Gaming machine with action unit container

• US 7,413,511 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company Incorporated (Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service)
• Inventors: Seelig, Jerald C., Henshaw, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/937,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 273/144.R, 273/144.B, 273/144.A, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 463 17- 20, 463/22, 463/46
• US Class Current: 463/22
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A gaming device having a container with at least one moveable object located within, one or more game elements capable of receiving and isolating the moveable objects, an actuator configured to attract the moveable objects to receptacle game elements, a game apparatus enabling a player to play the game, and a controller configured to determine a random game outcome and subsequently cause the actuator to move the objects to a game element to display the result of the game, is disclosed. Preferably, the actuator may be a magnet or a suction device, such as a fan, vacuum pump or vent. Display devices which include a container, moveable objects located within, one or more game elements, a suitable actuator to attract the moveable objects into or onto the receptacle game elements, and a controller associated with the actuator, are also disclosed. Further, a method of playing a game involving placing a wager using the game device described above is disclosed.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

(A) at least one game apparatus configured to allow a player to play a game;

(B) at least one moveable object;

(C) at least one container configured to hold the moveable object;

(D) at least one game elements coupled to the container and capable of receiving the moveable object;

(E) at least one actuator associated with the game element and configured to cause the moveable object to engage the game element; and

(F) at least one controller in communication with the actuator and the game apparatus, configured to predetermined a random game outcome and, after the game controller randomly predetermines the game outcome, the game controller then activates the actuator to cause the moveable object to engage the game element, thereby conveying the random game outcome to the player, wherein the same controller is not necessarily in communication with both the actuator and the game apparatus when there is more than one controller.

2. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a suction device and a magnet.

3. The gaming device of claim 2 wherein the suction device is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum pump, a fan and a vent.

4. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a valve interposed between the game element and the actuator.

5. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the container is filled with a medium selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, water, inert oils and combinations thereof.

6. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the game element is a receptacle in which the moveable object may be received.

7. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the game element is configured to receive the moveable object on a surface of the game element.

8. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the game element is associated with at least one game related indicium.

9. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a display housing surrounding the container.

10. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of moveable objects wherein the game element may receive the plurality of moveable objects.

11. The gaming device of claim 10 wherein the game element comprises a plurality of segments, each segment capable of receiving a moveable object.

12. The gaming device of claim 11 wherein each segment is associated with at least one game related indicium.

13. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the moveable object is of a first-type, and the device further comprises an additional moveable object of a second-type.

14. The gaming device of claim 13 wherein the first-type and second-type moveable objects have different movement characteristics.

15. The gaming device of claim 13 wherein the first-type and second-type moveable objects are of different sizes.

16. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a gate in communication with the controller, the gate selectively limiting access to the game element.

17. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising at least one barrier, wherein the moveable objects may strike and ricochet off of the barrier.

18. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a moveable object dispenser configured to release moveable objects above the game element.

19. The gaming device of claim 18 further comprising a moveable object return mechanism configured to transport moveable objects from a lower portion of the container to the moveable object dispenser.

20. The gaming device of claim 19 wherein the moveable object return mechanism is selected from the group consisting of conveyor belt, waterwheel, slide, funnel and auger mechanisms.

21. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a moveable object detector associated with the game element, in communication with the controller, and configured to determine when a moveable object has been received by the game element.

22. The gaming device of claim 21 wherein the moveable object detector is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, a bar code sensor, an inductive sensor and combinations thereof.

23. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of game elements wherein each game element is selectively actuatable by the controller in communication with the actuator.

24. A display device comprising:

(A) at least one moveable object;

(B) at least one container configured to hold the moveable object;

(C) a plurality of game elements attached to the container and capable of acquiring the moveable object;

(D) at least one actuator associated with the game element and configured to cause the moveable object to be acquired by the game element; and

(E) at least one controller in communication with the actuator configured to predetermine a game outcome and after the game controller randomly predetermines the game outcome, the game controller then induces the actuator to cause the moveable object to be acquired by the game element in order to convey the game outcome to the player.

25. The display device of claim 24 wherein the actuator comprises a suction device selected from the group consisting of a vacuum pump, a fan and a vent.

26. The display device of claim 24 further comprising a plurality of game elements wherein each game element is selectively actuatable by the controller in communication with the actuator.

27. A method of playing a game comprising, but not all necessarily in order shown:

(A) allowing a player to place a wager and play a game;

(B) moving at least one moveable object located inside a container;

(C) randomly predetermining a game outcome by a game controller in communication with an actuator;

(D) after the game controller randomly predetermining the game outcome, then the game controller activating the actuator to cause the moveable object to be attracted to at least one game element as the moveable object moves inside the container in order to convey the game outcome to the player.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising associating game related indicia with the game element, wherein the indicia communicate the game outcome.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising dispensing moveable objects from a moveable object dispenser.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein step (D) comprises the actuator applying suction to the game element.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein step (D) further comprises attracting the moveable object to a plurality of game elements and varying association between the actuator and the game elements by use of the controller such that the plurality of game elements may be activated individually or simultaneously in order to cause the moveable object to be attracted to the game elements in varying degrees.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein step (D) further comprises attracting a plurality of moveable objects to a plurality of game elements wherein a first game element comprises a plurality of segments and a second game element comprises at least one segment.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising awarding a prize to the player if the plurality of segments of the first game element are filled with moveable objects before the at least one segment of the second game element is filled with moveable objects.

34. The method of claim 27 comprising moving the moveable object, wherein the moveable object is one of a first-type of moveable object, and further comprising moving at least one of a second-type of moveable objects.

35. The method of claim 34 comprising moving the moveable objects, wherein the first-type and second-type moveable objects have different movement characteristics.

36. The method of claim 34 comprising moving the moveable objects, wherein the first-type and second-type moveable objects are of different sizes.

37. An apparatus for displaying an outcome of a game, comprising:

(A) at least one moveable object;

(B) at least one game element capable of receiving the moveable object;

(C) an actuator associated with the game element and configured to attract the moveable object to the game element; and

(D) a game controller in communication with the actuator, the game controller configured to predetermine a random game outcome and, after the game controller predetermining the random game outcome, then the game controller activating the actuator to cause the actuator to attract the moveable object to the game element, thereby conveying the random game outcome for display.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a suction device and a magnet.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the suction device is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum pump, a fan and a vent.

40. A gaming device comprising:

(A) game apparatus means for enabling a player to play a game;

(B) moveable object means for indicating an outcome of the game;

(C) container means for holding the moveable object means;

(D) a plurality of game element means for receiving the moveable object means;

(E) moveable object attracting means for associating the moveable object means with the game element means, and;

(F) controller means for predetermining the outcome of the game and the game controller means in communication with the moveable object attracting means, after the game controller means randomly predetermines the game outcome, the game controller mean then selecting the game element means, and then the controller means activates the moveable object attracting means associated with the selected game element means to cause the moveable object means to be attracted to the game element means selected to convey the outcome of the game.

41. The gaming device of claim 40 further comprising a plurality of game element means.