Gaming device having a bonus scheme including a plurality of selection groups with win-group outcomes

• US 6,932,701 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Glavich, Paulina, Kaminkow, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Chanda L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKAARUP, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US09/981,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20020045475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463 16- 21, 463/1, 463/2, 463/7, 463 9- 13, 463/25, 463/30, 463/31, 463 36- 38, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/236, 273/237, 273/242, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gaming device with a bonus scheme including a plurality of groups of symbols and a plurality of bonus value outcomes and at least one win-group outcome associated with the symbols. The win-group outcome corresponds to a plurality of the bonus value outcomes. A player can select symbols and gain bonus values while advancing from group to group. If a player reaches a win-group outcome, the player receives all of the bonus value outcomes which correspond to the win-group outcome.

Claims

1. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group outcome including a change group outcome and a plurality of the bonus values in said group;

at least one termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups;

an achievement outcome;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of said groups;

(b) provides the player with any bonus values associated with the selected symbol;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(e) terminates the bonus game if the player picks any symbol having the termination outcome; and

(f) provides the player with the achievement outcome if the player picks at least one symbol in each of said groups without picking any symbol having the termination outcome.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in a plurality of the groups.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in each of the groups.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the win-group outcome includes all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the win-group outcome includes all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group not previously selected by the player.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, which include a termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in a plurality of the groups.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, which include a termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in each of the groups.

8. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group outcome including a change group outcome and a plurality of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group;

at least one termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of said groups;

(b) provides the player with any bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome; and

(e) terminates the bonus game if the termination outcome is associated with one of the selected symbols.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes a termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in a plurality of the groups.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, which includes an achievement award provided to the player if the player selects at least one symbol in each group without selecting one of the symbols having an associated termination outcome.

11. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes a termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in each of the groups.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, which includes an achievement award provided to the player if the player selects at least one symbol in each group without selecting one of the symbols having an associated termination outcome.

13. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group outcome including a change group outcome and a plurality of the bonus values in said group;

at least one separate change group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of said groups;

(b) provides the player with the bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(e) changes to another of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols and repeats (a) to (d) for said another group when the separate change group outcome is associated with the selected symbol; and

(f) terminates the bonus game if a termination outcome associated with the selected symbol occurs.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein a separate change group outcome is associated with at least one of the symbols in a plurality of the groups.

15. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group including a change group outcome and a plurality of the bonus values in said group;

a termination outcome associated with the symbols or bonus values associated with the symbols in at least one group;

a memory device which stores the bonus values, the win-group outcomes and the termination outcome;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the memory device and the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of the groups;

(b) provides the player with the bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another one of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome; and

(e) terminates the bonus game when said termination outcome occurs.

16. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the termination outcome is a predetermined number of symbols selected by the player.

17. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the termination outcome is a predetermined total accumulation of bonus values provided to the player.

18. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group outcome including a plurality of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select symbols in said groups;

(b) provides the player with the bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome and terminates the bonus game when the win-group outcome is associated with a selected symbol.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein the processor displays the bonus values associated with a selected symbol after the processor determines that the selected symbol is associated with a win-group symbol.

20. The gaming device of claim 18, which includes an additional award provided to the player if the player selects at least one symbol in each group without selecting one of the symbols having a win-group outcome.

21. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of selection groups;

a plurality of symbols in each selection group;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols in each selection group;

at least one win-group outcome associated with one of the symbols in each selection group, wherein each win-group outcome includes a change group outcome and at least one of the bonus values associated with the symbols in each selection group;

an achievement bonus value;

a display device which displays the selection groups and the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of said groups;

(b) provides the player with the bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another of said selection groups based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another selection group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome; and

(e) provides the achievement bonus value to the player if the player selects at least one symbol in each of said selection groups without obtaining a termination outcome in said bonus game.

22. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the win-group outcome in each selection group include all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said selection group.

23. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the win-group outcome in each selection group includes the bonus values associated with the symbols in said selection group not previously provided to the player.

24. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of selection groups;

a plurality of symbols in each selection group;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols in each selection group;

at least one win-group outcome associated with one of the symbols in each selection group, wherein each win-group outcome in each selection group includes a change group outcome and all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said selection group;

at least one termination outcome associated with one of the symbols in each selection group;

a display device which displays the selection groups and the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in one of said selection groups;

(b) provides the player with any bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) changes to another of said selection groups based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome and repeats (a) to (d) for said another selection group if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome; and

(e) terminates the bonus game if said termination outcome is associated with one of the selected symbols.

25. A method of providing a bonus game in a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) triggering a bonus game;

(b) displaying a plurality of groups of symbols to a player;

(c) associating a plurality of bonus values with the symbols;

(d) associating at least one win-group outcome with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups;

(e) associating a change group outcome and a plurality of the bonus values in said group with the win-group outcome;

(f) enabling the player to select at least one symbol in one of said groups;

(g) providing the player with said bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(h) providing the player with any win-group outcome associated with the selected symbol if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(i) changing to another of said groups of symbols based on the change group outcome associated with said win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(j) repeating steps (a) to (i) until the player picks a symbol having an associated terminator; and

(k) providing an achievement bonus to the player if the player picks one of the symbols in each of said groups without selecting symbol having an associated terminator in any group.

26. The method of claim 25, which includes the step of associating the win-group outcome with all of the bonus values which are associated with symbols in said group.

27. The method of claim 25, which includes operating the gaming device through a data network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data network is an internet.

29. A gaming device having a bonus game comprising:

a plurality of groups of symbols;

a plurality of bonus values associated with the symbols;

at least one win-group outcome associated with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups, the win-group including a plurality of the bonus values in said group;

a termination outcome associated with at least one of the symbols or bonus values associated with the symbols in at least one group, wherein the termination outcome is a predetermined total accumulation of bonus values provided to the player;

a memory device which stores the bonus values, the win-group outcomes and the termination outcome;

a display device which displays the symbols; and

a processor in communication with the memory device and the display device, which;

(a) enables a player to select at least one symbol in each of the groups;

(b) provides the player with any bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(c) provides the player with the win-group outcome if the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome;

(d) terminates the bonus game when said termination outcome occurs; and

(e) provides an additional award to the player when the player selects at least one symbol in each of the groups without selecting one of the symbols associated with the termination outcome.

30. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein the win-group outcome includes all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group.

31. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein the win-group outcome includes all of the bonus values associated with the symbols in said group not previously selected by the player.

32. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein a separate change group outcome is associated with at least one of the symbols in a plurality of the groups.

33. A method of providing a bonus game in a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) triggering a bonus game;

(b) displaying a plurality of groups of symbols to a player;

(c) associating a plurality of bonus values with the symbols;

(d) associating at least one win-group outcome with at least one of the symbols in at least one of the groups;

(e) associating a plurality of the bonus values in said group with the win-group outcome;

(f) enabling the player to select symbols in said groups;

(g) providing the player with said bonus values associated with the selected symbols;

(h) providing the player with the win-group outcome associated with the selected symbol when the player picks the symbol including said win-group outcome; and

(i) terminating the bonus game when any win-group outcome are associated with a selected symbol.

34. The method of claim 33, which includes displaying the bonus values associated with a selected symbol after determining that the selected symbol is associated with a win-group symbol.

35. The method of claim 33, which includes providing a additional award to the player if the player selects at least one symbol in each group without selecting one of the symbols having a win-group outcome.

36. The method of claim 33, which includes operating the gaming device through a data network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data network is an internet.