GAMING DEVICE INCLUDING A GAME HAVING A PLAYER SELECTED FUNCTION BASED ON SYMBOLS IN A FREE SPINS GAME

• US 20070087809A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 including a free spins game displaying a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols where the symbols include a plurality of award symbols and at least one target symbol. A plurality of selections including at least one game function are displayed to a player. In a game, the gaming device provides the player with a plurality of free spins of the reels. In each free spin, the gaming device provides the player with an award or awards for any award symbols or combinations of award symbols indicated on the reels. In addition, the gaming device provides the player with one or more picks of the selections for each target symbol indicated on the reels. The gaming device then determines the game function or game functions associated with the picked selections in each free spin. A total award based on the awards and game functions is provided to the player.

Claims

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

a game;

a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and a plurality of target symbols;

a plurality of awards associated with the award symbols or combinations of the award symbols;

a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with at least one game function; and

said processor programmed to;

(a) activate the reels to randomly generate a plurality of said symbols on the reels in a plurality of free spins of the reels provided to a player in a play of the game,

(b) determine a cumulative award based on any awards associated with any award symbols generated on the reels in each free spin,

(c) enable the player to pick one of the selections for each of the target symbols generated on the reels in each free spin,

(d) determine a cumulative game function based on the game functions associated with each of the selections picked by the player in each free spin, and

(e) provide a total award based on the cumulative award and the cumulative game function when there are no free spins remaining for the player.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the game functions include multipliers and wherein the cumulative award is multiplied by the cumulative game function to determine the total award in each free spin.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of free spins is randomly determined.

4. The gaming device claim 1, wherein the number of free spins is predetermined.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of free spins is based on a wager made by the player.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the cumulative award is based on the sum of any awards in each free spin.

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

a game including;

(i) a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and a plurality of target symbols,

(ii) a plurality of awards associated with the award symbols or combinations of the award symbols,

(iii) a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with at least one game function; and

said processor programmed to;

(a) provide a plurality of free spins of the reels to a player, and for each said free spin of the reels;

(i) cause a random generation of a plurality of said symbols,

(ii) determine any awards associated with any generated award symbols,

(iii) determine any generated target symbols, and

(iv) enable the player to pick one of the selections for each of said determined target symbols,

(b) determine a cumulative award based on the awards associated with any generated award symbols in said free spins of the reels,

(c) determine a cumulative game function based on the game functions associated with each of the selections picked by the player, and

(d) provide a total award to the player based on the cumulative award and the cumulative game function.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the game functions include multipliers.

9. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the number of free spins is randomly determined.

10. The gaming device claim 7, wherein the number of free spins is predetermined.

11. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the number of free spins is based on a wager made by the player.

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

a game;

a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and at least one target symbol;

a plurality of awards associated with the award symbols or combinations of the award symbols;

a plurality of selections associated with the at least one target symbol, each of said selections including at least one multiplier and a number of free spins; and

said processor programmed to;

(a) activate the reels to randomly generate a plurality of the symbols on the reels in each of a total number of free spins of the reels which are provided to a player in the game, said total number being at least two,

(b) determine any award associated with any award symbols generated on the reels in each free spin,

(c) enable the player to pick one of the selections for each target symbol generated on the reels in each free spin,

(d) determine the multiplier and number of free spins associated with any picked selection in each free spin,

(e) add the number of free spins associated with any picked selection in each free spin to the total number of free spins, and

(f) for each free spin, provide the player any determined awards modified by any multiplier associated with any picked selection in said free spin.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the total number of free spins is randomly determined.

14. The gaming device claim 12, wherein the total number of free spins is predetermined.

15. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the total number of free spins is based on a wager made by the player.

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

a game including;

(i) a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and at least one target symbol,

(ii) a plurality of awards associated with the award symbols or combinations of the award symbols, and

(iii) a plurality of selections associated with the at least one target symbol, each of said selections associated with a number of free spins; and

said processor programmed to;

(a) provide a total number of free spins of the reels to a player, and for each said free spin of the reels;

(i) cause a random generation of a plurality of said symbols,

(ii) determine any awards associated with any generated award symbols,

(iii) determine any generated target symbols,

(iv) enable the player to pick one of the selections for each of said determined target symbols, and

(v) add the number of free spins associated with any of said picked selections to the total number of free spins, and

(b) provide a total award to the player based on the determined awards in each free spin.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the total number of free spins is randomly determined.

18. The gaming device claim 16, wherein the total number of free spins is predetermined.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the total number of free spins is based on a wager made by the player.

20. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein said selections are associated with a plurality of multipliers and wherein the total award is based on the determined awards and any multipliers associated with any picked selections in each free spin.

21. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and a plurality of target symbols;

(b) displaying a plurality of selections, each of said selections including at least one game function;

(c) randomly generating a plurality of the symbols on the reels in each of a plurality of free spins of the reels;

(d) determining a cumulative award based on any awards associated with any award symbols generated on the reels in each free spin;

(e) enabling a player to pick one of the selections for each of the target symbols generated on the reels in each free spin;

(f) determining a cumulative game function based on the game functions associated with the picked selections in each free spin; and

(g) providing a total award to the player, said total award based on the cumulative award and the cumulative game function.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the game functions are multipliers.

23. The method of claim 22, which includes determining the total award by multiplying the cumulative award by the cumulative game function.

24. The method of claim 21, which is provided through a data network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) displaying a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and a plurality of target symbols;

(b) displaying a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with at least one game function;

(c) providing a plurality of free spins of the reels to a player, and for each said free spin of the reels;

(i) causing a random generation of a plurality of said symbols,

(ii) determining any awards associated with any generated award symbols,

(iii) determining any generated target symbols, and

(iv) enabling the player to pick one of the selections for each of said determined target symbols;

(d) determining a cumulative award based on the awards associated with any generated award symbols;

(e) determining a cumulative game function based on the game functions associated with the picked selections; and

(f) providing a total award to the player based on the cumulative award and the cumulative game function.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the game functions include multipliers.

28. The method of claim 26, which includes randomly determining the number of free spins.

29. The method of claim 26, which includes predetermining the number of free spins.

30. The method of claim 26, which includes determining the number of free spins based on a wager made by the player.

31. The method of claim 26, which is provided through a data network.

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

33. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and at least one target symbol;

(b) displaying a plurality of selections associated with the at least one target symbol, each of said selections including at least one multiplier and a number of free spins;

(c) randomly generating a plurality of the symbols on the reels in each of a total number of free spins, said total number being at least two;

(d) determining any award associated with any award symbols generated on the reels in each free spin;

(e) enabling a player to pick one of the selections for each target symbol generated on the reels in each free spin;

(f) determining the multiplier and the number of free spins associated with the picked selections in each free spin;

(g) adding the number of free spins associated with each said picked selections to the total number of free spins; and

(h) for each free spin, providing the player any determined awards modified by any multiplier associated with any picked selection in said free spin.

34. The method of claim 33, which includes randomly determining the total number of free spins.

35. The method of claim 33, which includes predetermining the total number of free spins.

36. The method of claim 33, which includes determining the total number of free spins based on a wager made by the player.

37. The method of claim 33, which is provided through a data network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) displaying a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols and at least one target symbol;

(b) displaying a plurality of selections associated with said at least one target symbol, each of said selections associated with a number of free spins; and

(c) providing a total number of free spins of the reels to a player, said total number being at least two, and for each said free spin of the reels;

(i) causing a random generation of a plurality of said symbols,

(ii) determining any awards associated with any generated award symbols,

(iii) determining any generated target symbols,

(iv) enabling the player to pick one of the selections for each of said determined target symbols, and

(v) adding the number of free spins associated with any picked selection to the total number of free spins; and

(d) providing a total award based on the determined awards in each free spin.

40. The method of claim 39, which includes randomly determining the total number of free spins.

41. The method of claim 39, which includes predetermining the total number of free spins.

42. The method of claim 39, which includes determining the total number of free spins based on a wager made by the player.

43. The method of claim 39, which is provided through a data network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data network is an internet.