Electronic gaming device offering a game of knowledge for enhanced payouts

• US 6,331,144 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• 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: Sparico, Thomas M., Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLAYTON, SHEILA
• Application Number:
  US09/713,046
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-20, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/138.A, 273/148.B
• 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;

receiving a response to a game of knowledge;

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.

2. A method according to claim 1, 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.

3. A method according to claim 1 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.

4. A method according to claim 1, 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.

5. A method according to claim 1, 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.

6. 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;

receiving a response to a game of knowledge; and

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.

7. A method according to claim 6, 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.

8. A method according to claim 6, 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.

9. A method according to claim 6, 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.

10. A method according to claim 6, 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.

11. 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;

receive a response to the game of knowledge;

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

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

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

12. 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;

receive a response to the game of knowledge; and

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

13. 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;

a step to receive a response to a game of knowledge;

a step to display a combination of symbols as a result of a play of the slot machine game;

a step to determine the combination of symbols based on a first probability table; and

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

14. 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;

a step to receive a response to a game of knowledge; and

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

15. 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 or failed in 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, and a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge.

16. A method according to claim 15, 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.

17. A method according to claim 15, 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.

18. 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 or failed in 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, and a second amount of the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge.

19. 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 or failed in 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, and a second amount if the player failed in the play of the game of knowledge.