Gaming device and method

• US 7,491,121 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• 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): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US10/618,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20040014521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a gaming device having a housing including a plurality of walls defining an enclosure. A moveable game element in located in the display area and is moveable in at least a first and second manner. A controller is located in the housing and is in communication with the moveable game element. The controller determines a game outcome, which may be a winning or losing outcome. The controller preferably moves the moveable game element in a first manner during game play and in a second manner after the controller determines a threshold number of consecutive outcomes of the same type.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

(A) a housing;

(B) a plurality of mechanical reels located in the housing, the mechanical reels being rotatable about an axis, the mechanical reels being moveable in at least a first and a second manner, the mechanical reels being moveable independently of each other;

(C) a player input device coupled to the housing, the player input device in communication with a controller, the player input device being adapted to be activated by a player; and

(D) the controller in communication with the mechanical reels and the player input device, the controller enabling the player input device after an occurrence of a consecutive number of losing outcomes and when no game is being played and disabling the player input device while a game is being played, the controller causing at least one of the mechanical reels to move in a the first manner when a game is played and to allow the player to cause at least one of the mechanical reels to move in the second manner when the game is not being played without altering or producing a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome, and after the player has activated the player input device.

2. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the controller contains software that is operable to direct at least one of the mechanical reels to move in the second manner after the player activates the player input device.

3. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the number of losing outcomes is predetermined.

4. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the number of losing outcomes is randomly determined.

5. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the player input device causes at least one mechanical reel to move in the second manner.

6. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a bonus game display having a moveable bonus indicator, the moveable bonus indicator moving in a first direction during game play, wherein activation of the player input device causes the bonus indicator to move in at least a second direction.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, further comprising a second controller in communication with the controller.

8. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement in a first direction and the second manner of movement comprises movement in a second direction.

9. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement at a first speed and the second manner of movement composes movement at a second speed.

10. A gaming method comprising:

(A) providing a gaming device having a game display;

(B) displaying a game on said gaming device utilizing a plurality of moveable objects, and moving the moveable objects in a first manner during game play, wherein game play comprises determining a game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome;

(C) locating the moveable objects in a first position associated with the game outcome;

(D) determining a number of consecutive losing outcomes;

(E) providing a player input device;

(F) giving a player an opportunity to activate the player input device; and

(G) moving the moveable objects in at least a second manner when the game is not being played without altering or producing any game outcome, and if the player activates the player input device, movement of the moveable objects in the first manner being different from movement of the moveable objects in the second manner.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising enabling the player input device if the number of consecutive losing outcomes is at least a threshold number.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the threshold number is predetermined.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the threshold number is randomly determined.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising disabling the player input device when a game is being played.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising disabling the player input device if a predetermined time period elapses without activation of the player input device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising disabling the player input device if a cash-out event occurs.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining a first player identification and disabling the player input device if a second player identification is determined.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

(A) providing a bonus game, the bonus game comprising a moveable game element, the moveable game element in communication with the controller, and moving the moveable game element in a first manner during game play; and

(B) moving the moveable game element in a second manner when the player activates the player input device.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein activation of the player input device does not affect outcomes of any subsequently played games.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising returning the moveable objects to the first position the moveable objects were in prior to activation of the player input device.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement in a first direction and the second manner of movement comprises movement in a second direction.

22. The method of claim 10 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement at a first speed and the second manner of movement comprises movement at a second speed.

23. A gaming method comprising:

(A) providing a gaming device having a game display and a player input device;

(B) playing a plurality of games on said gaming device comprising

(a) accepting a wager;

(b) presenting a game, the game display comprising a plurality of moveable objects, the moveable objects being moved in a first manner during game play, wherein game play comprises determining a game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome; and

(c) locating the moveable objects in a first position associated with the game outcome;

(C) determining a number of consecutive losing outcomes; and

(D) moving the moveable objects in at least a second manner without altering or producing any game outcome, if a number of consecutive outcomes of a same type is at least a threshold number and if the game is not being played, wherein step D occurs after step B(b).

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the threshold number is predetermined.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the threshold number is randomly determined.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising disabling the player input device when a game is played.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising disabling the player input device if a predetermined time period elapses without activation of the player input device.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising disabling the player input device if a cash-out event occurs.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising recording a first player identification and disabling the player input device if a second player identification is recorded.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein each movable object has at least one of a plurality of indicia mounted thereon.

31. The method of claim 23 further comprising moving the moveable objects to the first position they were in prior to activation of the player input device.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement in a first direction and the second manner of movement comprises movement in a second direction.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement at a first speed and the second manner of movement comprises movement at a second speed.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

(A) providing a bonus game having a moveable game element, and moving the game element in a first manner during game play; and

(B) moving the game element in a second manner when a player activates the player input device.

35. The method of claim 23 wherein activation of the player input device does not affect outcomes of any subsequently played games.

36. The method of claim 23 wherein the number of consecutive outcomes of the same type comprises a threshold number of consecutive losing outcomes.

37. A gaming device comprising:

(A) at least one housing;

(B) a moveable game element attached to the housing, the moveable game element being moveable in at least a first and second manner; and

(C) a controller in communication with the moveable game element, the controller being configured to move the moveable game element in the first and second manner, the controller determining a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome, the controller causing the moveable game element to move in the first manner when a game is played and to move in the second manner without altering or producing any game outcome when the game is not being played and after the controller determines a number of consecutive outcomes of a same type.

38. The gaming device of claim 37 further comprising a video display attached to the housing, the moveable game element appearing as an image on the video display.

39. The gaming device of claim 38 wherein the moveable game element comprises an image of a spinning reel comprising a plurality of indicia, the reel being spinnable about a horizontal rotational axis.

40. The gaming device of claim 37 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement in a first direction and the second manner of movement comprises movement in a second direction.

41. The gaming device of claim 37 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement at a first speed and the second manner of movement comprises movement at a second speed.

42. The gaming device of claim 37 further comprising a bonus game display having a moveable bonus indicator that is adapted to move in a first direction during game play and to move in at least a second direction when the controller directs the moveable game element to move in the second manner.

43. The gaming device of claim 37 further comprising a player input device in communication with the controller, wherein the controller enables the player input device after the controller determines a number of losing outcomes.

44. The gaming device of claim 37 wherein the number of consecutive outcomes of the same type comprises a threshold number of losing outcomes.

45. The gaming device of claim 37 wherein the number of consecutive outcomes of the same type comprises a threshold number of winning outcomes.

46. A gaming device comprising:

(A) housing means for holding game components;

(B) display means mounted in the housing means for displaying a game, the game comprising a moveable indicating means for displaying game indicia, the moveable indicating means moveable in at least a first and a second manner;

(C) controller means in communication with the display means, the controller means determining a game outcome, controlling the display means, and determining a number of losing outcomes, wherein the game outcome comprises a winning or losing outcome;

(D) means for moving the display means in a first manner during game play; and

(E) means for moving the display means in a second manner without altering or producing any game outcome after the controller determines a threshold number of consecutive losing outcomes.

47. The gaming device of claim 46 further comprising a player input means, the controller means enabling the player input means after the controller means determines a threshold number of consecutive losing outcomes.

48. The gaming device of claim 47 further comprising a movable bonus indicating means for indicating a bonus game outcome, the bonus indicating means in communication with the controller means, the bonus indicating means moveable in at least a first and second manner, the bonus indicating means moving in the first manner during game play and moving in the second manner when the player input means is activated.

49. The gaming device of claim 46 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement in a first direction and the second manner of movement comprises movement in a second direction.

50. The gaming device of claim 46 wherein the first manner of movement comprises movement at a first speed and the second manner of movement comprises movement at a second speed.

51. A gaming method comprising:

(A) providing a gaming device having a game display;

(B) displaying a game on said gaming device utilizing a plurality of moveable objects comprising moving the moveable objects in a first manner during game play;

(C) determining a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome and locating the moveable objects in a first position;

(D) determining a number of consecutive losing outcomes;

(E) providing a player input device;

(F) giving a player an opportunity to activate the player input device;

(G) moving the moveable objects in at least a second manner when the game is not being played and if the player activates the player input device without altering or producing any game outcome, movement of the moveable objects in the first manner being different from movement of the moveable objects in the second manner, wherein step G occurs after steps B and F; and

(H) returning the moveable objects to the first position that the moveable objects were in prior to activation of the player input device.

52. A gaming method comprising:

(A) providing a gaming device having a game display and a player input device;

(B) playing a plurality of games on said gaming device comprising;

(a) accepting a wager;

(b) presenting a game, the game display comprising a plurality of moveable objects;

(c) moving the moveable objects in a first manner during game play; and

(d) determining a game outcome, the game outcome comprising a winning or losing outcome and locating the moveable objects in a first position;

(C) determining a number of consecutive losing outcomes;

(D) moving the moveable objects in at least a second manner if a number of consecutive outcomes of a same type is at least a threshold number and if the game is not being played without altering or producing any game outcome, wherein step D occurs after step B(c); and

(E) moving the moveable objects to the first position they were in prior to activation of the player input device.