Electronic game apparatus and method providing a secondary game triggered apart from a primary game

• US 7,144,321 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mayeroff, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/753,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 25- 27, 463 30- 31, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273242-293
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A gaming device and method where there is a primary game and a bonus game. The player makes a wager and plays the primary game to obtain an outcome. Before, during or after the primary game a bonus game is played, apart from the primary game, which can trigger an separate, unrelated award. A bonus award display displays any award from the bonus game.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a primary game display;

a plurality of primary game outcomes, said primary game outcomes including a plurality of primary game losing outcomes and a plurality of primary game winning outcomes, each primary game winning outcome associated with a primary game award and having a probability of being selected in a play of the primary game, wherein said primary game awards and said probabilities form a primary game payback percentage;

means for a player to make a wager to play the apparatus and to prompt play;

said processor configured to, in response to the prompting of play,

(i) randomly select and display indicia at the primary game display to define one of the primary game winning outcomes or one of the primary game losing outcomes,

(ii) if the primary game outcome is one of the primary game winning outcomes, issue to the player the a primary game award associated with the displayed primary game winning outcome, and

(iii) randomly select, independent of the primary game outcome, between a secondary game trigger or no trigger condition, such that the frequency with which a secondary game is triggered is independent of the primary game payback percentage, constant and predetermined with the prompting of each play;

a mechanical secondary game display having a display of a plurality of secondary game awards available to the player for a secondary game, each secondary game award having a probability of being selected, wherein said secondary game awards and said probabilities form an independent secondary game payback percentage, said secondary game awards are displayed prior to the selection of said secondary game trigger condition, said display of the secondary game awards is rotatable relative to said secondary game display, and said secondary game display is physically separate from said primary game display; and

said processor configured to, in response to the selection of the secondary game trigger condition, control said secondary game display of the secondary game awards for relative rotation to identify a selection of at least one of said displayed secondary game awards, and award the selected secondary game award to the player.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display of secondary game awards includes a wheel to display the secondary game awards, said wheel rotatable to select a displayed secondary game award.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said wheel includes segments each displaying a secondary award.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, which includes a separate display, controlled by the processor, to display the selection between the secondary game trigger or no trigger condition.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary game payback percentage and the secondary game payback percentage form an overall payback percentage.

6. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a primary game display;

means for a player to make a wager to play the apparatus and to prompt play;

said processor configured to, in response to the prompting of play,

(i) randomly select and display indicia at the primary game display to define a primary game winning or losing outcome,

(ii) if the primary game outcome is a winning outcome, issue a primary game award to the player, and

(iii) randomly select, independent of the primary game outcome, between a secondary game trigger or no trigger condition, wherein each secondary game trigger is associated with a secondary game award;

a mechanical secondary game display having a display of a plurality of secondary game awards available to the player for a secondary game and an indicator wherein said secondary game awards are displayed prior to the selection of said secondary game trigger condition, at least one of said display of secondary game awards and said indicator relatively rotatable with respect to the other, said secondary game display physically separate from said primary game display;

said processor configured to, in response to the selection of the secondary game trigger condition, control said display of secondary game awards and said indicator for relative rotation, the alignment of said indicator and said display of secondary game awards identifying the selection of the displayed secondary game award associated with the selected secondary game trigger, and award the selected secondary game award to the player.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said display of secondary game awards includes a wheel, at least one of said wheel and said indicator moveable relative to the other to select a displayed secondary game award.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said wheel includes segments each displaying a secondary award.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, which includes a separate display, controlled by the processor, to display the selection between the secondary game trigger or no trigger condition.

10. An electronic gaming apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a primary display communicating with said processor, said primary display controlled by said processor to display a primary game;

a plurality of primary game outcomes, said primary game outcomes including a plurality of primary game losing outcomes and a plurality of primary game winning outcomes, each primary game winning outcome associated with a primary game award and having a probability of being selected in a play of the primary game, wherein said primary game awards and said probabilities form a primary game payback percentage;

means for receiving a wager from a player communicating with said processor;

means for the player to prompt play of said primary game communicating with said data processor such that in response to the receipt of the wager and the player prompting play, the processor conducts said primary game by;

(a) randomly selecting and displaying indicia at the primary game display to define one of the primary game winning outcomes or one of the primary game losing outcome;

(b) if said primary game outcome is one of the primary game winning outcomes, issuing to the player the primary game award associated with the displayed primary game winning outcome, and

(c) if the wager is at least a designated wager amount, randomly selecting, independent of said primary game outcome, independent of the primary game payback percentage and independent of the size of said wager, between a secondary game trigger or no trigger condition; and

a secondary display physically separate from said primary display communicating with said processor, said secondary display including a mechanical wheel displaying a plurality of secondary game awards prior to the selection of said secondary game trigger condition and an indicator to select at least one of said secondary game awards, each secondary game award having a probability of being selected, wherein said secondary game awards and said probabilities form an independent secondary game payback percentage, at least one of said mechanical wheel and said indicator is rotatable with respect to the other by said processor in response to the selection of a secondary game trigger condition such that the positions of said mechanical wheel and said indicator randomly selects a secondary game award, said processor issuing said selected secondary game award to said player.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, which includes a separate display, controlled by the processor, to display the selection between the secondary game trigger or no trigger condition.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the primary game payback percentage and the secondary game payback percentage form an overall payback percentage.

13. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a primary game operable upon a player placing a wager;

a plurality of primary game outcomes, said primary game outcomes including a plurality of primary game losing outcomes and a plurality of primary game winning outcomes, each primary game winning outcome associated with a primary game award and having a probability of being selected in a play of the primary game, wherein said primary game awards and said probabilities form a primary game payback percentage

a primary game display device operable with said processor; and

a secondary game having a mechanical secondary game display device including a plurality of displayed secondary game awards and an indicator, each secondary game award having a probability of being selected, wherein said secondary game awards and said probabilities form an independent secondary game payback percentage, said secondary game display is physically separate from said primary game display device and at least one of said secondary game awards and said indicator are rotatable relative to the other;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

(a) randomly select and display indicia at the primary game display device to define one of the primary game winning outcomes or one of the primary game losing outcomes;

(b) if the primary game outcome is one of the primary game winning outcomes, issue to the player the primary game award associated with the displayed primary game winning outcome;

(c) if the wager is at least a designated wager amount, randomly select, independent of the primary game outcome, between a secondary game trigger or no trigger condition, wherein said selection between the secondary game trigger and no trigger condition is independent of the primary game payback percentage and each secondary game trigger is associated with one of the secondary game awards;

(d) if the secondary game trigger is selected and the wager is at least the designated wager amount, control said secondary game display device and said indicator for relative rotation, wherein the alignment of said indicator and secondary game display device identifies the selection of the award associated with the selected secondary game trigger; and

(e) award the selected secondary game award to the player.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, which includes a separate display device operable with the processor to display the selection between the secondary game trigger or no trigger condition.