Wagering game with symbols collection

• US 20060068893A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jaffe, Joel R., Wadleigh, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,764,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Wagering game terminal and method of operating same are disclosed in which players collect symbols and/or symbol combinations that are indicative of a randomly selected outcome. The symbols and/or symbol combinations may be collected anytime they appear on the wagering game terminal, or they may be collected only if they appear in a certain manner or at a certain time. Players who manage to complete a predefined collection of symbols and/or symbol combinations are awarded a special event game, such as a bonus game, a jackpot, and the like. The players may carry over the symbols and/or symbol combinations they have collected across multiple gaming sessions and multiple gaming terminals. In this way, the players may retain the benefit of their previous gaming experiences.

Claims

1. A wagering game terminal, comprising:

a wager input device for receiving wager inputs at said wagering game terminal, said wagers applied to a wagering game in which outcomes are randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes; and

a display for displaying symbols indicative of each randomly selected outcome, said symbols including special event symbols that are added to a special event collection in response to said special event symbols being displayed on said display in a predetermined manner, said special event collection triggering a special event on said wagering game terminal when complete;

wherein said wagering game terminal is configured to store special event symbols that have been added to said special event collection upon conclusion of a current gaming session and to restore previously stored special event symbols to said special event collection in a subsequent gaming session.

2. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event collection is complete when all of said special event symbols have been added to said special event collection.

3. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event collection is complete when a predetermined number of said special event symbols have been added to said special event collection.

4. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event collection is complete when a predetermined number of combinations indicative of a winning outcome have been added to said special event collection.

5. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event collection is complete when all combinations indicative of a winning outcome have been added to said special event collection.

6. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event collection is complete when one or more of said special event symbols is displayed a certain number of times on said display.

7. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event includes a monetary award being given to a player at said wagering game terminal.

8. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event includes a bonus game being given to a player at said wagering game terminal.

9. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event includes an enhancement to a feature of said wagering game terminal.

10. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said special event includes an increase in a payout of said wagering game terminal.

11. A method of operating a wagering game terminal, comprising:

accepting wagers at said wagering game terminal, said wagers applied to a wagering game in which outcomes are randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes;

displaying symbols indicative of each randomly selected outcome on a display, said symbols including special event symbols;

adding said special event symbols to a special event collection if said special event symbols are displayed on said display in a predetermined manner;

storing special event symbols that have been added to said special event collection upon conclusion of a current gaming session;

restoring previously stored special event symbols to said special event collection in a subsequent gaming session; and

triggering a special event on said wagering game terminal when said special event collection is complete in said subsequent gaming session.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising informing a player of said wagering game terminal which special event symbols are needed to complete said special event collection.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined manner includes said special event symbols being displayed in any combination that is indicative of a winning outcome.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wagering game includes a plurality of reels and said predetermined manner includes individual special event symbols being displayed anywhere on said reels.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wagering game includes a plurality of reels and said predetermined manner includes individual special event symbols being displayed in a specific location on said reels.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wagering game includes a plurality of reels and said predetermined manner includes any special event symbol being displayed in a row of three on said reels.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wagering game includes a plurality of reels and said predetermined manner includes said special event symbols being displayed in a payline of said wagering game.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said special event symbols are card symbols and said predetermined manner includes said card symbols being displayed as one or more of:

a royal flush, a straight flush, a four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, a three of a kind, two pairs, and a jacks or better.

19. A method of operating a wagering game terminal, comprising:

displaying symbols indicative of a randomly selected outcome, said symbols including special event symbols;

adding said special event symbols to a special event collection if said special event symbols are displayed in a predetermined manner;

completing said special event collection over multiple gaming sessions without restarting said special event collection; and

triggering a special event on said wagering game terminal when said special event collection is complete.

20. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 19.