GAMING DEVICE HAVING MAIN GAME ACTIVATING A BONUS EVENT

• US 20100234095A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colepat, LLC
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Tarantino, Elia Rocco, Cole, Joseph W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A game and gaming apparatus include a main game and a bonus game. A player is entitled to participate in the bonus game without an additional wager beyond that required to play the main game. Winning outcomes of the main game determine the indicia used to play the bonus game. In one embodiment upon a winning outcome of the main game, an indicia, such as an image of a winning amount, is transferred to the bonus game. In another embodiment, the bonus event includes categories associated with winning outcomes of the main game, the categories activated based upon wins of the main game. In one embodiment, the main game is a game of video poker. Winning hands are associated with or activate positions of the bonus game. Play of the bonus game comprises selection of at least one of the indicia or positions/categories which have been activated.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to;

(a) for a first game session;

(i) cause a player to be identified; and

(ii) for each of a first plurality of plays of a wagering game;

(A) enable the identified player to wager on said play of the wagering game,

(B) display an outcome of said play of the wagering game, and

(C) if the displayed outcome is a designated outcome, associate one of a plurality of different symbols with one of a plurality of bonus positions;

(b) cause any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions from the first game session to be stored in association with the identified player;

(c) disassociate any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions from the first game session; and

(d) for a second, subsequent game session;

(i) cause the player to be identified;

(ii) associate any of the plurality of stored symbols from the first game session with any of the plurality of bonus positions;

(iii) for each of a second plurality of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enable the identified player to wager on said play of the wagering game,

(B) display an outcome of said play of the wagering game, and

(C) if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome, associate one of the plurality of symbols with one of the plurality of bonus positions; and

(iv) if a bonus event triggering condition occurs;

(A) display a play of a bonus event, the play of the bonus event including an indication of one of the plurality of bonus positions, and

(B) if one of the symbols is associated with the indicated bonus position, provide a bonus award to the identified player, said bonus award based at least in part on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said player is identified in association with a player tracking system.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions to be stored in association with the player tracking system.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to enable the identified player to make an input to cause the bonus event triggering condition to occur.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to enable the identified player to make said input if a first designated quantity of at least one of the symbols are associated with at least one of the bonus positions.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause the bonus event triggering condition to occur if a second designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, said second designated quantity being greater than said first designated quantity.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause the bonus event triggering condition to occur if a designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to determine if the displayed outcome is any of a plurality of designated outcomes, and if the displayed outcome is any of the plurality of designated outcomes, associate a designated number of the plurality of symbols with a designated quantity of the bonus positions, the designated number being at least one and the designated quantity being at least one.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbols represents one of:

a number, a value, a fraction, a multiplier, a predetermined amount, and a randomly determined amount.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to determine one of the symbols to associate with one of the bonus positions based at least in part on one of:

the displayed outcome;

a random determination; and

the displayed outcome and a random determination.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to enable the identified player to select one of the bonus positions to associate one of the symbols with if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a bonus wheel, the bonus wheel having a plurality of bonus wheel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus wheel positions.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a bonus reel, the bonus reel having a plurality of bonus reel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus reel positions.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus award is selected from the group consisting of:

a jackpot award;

a progressive award;

a static award;

a randomly determined award;

at least one free play of the wagering game;

at least one free play of a bonus game;

an award determined in the wagering game;

an award which is modified based on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position; and

an award which is modified based on a plurality of the symbols associated with the bonus positions.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to associate a win all symbol with one of the bonus positions, and provide the bonus award based on all of the symbols associated with all of the bonus positions if the bonus position associated with the win all symbol is indicated in the play of the bonus event.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to:

(i) cause any of the plurality of bonus positions associated with any of the plurality of symbols from the first game session to be stored, and

(ii) for the second, subsequent game session, associate any of the plurality of stored symbols from the first game session with any of the plurality of stored bonus positions from the first gaming session.

17. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) for a first game session;

(i) causing a player to be identified; and

(ii) for each of a first plurality of plays of a wagering game;

(A) enabling the identified player to wager on said play of the wagering game,

(B) causing a display device to display an outcome of said play of the wagering game, and

(C) if the displayed outcome is a designated outcome, associating one of a plurality of different symbols with one of a plurality of bonus positions;

(b) causing any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions from the first game session to be stored in association with the identified player;

(c) disassociating any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions from the first game session; and

(d) for a second, subsequent game session;

(i) causing the player to be identified;

(ii) associating any of the plurality of stored symbols with any of the plurality of bonus positions from the first game session;

(iii) for each of a second plurality of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enabling the identified player to wager on said play of the wagering game,

(B) causing the display device to display an outcome of said play of the wagering game, and

(C) if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome, associating one of the plurality of symbols with one of the plurality of bonus positions; and

(iv) if a bonus event triggering condition occurs;

(i) causing the display device to display a play of a bonus event, the play of the bonus event including an indication of one of the plurality of bonus positions, and

(ii) if one of the symbols is associated with the indicated bonus position, providing a bonus award to the identified player, said bonus award based at least in part on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said player is identified in association with a player tracking system.

19. The method of claim 18, which includes causing any of the plurality of symbols associated with any of the plurality of bonus positions to be stored in association with the player tracking system.

20. The method of claim 17, which includes enabling the identified player to make an input to cause the bonus event triggering condition to occur.

21. The method of claim 20, which includes enabling the identified player to make said input if a first designated quantity of at least one of the symbols are associated with at least one of the bonus positions.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the bonus event triggering condition to occur if a second designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, said second designated quantity being greater than said first designated quantity.

23. The method of claim 17, which includes causing the bonus event triggering condition to occur if a designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions.

24. The method of claim 17, which includes determining if the displayed outcome is any of a plurality of designated outcomes, and if the displayed outcome is any of the plurality of designated outcomes, associating a designated number of the plurality of symbols with a designated quantity of the bonus positions, the designated number being at least one and the designated quantity being at least one.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbols represents one of:

a number, a value, a fraction, a multiplier, a predetermined amount, and a randomly determined amount.

26. The method of claim 17, which includes determining one of the symbols to associate with one of the bonus positions based at least in part on one of:

the displayed outcome;

a random determination; and

the displayed outcome and a random determination.

27. The method of claim 17, which includes enabling the identified player to select one of the bonus positions to associate one of the symbols with if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the display device includes a bonus wheel, the bonus wheel having a plurality of bonus wheel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus wheel positions.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the display device includes a bonus reel, the bonus reel having a plurality of bonus reel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus reel positions.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonus award is selected from the group consisting of:

a jackpot award;

a progressive award;

a static award;

a randomly determined award;

at least one free play of the wagering game;

at least one free play of a bonus game;

an award determined in the wagering game;

an award which is modified based on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position; and

an award which is modified based on a plurality of the symbols associated with the bonus positions.

31. The method of claim 17, which includes associating a win all symbol with one of the bonus positions, and provide the bonus award based on all of the symbols associated with all of the bonus positions if the bonus position associated with the win all symbol is indicated in the play of the bonus event.

32. The gaming system of claim 17, which includes:

(i) causing any of the plurality of bonus positions associated with any of the plurality of symbols from the first game session to be stored, and

(ii) for the second, subsequent game session, associating any of the plurality of stored symbols from the first game session with any of the plurality of stored bonus positions from the first gaming session.