Player choice game feature

• US 20020042294A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Fong, Colin, Pau, Edgar
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming machine has display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means An underlying game is played in which one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. On the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets. Each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process. The prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player from the two or more different prize sets. The sets of prizes may be presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player. Alternatively the sets of prizes are presented on the faces of dice which are arranged to spin or turn or simulate spinning or turning before stopping with the front face of the die defining the prize won by the player.

Claims

1. A gaming machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play an underlying game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterised in that on the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets, each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process, wherein the prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player.

2. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein one prize set contains one or more prize outcomes which may be identical to prize outcomes in a different prize set.

3. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein one prize set contains one or more prize outcomes which are identical to one or more other prize outcomes in that one prize set.

4. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or more of the prize sets includes non winning prize outcomes.

5. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein including the non winning prize outcomes, each prize set has the same number of potential outcomes.

6. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the game feature is triggered by the occurrence of a special combination during the base game.

7. A gaming machine as claimed in claims 1 wherein the game feature is triggered at random.

8. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the underlying game is selected from the group including a spinning reel game, a card game, keno, bingo, and pachinko.

9. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sets of prizes are presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player.

10. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sets of prizes are presented on the faces of three dimensional objects or simulation thereof which are arranged to spin or turn or simulate spinning or turning before stopping to show or indicate a face of the object which define the prize won by the player.

11. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein the three dimensional object is a die.

12. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each prize set is presented differently.

13. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sets of prizes are presented on representations of board games with the player choosing which board they wish to play and wherein a random selection indicates the number of squares around the selected board that the player will move with the square on which the player lands being the square that defines the prize outcome.

15. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein one prize set contains one or more prize outcomes which may be identical to prize outcomes in a different prize set.

16. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15 wherein one prize set contains one or more prize outcomes which are identical to one or more other prize outcomes in that one prize set.

18. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 17 wherein the three dimensional object is a die.

14. A gaming machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play an underlying game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterised in that on the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets, each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, one or more of the prize sets including non winning prize outcomes, and wherein including the non winning prize outcomes, each prize set has the same number of potential outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process, the sets of prizes being presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment, wherein the prize is drawn from the wheel selected by the player.

17. A gaming machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play an underlying game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterised in that on the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets, each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, and wherein each prize set has the same number of potential outcomes from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process, wherein the prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player.