GAMING DEVICE HAVING A COMPETITION BONUS SCHEME

• US 20060223611A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Joseph R., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Webb, Bayard S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,331,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• 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

A gaming device wherein the success or failure of a current selection directly affects the player'"'"'s chances for success in a later selection and the player'"'"'s chances for obtaining the highest bonus award possible.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising:

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

a display device controlled by the at least one processor;

an input device in communication with the processor; and

said at least one processor programmed to selectively provide a secondary game, wherein for a play of the secondary game, the at least one processor is programmed to;

(a) cause the display device to display at least six ordered award levels and a plurality of awards associated with the award levels, wherein each higher award level is associated with a higher one of the awards;

(b) select a first one of the award levels;

(c) cause the display device to indicate the selected award level;

(d) enable the player to pick one of two selections using the input device;

(e) determine if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, wherein said determination is random;

(f) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the successful outcome;

(i) cause the display device to display a successful outcome animation,

(ii) select and cause the display device to indicate a higher one of the award levels, if any, and

(iii) determine if a terminating event has occurred, said terminating event occurring if a designated number of outcomes are determined;

(g) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the unsuccessful outcome;

(i) cause the display device to display an unsuccessful outcome animation,

(ii) cause the display device to indicate the same selected award level as previously indicated, and

(ii) determine if the terminating event has occurred;

(h) if the terminating event has occurred, provide the player the award associated with the currently indicated award level; and

(i) if the terminating event has not occurred, repeat (d) to (i) at least once.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the terminating event occurs if a designated number of unsuccessful outcomes are determined.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to selectively cause the display device to display eight ordered levels.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to selectively cause the display device to display nine ordered levels.

5. A memory device which includes a plurality of instructions, that when executed by at least one processor, cause a gaming machine to:

(a) display at least six ordered award levels and a plurality of awards associated with the award levels, wherein each higher award level is associated with a higher one of the awards;

(b) select a first one of the award levels;

(c) indicate the selected award level;

(d) enable a player to pick one of two selections using the input device;

(e) determine if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, wherein said determination is random;

(f) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the successful outcome;

(i) display a successful outcome animation,

(ii) select and indicating a higher one of the award levels, if any, and

(iii) determine if a terminating event has occurred, said terminating event occurring if a designated number of outcomes are determined;

(g) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the unsuccessful outcome;

(i) display an unsuccessful outcome animation,

(ii) indicate the same selected award level as previously indicated, and

(ii) determine if the terminating event has occurred;

(h) if the terminating event has occurred, provide the player the award associated with the currently indicated award level; and

(i) if the terminating event has not occurred, repeat (d) to (i) at least once.

6. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to trigger the terminating event if a designated number of unsuccessful outcomes are determined.

7. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine display eight ordered levels.

8. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine display nine ordered levels.

9. The memory device of claim 5, which is selected from the group consisting of a detachable cartridge, a disk, a random access memory, a read only memory and an application-specific integrated circuit.

10. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) displaying at least six ordered award levels and a plurality of awards associated with the award levels, wherein each higher award level is associated with a higher one of the awards;

(b) selecting a first one of the award levels;

(c) indicating the selected award level;

(d) enabling a player to pick one of two selections using the input device;

(e) determining if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome, wherein said determination is random;

(f) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the successful outcome;

(i) displaying a successful outcome animation,

(ii) selecting and indicating a higher one of the award levels, if any, and

(iii) determining if a terminating event has occurred, said terminating event occurring if a designated number of outcomes are determined;

(g) if the player'"'"'s picked selection results in the unsuccessful outcome;

(i) displaying an unsuccessful outcome animation,

(ii) indicating the same selected award level as previously indicated, and

(ii) determining if the terminating event has occurred;

(h) if the terminating event has occurred, providing the player the award associated with the currently indicated award level; and

(i) if the terminating event has not occurred, repeating (d) to (i) at least once.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the terminating event occurs if a designated number of unsuccessful outcomes are determined.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes displaying eight ordered levels.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes displaying nine ordered levels.

14. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data network is an internet.