Reveal-hide-pick-reveal video wagering game feature

• US 7,316,609 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hartl, Josef Alexander, Dunn, R. Brooke
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US10/663,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20050059459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 game feature, and especially a bonus event game feature for video wagering apparatus has a unique method of displaying at least some of the potential individual rewards or other bonus event results, hiding those potential individual awards or other bonus event results ‘beneath’ a symbol or region, rearranging a location of the awards, allowing the player to select a symbol or region according to game play methods, and revealing at least the awards or other bonus event results that were underneath selected symbols or areas. Excitement is promoted by having a player anticipate the availability of specific bonus game awards and events during the selection process, as opposed to making selections without any specific knowledge of at least some of the specific bonuses or events that are potentially available in the bonus event.

Claims

1. A method for operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager for a primary game;

(b) determining a reserve outcome during the primary game;

(c) designating at least one reserved input as a result of an occurrence of the reserve outcome, wherein the designated reserved input is usable in a bonus round;

(d) determining a bonus triggering event during the primary game;

(e) beginning the bonus round after the bonus triggering event is determined;

(f) enabling a previewing of a plurality of possible -bonus outcomes available in the bonus round;

(g) masking the previewed possible bonus outcomes behind a group of selections, wherein at east one of the selections is associated with an end-bonus condition;

(h) rearranging at least some of the selections together with the bonus outcomes masked by said selections, the rearrangement occurring after said bonus outcomes are masked;

(i) enabling a picking of at least one of the selections from the group of selections;

(j) unmasking the bonus outcome masked by the picked selection;

(k) repeating at least steps (i) and (j) for a subsequent pick of one or more of the selections during the bonus round,

(l) repeating at least step (k) until the end-bonus condition is satisfied by a picking of the at least one selection associated with the end-bonus condition;

(m) if any designated reserved input is received, overriding the end-bonus bonus condition by repeating at least step (k);

(n) if no reserved input is designated, ending the bonus round after the selection associated with the end-bonus condition is picked; and

(o) providing an award based on the one or more unmasked bonus outcomes which are associated with the selections picked.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the provision of the award includes an end-bonus event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the possible bonus outcomes is selected from the group consisting of an end bonus events, a multipliers, a free-spins, an identified physical prizes and a value awards.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bonus round ends after all of the selections in the group have been picked.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bonus round ends after:

(a) at least two of the selections match;

or (b) at least two of the unmasked bonus outcomes match.

6. The method of claim 1 which includes revealing an end-bonus indicator after the selection associated with the end-bonus condition is picked.

7. A gaming machine comprising:

a display device;

a memory device; and

a processor operatively coupled to the display device and the memory device, the processor being programmed to;

(a) control a game in a basic mode and a bonus mode,

(b) operate in the basic mode to select basic game outcome from among a plurality of possible basic game outcomes, the possible basic game outcomes including;

(i) a reserve outcome, the processor designating at least one reserve input as a result of an occurrence of the reserve outcome; and

(ii) a start-bonus outcome, a selection of the start-bonus outcome causing the processor to shift operation from the basic mode to the bonus mode,

(c) operate in the bonus mode by providing a plurality of player-selectable bonus game outcomes, the bonus game outcomes including at least one value-associated outcome,

(d) enabling a previewing of a plurality of the bonus game outcomes available in the bonus mode;

(e) masking the previewed bonus outcomes behind a group of selections, wherein at least one of the selections is associated with an end-bonus condition;

(f) rearranging a plurality of the selections together with the bonus game outcomes masked said selections, rearrangement occurring after said bonus game outcomes are masked;

(g) enabling a picking of at least one of the selections from the group of selections;

(h) unmasking the bonus game outcome masked by the at least one picked selection;

(i) repeating at least steps (g) and (h) for a subsequent pick of at least one more of the selections during the bonus mode;

(j) repeating at least step (i) until the end-bonus condition is satisfied by a picking of the at least one selection associated with the end-bonus condition;

(k) if any designated reserved input is receive, overriding the end-bonus bonus condition by repeating at least step (i);

(l) if no reserved input is designated, ending the bonus round after the selection associated with the end-bonus condition is picked; and

(m) providing an award based on any of the value-associated outcomes which are associated with an of the selections picked.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the bonus game ends after at least one pair of selectable bonus outcomes match.

9. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the selectable bonus outcomes include a plurality of value-associated outcomes and one or more end-bonus outcomes, a selection of one of the end-bonus outcomes causing the processor to shift operation from the bonus mode to the basic mode, the end-bonus outcomes being distinct from the value-associated outcomes, said selection of said end-bonus bonus outcome ending the bonus game.

10. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the bonus game ends after a player has replaced at least one selected bonus outcome.

11. The gaming machine of claim 7, which includes a basic game associated with the basic mode, the basic game comprising a slot game having a spinning reel display showing a number of symbols on one or more reels, the possible basic game outcomes defining various possible combinations of said symbols on said reels one of the combinations defining a start-bonus outcome, the occurrence of which causes the processor to shift operation from the basic mode to the bonus mode.

12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the start-bonus outcome includes a display of a designated start-bonus game symbol on one or more of the reels.

13. A gaming machine comprising:

a plurality of computer-readable instructions; and

a processor operable to controll a play of at least one game in a basic mode and a bonus mode, the processor operable to;

(a) execute a plurality of the computer-readable instructions to select a basic game outcome from among a plurality of possible basic game outcomes, the possible basic game outcomes including a start-bonus outcome and a reserve outcome, an occurrence of the start-bonus outcome causing the processor to shift operation from the basic mode to the bonus mode, the processor designating at least one reserved input as a result of an occurrence of the reserve outcome, and

(b) execute a plurality of the computer-readable instructions to operate the bonus mode by;

(i) defining a plurality of player-selectable bonus game outcomes, at least one of the bonus game outcomes being associated with an end-bonus condition,

(ii) indicating the bonus game outcomes to a player, a plurality of the indicated bonus outcomes being associated with a plurality of values,

(iii) masking the indicated bonus game outcomes,

(iv) rearranging a location of the masked bonus game outcomes,

(v) enabling a player to select one or more of the bonus game outcomes until the bonus game outcome associated with the end-bonus condition is selected,

if any designated reserved input is received, overriding the end-bonus condition by repeating at least step (v),

(vii) if no reserved input is designated, ending the bonus round after the selection associated with the end-bonus condition is picked, and

(viii) providing an award based on the selection, if any, of at least one of the bonus came outcomes which is associated with at least one of the values.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein the player selectable bonus outcomes include a plurality of value-associated outcomes and a plurality of bonus game outcomes which are associated with a plurality of end-bonus conditions, the selection of one of said bonus game outcomes causing the processor to shift operation from the bonus mode to the basic mode, said bonus game outcomes being distinct from the value-associated outcomes.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13 which includes a bonus end condition associated with a match of at least one pair of player selected bonus game outcomes.

16. The gaming machine of claim 13 which includes a bonus end condition associated with a replacement of at least one player selected bonus game outcome.

17. The gaming machine Claim 13 further comprising a display, the display being operable, in response to instructions from the processor, to mask the bonus game outcomes upon set-up of the bonus mode and reveal the selected bonus game outcomes during play of the bonus mode.

18. The gaming machine of claim 13 further comprising a display, the display being operable, in response to instructions from the processor, to reveal each of the bonus game outcomes in response to the selection of the bonus game outcome associated with the end-bonus condition.

19. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein the basic mode comprises a slot machine having a spinning reel display for showing a number of symbols on one or more reels, the possible basic game outcomes defining various possible combinations of said symbols on said reels, one of the combinations defining the start-bonus outcome, an occurrence of which causes the processor to shift operation from the basic mode to the bonus mode.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19 wherein the start-bonus outcome is characterized by a display of a designated start-bonus game symbol on one or more of the reels.

21. The gaming machine of claim 13 further including means for awarding credits in response to the selection of the bonus game outcome associated with the end-bonus condition.

22. The gaming machine of claim 21 wherein the means for awarding credits is operable to award credits equal to at least a sum of the values associated with the selected bonus game outcomes.

23. A method for operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

providing an opportunity to play a game operable upon a wager, the game being operable to have a basic mode and a bonus mode;

selecting under control of a processor in said basic mode, a basic name outcome from among a plurality of possible basic game outcomes, the possible basic game outcomes including a start-bonus outcome and a reserve outcome, the processor designating at least one reserved input as a result of an occurrence of the reserve outcome;

shifting operation of the processor from the basic mode to the bonus mode in response to a selection of the start-bonus outcome, otherwise, continuing operation in the basic mode;

setting up, under control of the processor, the bonus mode by defining a plurality of bonus game outcomes, wherein at least one of the bonus game outcomes is associated with an end-bonus condition;

indicating the bonus mode outcomes;

masking the bonus game outcomes, the bonus game outcomes corresponding to a plurality of value-associated outcomes;

rearranging a location of the bonus game outcomes after masking the bonus game outcomes;

enabling selection, under player control, of one or more of the bonus game outcomes during the play of the same in the bonus mode;

removing the masking of each one of the selected bonus-game outcomes; and

enabling a player to provide any reserved input which has been designated by the processor;

if the player provides the designated reserved input, overriding the selection associated with the end-bonus condition by repeating the enabling selection step at least once;

if no reserved input is designated, ending the bonus round after the selection associated with the end-bonus condition is picked; and

awarding at least one credit for each value-associated outcome which corresponds to one of the selected bonus game outcomes.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the bonus game outcomes include a plurality of bonus game outcomes which are associated with a plurality of end-bonus conditions, said bonus game outcomes being distinct from the plurality of value-associated outcomes.

25. A gaming system comprising:

a device;

a memory device;

at least one input device; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to display device, the memory device and the input device, the processor being programmed to;

(a) receive a wager for a primary game;

(b) start the primary game;

(c) determine an occurrence of a reserve outcome during the primary game;

(d) designate a reserved input as a result of the occurrence of the reserve outcome;

(e) determine an occurrence of a bonus start outcome during the primary game;

(f) start a bonus game;

(g) cause the display device to indicate a plurality of bonus outcome, the bonus outcomes including at least one value and at least one bonus end condition;

(h) cause the display device to display a plurality of symbols so that each one of the symbols is movable in association with one of the bonus outcomes;

(i) cause the display device to display a masking by the associated symbols of the indicated bonus outcomes;

(j) cause the display device to display a rearrangement of a plurality of the symbols;

(k) enable picking of one or more of the symbols until the bonus outcome associated with the bonus end condition occurs;

(l) if any designated reserved input is received, override the end bonus condition after the symbol associated with the end bonus condition is picked;

(m) if no reserved input is designated, end the bonus game after the symbol associated with the end bonus condition is picked; and

(n) provide an award based on the value, if any, which is associated with any of the picked symbols.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction executable by he processor to automatically meat step (h) through (l) until step (m) occurs.

27. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein each of said symbols is displayed, then masked prior to being selected by a player and is then revealed in response to being selected by the player.