Gaming device having a selectable combination bonus game

• US 7,314,409 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Kaminkow, Joseph E., Maya, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/630,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20040082374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463 16- 22, 463 30- 31, 463/37, 463 42- 43, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273/272
• 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
• 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

A gaming device including a game having a plurality of matingly interconnected indicators which are in the form of puzzle pieces that form a puzzle, and a plurality of masked selections associated with the puzzle pieces. The gaming device enables a player picks the selections to reveal one or more of the puzzle pieces in the puzzle. In one embodiment, the gaming device provides an award for each puzzle piece revealed in the puzzle. The player continues to pick selections until the player obtains a designated combination or section of puzzle pieces. After completing the designated combination, the gaming device provides the player with any awards associated with the puzzle pieces in the designated combination. In one embodiment, the gaming device also provides the player with the awards associated with any matingly interconnected puzzle pieces previously selected by the player.

Claims

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

at least one input device; and

at least one display device operable with the at least one input device and the processor for each play of a game to;

display a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with one of a plurality of matingly interconnected puzzle pieces,

enable a player in said play of the game to pick said selections only until the player obtains a designated combination of said puzzle pieces in said play of the game, and

provide an outcome to the player for said play of the game based on the designated combination obtained by the player and selected puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces for said play of the game.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the puzzle pieces have a predefined relationship.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of awards, at least one of said awards associated with each of the puzzle pieces.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein said awards include values, credits, free spins, free games or multipliers.

5. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the outcome includes a sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player.

6. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the outcome includes a sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player and any awards associated with puzzle pieces matingly connected to the puzzle pieces of said designated combination.

7. The gaming device of claim 3, which includes a bonus award provided to the player for obtaining the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the designated combination of puzzle pieces includes at least one of:

a row of matingly connected puzzle pieces, a column of matingly connected puzzle pieces and a designated section of matingly connected puzzle pieces.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the puzzle pieces are the same.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein all of the puzzle pieces are different.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selections includes a plurality of puzzle pieces.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a video monitor.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the video monitor includes a touch screen.

14. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager, for each play of said game said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly connected puzzle pieces to a player on a display device for said play of said game;

(b) enabling the player to pick one selection from a plurality of unpicked selections associated with said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating step (b) in said play of the game only until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(d) providing an outcome to the player for said play of the game based on the designated combination of puzzle pieces obtained by the player and any selected puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including a sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including a sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player and any puzzle pieces matingly connected to said designated combination.

17. The method of claim 14, which includes the step of providing a bonus award to the player for obtaining the designated combination of the puzzle pieces.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to the player through a data network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data network is an internet.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps (a) to (d) are stored on a storage device.

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

a display device;

an input device; and

a game including a plurality of matingly interconnected puzzle pieces, said processor programmed for each play of the game to;

(a) cause the display device to display a plurality of selections, each of said selections associated with one of said puzzle pieces, wherein said selections are pickable by a player in said play of the game,

(b) stop selections from being pickable by the player in said play of the game after the player obtains a designated combination of said puzzle pieces in said play of the game, and

(c) provide an outcome to the player for said play of the game based on the designated combination obtained by the player and the picked puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces in said play of the game.

22. The gaming device of claim 21, which includes a plurality of awards, at least one of said awards associated with each of the puzzle pieces.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein said awards include values, credits, free spins, free games or multipliers.

24. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein the outcome includes a sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player.

25. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein the outcome includes a sum of the awards associated with the puzzle pieces of the designated combination obtained by the player and any awards associated with puzzle pieces matingly connected to the puzzle pieces of said designated combination.

26. The gaming device of claim 23, which includes a bonus award provided to the player for obtaining the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

27. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the designated combination of puzzle pieces includes at least one of:

a row of matingly connected puzzle pieces, a column of matingly connected puzzle pieces and a designated section of matingly connected puzzle pieces.

28. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein at least two of the puzzle pieces are the same.

29. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein all of the puzzle pieces are different.

30. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the selections includes a plurality of puzzle pieces.

31. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the display device includes a video monitor.

32. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the display device includes a touch screen.

33. A method for operating a gaming device, the gaming device having a game operable upon a wager, for each play of said game said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly connected puzzle pieces to a player;

(b) enabling the player to pick one unpicked selection from a plurality of unpicked selections associated with said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating step (b) until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(d) preventing the player from picking one selection from a plurality of selections associated with said puzzle pieces after the designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(e) providing an outcome to the player based on the designated combination of puzzle pieces obtained by the player and any selected puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including a sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein providing an outcome to the player includes providing an outcome including a sum of at least one award associated with each of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination obtained by the player and any puzzle pieces matingly connected to said designated combination.

36. The method of claim 33, which includes providing a bonus award to the player for obtaining the designated combination of the puzzle pieces.

37. The method of claim 33, which is provided through a data network.

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

39. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager and a secondary game, for each play of the secondary game said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly connected puzzle pieces;

(b) enabling a player to input a pick of one unselected selection from a plurality of selections associated with said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating step (b) only until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(d) providing an outcome to the player based on the designated combination of puzzle pieces obtained by the player and any selected puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

40. The method of claim 39, which is provided through a data network.

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

42. A method for operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager and a secondary game, for each play of the secondary game said method comprising:

(a) displaying a plurality of matingly connected puzzle pieces;

(b) enabling a player to pick one selection from a plurality of unpicked selections associated with said puzzle pieces;

(c) repeating step (b) until a designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player;

(d) preventing the player from picking one selection from a plurality of selections associated with said puzzle pieces after the designated combination of the puzzle pieces is obtained by the player; and

(e) providing an outcome to the player based on the designated combination of puzzle pieces obtained by the player and any selected puzzle pieces not part of said designated combination, but matingly connected to at least one of the puzzle pieces in the designated combination of said puzzle pieces.

43. The method of claim 42, which is provided through a data network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data network is an internet.