Apparatus and method of operating a gaming device having a central game and a plurality of peripheral games

• US 20050032566A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Hughs-Baird, Andrea C., Stites, Chester E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,947 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

The present invention includes a gaming device and a method for operating the gaming device. The gaming device of the present invention includes: (i) a central game in which a player picks at least one masked central game outcome, including a transfer; (ii) at least one peripheral game that begins after the player'"'"'s pick of the transfer, wherein the player picks at least one masked peripheral game outcome, including a return; (iii) whereby the game enables the player to return to the central game and pick at least one more masked central game outcome after the player picks the return in the peripheral game.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a primary game controlled by the processor and operable upon a wager by a player;

a central game initiated upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game;

a plurality of individual peripheral games;

at least two different central game outcomes in the central game which each cause a transfer from said central game to a different one of the peripheral games;

at least one peripheral game outcome in one of the peripheral games which causes a transfer from said peripheral game to a different one of said peripheral games;

at least one peripheral game outcome in one of the peripheral games which causes a return from said peripheral game to the central game;

at least one of the central game and the peripheral games including at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player; and

at least one display device controlled by the processor and operable to display the central game, the plurality of peripheral games and each award.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the central game and the peripheral games each include at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of the central game and the peripheral games includes at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

5. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a primary game controlled by the processor and operable upon a wager by a player;

a central game triggered upon an occurrence of a triggering in the primary game;

at least three peripheral games;

at least two different central game outcomes in the central game which each cause a transfer from the central game to different first and second ones of said peripheral games;

at least one peripheral game outcome in one of the peripheral games which causes a transfer from said peripheral game to a different third one of said peripheral games;

at least one peripheral game outcome in one of the peripheral games which causes a transfer from said peripheral game to the central game;

at least one of the central game and the peripheral games including at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player; and

at least one display device controlled by the processor and operable to display the central game, the plurality of peripheral games and each award.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the central game and the peripheral games each include at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein each of the central game and the peripheral games includes at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

8. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

9. A gaming device operable under the control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a primary game controlled by the processor and operable upon a wager;

a central game triggered upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game, said central game including

(i) a transfer to first peripheral game outcome;

a first peripheral game including

(i) a return to central game outcome, and

(ii) a transfer to second peripheral game outcome;

a second peripheral game including

(i) a return to first peripheral game outcome;

at least one of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game including at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player; and

at least one display device controlled by the processor and operable to display the central game, the first peripheral game, the second peripheral game and each award.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein a plurality of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game each include at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein each of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game includes at least one award outcome which includes an award adapted to be provided to a player.

12. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

13. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein one of the transfers outcomes requires a plurality of accumulated transfer component outcomes.

14. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the central game includes a transfer to second peripheral game outcome.

15. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second peripheral game includes a return to central game outcome.

16. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game includes a game termination outcome.

17. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the central game can not cause a direct transfer to the second peripheral game.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the second peripheral game can not cause a direct return to the central game.

19. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second peripheral game can not cause a direct return to the central game.