ELECTRONIC GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD PROVIDING A SECONDARY GAME TRIGGERED APART FROM A PRIMARY GAME

• US 20080102927A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mayeroff, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A gaming device and method where there is a primary game and a bonus game. The player makes a wager and plays the primary game to obtain an outcome. Before, during or after the primary game a bonus game is played, apart from the primary game, which can trigger an separate, unrelated award. A bonus award display displays any award from the bonus game.

Claims

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

(a) causing a first processor to control a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player by;

(i) randomly generating one of a plurality of primary game winning outcomes or one of a plurality of primary game losing outcomes, wherein each primary game winning outcome is associated with one of a plurality of primary game awards and has one of a plurality of probabilities of being selected in the play of the primary game, wherein said primary game awards and said probabilities form a primary game payback percentage; and

(ii) if the generated primary game outcome is one of the primary game winning outcomes, providing the player the primary game award associated with the generated primary game winning outcome;

(b) causing a mechanical secondary game display device to display a plurality of secondary game awards prior to a selection of any secondary game trigger conditions, said displayed secondary game awards are rotatable relative to said secondary game display device, and said secondary game display device is physically distinct from said primary game display device, wherein each secondary game award has one of a plurality of second probabilities of being selected and said secondary game awards and said second probabilities form an independent secondary game payback percentage; and

(c) causing a second processor to randomly determine whether any of a plurality of secondary game trigger conditions occur independent of the generated primary game outcome, wherein each secondary game trigger condition is associated with one of said secondary game awards and wherein the frequency with which a secondary game is trigger conditioned is constant, independent of the primary game payback percentage and predetermined for each play of the primary game; and

(d) if one of the secondary game trigger conditions occur;

(i) generating the secondary game award associated with the secondary game trigger condition that occurred, and

(ii) providing the generated second game award to the player.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the first processor to control the secondary game display device for relative rotation to generate the secondary game award associated with the secondary game trigger condition that occurred.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the second processor to control the secondary game display device for relative rotation to generate the secondary game award associated with the secondary game trigger condition that occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mechanical secondary game display device includes a rotatable wheel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said rotatable wheel includes a plurality of segments that each display one of said secondary awards.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing a separate display to display the random determination of whether any of the secondary game trigger conditions occur.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary game payback percentage and the secondary game payback percentage form an overall payback percentage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary game display device includes an indicator relatively rotatable with respect to the displayed secondary game awards.

9. The method of claim 8, which includes indicating which of the secondary game awards is generated based on an alignment of said indicator and said display of said secondary game awards.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the second processor to randomly determine whether any of the secondary game trigger conditions occur if the wager is at least a designated wager amount, wherein said determination is independent of the size of the wager.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes generating the secondary game award associated with the secondary game trigger condition that occurred if the secondary game trigger condition occurs and the wager is at least the designated wager amount.

12. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.