Electronic gaming device offering a game of knowledge for enhanced payouts

• US 6,193,606 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S., Sparico, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/885,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/17, 463/18, 273/143.R, 273/138.2
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

An electronic gaming system is disclosed that allows a player to play a game of knowledge, such as a trivia game, while playing a slot machine. The player can preferably use successful trivia game results to access higher reward levels with the slot machine, with each reward level having progressively higher payouts for a given winning combination or a higher probability of a winning result or both. The trivia questions are preferably stored in a question database after being obtained from a remote source, in order to ensure an adequate supply of accurate and sufficiently challenging trivia questions.

Claims

1. A method for providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

initiating a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

receiving a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a combination of symbols as a result of a play of the slot machine game;

determining the combination of symbols based on a first probability table; and

if the response to the game of knowledge satisfies a predefined threshold, determining a combination of symbols for a next play of the slot machine game based on a second probability table.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a payout based on a first payout table, and, if the response to the game of knowledge satisfies a predefined threshold, determining a next payout based on a second payout table.

4. A method according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the predefined threshold is satisfied if it is determined that the response corresponds to a successful play of the game of knowledge, and if the successful play is an nth consecutive successful play of the game of knowledge, n being a predetermined number.

5. A method according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the predefined threshold is satisfied if it is determined that the response corresponds to a successful play of the game of knowledge, and if the successful play is an nth consecutive successful play of the game of knowledge in a predefined time period, n being a predetermined number.

6. A method according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the predefined threshold is satisfied if it is determined that the response corresponds to a successful play of the game of knowledge, and if the successful play is an nth successful play of the game of knowledge in a predefined time period, n being a predetermined number.

7. A method according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the predefined threshold is satisfied if it is determined that the response corresponds to a successful play of the game of knowledge, and if a predefined ratio of successful plays to unsuccessful plays in a predefined time period is satisfied.

8. A slot machine providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, the slot machine comprising:

a memory storing processor-executable program code; and

a processor connected to the memory, the processor being operative with the program code to;

initiate a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

receive a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning.

9. Processor-executable program code operable with a slot machine providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge to:

initiate a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

receive a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning.

10. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code means embodied thereon, said computer-readable code means comprising;

a step to initiate a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

a step to receive a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning.

11. A gaming system for providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

a terminal comprising;

a terminal memory storing processor-executable terminal program code, and

a terminal processor connected to the terminal memory,

the terminal processor being operative with the terminal program code to;

transmit a request for data for a game of knowledge;

initiate a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

receive a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning; and

a server comprising;

a server memory storing processor-executable server program code, and

a server processor connected to the server memory,

the server processor operable with the server program code to;

receive the request for data for the game of knowledge from the terminal, and

transmit the data for the game of knowledge to the terminal.

12. An apparatus providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

means for starting a presentation to a player of spinning reels of a slot machine game; and

means for obtaining a response to a game of knowledge, the response input by the player while the reels are spinning.

13. A method for a slot machine providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

determining a result of a play of the slot machine game;

determining whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of the game of knowledge; and

determining a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the payout is determined based on a first set of relationships between slot machine game results and payouts, and wherein, if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a next payout is determined based on a second set of relationships between slot machine game results and payouts.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the result of the play of the slot machine game is determined based on a first set of data including slot machine game results, and wherein, if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a result of a next play of the slot machine game is determined based on a second set of data including slot machine game results.

16. A slot machine providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, the slot machine comprising:

a memory storing processor-executable program code; and

a processor connected to the memory,

the processor being operative with the program code to;

determine a result of a play of the slot machine game;

determine whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of the game of knowledge; and

determine a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge.

17. Processor-executable program code operable with a slot machine providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge to:

determine a result of a play of the slot machine game;

determine whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of the game of knowledge; and

determine a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code means embodied thereon, said computer-readable code means comprising;

a step to determine a result of a play of the slot machine game;

a step to determine whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of a game of knowledge; and

a step to determine a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge.

19. A gaming system for providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

a terminal comprising;

a terminal memory storing processor-executable terminal program code, and

a terminal processor connected to the terminal memory,

the terminal processor being operative with the terminal program code to;

transmit a request for data for the game of knowledge;

determine a result of a play of the slot machine game;

determine whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of the game of knowledge; and

determine a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge; and

a server comprising;

a server memory storing processor-executable server program code, and

a server processor connected to the server memory,

the server processor operable with the server program code to;

receive the request for data for the game of knowledge from the terminal, and

transmit the data for the game of knowledge to the terminal.

20. An apparatus providing a slot machine game and a game of knowledge, comprising:

means for ascertaining a result of a play of the slot machine game;

means for ascertaining whether a player succeeded in, failed in or did not attempt a play of the game of knowledge; and

means for ascertaining a payout based on the result of the slot machine game,

wherein the payout is a first amount if the player succeeded in the play of the game of knowledge, a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge, and a third amount if the player did not attempt the play of the game of knowledge.

21. A data structure embodied in a computer-readable medium, the data structure comprising:

data representing a slot machine game result; and

a plurality of payout data corresponding to the slot machine game result,

wherein a first payout data of the plurality of payout data corresponds to a successful play of a game of knowledge and a second payout data of the plurality of payout data corresponds to an unsuccessful play of the game of knowledge.

22. A data structure according to claim 21, wherein a third payout data of the plurality of payout data corresponds to an absence of a play of the game of knowledge.