GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING AN INTERACTIVE GAME WITH AUTOMATIC WAGERS

• US 20080108406A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oberberger, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,950,993 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 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines or devices. The gaming machines include an interactive game and a wager triggering event. Upon the occurrence of the wager triggering event during play of the interactive game, the gaming machine causes the placement of a wager component and randomly determines a wagering outcome. Upon completion of the interactive game, the gaming machine provides the player with an interactive game outcome and provides the player with any awards based on any determined wagering outcomes. The players are ranked in the interactive game. Upon a triggering event, the gaming system provides one or more ranked players of the interactive game an award from funds derived from a marketing or advertising account.

Claims

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

at least one display device; and

at least one input device;

the at least one processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) cause a display of a play of an interactive game;

(b) enable a player to make at least one input in the play of the interactive game;

(c) determine any occurrence of at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, wherein the at least one wager triggering event can occur multiple times during the play of the interactive game;

(d) for each determined occurrence of the at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically cause a wager of one of a plurality of wager components funded by the player;

(ii) randomly determine a wagering outcome for said wager component independently of the interactive game; and

(iii) determine if said wagering outcome is associated with a wagering award from a plurality of wagering awards;

(e) if determined that any of said wagering outcomes are associated with one of said wagering awards, display said wagering award in a first location and then display said wagering award in a second location; and

(f) display an interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination and an interactive game event.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game or a pseudo skill game.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to simultaneously display a plurality of wagering awards.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of wagering awards in an arrangement.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of wagering awards in a stream originating from said first location.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display the stream in a new position originating from said first location.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of wagering awards over a portion of the display of the interactive game.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of streams of wagering awards.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to individually initially display a plurality of wagering awards in said first location.

12. A gaming machine operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming machine comprising:

at least one display device operable to display a player symbol and an award display; and

at least one input device;

the at least one processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) initiate and cause a play of an interactive game, wherein the play of the interactive game can include multiple occurrences of one or more of a plurality of wager triggering events and includes the display of the player symbol;

(b) determine any occurrence of one of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game;

(c) for each determined occurrence of one of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically wager one of a plurality of wager components funded by a player;

(ii) determine a wagering outcome for said wager component; and

(iii) determine if said wagering outcome is associated with a wagering award from a plurality of wagering awards;

(d) if determined that any of said wagering outcomes are associated with one of said wagering awards, display said wagering award in a first location and then display said wagering award in a second location, wherein said first location and said second location are located between a location of the displayed player symbol and the award display; and

(e) display an interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination and an interactive game event.

14. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game or a pseudo skill game.

15. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

16. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to simultaneously display a maximum number of wagering awards.

17. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to simultaneously display a plurality of the wagering awards in an order that the wagering awards were determined.

18. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the first location is a location near the location of the player symbol.

19. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display the player symbol in a plurality of different locations.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of determined wagering awards in a stream originating from an origination location near the location of said player symbol and terminating at a termination location near the award display.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display the stream originating from a plurality of different origination locations as the player symbol is displayed in different locations.

22. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a plurality of wagering awards over a portion of a display of the interactive game.

23. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) causing a display of a play of an interactive game;

(b) enabling a player to make at least one input in the play of interactive game;

(c) determining any occurrence of at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, wherein the at least one wager triggering event can occur multiple times during the play of the interactive game;

(d) for each determined occurrence of the at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically causing a wager of one of a plurality of wager components funded by the player;

(ii) randomly determining a wagering outcome for said wager component independently of the interactive game; and

(iii) determining if said wagering outcome is associated with a wagering award from a plurality of wagering awards;

(e) if determined that any of said wagering outcomes are associated with one of said wagering awards, displaying said wagering award in a first location and then displaying said wagering award in a second location; and

(f) displaying an interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination and an interactive game event.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game or a pseudo skill game.

26. The method of claim 23, which includes randomly determining any wagering outcomes.

27. The method of claim 23, which includes simultaneously displaying a plurality of wagering awards.

28. The method of claim 23, which includes displaying a plurality of wagering awards in an arrangement.

29. The method of claim 23, which includes displaying a plurality of wagering awards in a stream originating from said first location.

30. The method of claim 29, which includes displaying the stream in a new position originating from said first location.

31. The method of claim 23, which includes displaying a plurality of wagering awards over a portion of the display of the interactive game.

32. The method of claim 23, which includes displaying a plurality of streams of wagering awards.

33. The method of claim 23, which includes individually initially displaying a plurality of wagering awards in said first location.

34. The method of claim 23, which is provided through a data network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the data network is the internet.

36. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) initiating and causing a play of an interactive game, wherein the play of the interactive game can include multiple occurrences of one or more of a plurality of wager triggering events and includes the display of a player symbol;

(b) determining any occurrence of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game;

(c) for each determined occurrence of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically wagering one of a plurality of wager components funded by a player;

(ii) determining a wagering outcome for said wager component; and

(iii) determining if said wagering outcome is associated with a wagering award from a plurality of wagering awards;

(d) if determined that any of said wagering outcomes are associated with one of said wagering awards, displaying said wagering award in a first location and then displaying said wagering award in a second location, wherein said locations are located between a location of the displayed player symbol and the award display; and

(e) displaying an interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination and an interactive game event.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game or a pseudo skill game.

39. The method of claim 36, which includes randomly determining any wagering outcomes.

40. The method of claim 36, which includes simultaneously displaying a maximum number of wagering awards.

41. The method of claim 36, which includes simultaneously displaying a plurality of the wagering awards in an order that the wagering awards were determined.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the first location is a location near the location of the player symbol.

43. The method of claim 36, which includes displaying the player symbol in a plurality of different locations.

44. The method of claim 43, which includes displaying a plurality of determined wagering awards in a stream originating from an origination location near the location of said player symbol and terminating at a termination location near the award display.

45. The method of claim 44, which includes displaying the stream originating from a plurality of different origination locations as the player symbol is displayed in different locations.

46. The method of claim 36, which includes displaying a plurality of wagering awards over a portion of a display of the interactive game.

47. The method of claim 36, which is provided through a data network.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the data network is the internet.