Gaming device having bonus game with multiple moving objects within partitionable channels

• US 6,939,225 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kaminkow, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COBURN, CORBETT B
• Application Number:
  US10/186,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/0064 Ball games combined with other games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/048 used for generating random numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/001 with balls or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A gaming device including plurality of aligned channels mounted to the cabinet and a movable object is positioned in each channel. An actuator for engaging the movable object is positioned at the base of each channel and a partitioner for partitioning each channel into a plurality of sections is connected to each channel. An award is provided to the player based on the sections the moveable objects are captured in after the partitioners partition the channels into a plurality of sections.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a primary wagering game operable upon a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a wager acceptor supported by the cabinet;

a tubular member attached to the cabinet;

a freely movable object positioned in the tubular member;

at least one movable object actuator connected to the tubular member;

at least one moveable partitioner connected to the tubular member, wherein said partitioner is operable to separate the channel into at least two different sections, and prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released;

a movable object sensor positioned relative to the tubular member; and

a processor in communication with the wager acceptor, movable object actuator, partitioner, and movable object sensor, said processor operable to provide an award to a player based on a position of the movable object in one of the sections after the sections are partitioned.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on a position of the movable object in the tubular member after the partitioner is activated.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable object in the tubular member after a plurality of activations of the partitioner.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of freely movable objects positioned in the tubular member.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable objects in the tubular member after the partitioner is activated.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of partitioners are connected to the tubular member.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes an indicator controlled by the processor and associated with the tubular member.

8. A gaming device comprising:

a primary wagering game operable on a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a wager acceptor supported by the cabinet;

a plurality of aligned tubular members connected to the cabinet;

a freely movable object positioned in each tubular member;

at least one movable object actuator connected to each tubular member;

at least one movable partitioner connected to each tubular member, wherein each of said partitioners is operable to separate at least one channel into at least two different sections and prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released;

a movable object sensor connected to each tubular member; and

a processor in communication with the wager acceptor, movable object actuators, partitioners, and movable object sensors, said processor operable to provide an award to a player based on a position of the movable object in one of the sections after the sections are partitioned.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on a position of the movable object in one of the tubular members after the partitioner for said tubular member is activated.

10. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable object in one of the tubular members after a plurality of activations of the partitioner for said tubular member.

11. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable objects in a plurality of the tubular members after the partitioner for said tubular members are activated.

12. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable objects in a plurality of the tubular members after a plurality of activations of the partitioners for said tubular members.

13. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of the movable objects in all of the tubular members after the partitioner for said tubular members are activated.

14. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes a plurality of freely movable objects positioned in at least one of the tubular members.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the processor provides an award, if any, to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game based on positions of said movable objects in said tubular member after the partitioner for said tubular member is activated.

16. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein a plurality of partitioners are connected to at least one of the tubular members, wherein said partitioners are operable to separate said tubular members into a plurality of different sections.

17. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes at least one indicator controlled by the processor and associated with one of the tubular members.

18. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes an indicator associated with each tubular member, said indicators controlled by the processor.

19. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said tubular members are substantially vertically aligned.

20. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the actuator associated with each tubular member is positioned at a base of said tubular member.

21. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes a damping device positioned at a base of each tubular member.

22. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said tubular members are substantially horizontally aligned.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein said actuators are positioned at either end of each tubular member.

24. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein each of said tubular members includes a transparent member.

25. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein a portion of each of said tubular members includes a transparent member.

26. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein at least one tubular member includes a transparent portion and at least one tubular member includes a partially transparent portion.

27. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said freely movable objects are balls.

28. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein a symbol is indicated on each movable object.

29. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein at least one receptor is affixed to each movable object, wherein each receptor is adapted to be sensed by the movable object sensor associated with the tubular member in which said movable object is positioned.

30. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said actuators are selected from the group consisting of solenoids, spring mechanisms, magnetic devices, electro-magnet devices and air injectors.

31. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the actuator in each tubular member is positioned adjacent to said tubular member.

32. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the actuator in each tubular member is positioned within said tubular member.

33. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said partitioner for each tubular member is selected from the group consisting of solenoids, spring mechanisms and electro-magnetic devices.

34. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein said movable object sensor for each tubular member is positioned within said tubular member.

35. A gaming device comprising:

a primary wagering game operable upon a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a plurality of aligned tubular members attached to the cabinet;

a freely movable object positioned in each tubular member;

at least one actuator connected to each tubular member;

at least one movable partitioner connected to each tubular member;

a movable object detection device associated with each tubular member;

a processor which controls said actuators, said partitioners and said movable object detection devices; and

an award provided to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game after the processor;

(a) causes the actuator for at least one of the tubular members to propel the freely movable object in said channel from a resting section of said tubular member into an active section of said tubular member;

(b) causes the partitioner to partition said tubular member into a plurality of sections to prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released; and

(c) determines if said propelled movable object is captured in a predetermined section of said tubular member, said award based on said determination.

36. The gaming device of claim 35, wherein the award is provided to the player after the processor:

(a) causes the actuator for a plurality of the tubular members to propel the movable object in said tubular members from resting sections of said tubular members into active sections of said tubular members;

(b) causes the partitioners to partition said tubular members into a plurality of sections to prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released; and

(c) determines if said propelled movable objects are captured in predetermined sections of said tubular members, said award based on said determination.

37. A gaming device comprising:

a primary wagering game operable upon a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a plurality of aligned tubular members connected to the cabinet;

a freely movable object positioned in a lower portion of each tubular member;

at least one actuator for moving said movable object in each tubular member;

at least one movable partitioner for capturing said movable object in each tubular member;

a symbol on each of said movable objects, wherein an award is associated with each symbol; and

a processor in communication with said actuators and said partitioners, said processor operable to;

(a) activate said actuators to cause said actuators to engage and propel said movable objects into upper portions of the tubular members,

(b) activate said partitioners to partition said tubular members into a plurality of sections, cause said partitioners to capture said propelled movable objects, and prevent said movable objects from moving to at least one other section until released,

(c) determine if the movable objects are captured by the partitioners, and

(d) provide to the player the award, if any, associated with the symbols on said captured movable objects.

38. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein said processor is operable to continuously actuate each actuator.

39. The gaming device of claim 38, wherein said processor is operable to continuously actuate the actuators in the tubular members at different frequencies.

40. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein said processor is operable to continuously activate the partitioners.

41. The gaming device of claim 40, wherein said processor is operable to continuously activate the partitioners at different frequencies.

42. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein the actuators are player activated.

43. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein the partitioners are player activated.

44. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein the partitioners and actuators are player activated.

45. A method of operating a gaming device including a primary wagering game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating an actuator in a tubular member to propel a freely movable object in said tubular member into a portion of said tubular member;

(b) activating a movable partitioner located in said tubular member to partition said tubular member into a plurality of sections and capture said propelled movable object if said object is located in a predetermined section of said tubular member and prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released;

(c) determining if the object is captured in said predetermined section of said tubular member; and

(d) providing an award to a player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game if said movable object is captured in said predetermined section of said tubular member.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the method is operated through a data network.

47. A The method of claim 46, wherein the data network is an internet.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein computer instructions for steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.

49. A method of operating a gaming device including a primary wagering game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating actuators in a plurality of tubular members to propel freely movable objects in said tubular members into portions of said tubular members;

(b) activating partitioners located in said tubular members to partition said tubular members into a plurality of sections and capture said propelled movable objects if said objects are located in predetermined sections of said tubular members and prevent the movable objects from moving to at least one other section until released;

(c) determining if any of the movable objects are captured in said predetermined sections of said tubular members; and

(d) providing an award to a player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game if any of said movable objects are captured in said predetermined sections of said tubular members, said award based on the movable objects captured in said predetermined sections.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the activated actuators are randomly activated.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the actuators in said tubular members are sequentially activated.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the actuators in said tubular members are simultaneously activated.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein at least one actuator is activated by said player.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the number of activated actuators are determined in the primary wagering game of the gaming device.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein said partitioners are activated when said actuators are deactivated.

56. The method of claim 49, wherein the partitioners are randomly activated.

57. The method of claim 49, wherein the partitioners in said tubular members are sequentially activated.

58. The method of claim 49, wherein the partitioners in said tubular members are simultaneously activated.

59. The method of claim 49, wherein at least one partitioner is activated by said player.

60. The method of claim 49, wherein the number of activated partitioners are determined in the primary wagering game of the gaming device.

61. The method of claim 49, wherein the method is operated through a data network.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the data network is an internet.

63. The method of claim 49, wherein computer instructions for steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.

64. A method of operating a gaming device including a primary wagering game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a player to select at least one of a plurality of tubular members in which an activator associated with said selected tubular member will propel a freely movable object in said tubular member into portions of said tubular member;

(b) activating a partitioner located in said selected tubular member to partition said selected tubular member into a plurality of sections and capture said propelled movable object if said object is located in predetermined section of said selected tubular member and prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released;

(c) determining if the object is captured in said predetermined section of said selected tubular member; and

(d) providing an award to a player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game if said movable object is captured in said predetermined section of said selected tubular member.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the method is operated through a data network.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the data network is an internet.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein computer instructions for steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.

68. A method of operating a gaming device including a primary wagering game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating an actuator in a channel to propel a freely movable object in said tubular member into a portion of said tubular member;

(b) enabling a player to activate a moveable partitioner located in said tubular member to partition said tubular member into a plurality of sections and capture said propelled movable object if said object is located in a predetermined section of said tubular member and prevent the movable object from moving to at least one other section until released;

(c) determining if the object is captured in said predetermined section of said tubular member; and

(d) providing an award to the player after the occurrence of an event in the primary wagering game if said movable object is captured in said predetermined section of said tubular member.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the method is operated through a data network.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the data network is an internet.

71. The method of claim 68, wherein computer instructions for steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.