GAMING DEVICE WITH TRANSPORT DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20080032761A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company Incorporated (Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service)
• Inventors: HENSHAW, LAWRENCE, Seelig, Jerald
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,152 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 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to a gaming device including a game apparatus adapted to allow a player to play a game. The gaming device may include a prize holder adapted to releasably hold a prize object in a controllable manner. The gaming device may also include a controller in communication with the game apparatus and adapted to cause the prize object holder to release the prize object. A display mechanism may be in communication with the controller and may be adapted to display the prize object to the player. The display mechanism may comprise at least one prize object receiver.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

(A) a game apparatus, the game apparatus being adapted to allow a player to play a game;

(B) a plurality of moveably display objects;

(C) at least one container, the container being adapted to hold the display objects;

(D) a plurality of moveable prize objects;

(E) at least one prize object holder, the prize object holder being adapted to hold the prize object in an individually controllable manner, wherein prize objects in the prize object holder are hidden from the player;

(F) a controller in communication with the game apparatus, the controller being adapted to select at least one prize object in the holder;

(G) a display mechanism in communication with the controller, the display mechanism being adapted to display the selected prize object to the player, the display mechanism comprising a plurality of prize object receivers.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome, wherein if the game outcome is a winning outcome, the controller causes the selected prize object to enter a prize object receiver.

3. The gaming device of claim 2 wherein the game outcome is conveyed by the prize object receiver the selected prize object enters.

4. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a prize object receiver actuator, the prize object receiver actuator being configured to move the prize object receivers.

5. The gaming device of claim 4 further comprising a player input device, the player input device allowing the player to at least partially control the movement of the prize object receiver actuator.

6. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the prize object receiver actuator is a carousel adapted to rotate the prize object receivers.

7. The gaming device of claim 6 wherein the carousel rotates about a vertical axis.

8. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the prize object receivers bear game related indicia.

9. The gaming device of claim 8 wherein the game related indicia borne by the prize object receivers comprises multiplier amounts.

10. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the display object and prize object bear game related indicia.

11. The gaming device of claim 10 wherein the prize object receiver bears game related indicia.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a player input device, the player input device configured to allow the player to select which prize object receiver the prize object will enter.

13. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the prize object receiver is at least partially transparent.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one prize object receiver is associated with an ornamental object.

15. The gaming device of claim 14 wherein the ornamental object bears at least one game related indicium.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display object and prize object comprise balls.

17. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the prize object resembles the display object, providing an illusion to the player that the prize object is the display object.

18. A gaming method comprising, but not necessarily in the order shown:

(A) allowing a player to place a wager and play a game of chance;

(B) determining a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a prize qualifying event;

(C) if the game outcome comprises the prize qualifying event;

(a) activating a prize display comprising a plurality of display objects;

(b) selecting a prize object that conveys the game outcome; and

(c) moving the selected prize object into one of a plurality of prize object receivers; and

(d) awarding a prize to the player.

19. The gaming method of claim 18, further comprising, if the game outcome comprises the prize qualifying outcome, moving the prize object receivers.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the prize object receivers are rotated.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the prize object receivers are rotated on a carousel.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the prize object receivers are rotated about a vertical axis.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein it appears that the prize object is a display object.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the prize object and display object comprise balls.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing a player to provide input to control into which prize object receiver the selected prize object is moved.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising illuminating the prize object receiver to display at least one indicium appearing thereon.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing the player to see the prize object in the prize object receiver.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying at least one game related indicia on an ornamental object associated with a prize object receiver.

29. A gaming device comprising:

(A) a game apparatus, the game apparatus being adapted to allow a player to play a game;

(B) at least one prize object;

(C) at least one prize object holder, the prize object holder being adapted to releasably hold the prize object in a controllable manner;

(D) a controller in communication with the game apparatus, the controller being adapted to cause the prize object holder to release the prize object;

(E) a display mechanism in communication with the controller, the display mechanism being adapted to display the prize object to the player, the display mechanism comprising at least one prize object receiver.

30. The gaming apparatus of claim 29 wherein the prize object receiver is moveable.

31. The gaming apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a player input device in communication with an actuator for moving the prize object receiver, wherein the player input device allows a player to at least partially control the movement of the prize object receiver.

32. The gaming apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a prize object receiver actuator coupled to the prize object receiver.

33. The game apparatus of claim 29 wherein the prize object receiver is rotatable about a vertical axis.

34. The game apparatus of claim 29 wherein the prize object receiver is coupled to a carousel and the carousel is rotatable about a vertical axis.

35. The game apparatus of claim 29, further comprising an ornamental object associated with the prize object receiver.

36. The game apparatus of claim 29, wherein the ornamental object displays at least one game related indicium.

37. The game apparatus of claim 29 wherein the prize object comprises a ball.

40. The gaming device of claim 34 further comprising:

(A) at least one moveable display object means for presenting a display to a player;

(B) container means for holding the display object means.

38. A gaming device comprising:

(A) gaming means for allowing a player to play a game;

(B) at least one moveable object means for at least partially conveying a game outcome;

(C) at least one receiving means for receiving the moveable object means;

(D) at least one actuator means for moving the moveable object means;

(E) controller means for determining a game outcome and activating the actuator means according to the game outcome.

39. The gaming device of claim 38 further comprising actuator means for moving the receiving means.

41. A gaming method comprising, but not necessarily in the order shown:

(A) allowing a player to place a wager and play a game of chance;

(B) determining a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a prize qualifying event;

(C) if the game outcome comprises the prize qualifying event;

(a) selecting a prize object that conveys the game outcome; and

(b) moving the selected prize object into a prize object receiver; and

(c) awarding a prize to the player.

42. The of claim 41 further comprising, if the game outcome comprises the prize qualifying outcome, moving the prize object receiver.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the prize object receiver is rotated.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the prize object receiver is rotated on a carousel.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising allowing a player to provide input to at least partially control movement of the prize object receiver.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the prize object comprises a ball.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising displaying at least one game related indicium on the prize object.

48. The method of claim 41, further comprising displaying at least one game related indicium on the prize object holder.