Gaming device having a first game scheme involving a symbol generator, a second game and a first game terminator

• US 20020198042A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Webb, Bayard S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,733,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• 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 device with a first game scheme which includes one or more symbol generators and one or more second games. When the symbol generator generates one or more predetermined symbols, the gaming device operates one or more second games. If the player reaches a win condition in one or more second games, the gaming device provides the player with an award. If the symbol generator generates one or more termination symbols, the first game is terminated.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a first game;

at least one termination reel in the first game having a plurality of symbols thereon;

at least one second game triggering reel in the first game having a plurality of symbols thereon;

at least one independently operated second game, each second game being associated with one of the second game triggering reels; and

a processor in communication with the reels and for controlling each of the second games, wherein when one of the predetermined symbols occurs on one of the second game triggering reels, the processor operates the second game associated with said second game triggering reel, and wherein when a termination trigger occurs on at least one of the termination reels, the processor terminates the first game.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each second game includes at least one win condition.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the win condition includes a plurality of predetermined second game symbols.

4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the processor provides an award to a player when the win condition occurs in one of the second games.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each second game includes a plurality of displayed choices and enables a player to choose at least one of the displayed choices, at least one of the displayed choices having an award associated therewith.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a random number of activations of the first game.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a predetermined number of activations of the first game.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the termination trigger includes at least one occurrence of a termination symbol on the termination reel.

11. A gaming device comprising:

a first game;

a plurality of reels in the first game, each said reel having a plurality of symbols thereon including at least one predetermined symbol;

a termination trigger associated with one of said reels;

at least one independently operated second game, each second game being associated with at least one of said reels;

at least one display device for displaying the second games; and

a processor in communication with the reels and for controlling the display device and the second games, wherein when one of the predetermined symbols occurs on one of reels, the processor operates the second game associated with said reel, and wherein when the termination trigger occurs on the associated reel, the processor terminates the first game.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein each second game includes at least one win condition.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the win condition includes a plurality of predetermined second game symbols.

14. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the processor provides an award to a player when the win condition occurs in one of the second games.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

16. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein each second game includes a plurality of displayed choices and enables a player to choose at least one of the displayed choices, at least one of the displayed choices having an award associated therewith.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

18. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a random number of activations of the first game.

19. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a predetermined number of activations of the first game.

20. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the termination trigger includes at least one occurrence of a termination symbol on the reel associated with the termination trigger.

21. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the termination trigger and the second game are both associated with a same one of said reels.

22. A gaming device comprising:

a first game;

at least one termination reel in the first game having a plurality of symbols thereon;

at least one second game triggering reel in the first game having a plurality of symbols thereon;

at least one independently operated second game, each second game being associated with one of the second game triggering reels; and

a processor in communication with the reels and for controlling each of the second games, wherein when one of the predetermined symbols occurs on one of the second game triggering reels, the processor operates the second game associated with said second game triggering reel, each second game including at least one win condition, each said win condition including at least two operations of the second game, and wherein when a termination trigger occurs on at least one of the termination reels, the processor terminates the first game.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein each operation of the second game enables a player to acquire at least one of a plurality of displayed choices.

24. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the processor provides an award to a player when the win condition occurs in one of the second games.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

26. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a random number of activations of the first game.

27. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the second game is reset by the processor after a predetermined number of activations of the first game.

28. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the termination trigger includes at least one occurrence of a termination symbol on the termination reel.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first game is selected from the group consisting of a primary game and a bonus game, and the second game includes a bonus game.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein each second game includes at least one win condition.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the win condition includes a plurality of predetermined second game symbols.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of providing an award to the player when the win condition occurs in one of the second games.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the award includes adding a additional predetermined number of activations to said predetermined number of activations.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a value and an opportunity to gain a value.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein each second game includes a plurality of displayed choices and enables the player to choose at least one of the displayed choices, at least one of the displayed choices having an award associated therewith.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the award includes adding a additional predetermined number of activations to said predetermined number of activations.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a value and an opportunity to gain a value.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the second game is reset after a random number of activations of the first game.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the second game is reset after a predetermined number of activations of the first game.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the termination trigger includes at least one occurrence of a termination symbol on the reel associated with the termination trigger.

42. The method of claim 29, which includes operating the gaming device through a data network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the data network is an internet.

29. A method for operating a gaming device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a predetermined number of activations of a first game to a player, the first game including a plurality of reels, each of said reels having a plurality of symbols thereon;

(b) causing an activation of the first game and subtracting one activation from said predetermined number of activations;

(c) terminating the first game when a termination trigger occurs during the first game or when said predetermined number of activations have been exhausted, the termination trigger being associated with one of the reels;

(d) initiating at least one independently operated second game when a predetermined event occurs during the first game, each second game being associated with a different one of the reels, wherein each second game is initiated when the predetermined event occurs on the respective associated reel; and

(e) repeating steps (b) to (d) until the first game is terminated.

44. A method for operating a gaming device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating a first game, the first game including a plurality of reels, each of said reels having a plurality of symbols thereon;

(b) causing an activation of the reels;

(c) terminating the first game when a termination trigger occurs during the first game, the termination trigger being associated with one of the reels;

(d) initiating at least one independently operated second game when a predetermined event occurs during the first game, each second game being associated with a different one of the reels, each second game being initiated when the predetermined event occurs on the respective associated reel; and

(e) repeating steps (b) to (d) at least once.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the first game is selected from the group consisting of a primary game and a bonus game, and the second game includes a bonus game.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein each second game includes at least one win condition.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the win condition includes a plurality of predetermined second game symbols.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of providing an award to the player when the win condition occurs in one of the second games.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein each second game includes a plurality of displayed choices and enables the player to choose at least one of the displayed choices, at least one of the displayed choices having an award associated therewith.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of a predetermined number of free activations of the first game, a value, and an opportunity to gain a value.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein the second game is reset after a random number of activations of the first game.

53. The method of claim 44, wherein the second game is reset after a predetermined number of activations of the first game.

54. The method of claim 44, wherein the termination trigger includes at least one occurrence of a termination symbol on the reel associated with the termination trigger.

55. The method of claim 44, which includes operating the gaming device through a data network.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the data network is an internet.