Gaming device having a re-triggering symbol bonus scheme

• US 6,913,532 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cuddy, Ryan W., Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/981,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 25, 463 40- 42, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus scheme wherein a combination of bonus symbols trigger a bonus game and any one of the bonus symbols in the bonus game provides a player with an award. The award may be an extension of the bonus game by providing the player with additional spins or games. Also, the award may modify the combination and type of bonus symbols needed to enter the bonus game. Furthermore, the award may modify the award values in the bonus game. Therefore, a combination bonus symbols trigger the bonus game and also triggers the gaming device to provide bonus awards in the bonus game. The re-triggering symbol award bonus scheme changes the probability of winning for the player and therefore creates a higher level of excitement and enjoyment of the game.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a primary game controlled by the processor;

a secondary game controlled by the processor;

a secondary game triggering event in the primary game which triggers the secondary game; and

a secondary game re-triggering event in the secondary game which re-triggers the entire secondary game, wherein the secondary game re-triggering event in the secondary game is more likely to occur in the secondary game than the secondary game triggering event in the primary game.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the secondary game re-triggering event in the secondary game and the secondary game triggering event in the primary game employ at least one of the same triggering symbols.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the secondary game re-triggering event in the secondary game and the secondary game triggering event in the primary game employ a plurality of the same triggering symbols, wherein the secondary game triggering event includes at least one combination of said triggering symbols and the secondary game re-triggering event includes a greater number of combinations of said triggering symbols.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the secondary game triggering event in the secondary game and the secondary game triggering event in the primary game employ a plurality of the same triggering symbols, wherein the secondary game triggering event includes at least one combination of a plurality of said triggering symbols and the secondary game re-triggering event includes at least one of said triggering symbols and less than the plurality of said triggering symbols of said combination.

5. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a display device controlled by the processor;

a primary game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said primary game including a plurality of secondary game triggering symbols;

a secondary game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said secondary game triggered upon the display of a predetermined combination of a plurality of said secondary game triggering symbols in said primary game; and

at least one re-trigger of the entire secondary game or at least one additional spin in the secondary game provided to the player in the secondary game upon the display of one of a plurality of predetermined combinations of a plurality of said secondary game triggering symbols in said secondary game wherein said display of one of said combinations in said secondary game is more likely to occur than said display of said combination in said primary game.

6. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a display device controlled by the processor;

a primary game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said primary game including a plurality of secondary game triggering symbols;

a secondary game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said secondary game triggered upon the display of a predetermined combination of a plurality of said secondary game triggering symbols in said primary game; and

at least one re-trigger of the entire secondary game or at least one additional spin in the secondary game provided to the player in the secondary game when less than the plurality of said secondary game triggering symbols is displayed by the display device in the secondary game.

7. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a display device controlled by the processor;

a base game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said base game including a plurality of bonus game triggering symbols;

a bonus game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said bonus game triggered upon the display of a predetermined combination of said bonus triggering symbols in said base game, said predetermined combination having a likelihood of occurrence; and

a bonus re-trigger provided to the player in the bonus game when a predetermined combination of said bonus triggering symbols is displayed by the display device in the bonus game, said predetermined combination having a likelihood of occurrence which is greater than the likelihood of occurrence of the predetermined combination to trigger the bonus game in the base game.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein said bonus re-trigger is selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the bonus game;

at least one additional spin in the bonus game.

9. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein said bonus re-trigger activates a bonus re-triggering symbol in the bonus game, wherein when the bonus re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the bonus game, the processor provides an additional bonus re-trigger to the player.

10. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein said bonus re-trigger activates a bonus re-triggering symbol in the bonus game, wherein when the bonus re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the bonus game, the processor provides an additional bonus re-trigger to the player selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the bonus game;

at least one additional spin in the bonus game.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the bonus re-triggering symbol occurs more frequently in the bonus game than the bonus triggering symbols.

12. The gaming device of claim 7, which includes a plurality of reels wherein the predetermined combination is a plurality of bonus triggering symbols along a payline associated with the reels in the base game and the re-triggering combination is the bonus triggering symbols displayed by the reels in any position in the bonus game.

13. A gaming device comprising:

a processor;

a display device controlled by the processor;

a base game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said base game including a plurality of bonus triggering symbols;

a bonus game displayed by the display device and controlled by the processor, said bonus game triggered upon an occurrence of a bonus trigger in the base game, the bonus trigger including a display of a plurality of said bonus triggering symbols in said base game; and

a bonus re-trigger provided to the player in the bonus game when less than the plurality of said bonus triggering symbols is displayed by the display device in the bonus game, such that the bonus re-trigger occurs more frequently in the bonus game than the bonus trigger occurs in the base game.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein said bonus re-trigger is selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the bonus game;

at least one additional spin in the bonus game.

15. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein said bonus re-trigger activates a bonus re-triggering symbol in the bonus game, wherein when the bonus re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the bonus game, the processor provides an additional bonus re-trigger to the player.

16. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein said bonus re-trigger activates a bonus re-triggering symbol in the bonus game, wherein when the bonus re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the bonus game, the processor provides an additional bonus re-trigger to the player selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the bonus game;

at least one additional spin in the bonus game.

17. A gaming device comprising;

a processor;

a plurality of reels controlled by the processor;

a plurality of symbols on each reel, said symbols including a plurality of secondary game triggering symbols;

a primary game including at least one activation of said reels by the processor;

a secondary game including at least one activation of said reels by the processor, said secondary game triggered upon the display of a plurality of the secondary game triggering symbols on an active payline associated with the reels in said primary game; and

a secondary game re-trigger provided to the player in the secondary game when the plurality of said secondary game triggering symbols are displayed by the reels in any position in the secondary game, wherein the secondary game re-triggering is more likely to occur in the secondary game than a trigger of the secondary game in the primary game.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said secondary game re-trigger is selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the secondary game and at least one re-activation of the reels in the secondary game.

19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said secondary game re-trigger activates a reel re-triggering symbol in the secondary game, wherein when the reel re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the secondary game, the processor re-activates the reels in the secondary game.

20. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said secondary game re-trigger activates a reel re-triggering symbol in the secondary game, wherein when the reel re-triggering symbol is subsequently displayed in the secondary game, the processor provides an additional secondary game re-trigger to the player selected from the group consisting of:

at least one re-trigger of the secondary game and at least one additional activation of the reels in the secondary game.