Apparatus and method of operating a gaming device having a central game and a plurality of peripheral games

• US 7,614,947 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Stites, Chester E. Jr., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Hughs-Baird, Andrea C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mosser; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/931,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20050032566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/140, 273/141.R, 273/141.A, 273/142.R, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

The present invention includes a gaming device and a method for operating the gaming device. The gaming device of the present invention includes: (i) a central game in which a player picks at least one masked central game outcome, including a transfer; (ii) at least one peripheral game that begins after the player'"'"'s pick of the transfer, wherein the player picks at least one masked peripheral game outcome, including a return; (iii) whereby the game enables the player to return to the central game and pick at least one more masked central game outcome after the player picks the return in the peripheral game.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device; and

at least one processor programmed to operate with said at least one display device to;

(a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiate and display a play of a central game, said central game associated with at least two central game outcomes,

(ii) if a first one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, cause a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a first one of a plurality of individual peripheral games,

(iii) if a second, different one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, cause a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a second, different one of the peripheral games,

(iv) if a first designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, cause a transfer from said play of the peripheral game to a play of a different one of said peripheral games before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(v) if a second, different designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, cause a return from said play of the peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(vi) display and provide to the player an award for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the central game and the peripheral games each includes at least one award outcome.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of the central game and the peripheral games includes at least one award outcome.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

5. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device; and

at least one processor programmed to operate with said at least one display device to;

(a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiate and display a play of a central game, said central game associated with a plurality of central game outcomes,

(ii) if a first one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, cause a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a first one of at least three peripheral games,

(iii) if a second, different one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, cause a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a second, different one of the peripheral games,

(iv) if a first designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, cause a transfer from said play of the peripheral game to a play of a third, different one of said peripheral games before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(v) if a second, different designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, cause a return from said play of the peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(vi) display and provide to the player an award for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the central game and the peripheral games each includes at least one award outcome.

7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein each of the central game and the peripheral games includes at least one award outcome.

8. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

9. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device; and

at least one processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device to;

(a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiate and display a play of a central game,

(ii) if a transfer to first peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of the central game, cause a transfer to a play of a first peripheral game,

(iii) if a return to central game outcome occurs in the play of the first peripheral game, cause a return to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(iv) if a transfer to second peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of the first peripheral game, cause a transfer to a play of a second peripheral game before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(v) if a return to first peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of the second peripheral game, cause a return to the play of the first peripheral game before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game, and

(vi) display and provide to the player an award for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein a plurality of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game each includes at least one award outcome.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein each of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game includes at least one award outcome.

12. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the central game and the peripheral games includes a game terminating outcome.

13. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein one of the transfer outcomes includes a plurality of transfer component outcomes which when accumulated cause either:

(i) the transfer from the central game to the first peripheral game, or (ii) the transfer from the first peripheral game to the second peripheral game.

14. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the central game includes a transfer to second peripheral game outcome.

15. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second peripheral game includes a return to central game outcome.

16. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game includes a game terminating outcome.

17. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the central game does not include a transfer to second peripheral game outcome.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the second peripheral game does not include a return to central game outcome.

19. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second peripheral game does not include a return to central game outcome.

20. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device configured to store a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player;

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiate and display a play of a central game, said central game associated with at least one central game outcome,

(ii) if one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, initiate and display a play of at least one of a plurality of peripheral games, said plurality of peripheral games including;

(A) at least one first peripheral game, wherein at least one of said first peripheral games includes a return to central game outcome which, when presented, causes a return to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and at least one of the first peripheral games includes a transfer to at least one other peripheral game outcome which, when presented, causes a transfer to a play of a second, different peripheral game before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(B) at least one second peripheral game, wherein at least one of said second peripheral games includes a transfer to at least one other peripheral game outcome but does not include a return to central game outcome, and

(iii) for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games, display and provide to the player an award associated with said award outcome.

21. A method of operating an electronic gaming device, the method including:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display a play of a primary game of the electronic gaming device upon a wager by a player; and

(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiating and displaying a play of a central game of the electronic gaming device, said central game associated with a plurality of different central game outcomes,

(ii) if a first one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, causing a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a first one of a plurality of different peripheral games of the electronic gaming device,

(iii) if a second, different one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, causing a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a second, different one of the peripheral games,

(iv) if a first designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, causing a transfer from said play of the peripheral game to a play of a different one of said peripheral games before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(v) if a second, different designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, causing a return from said play of the peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(vi) for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games, displaying and providing to the player an award associated with the award outcome to the player.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes providing (a) to (b) via a data network or internet.

23. A method of operating an electronic gaming device, the method including:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display a play of a primary game of the electronic gaming device upon a wager by a player; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the primary game;

(i) initiating and displaying a play of a central game of the electronic gaming device, said central game associated with a plurality of different central game outcomes,

(ii) if a first one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, causing a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a first one of at least three peripheral games of the electronic gaming device.

(iii) if a second, different one of the central game outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, causing a transfer from said play of the central game to a play of a second, different one of the peripheral games,

(iv) if a first designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the peripheral games, causing a transfer from said play of the peripheral game to a play of a third, different one of said peripheral games before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(v) if a second, different designated peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of one of the plurality of peripheral games, causing a return from said play of the peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(vi) displaying and providing to the player an award for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games.

24. The method of claim 23, which includes providing (a) to (b) via a data network or internet.

25. A method of operating an electronic gaming device, the method including:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display a play of a primary game of the electronic gaming device upon a wager; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in the play of the primary game;

(i) initiating and displaying a play of a central game of the electronic gaming device, said central game including a transfer to first peripheral game outcome,

(ii) if the transfer to first peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of the central game, displaying a play of a first peripheral game of the electronic gaming device, the first peripheral game including a return to central game outcome and a transfer to second peripheral game outcome,

(iii) if the return to central game outcome occurs in the play of the first peripheral game, causing a return from the play of the first peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game,

(iv) if the transfer to second peripheral game outcome occurs in the play of the first peripheral game, displaying a play of a second peripheral game of the electronic gaming device before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, the second peripheral game including a return to first peripheral game outcome which, when presented, causes a return to the play of the first peripheral game before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game, and

(v) displaying and providing an award for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game, the first peripheral game and the second peripheral game.

26. The method of claim 25, which includes providing (a) to (b) via a data network or internet.

27. A method of operating an electronic gaming system, the method including:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to initiate and display a play of a primary game of the electronic gaming device upon a wager; and

(b) if a triggering event occurs in said play of the primary game;

(i) initiating and displaying a play of a central game of the electronic gaming device, said central game including at least one transfer outcome,

(ii) if a first one of the transfer outcomes occurs in the play of the central game, displaying a play of at least one of a plurality of peripheral games of the electronic gaming device, said peripheral games including;

(A) at least one first peripheral game, wherein at least one of said first peripheral games includes a return to central game outcome which, when presented, causes a return from the play of the first peripheral game to the play of the central game before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and at least one of the first peripheral games includes a transfer to at least one other peripheral game outcome which, when presented, causes a transfer to a play of at least one other peripheral game before initiating and displaying any subsequent play of the central game and before displaying any subsequent play of the primary game, and

(B) at least one second peripheral game, wherein at least one of said second peripheral games includes a transfer to at least one other peripheral game outcome but does not include a return to central game outcome, and

(iii) for each award outcome which occurs in the play of at least one of the central game and the peripheral games, displaying and providing an award associated with said award outcome.

28. The method of claim 27, which includes providing (a) to (b) via a data network or internet.