Telephone gaming device

• US 20030130038A1
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company Incorporated (Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service)
• Inventors: Seelig, Jerald C., Henshaw, Lawrence M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,955,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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

Abstract

A gaming device for playing a game by a game player. The gaming device allows the game player to place a telephone call. A controller generates a prize. Several images of persons who may receive the telephone call are displayed to the game player. The telephone call is placed to one of the images. The prize is announced by the selected image to the game player. A second telephone call is placed to a telephone number in order to select a multiplier. The controller generates the multiplier. The multiplier is the last digit of the telephone number. The prize is multiplied by the multiplier to obtain a total prize.

Claims

1. A bonus game for use by a game player, comprising:

a primary game, the primary game adapted to generate a bonus qualifying event;

a bonus gaming device, the bonus gaming device in communication with the primary game, the bonus gaming device adapted to detect the bonus qualifying event and to activate the bonus gaming device, the bonus gaming device including;

a telephone adapted to allow the game player to place a telephone call; and

a controller in communication with the telephone, the controller generating a prize in response to receiving the telephone call.

2. The bonus game according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of images of persons who may receive the telephone call are displayed to the game player.

3. The bonus game according to claim 2, wherein the game player is allowed to choose one of the images.

4. The bonus game according to claim 1, wherein the controller places a second telephone call, the second telephone chooses one of the images.

5. The bonus game according to claim 4, wherein the controller drives a plurality of spinning reels to display the chosen image.

6. The bonus game according to claim 1 wherein the prize is announced over the telephone to the game player.

7. The bonus game according to claim 1 wherein the controller places a second telephone call to a telephone number.

8. The bonus game according to claim 7 wherein one of the digits of the telephone number is selected to be a multiplier.

9. The bonus game according to claim 8 wherein the last digit of the telephone number is selected to be the multiplier.

10. The bonus game according to claim 9, wherein the controller calculates a total prize, the total prize being the prize multiplied by the multiplier.

11. The bonus game according to claim 10, wherein the prize, the multiplier and the total prize are shown to the game player on a display.

12. The bonus game according to claim 11, wherein the display is a video display.

13. The bonus game according to claim 9, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

14. A method of playing a bonus game by a game player comprising:

allowing the game player to play a primary game, the primary game adapted to generate a bonus qualifying event;

activating a bonus gaming device in response to detecting the bonus qualifying event;

displaying a plurality of images of telephone call recipients;

selecting one of the images;

placing a telephone call to the selected image;

generating an award; and

announcing during the telephone call, the award to the game player.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating a phone number;

generating a multiplier, the multiplier being one of the digits of the phone number; and

displaying the multiplier.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising dialing the phone number.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising calculating a total award, the total award being the award multiplied by the multiplier.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising awarding the game player the total award.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the game player is allowed to select the image.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bonus gaming device selects the image.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the images are displayed on a plurality of spinning reels.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the images are displayed on a video display.

24. A method of playing a game by a game player comprising:

providing a video display device, the video display device being adapted to display an image of the game;

determining a prize;

providing a telephone;

allowing the game player to make a telephone call; and

announcing to the game player the prize over the telephone.

25. The method of playing a game according to claim 24, wherein the video display shows a plurality of recipients of the telephone call.

26. The method of playing a game according to claim 25, wherein the game player is allowed to select the telephone call recipient.

27. The method of playing a game according to claim 25, wherein a gaming device is allowed to select the telephone call recipient.

28. The method of playing a game according to claim 27, wherein the telephone call recipient has a plurality of possible responses.

29. The method of playing a game according to claim 24, further comprising:

generating a multiplier;

calculating a total prize, the total prize being the prize multiplied by the multiplier; and

displaying the prize, the multiplier and the total prize on the video display.