Method and apparatus for directing a game with user-selected elements

• US 6,174,235 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/000,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/12-13, 463/16-19, 463/25, 463/30, 463/29, 463/40-42, 463/36, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/138.1, 273/269, 273/236, 273/237, 273/292, 700/91, 700/93, 283/49, 283/51, 283/901, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

An electronic gaming device defines a set of all possible elements of a game. For example, in a slot machine-type game, the set of possible elements includes the symbols for cherries, bell, bar, orange, plum and seven. The gaming device further generates a set of location assignments for each of the elements, and assigns a location to each element in accordance with the set of location assignments. The player is presented with the locations and prompted to select one or more locations, depending on the type of game. The displayed locations to select are typically arranged in one or more rows of possible selections. Typically, each of the possible selections is hidden or obscured until selected by the player. The player provides his selection(s), and at least one corresponding selection signal(s) are received by the gaming device. Each received selection signal indicates an element from the set of possible elements. The selected elements are displayed, either after each selection is made or after all selections are made. The gaming device evaluates an outcome of the game in accordance with the selected elements. Depending on the type of game, the outcome may or may not be based on the order in which the elements are selected. Since the player selects the elements, he is provided with an illusion of control over the outcome of the game.

Claims

1. A method for directing a slot machine-type wagering game playable by a player, the method comprising:

defining a set of elements, the set including all possible elements of the slot machine-type wagering game;

assigning each of the elements of the slot machine-type wagering game to at least one of a plurality of locations, therein defining a set of all possible locations;

displaying an image of the set of all possible locations to the player;

receiving at least one selection signal, each selection signal indicating a location from the set of all possible locations which has been selected by the player, the at least one selection signal thereby indicating at least one selected element; and

evaluating an outcome of the slot machine-type wagering game in accordance with the at least one selected element wherein the step of evaluating includes evaluating the outcome of the slot machine-type wagering game in accordance with the at least one selected element and at least one randomly-selected element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations is displayed with each element being hidden until selected by the player.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying each element selected by the player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving at least one selection signal includes receiving a plurality of selection signals sequentially.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying each selected element after a corresponding selection signal is received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed such that at least one of the elements is temporarily revealed to the player before receiving the at least one selection signal.

7. An apparatus for directing a slot machine-type wagering game playable by a player, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing

a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to

define a set of elements, the set including all possible elements of the slot machine-type wagering game;

assign each of the elements of the slot machine-type wagering game to at least one of a plurality of locations, thus defining a set of all possible locations;

display an image of the set of all possible locations to the player;

receive at least one selection signal, each selection signal indicating a location from the set of all possible locations which has been selected by the player, the at least one selection signal thereby indicating at least one selected element; and

evaluate an outcome of the slot machine-type wagering game in accordance with the at least one selected element wherein the processor is further operative to evaluate the outcome of the slot machine-type wagering game in accordance with the at least one selected element and at least one randomly-selected element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations is displayed with each element being hidden until selected by the player.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operative to display each element selected by the player.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operative to receive a plurality of selection signals sequentially.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to display each selected element after a corresponding selection signal is received.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operative to display the image such that at least one of the elements is temporarily revealed to the player before receiving the at least one selection signal.

13. A method for directing a slot machine-type game playable by a player, the method comprising:

defining a set of elements, the set including all possible elements of the slot machine-type game;

assigning each of the elements of the slot machine-type game to at least one of a plurality of locations in each of a plurality of groups, therein defining a set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups;

receiving a selection signal for each of the plurality of groups, each selection signal indicating a location from the set of all possible locations for the respective group which has been selected by the player, the selection signal for each of the groups thereby indicating a selected element for the respective group; and

evaluating an outcome of the slot machine-type game in accordance with the selected element for each of the plurality of groups.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the elements is selected from the group consisting of a cherries element, a bell element, a bar element, an orange element, a plum element and a seven element.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying an image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups to the player.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups is displayed with each element being hidden until selected by the player.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups is displayed such that at least one of the elements is temporarily revealed to the player before receiving the selection signal for each of the plurality of groups.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying each element selected by the player.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of receiving a selection signal for each of the plurality of groups includes receiving the selection signals sequentially.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying each selected element after the corresponding selection signal is received.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of evaluating includes evaluating the outcome of the slot machine-type game in accordance with the selected element for each of the groups and at least one randomly-selected element.

22. An apparatus for directing a slot machine-type game playable by a player, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing

a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to

define a set of elements, the set including all possible elements of the slot machine-type game;

assign each of the elements of the slot machine-type game to at least one of a plurality of locations in each of a plurality of groups, thus defining a set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups;

receive a selection signal for each of the plurality of groups, each selection signal indicating a location from the set of all possible locations for the respective group which has been selected by the player, the selection signal for each of the groups thereby indicating a selected element for the respective group; and

evaluate an outcome of the slot machine-type game in accordance with the selected element for each of the plurality of groups.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein each of the elements is selected from the group consisting of a cherries element, a bell element, a bar element, an orange element, a plum element and a seven element.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operative to display an image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups to the player.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups is displayed with each element being hidden until selected by the player.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the image of the set of all possible locations for each of the plurality of groups is displayed such that at least one of the elements is temporarily revealed to the player before receiving the selection signal for each of the plurality of groups.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operative to display each element selected by the player.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operative to receive the selection signal for each of the plurality of groups sequentially.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is further operative to display each selected element after the corresponding selection signal is received.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operative to evaluate the outcome of the slot machine-type game in accordance with the selected element for each of the groups and at least one randomly-selected element.