numbers via an input device or via the touch screen. The gaming device then displays a series of drawn numbers to determine an amount of matches, if any, between the player's selected numbers and the gaming device's drawn numbers. The player is provided an award based on the amount of matches, if any, based on the amount of determined matches.
In one embodiment, in addition to winning credits in a base or primary game, the gaming device may also give players the opportunity to win credits in a bonus or secondary game or bonus or secondary round. The bonus or secondary game enables the player to obtain a prize or payout in addition to the prize or payout, if any, obtained from the base or primary game. In general, a bonus or secondary game produces a significantly higher level of player excitement than the base or primary game because it provides a greater expectation of winning than the base or primary game and is accompanied with more attractive or unusual features than the base or primary game.
In one embodiment, the bonus or secondary game may be any type of suitable game, either similar to or completely different from the base or primary game. In one embodiment, the gaming device includes a program which will automatically begin a bonus round when the player has achieved a triggering event or qualifying condition in the base or primary game. In one embodiment, the triggering event or qualifying condition may be a selected outcome in the primary game or a particular arrangement of one or more indicia on a display device in the primary game, such as the number seven appearing on three adjacent reels along a payline in the primary slot game embodiment seen in
In one embodiment, once a player has qualified for a bonus game, the player may subsequently enhance his/her bonus game participation through continued play on the base or primary game. Thus, for each bonus qualifying event, such as a bonus symbol, that the player obtains, a given number of bonus game wagering points or credits may be accumulated in a “bonus meter” programmed to accrue the bonus wagering credits or entries toward eventual participation in a bonus game. The occurrence of multiple such bonus qualifying events in the primary game may result in an arithmetic or geometric increase in the number of bonus wagering credits awarded. In one embodiment, extra bonus wagering credits may be redeemed during the bonus game to extend play of the bonus game.
In one embodiment, no separate entry fee or buy in for a bonus game need be employed. That is, a player may not purchase an entry into a bonus game; he must win or earn entry through play of the primary game and, thus, play of the primary game is encouraged. In another embodiment, qualification of the bonus or secondary game could be accomplished through a simple “buy in” by the player if, for example, the player has been unsuccessful at qualifying through other specified activities.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the game outcome provided to the player is determined by a central server or controller and provided to the player at the gaming device of the present invention. In this embodiment, each of a plurality of such gaming devices are in communication with the central server or controller. Upon a player initiating game play at one of the gaming devices, the initiated gaming device communicates a game outcome request to the central server or controller.
In one embodiment, the central server or controller receives the game outcome request and randomly generates a game outcome for the primary game based on probability data. In another embodiment, the central server or controller randomly generates a game outcome for the secondary game based on probability data. In another embodiment, the central server or controller randomly generates a game outcome for both the primary game and the secondary game based on probability data. In this embodiment, the central server or controller is capable of storing and utilizing program code or other data similar to the processor and memory device of the gaming device.
In an alternative embodiment, the central server or controller maintains one or more predetermined pools or sets of predetermined game outcomes. In this embodiment, the central server or controller receives the game outcome request and independently selects a predetermined game outcome from a set or pool of game outcomes. The central server or controller flags or marks the selected game outcome as used. Once a game outcome is flagged as used, it is prevented from further selection from the set or pool and cannot be selected by the central controller or server upon another wager. The provided game outcome can include a primary game outcome, a secondary game outcome, primary and secondary game outcomes, or a series of game outcomes such a free games.
The central server or controller communicates the generated or selected game outcome to the initiated gaming device. The gaming device receives the generated or selected game outcome and provides the game outcome to the player. In an alternative embodiment, how the generated or selected game outcome is to be presented or displayed to the player, such as a reel symbol combination of a slot machine or a hand of cards dealt in a card game, is also determined by the central server or controller and communicated to the initiated gaming device to be presented or displayed to the player. Central production or control can assist a gaming establishment or other entity in maintaining appropriate records, controlling gaming, reducing and preventing cheating or electronic or other errors, reducing or eliminating win-loss volatility and the like.
In another embodiment, one or more of the gaming devices of the present invention are in communication with a central server or controller for monitoring purposes only. That is, each individual gaming device randomly generates the game outcomes to be provided to the player and the central server or controller monitors the activities and events occurring on the plurality of gaming devices. In one embodiment, the gaming network includes a real-time or on-line accounting and gaming information system operably coupled to the central server or controller. The accounting and gaming information system of this embodiment includes a player database for storing player profiles, a player tracking module for tracking players and a credit system for providing automated casino transactions.
A plurality of the gaming devices of the present invention are capable of being connected together through a data network. In one embodiment, the data network is a local area network (LAN), in which one or more of the gaming devices are substantially proximate to each other and an on-site central server or controller as in, for example, a gaming establishment or a portion of a gaming establishment. In another embodiment, the data network is a wide area network (WAN) in which one or more of the gaming devices are in communication with at least one off-site central server or controller. In this embodiment, the plurality of gaming devices may be located in a different part of the gaming establishment or within a different gaming establishment than the off-site central server or controller. Thus, the WAN may include an off-site central server or controller and an off-site gaming device located within gaming establishments in the same geographic area, such as a city or state. The WAN gaming system of the present invention may be substantially identical to the LAN gaming system described above, although the number of gaming devices in each system may vary relative to each other.
In another embodiment, the data network is an internet or intranet. In this embodiment, the operation of the gaming device can be viewed at the gaming device with at least one internet browser. In this embodiment, operation of the gaming device and accumulation of credits may be accomplished with only a connection to the central server or controller (the internet/intranet server) through a conventional phone or other data transmission line, digital signal line (DSL), T-1 line, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, or other suitable connection. In this embodiment, players may access an Internet game page from any location where an internet connection and computer, or other internet facilitator are available. The expansion in the number of computers and number and speed of internet connections in recent years increases opportunities for players to play from an ever-increasing number of remote sites. It should be appreciated that enhanced bandwidth of digital wireless communications may render such technology suitable for some or all communications according to the present invention, particularly if such communications are encrypted. Higher data transmission speeds may be useful for enhancing the sophistication and response of the display and interaction with the player.
In another embodiment, a plurality of gaming devices at one or more gaming sites may be networked to a central server in a progressive configuration, as known in the art, wherein a portion of each wager to initiate a base or primary game may be allocated to bonus or secondary event awards. In one embodiment, a host site computer is coupled to a plurality of the central servers at a variety of mutually remote gaming sites for providing a multi-site linked progressive automated gaming system. In one embodiment, a host site computer may serve gaming devices distributed throughout a number of properties at different geographical locations including, for example, different locations within a city or different cities within a state.
In one embodiment, the host site computer is maintained for the overall operation and control of the system. In this embodiment, a host site computer oversees the entire progressive gaming system and is the master for computing all progressive jackpots. All participating gaming sites report to, and receive information from, the host site computer. Each central server computer is responsible for all data communication between the gaming device hardware and software and the host site computer.
Referring now to
If the gaming device advances the player to another bonus game as indicated by block 110a, the gaming device provides the player another plurality of outcomes as indicated by diamond 204. The outcomes in one embodiment which are associated with the selections of a bonus game not selected first or last include receiving an award as indicated by block 206b, terminating the bonus game as indicated by block 208b, or advancing the player to a bonus game which has not been played as indicated by block 210b. Again if the player receives an award as indicated by block 206b, the bonus game is either terminated as indicated by block 208b or the game allows the player to make another selection 212b as indicated by diamond 204.
If the player is advanced to another bonus game 210b, the gaming device provides the player with a plurality of selections having a plurality of outcomes as indicated by blocks 306c and 308c. The outcomes in the remaining bonus game, in one embodiment, include receiving an award as indicated by block 306c, additional selections 312c, and terminating the bonus game as indicated by block 308c.
Referring now to
If bonus game A 102 is not the first selection, i.e., the player has transferred from another bonus game to bonus game A, and bonus game A is not the last selection, the outcomes 104b are available or associated with the selections presented to the player. The outcomes 104b of the bonus game include at least one award or transfer 106b and at least one advance or transfer to either bonus game B or bonus game C 110b, depending on which bonus game the player has already selected or played. If bonus game B 202 has been selected or played, at least one advance or transfer to bonus game C 302 is available or associated with the selections presented to the player. For example, if the player has transferred from bonus game B 202 to bonus game A 102, one of the outcomes 104b of the second selection includes a transfer to bonus game C 110b because bonus game C 302 has not been selected or played. If bonus game A 102 is the third or last bonus game to be selected, the outcomes 104c available to the player include at least one award or award component 106c.
In
It should be appreciated that any suitable type of bonus game may be employed in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly,
If bonus game C 302 is the first bonus game to be selected, the outcomes 304a available to the player are at least one award digit 306a, at least one transfer or advance 310a to bonus game A and at least one transfer or advance 311a to bonus game B. If bonus game C 302 is not the first bonus game to be selected, i.e., the player has advanced from another bonus game to bonus game C 302, the outcomes 304b available or associated with the selections presented to the player include a plurality of award digits 306b, and at least one advance to bonus game A or bonus game B 310b, depending on whether bonus game A or B has been selected or played. If bonus game C 302 is the third or last bonus game to be selected, the outcomes 304c available to the player include a plurality of award digits 306c. In one embodiment, if the gaming device 10 provides the player an award digit 306a in the first or second selection, the gaming device may provide an additional selection to the player to enable the player to receive either another award digit 309c or, if bonus game C 302 is not the last game to be selected, an advance to another bonus game. It should be appreciated that an extra award digit 309c can be associated with at least one selection in lieu of an advance to another bonus game. It should be appreciated that other outcomes such as modifiers and additional picks may be associated with the selections of a bonus game and appropriated to the bonus game based on the order in which a bonus game is selected. Additionally, it should be appreciated that a plurality of outcomes may be associated with one selection.
Referring now to
In an alternative embodiment, probabilities are associated with each of the bonus games, wherein the likelihood of a bonus game being initially selected by the gaming device is based on the probability associated with each bonus game. In
Subsequent bonus games played by the player, in one embodiment, are determined by the selection made by the player. Accordingly, the gaming device, in one embodiment, varies the number of selections for a particular outcome in accordance with a probability associated with each outcome. In the embodiment illustrated in
In an embodiment where each bonus game is played only once, if bonus game A is played first and bonus game B is played second, bonus game C must be played third. The probability 136 that this sequence will occur, i.e., bonus game A is selected first, bonus game B is selected second, and bonus game C is selected third, is, therefore, 35% (50%×70%).
Referring now to
Referring now to
The player is subsequently instructed to select one of the five selections of the bonus game A displayed by the gaming device. It should be appreciated that, alternatively, the gaming device can instruct the player to select more than one selection or provide the player with outcomes associated with the selections which include additional picks of the selections. The player in
An additional outcome 112a is associated with selection 2 which allows the player to pick another selection. The player picks selection 4 as illustrated in
Upon the advance of the player to bonus game B 202 in
Upon transfer of the player to bonus game C 302, the gaming device 10 presents the player a plurality of selections 150c to 158c from which the player is instructed to select at least one selection. Referring back to
In
In
In
In
Referring now to
The additional outcome associated with selection 4 includes an advance 310 to bonus game A.
It should be appreciated that a player's level of excitement is increased the opportunity to play a variety of bonus games by having the potential of accumulating multiple awards in these bonus games. In an alternative embodiment, the player is provided multiple award selections in a bonus game creating a higher probability of receiving an award in that bonus game. In one embodiment, the award provided to the player in a bonus game is transferred to the next bonus game where that award is potentially modified by the outcome of selections in other bonus games.
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.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20050054419 A1 | Mar 2005 | US |
