Gaming device having skill and dexterity element

• US 6,942,568 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): COBURN, CORBETT B
• Application Number:
  US10/318,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20040116173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3262 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 is provided that requires the player to successfully perform a skill event and randomly receive a winning outcome to ultimately receive an award. The gaming device is suitable for gaming jurisdiction requiring skill.

Claims

1. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring the player input and having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input, wherein the player input occurs before the end of the random generation event; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the randomly generated event is selected from the group consisting of:

a spinning of at least one slot machine reel, a generation of at least one card, a generation of at least one die face, a generation of at least one number, a generation of at least one color, a generation of at least one symbol, and any combination thereof.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the randomly generated event includes a random generation of a plurality of symbols.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the player input is selected from the group consisting of:

an area on a touch screen, an electromechanical input device, an object that becomes highlighted on a display device for a period of time and any combination thereof.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the skill event is selected from the group consisting of:

a testing of the player'"'"'s knowledge, a testing of the player'"'"'s memory, a testing of the player'"'"'s motor skills, a testing of the player'"'"'s reflexes, and any combination thereof.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a processor that coordinates the playing of the skill event and the random generation event.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a display device that displays at least one of the skill event and the random generation event.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of display devices, wherein one of the display devices displays the skill event and one of the display devices displays the random generation event.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a display device that simultaneously displays the skill event and the random generation event.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a consolation award provided to the player if the player achieves the successful skill outcome and the randomly generated unsuccessful outcome.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a consolation award provided to the player if the player achieves the unsuccessful skill outcome and the randomly generated successful outcome.

12. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring the player input and having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input, wherein the random generation event and the skill event begin substantially simultaneously; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

13. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring the player input and having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input, wherein one of the random generation event and the skill event ends before the other event ends; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

14. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring the player input and having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein no award is provided to the player if the player achieves one of the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome without achieving the other of the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

15. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring a player input and having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein no award is provided to the player if the player achieves;

(a) both the randomly generated successful outcome and the unsuccessful skill outcome;

(b) both the randomly generated unsuccessful outcome and the successful skill outcome;

or (c) both the randomly generated unsuccessful outcome and the unsuccessful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

16. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event which occurs upon a wager by a player and which determines an award for the player, if any;

an input device;

a skill event having a successful skill outcome and an unsuccessful skill outcome based on an input by the player using the input device; and

a processor operable to control the random generation event and the input device, wherein if the random generation event generates an award, the processor provides said award to the player if the player achieves the successful skill outcome in the skill event, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of a particular input from a plurality of inputs of the input device.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, which includes a plurality of skill events, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of a particular input from a plurality of inputs of the input device in any one of said skill events.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, which includes a plurality of skill events, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of a particular input from a plurality of inputs of the input device in a threshold percentage of the skill events.

20. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of an input of the input device at a particular point in time.

21. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the input device includes a lighted mechanical device.

22. The gaming device of claim 16, which includes a plurality of skill events, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of an input from the input device at a particular point in time in any one of the skill events.

23. The gaming device of claim 16, which includes a plurality of skill events, wherein the successful outcome includes a selection of an input from the input device at a particular point in time in a threshold percentage of the skill events.

24. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the input by the player occurs prior to an end of the random generation event.

25. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the random generation event and the skill event begin substantially simultaneously.

26. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having at least one randomly generated successful outcome and at least one randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring at least one player input and having at least one successful skill outcome and at least one unsuccessful skill outcome based on the at least one player input, wherein at least one player input occurs before the end of the random generation event; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both a threshold amount of the successful skill outcomes and at least one of the randomly generated successful outcomes, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein the threshold amount is one successful skill outcome.

28. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein the threshold amount is a predetermined percentage of successful skill outcomes in relation to a total amount of player inputs.

29. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a plurality of randomly generated successful outcomes and a plurality of randomly generated unsuccessful outcomes;

a skill event requiring at least one player input and having at least one successful skill outcome and at least one unsuccessful skill outcome based on the at least one player input, wherein at least one player input occurs before the end of the random generation event; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both a threshold amount of the successful skill outcomes and at least one of the randomly generated successful outcomes, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

30. The wagering gaming device of claim 29, wherein the random generation event includes the spinning of a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols thereon, said plurality of randomly generated successful outcomes include a plurality of symbol combinations on the reels and the plurality of randomly generated unsuccessful outcomes includes a different plurality of symbol combinations on the reels.

31. The wagering gaming device of claim 29, wherein the random generation event includes a card game including plurality of cards, said plurality of randomly generated successful outcomes include a plurality of card combinations and the plurality of randomly generated unsuccessful outcomes includes a different plurality of card combinations.

32. The wagering game of claim 31, wherein the card game is selected from the group consisting of:

poker and blackjack.

33. The wagering gaming device of claim 29, wherein the random generation event includes a dice game including a plurality of dice, said plurality of randomly generated successful outcomes include a plurality of dice face combinations and the plurality of randomly generated unsuccessful outcomes includes a different plurality of dice face combinations.

34. The wagering game of claim 33, wherein the dice game includes craps.

35. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a random generation event operable upon a wager by a player and having a randomly generated successful outcome and a randomly generated unsuccessful outcome;

a skill event requiring a player input and having a one successful skill outcome an unsuccessful skill outcome based on the player input, wherein the random generation event and the skill event are independent of each other but at least partially overlap in time; and

an award provided to the player if the player achieves both the randomly generated successful outcome and the successful skill outcome, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

36. A method of operating a gaming device having a wagering game including a random generation event and a skill event, said method comprising:

(a) displaying both the random generation and the skill event to the player upon receipt of a wager by a player; and

(b) enabling the player to play both the random event and the still event, and

(c) controlling a payout percentage of the wagering game by making an award provided to a player contingent upon the player both successfully performing the skill event and receiving a randomly generated successful outcome in the random generation event, wherein the award value is based upon said randomly generated successful outcome without regard to said successful skill outcome.

37. The method of claim 36, which includes ending the skill event before ending the random generation event.

38. The method of claim 36, which includes providing a plurality of skill events during the random generation event.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the random generation event is selected from the group consisting of:

spinning at least one reel, dealing at least one card, rolling at least one die, generating at least one number, generating at least one color generating at least one symbol and any combination thereof.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the steps (a) to (c) are provided via a data network.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the data network is an internet.