Telephone gaming device

• US 6,899,329 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company Incorporated (Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company Incorporated (Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service)
• Inventors: Seelig, Jerald C., Henshaw, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rada, II, Alex F. R. P.
• Application Number:
  US09/969,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20030062680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/143.R, 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 463/23, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463 36- 37, 463 40- 42, 379/93.13, 379/93.18, 379/93.19, 379/93.23
• US Class Current: 273/139
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A gaming device for playing a game by a game player. The gaming device allows the game player to place a telephone call. A controller generates a prize. Several images of persons who may receive the telephone call are displayed to the game player. The telephone call is placed to one of the images. The prize is announced by the selected image to the game player. A second telephone call is placed to a telephone number in order to select a multiplier. The controller generates the multiplier. The multiplier is the last digit of the telephone number. The prize is multiplied by the multiplier to obtain a total prize.

Claims

1. A gaming device allowing game play by a game player, the gaming device comprising:

(A) a controller adapted to award a base prize, the controller being adapted to initiate a game sequence by placing a telephone call and to announce the base prize to the game player;

(B) a multiplier generator in communication with the controller, the multiplier generator being adapted to dial a phone number to generate a multiplier and to calculate a total prize, the total prize being the base prize multiplied by the multiplier, wherein the multiplier is equal to a digit of the phone number; and

(C) a display in communication with the multiplier generator for displaying the base prize, the multiplier and the total prize.

2. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the multiplier is equal to a last digit of the phone number.

3. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls a plurality of spinning reels.

4. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of possible telephone call recipients are displayed to the game player.

5. The gaming device according to claim 4, wherein the game player is allowed to choose the telephone call recipient.

6. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the game sequence is initiated by the game player depressing a button.

7. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the gaming device is used as a bonus game in conjunction with a primary game.

8. A gaming device allowing game play by a game player, the gaming device comprising:

(A) a telephone adapted to allow the game player to initiate a game sequence by placing a telephone call;

(B) a display device, the display device configured to display at least one telephone call recipient;

(C) a controller in communication with the telephone and the display device, the controller being configured to cause at least one telephone call recipient to be called and to be displayed on the display device, wherein the controller is configured to generate a base prize and cause the base prize to be communicated to the game player, and further wherein the controller is configured to dial a phone number to generate a multiplier, the multiplier being equal to a digit of the phone number.

9. The gaming device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to multiply the base prize by the multiplier to obtain a total prize.

10. The gaming device according to claim 9, wherein the base prize, the multiplier and the total prize are shown to the game player on a display.

11. The gaming device according to claim 8, wherein the multiplier is equal to a last digit of the phone number.

12. The gaming device according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of telephone call recipients are displayed to the game player.

13. The gaming device according to claim 12, wherein the controller drives a plurality of spinning reels to display a selected telephone call recipient.

14. The gaming device according to claim 13, wherein the controller chooses the telephone call recipient.

15. The gaming device according to claim 12, wherein the game player is allowed to choose the telephone call recipient.

16. The gaming device according to claim 8, wherein a telephone keypad is displayed to the game player, the keypad indicating the multiplier.

17. A method of playing a game by a game player comprising, not necessarily in the order shown except step A occurs prior to step D:

(A) placing a telephone call;

(B) generating a base award;

(C) announcing to the game player the base award during the telephone call;

(D) placing a second telephone call;

(E) generating a multiplier; and

(F) showing the game player the multiplier.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising displaying the multiplier on a telephone keypad.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising calculating a total award, the total award being the base award multiplied by the multiplier.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising awarding the game player the total award.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising displaying a plurality of telephone call recipients to the game player.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the game player is allowed to choose the telephone call recipient.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the gaming device chooses the telephone call recipient.

24. A method of playing a game by a game player comprising, not necessarily in the order shown except step A occurs prior to step G:

(A) initiating a first telephone call;

(A) providing a plurality of images of telephone call recipients;

(B) selecting on telephone call recipient from the plurality of images of telephone call recipients'"'"'

(C) selecting one telephone call recipient from the plurality of images of telephone call recipients;

(D) calling the selected telephone call recipient;

(E) generating a base award;

(F) announcing to the game player the base award by the telephone call recipient;

(G) initiating a second telephone call;

(H) generating a multiplier;

(I) generating a phone number, a digit of the phone number being equal to the multiplier;

(J) dialing the phone number; and

(K) showing the game player the multiplier.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a last digit of the phone number is equal to the multiplier.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising calculating a total award, the total award being the base award multiplied by the multiplier.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising awarding the game player the total award.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the game player is allowed to choose the telephone call recipient.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the gaming device chooses the telephone call recipient.

31. A method of playing a game comprising, not necessarily in the order shown except step B occurs prior to step F:

(A) providing a game device, the gaming device being configured to accept a wager from a game player, allow the game player to play a game display randomly determined game outcome, and generate a prize based on the randomly determined game outcome

(B) allowing the game player to place a telephone call on the gaming device;

(C) selecting a telephone call recipient;

(D) announcing the prize to the game player by the telephone call recipient;

(E) selecting a phone number, a digit of the phone number being equal to a multiplier;

(F) placing a second phone call to the second phone number; and

(G) showing the game player the multiplier.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising calculating a total prize, the total prize being the prize multiplied by the multiplier.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising displaying the prize, the multiplier and the total prize;

and

awarding the game player the total prize.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the game player is allowed to choose the telephone call recipient.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein the gaming device chooses the telephone call recipient.

37. A bonus game for use by a game player, comprising:

(A) a primary game, the primary game adapted to generate a bonus qualifying event;

(B) a bonus gaming device, the bonus gaming device in communication with the primary game, the bonus gaming device adapted to detect the bonus qualifying event and to activate the bonus gaming device, the bonus gaming device including;

(B1) a telephone adapted to allow the game player to place a telephone call; and

(B2) a controller in communication with the telephone, the controller generating a prize in response to receiving the telephone call, the controller further adapted to place a second telephone call to a telephone number.

38. The bonus game according to claim 37, wherein a plurality of images of persons who may receive the telephone call are displayed to the game player.

39. The bonus game according to claim 38, wherein the game player is allowed to choose one of the images.

40. The bonus game according to claim 38, wherein the controller chooses one of the images.

41. The bonus game according to claim 40, wherein the controller drives a plurality of spinning reels to display the chosen image.

42. The bonus game according to claim 37, wherein the prize is announced over the telephone to the game player.

43. The bonus game according to claim 37, wherein a digit of the telephone number is selected to be a multiplier.

44. The bonus game according to claim 43, wherein the controller calculates a total prize, the total prize being the prize multiplied by the multiplier.

45. The bonus game according to claim 44, wherein the prize, the multiplier and the total prize are shown to the game player on a display.

46. The bonus game according to claim 45, wherein the display is a video display.

47. The bonus game according to claim 37, wherein a last digit of the telephone number is selected to be the multiplier.

48. The bonus game according to claim 47, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

49. A method of playing a bonus game by a game player comprising, not necessarily in the order shown except step A occurs prior to step B:

(A) allowing the game player to play a primary game, the primary game adapted to generate a bonus qualifying event;

(B) activating a bonus gaming device in response to detecting the bonus qualifying event

(C) displaying a plurality of images of telephone call recipients;

(D) selecting one of the images;

(E) placing a telephone call to the selected image;

(F) generating an award;

(G) announcing during the telephone call, the award to the game player;

(H) generating a phone number;

(I) generating a multiplier, the multiplier being a digit of the phone number; and

(J) displaying the multiplier.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising dialing the phone number.

51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising calculating a total award, the total award being the award multiplied by the multiplier.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising awarding the game player the total award.

53. The method according to claim 49, wherein the multiplier is shown on a telephone keypad.

54. The method according to claim 49, wherein the game player is allowed to select the image.

55. The method according to claim 49, wherein the bonus gaming device selects the image.

56. The method according to claim 49, wherein the images are displayed on a plurality of spinning reels.

57. The method according to claim 49, wherein the images are displayed on a video display.