Gaming device having a method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome

• US 6,569,016 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2000
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/679,251
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20-16, 463/21, 463/22, 463/25-28, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

The method of the gaming device of the present invention contains a plurality of awards each having a value, a plurality of activators, a plurality of deactivators, and a set of indicators from which the activators and deactivators are chosen. The activators, deactivators and indicators are numbers. The controller of the gaming device randomly selects one of the indicators. If the plurality of activators includes the selected indicator, the player receives the value of an award. Conversely, if the plurality of deactivators includes the selected indicator, the player does not receive the value of an award. If the plurality of activators or deactivators is sequential, e.g. 1 through 5, the activator set or deactivator set can include a selected integer, for example 3, or a non-integer, for example 3.5. The implementor of the gaming device may predetermine the activators and deactivators or may add another layer of random generation, whereby the gaming device randomly selects the activators and deactivators from the set of indicators. In either case, the implementor can set the probability of success for each award to be any probability, 0 through 100%.

Claims

1. A method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome in a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) triggering said bonus round which includes a plurality of awards, each of said awards having at least one activator associated therewith;

(b) randomly selecting an indicator for each award;

(c) determining for each award if said indicator for said award is included in the activators associated with the award;

(d) displaying and providing to a player a value associated with each award if said indicator for said award is included in the activators associated with said award; and

(e) ending said bonus round.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes the step of predetermining the activators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said activators are integers, the indicators are integers and determining if said indicator is in the activators includes determining if said indicator equals one of said activators.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said activators are sequential and determines if said indicator is in the activators includes determining if said activators encompass said indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes displaying a symbol representing each of said awards.

6. The method of claim 5, which includes displaying said value associated with each of said symbols.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes displaying whether said plurality of activators includes said indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes illuminating said symbol.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes determining a bonus round award by multiplying said value by an amount a player has bet.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes providing a value associated with said award if said indicator for said award is not included in deactivators associated with said award.

11. A method for randomly generating a bonus round outcome in a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) triggering said bonus round which includes a plurality of awards, each of said awards having an activation probability and a set of indicators associated therewith;

(b) determining at least one activator for each award by multiplying said award probability by the number of indicators in said set;

(c) randomly selecting the number of activators from said set;

(d) randomly selecting an indicator from said set;

(e) determining for each award, if said indicator for said award is included in the activators associated with the award;

(f) displaying and providing to a player a value associated with each award if said indicator for said award is included in the activators associated with the award; and

(g) ending said bonus round.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said activators are integers, the indicators are integers, and the step of determining if said plurality of activators includes said indicator includes determining if said indicator equals one of said activators.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said activators are sequential, and the step of determining if said plurality of activators includes said indicator includes determining if said indicator is within a range of activators.

14. The method of claim 11, which includes accumulating a total value after awarding said value for each award.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes determining a bonus round award by multiplying said total value by an amount a player has bet.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes repeating steps (c) to (f) if said total value is below a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 11, which includes determining at least one deactivator for each award by multiplying a predetermined deactivation probability by the number of indicators in said set.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes randomly selecting the number of deactivators from said set.

19. The method of claim 18, which includes awarding a player a value associated with the award if said indicator for said award is not included in the deactivators for the award.

20. A method for randomly generating an outcome in a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a predetermined number of outcomes and at least one activator associated with each outcome;

(b) selecting at least one indicator;

(c) determining for each outcome if said selected indicator is one of the activators associated with said outcome; and

(d) displaying and providing a player each outcome where the indicator is one of the activators associated with said outcome.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing said outcome includes awarding a value.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing said outcome includes displaying a bonus game for said player to play.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein providing said outcome includes continuing a bonus game.

24. A gaming device for generating a bonus round outcome comprising:

a plurality of awards;

a value associated with each award;

at least one activator associated with each award;

a set of indicators;

a randomly selected indicator from said set, for each award; and

a display device,

whereby a player receives said value associated with each award if the selected indicator for said award is one of said activators associated with said award, and said display device displays said values received by the player.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein said activators are predetermined.

26. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein said activators are chosen from said set of indicators.

27. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein said activators are sequential.

28. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein said activators, and indicators are integers.

29. The gaming device of claim 24, which further includes a predetermined activation probability and the number of activators equals said activation probability multiplied by the number of indicators in said set.

30. The gaming device of claim 24, which further includes a plurality of deactivators.

31. The gaming device of claim 30, wherein said number of deactivators is predetermined.

32. The gaming device of claim 30, which includes a predetermined deactivation probability and the number of deactivators equals said deactivation probability multiplied by the number of indicators in said set.

33. The gaming device of claim 24, which further includes a display connected to said controller, wherein said display contains a symbol representing each of said awards.

34. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein said symbol includes the value of said award.