Gaming device having advance game information analyzer

• US 10,347,079 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald A
• Application Number:
  US15/885,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

This concept is directed to methods of operating a gaming device to analyze game information that is part of a gaming event having a player interaction in advance of the player interaction to make a determination about the game play. These methods may be used for a variety of gaming devices such as slot machines, video keno devices, video poker machines, electronic table games, internet gaming terminals, etc. In each type of gaming device, these operation methods evaluate future game information during game play to determine one of multiple manners by which the game play will continue. These continuation manners may include changing the speed of game play, determining display characteristics of the game and outcome, providing tips or information to the player about the future game information, automatically initiating a subsequent game, or otherwise altering an aspect of the game play parameters in response to the evaluated game information.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

initiating a first game on the gaming device;

determining a first portion of an outcome of the first game and a second portion of the outcome of the first game, via a programmed processor associated with the gaming device, which together comprise an outcome of the first game;

analyzing the first and second outcome portions to determine if a combination of the first portion of the outcome and the second portion of the outcome meets at least one predetermined criterion;

initiating a first game sequence when the combination of the first and second portions of the outcome is determined to meet the predetermined criterion, the first game sequence including;

displaying the first portion of the outcome to the player,

allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first portion of the outcome is displayed, and

displaying the outcome of the first game based on at least two of the first portion of the outcome, the second portion of the outcome, and the player interaction; and

automatically initiating a second game when the combination of the first portion of the outcome and the second portion of the outcome does not meet the at least one predetermined criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further includes preventing player interaction when the combination of the first portion of the outcome and the second portion of the outcome does not meet the at least one predetermined criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes stopping at least one but fewer than all of a plurality of game reels that each include a plurality of symbols when the combination of the first and second portions of the outcome is determined to meet the predetermined criterion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined criterion is an occurrence of a predetermined symbol displayed on the at least one stopped game reel.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further includes stopping the remainder of the plurality of reels after stopping the at least one of the plurality of game reels.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first portion of the outcome is displayed includes allowing the player to place a wager on the gaming device after the at least one reel is stopped.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first portion of the outcome is displayed includes allowing the player to nudge the stopped reel.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first portion of the outcome is displayed includes allowing the player to respin the at least one stopped reel.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one player selection of a spot from a plurality of selectable spots displayed on a game board prior to initiating a first game on the gaming device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first portion of an outcome of the first game includes at least one of a plurality of randomly selected winning spots.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion is an occurrence of at least one of the player selected spots being included in the first portion of the outcome.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first portion of the outcome is displayed includes allowing the player to select at least one more spot that is not displayed in the first portion of the outcome.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein allowing player interaction with the gaming device after the first game information is displayed includes allowing the player to change at least one player selected spot to a spot that is not displayed in the first portion of the outcome.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second gaming information includes a remainder of the randomly selected winning spots not defined by the first gaming information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the second portion of the outcome includes a plurality of randomly selected winning spots.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating a second game includes automatically using a wager profile that is substantially identical to a wager profile used for the first gaming event.

17. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

accepting a wager from a player of the gaming device;

initiating a game on the gaming device;

determining a first portion of an outcome of a game and second portion of the outcome of the game, the first and second portions being used in a determination of an outcome of the game;

analyzing the first and second portions;

if the analyzed portions meet at least one predefined criterion;

displaying the first game portion to the player,

providing the player with an opportunity to modify the wager, and

displaying an outcome of the game based on the first and second portions; and

if the analyzed portions do not meet the at least one predefined criterion, preventing the player from modifying the wager.

18. A gaming device comprising:

a gaming display to display a game played on the gaming device by a player;

a game processor configured to determine a first portion of an outcome of the game and a second portion of the outcome of the game, the first and second portions together comprising an outcome of the game; and

an analyzer configured to analyze the first and second portions to determine if they meet a predetermined criterion,

wherein the game processor is further configured to display the first portion of the outcome, request player interaction, and display an outcome of the game based on at least two of the first portion, the second portion, and the player interaction when the analyzed first and second outcome portions are determined to meet the predetermined criterion, and

wherein the game processor is further configured to display an outcome of the game based only on the first portion of the outcome of the game when the analyzed first and second outcome portions are not determined to meet the predetermined criterion.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, further comprising a player interface panel having a rapid play game initiating button configured to initiate a rapid play gaming session.

20. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein the analyzer is further configured to reveal a game tip to the player based on the analysis of the first and second portions of the outcome.