Gaming device having an accumulated award selection bonus scheme

• US 20040082374A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Kaminkow, Joseph E., Maya, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 7,314,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3262 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 17/3267 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 including a game having a plurality of matingly interconnected indicators which are in the form of puzzle pieces that form a puzzle, and a plurality of masked selections associated with the puzzle pieces. The gaming device enables a player picks the selections to reveal one or more of the puzzle pieces in the puzzle. In one embodiment, the gaming device provides an award for each puzzle piece revealed in the puzzle. The player continues to pick selections until the player obtains a designated combination or section of puzzle pieces. After completing the designated combination, the gaming device provides the player with any awards associated with the puzzle pieces in the designated combination. In one embodiment, the gaming device also provides the player with the awards associated with any matingly interconnected puzzle pieces previously selected by the player.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a plurality of matingly interconnected puzzle pieces adapted to be displayed by said display device;

a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with one of said puzzle pieces, wherein a player picks said selections until the player obtains a designated combination of said puzzle pieces; and

an outcome provided to the player based on the designated combination obtained by the player and the selected puzzle pieces matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of puzzle pieces.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the puzzle pieces have a predefined relationship.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of awards, at least one of said awards associated with each of the puzzle pieces.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein said awards include values, credits, free spins, free games or multipliers.

5. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the outcome includes the sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player.

6. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the outcome includes the sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player and any awards associated with puzzle pieces matingly connected to the puzzle pieces of said designated combination.

7. The gaming device of claim 3, which includes a bonus award provided to the player for obtaining the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the designated combination of puzzle pieces includes at least one of:

a row of matingly connected puzzle pieces, a column of matingly connected puzzle pieces and a designated section of matingly connected puzzle pieces.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the puzzle pieces are the same.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein all of the puzzle pieces are different.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selections includes a plurality of puzzle pieces.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a video monitor.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the video monitor includes a touch screen.

14. A gaming device comprising:

a display device;

a plurality of matingly interconnected puzzle pieces displayed by said display device, wherein the puzzle pieces form at least one row and at least one column;

a row award associated with each of the rows of the matingly interconnected puzzle pieces;

a column award associated with each of the columns of the matingly interconnected puzzle pieces;

a plurality of selections, each of said selections including one of said puzzle pieces, wherein a player picks said selections until the player obtains a designated combination of said puzzle pieces; and

an outcome provided to the player based on the designated combination obtained by the player, wherein the outcome includes any row awards or column awards associated with the designated combination obtained by the player and the selected puzzle pieces matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of puzzle pieces.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the puzzle pieces have a predefined relationship.

16. The gaming device of claim 14, which includes a plurality of awards, at least one of said awards associated with each of the puzzle pieces.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the outcome includes the sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the outcome includes the sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player and any awards associated with puzzle pieces matingly connected to the puzzle pieces of said designated combination.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, which includes a bonus award provided to the player for obtaining the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

20. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the designated combination of puzzle pieces includes at least one of:

a row of matingly connected puzzle pieces, a column of matingly connected puzzle pieces and a designated section of matingly connected puzzle pieces.

21. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein at least two of the puzzle pieces are the same.

22. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein all of the puzzle pieces are different.

23. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the selections includes a plurality of puzzle pieces.

24. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the outcome includes the sum of the awards associated with the designated combination and any row awards or column awards.

25. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the outcome includes the awards associated with the designated combination multiplied by any row awards or column awards.

26. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly connected puzzle pieces to a player on a display device in said game;

(b) enabling a player to pick one selection from a plurality of selections associated with said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating steps (a) to (c) until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(d) providing an outcome to the player based on the designated combination of puzzle pieces obtained by the player and any selected puzzle pieces matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of puzzle pieces.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including the sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including the sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player and any puzzle pieces matingly connected to said designated combination.

29. The method of claim 26, which includes the step of providing a bonus award to the player for obtaining the designated combination of the puzzle pieces.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to a player through a data network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data network is an internet.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.

33. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly interconnected puzzle pieces, at least one row award associated with each of the rows formed by the puzzle pieces and at least one column award associated with each of the columns formed by the puzzle pieces to a player on a display device in said game;

(b) enabling a player to pick one selection from a plurality of selections including said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating steps (a) to (b) until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(d) providing an outcome to the player based on the designated combination, any selected puzzle pieces matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of puzzle pieces, any row awards and any column awards obtained by the player.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including the sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player.

35. The method of claim 34, which includes the step of modifying the sum using any row awards or column awards obtained by the player.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of modifying the sum includes adding values associated with any row awards and column awards obtained by the player to the sum.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of modifying the outcome includes multiplying the sum by multipliers associated with any row awards and column awards obtained by the player.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including the sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player and any puzzle pieces matingly connected to said designated combination.

39. The method of claim 33, which includes the step of providing a bonus award to the player for obtaining the designated combination of the puzzle pieces.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to a player through a data network.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the data network is an internet.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.