Gaming device having an indicator selection with probability-based outcome

• US 6,783,457 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cuddy, Ryan William, Swift, Brian Daniel, Blomquist, Cari L., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Hughs-Baird, Andrea C., Peterson, Lance R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/981,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-20, 463/25, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bonus scheme for a gaming device which presents a plurality of selections to the player in one or more rounds. After a players chooses each selection, a processor, using predetermined probabilities, generates various outcomes. Depending upon which types of outcomes are generated, the player may advance to different rounds where the player can choose other selections, or instead the bonus round can terminate.

Claims

1. A gaming device having a game, comprising:

at least two rounds;

a plurality of selectable indicators in each of the rounds;

a plurality of independent award probabilities, wherein each independent award probability is individually associated with each of the selectable indicators;

a display device which displays the selectable indicators; and

a processor in communication with said display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select one of the selectable indicators in a first of said rounds;

(b) independently determines if an award is associated with said selected indicator after said selected indicator is selected regardless of whether any other of the selectable indicators are associated with any awards and based on the independent award probability associated with said selected indicator; and

(c) if an award is associated with the selected indicator, provides the player with the award and enables the player to select one of the selectable indicators in a second of said rounds.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award includes a value.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein an average of the values associated with the selectable indicators in each round are different.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the average of the values for the second round is higher than the average for the first round.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the game terminates if the processor determines that an award is not associated with said selected indicator based on the independent award probability associated with said selected indicator.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the independent award probability associated with each of the selectable indicators in at least one of the rounds is the same.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the independent award probabilities are different.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein an average of the independent award probabilities associated with the selectable indicators in each round are different.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the average of the independent award probabilities for the second round is lower than the average of the independent award probabilities for the first round.

10. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the average of the independent award probabilities for the first round is lower than the average of the independent award probabilities for the second round.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award includes a round change in the game.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award includes a new or renewed game.

13. A gaming device having a game, comprising:

at least two rounds;

a plurality of selectable indicators in each of the rounds;

a plurality of independent award probabilities, wherein each independent award probability is individually associated with each of the selectable indicators;

a display device which displays the selectable indicators; and

a processor in communication with said display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select one of the selectable indicators in a first of said rounds;

(b) independently determines if an award is associated with each said selectable indicator before said selectable indicators are selected regardless of whether any other of the selectable indicators are associated with any awards and based on the independent award probabilities associated with each of said selectable indicators; and

(c) if an award is associated with the selected indicator, provides the player with the award and enables the player to select one of the selectable indicators in a second of said rounds.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the game terminates if the processor determines that an award is not associated with said selected indicator based on the independent award probability associated with said selected indicator.

15. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the independent award probability associated with each selectable indicator is the same.

16. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein at least two of the independent award probabilities are different.

17. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein an average of the independent award probabilities associated with the selectable indicators in each round are different.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the average of the independent award probabilities for the second round is lower than the average of the independent award probabilities for the first round.

19. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein an average of the values associated with the selectable indicators in each round are different.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the average of the values for the second round is higher than the average of the values for the first round.

21. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the average of the values for the first round is higher than the average of the values for the second round.

22. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the award includes a round change in the game.

23. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the award includes a new or renewed game.

24. A gaming device having a game, comprising:

at least two rounds;

a plurality of player selectable indicators in each of the rounds;

a data storage device;

a plurality of independent probabilities stored in the data storage device, wherein each independent probability is individually associated with each of the selectable indicators;

a plurality of award values and termination events stored in the data storage device;

a display device for displaying said selectable indicators;

a selector for enabling a player to select said selectable indicators; and

a processor in communication with said data storage device, selector and display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select one of the selectable indicators in a first of said rounds;

(b) performs a calculation based on the independent probability associated with said selected indicator regardless of whether any other of the selectable indicators are associated with any of the award values;

(c) associates one of the award values or the termination event with the selected indicator based on said calculation;

(d) if said selected indicator is associated with one of said award values, provides said award value to the player and enables the player to select one of the selectable indicators in a second of said rounds; and

(e) terminates the game if said selected indicator is associated with said termination event.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the processor performs the calculation before the player selects each said selected indicator.

26. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the processor performs the calculation after the player selects one of the selectable indicators.

27. A gaming device having a game, comprising:

at least two rounds;

a plurality of player selectable indicators in each of the rounds;

a data storage device;

a plurality of independent probabilities stored in the data storage device, wherein each independent probability is individually associated with each of the selectable indicators;

a plurality of award values, round change events and termination events stored in the data storage device;

a display device for displaying said selectable indicators;

a selector for enabling a player to select said selectable indicators; and

a processor in communication with said display device, data storage device and selector, which;

(a) enables a player to select one of the selectable indicators in a first of said rounds;

(b) independently performs a calculation based on the independent probability associated with said selected indicator regardless of whether any other of the selectable indicators are associated with any of the award values, said probability calculation resulting in one of the award values, round change event or termination event;

(c) if the result is an award value, provides the award value to the player;

(d) if the result is said round change event, enables the player to select one of the selectable indicators in a second of said rounds; and

(e) if the result is said termination event, terminates the game.

28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the processor performs the calculation before the player selects each selected indicator.

29. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the processor performs the probability calculation after the player selects one of the selectable indicators.

30. A gaming device having a game comprising:

a processor;

a display device controlled by the processor;

a memory device accessible by the processor; and

a plurality of instructions stored in the memory device for causing the processor to;

(a) cause the display device to display a plurality of graphical images to a player in a first round;

(b) enable the player to select at least one of the graphical images;

(c) determine any award based on an independent award probability associated with the selected graphical image regardless of whether any other of the graphical images are associated with any awards;

(d) provide the player with said award, if any, associated with the selected graphical image;

(e) display a new plurality of graphical images to the player in a second round if the processor provides the player with an award associated with the selected graphical image; and

repeat steps (a) through (e) at least once.

31. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a plurality of selectable indicators, wherein each selectable indicator is player selectable;

(b) enabling a player to select one of said selectable indicators;

(c) independently determining if an award is associated with the selected indicator based on an independent award probability associated with said selected indicator regardless of whether any other of the selectable indicators are associated with any awards;

(d) if an award is associated with said selected indicator, displaying the award;

repeating steps (a) to (d) until an award is not associated with one of the selected indicators; and

providing the player with said displayed awards.

32. The method of claim 31, which includes determining if a number of awards are associated with the selected indicators prior to ending the game and repeating steps (a) to (d) until a predetermined number of the awards are associated with the selected indicators.

33. The method of claim 31, which includes determining if a total value of the awards is associated with the selected indicators prior to ending the game and repeating steps (a) to (d) if the total value of said awards is less than a predetermined value.

34. The method of claim 31, which includes awarding the player an achievement award if awards are associated with all of the selected indicators.

35. The method of claim 31, which includes repeating steps (a) to (d) before ending the game if awards are associated with all of the selected indicators.