Financial trading game

• US 7,488,245 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Eloff, Andrew, Jarvis, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/381,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/10, 463 16- 23, 463 25- 31, 463/37, 463 40- 47, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/138.2, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273459-461, 700 90- 93
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A game, and in particular an electronic game that simulates trading securities on an exchange. The game is preferably played as a video gaming machine for gambling purposes. A computing device is provided having, among other things, a video screen display on which a line chart is displayed. The computing device also includes a selection device, which provides a means by which the player interacts with the computing device to “buy” or “sell”. The line chart includes a vertical axis that corresponds to the value or price of one or more securities, and a horizontal axis that corresponds to time. A segmented line is plotted on the line chart during a round of play. A random number generator randomly determines the vertical axis value for each point plotted along the segmented line.

Claims

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

a game which includes an item that is associated with a plurality of different values;

a display device controlled by the processor; and

a graph displayable by the display device, said graph having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, wherein the vertical axis corresponds to the different values associated with said item and the horizontal axis corresponds to an indication of time;

wherein the processor is programmed to operate with the display device to;

(a) randomly generate one of the values associated with the item;

(b) display said value by plotting said value on said graph;

(c) repeat (a) and (b) until a termination event occurs; and

(d) when a termination event occurs, provide the player with an outcome based on said at least one of said values plotted on said graph.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the randomly generated values can be the same.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to reduce at least one of the displayed values by a predetermined amount.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes an event that is initiated when one of the displayed values intersects an icon displayed on the graph.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the event includes a value added to any displayed value that intersects the icon.

6. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the event includes a value subtracted from any displayed value that intersects the icon.

7. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the event includes an initiation of at least one bonus game.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the termination event is an expiration of time.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the termination event is an input by the player.

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

a game which includes an item that is associated with a plurality of different values;

a display device controlled by the processor; and

a graph displayable by the display device, said graph including a vertical axis that corresponds to a plurality of the values associated with said item and a horizontal axis that corresponds to an indication of time;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

(a) randomly generate a first one of the values associated with said item;

(b) cause the display an indication of the first value on the graph in relation to time;

(c) randomly generate a second one of the values associated with said item;

(d) cause the display an indication of the second value on the graph in relation to time; and

(e) cause the display of a line on the graph associated with said item, wherein said line intersects the indications of the first value and the second value.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the processor is programmed to reduce at least one of the first value and the second value by a predetermined amount.

12. The gaming device of claim 10, which includes an event that is initiated when the first value or the second value intersects an icon displayed on the graph.

13. The gaming device claim 12, wherein the event includes a value added to any displayed value that intersects the icon.

14. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the event includes a value subtracted from any displayed value that intersects the icon.

15. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the event includes an initiation of at least one bonus game.

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

a game operable upon a wager by a player;

a display device controlled by the processor; and

a graph displayable by the display device and including a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is associated with a plurality of different values and the second axis is associated with an indication of time;

wherein upon a triggering event, the processor is programmed to;

(a) randomly determine a value to indicate to the player;

(b) cause the display device to indicate said value by plotting an indicator corresponding to the value with respect to time on the graph; and

(c) provide an outcome to the player based on said value indicated on the graph.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to reduce the indicated value by a predetermined value to determine the outcome.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a wager input for the game, an event triggering a bonus game, an amount of time and an input by the player.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the outcome provided to the player is equal to the indicated value.

20. A method of operating a gaming device, said gaming device including a game which includes an item that is associated with a plurality of different values and a graph having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, wherein the vertical axis corresponds to the different values associated with said item and the horizontal axis corresponds to an indication of time, said method comprising:

(a) randomly generating one of the values associated with the item;

(b) displaying said value by plotting said value on said graph;

(c) repeating (a) and (b) until a termination event occurs; and

(d) when a termination event occurs, providing the player with an outcome based on said graph.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least two of the displayed values are the same.

22. The method of claim 20, which includes reducing at least one of the displayed values by a predetermined amount to determine the outcome.

23. The method of claim 20, which includes initiating a event when one of the displayed values intersects an icon displayed on the graph.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the event includes an value added to any displayed value that intersects the icon.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the event includes a value subtracted from any displayed that intersects the icon.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the event includes an initiation of at least one bonus game.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the termination event is an expiration of time.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the termination event is an input by the player.

29. The method of claim 20, which is provided through a data network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.

31. A method of operating a gaming device including a game which includes an item that is associated with a plurality of different values and a graph, said graph including a vertical axis that corresponds to a plurality of the values associated with said item and a horizontal axis that corresponds to an indication of time, said method comprising:

(a) randomly generating a first one of the values associated with said item;

(b) displaying an indication of the first value on the graph in relation to time;

(c) randomly generating a one of the second values associated with said item;

(d) displaying an indication of the second value on the graph in relation to time; and

(e) displaying a line on the graph associated with said item, wherein said line intersect the indications of first value and the second value.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein at least one the first value and the second value is reduced by a predetermined amount.

33. The method of claim 31, which includes an event that is initiated when the first value or the second value intersects an icon displayed on the graph.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the event includes a value added to any displayed value that intersects the icon.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the event includes a value subtracted from any displayed value that intersects the icon.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the event includes an initiation of at least one bonus game.

37. The method of claim 31, which is provided through a data network.

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

39. A method of operating a gaming device including a game operable upon a wager by a player and a graph including a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is associated with a plurality of different values and the second axis is associated with an indication of time, said method comprising:

(a) upon a triggering event, randomly determining one of the values to indicate to the player;

(b) displaying said value by plotting an indicator corresponding to the value with respect to time on the graph; and

(c) providing an outcome to the player based on said value displayed on the graph.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the indicated value is a randomly determined value.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the indicated value is reduced by a predetermined amount.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a wager input for the game, an event triggering a bonus game, an amount of time and an input by the player.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the outcome provided to the player is equal to the determined value.

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

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