GAMING DEVICE INCLUDING AN INTERACTIVE WHEEL FEATURE

• US 20110165932A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kowalski, James P.S., Schutt, Michael J., Rommerdahl, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a gaming device including an interactive animated representation of a wheel image or partial wheel image. A player of the device can start the wheel image spinning by touching and dragging their finger on the surface of the wheel image in order to move and spin the wheel image at a variety of speeds and directions.

Claims

1. A gaming system for playing a base game and a feature game that includes an interactive animated representation of at least a portion of a wheel image, the system comprising:

a display screen for displaying a gaming presentation;

a plurality of physical reels, wherein the reels are spun during the play of the base game;

one or more player-activated buttons for receiving player input; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes game software and processes input from the player-activated buttons;

wherein activation of the base game includes rotating of the reels, and wherein display of a particular symbol on one or more of the reels after the rotation has stopped triggers the feature game played with the interactive animated wheel image;

wherein, by touching and dragging a finger on the surface of the wheel image, the player may move or spin the wheel image at a variety of speeds and in either direction of rotation, and wherein receipt of a particular symbol or numbers on the interactive animated wheel triggers one or more prizes associated with winning on the feature game.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the player may cock the wheel image by spinning the wheel image slightly in one direction before starting the wheel image in motion in an opposite direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wheel spin speed may be based on the distance from where the player initially touches the wheel image to where the player removes his finger, when the player is attempting to move the wheel image in a direction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a player moving his finger tangentially to the axis of the wheel image produces a greater rotational wheel speed, the closer his finger is to a center of the wheel image, due to creation of a higher rotational velocity than if the player had moved his finger at a same speed farther away from the center of the wheel image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the player-activated buttons are touch screen virtual buttons.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the player-activated buttons are physical buttons.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the animated representation of a wheel image comprises a full wheel image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the animated representation of a wheel image comprises a portion of a wheel image.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature game that includes the animated representation of a wheel image is associated with one or more progressive prizes.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature game that includes the animated representation of a wheel image is associated with one or more non-progressive prizes.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reels are placed behind transparent LCD windows.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the reels are hidden by the appearance of masked prizes on the LCD windows in front of the plurality of reels when a feature game is triggered.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein, upon touching one of the masked prizes on the LCD windows, the prize value is revealed and awarded to the player.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive wheel game includes awarding feature play when certain symbols appear on a pay line, when certain symbols are scattered, or when no symbols of a certain type appear, regardless of visible symbols.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the availability of the feature game is restricted based on the size of the wager, the placement of the wager.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein a percentage of the wager is used to fund the feature game.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the probability of winning the feature game is dependent on the size of the wager.

18. A gaming device for playing a base game and a feature game that includes an interactive animated representation of at least a portion of a wheel image, the device comprising:

a display screen for displaying at least a portion of the wheel image;

a plurality of physical reels or animated reels, wherein the reels are spun during the play of the base game;

one or more player-activated buttons for receiving player input; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes game software and processes input from the player-activated buttons;

wherein activation of the base game includes rotating of the reels, and wherein display of a particular symbol on one or more of the reels after the rotation of the reels has stopped triggers the feature game played with the interactive animated wheel image;

wherein, by touching and dragging a finger on the surface of the wheel image, the player may move or spin the wheel image at a variety of speeds and in either direction of rotation.

19. A gaming system for playing a base game and a feature game that includes an interactive animated representation of at least a portion of a wheel image, the system comprising:

a gaming server;

a gaming network connected to the gaming server;

two or more gaming machines connected to the gaming server via a network, wherein the connected gaming machines are enabled for partner, group, or tournament game play, each gaming machine comprising;

a display screen for displaying at least a portion of the wheel image;

a plurality of physical reels or animated reels, wherein the reels are spun during the play of the base game;

one or more player-activated buttons for receiving player input; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes game software and processes input from the player-activated buttons;

wherein activation of the base game includes rotating of the reels, and wherein display of a particular symbol on one or more of the reels after the rotation of the reels has stopped triggers the feature game played with the interactive animated wheel image;

wherein, by touching and dragging a finger on the surface of the wheel image, the player may move or spin the wheel image at a variety of speeds and in either direction of rotation.