Gaming device having a rate dependent game

• US 7,686,303 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kaminkow, Joseph E., Hughs-Baird, Andrea C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINHEIRO, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/012,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 463 20- 22, 463 25- 26, 463 40- 42, 273/138.1, 273/138, 273/139, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 273/138.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a gaming device having a game that may be implemented in a primary or bonus game. More specifically, the present invention provides a processor controlled gaming device that presents a plurality of masked value choices to the player, provides a time period in which the player can elect to accept a masked choice and reveals and provides a value associated with the choice to the player if the player accepts in time. If the player does not accept in time or decides not to accept the choice, the gaming device, in one preferred embodiment, reveals the value the player could have accepted when the time period lapses or times out. When the player has successfully accepted a predefined number of masked choices, the game adds or multiplies the values yielded by the choices to form an award for the player.

Claims

1. A gaming device controlled by a processor, said gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

a display device controlled by the processor; and

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

(a) receive a wager from a player for a play of a wagering game; and

(b) after receiving the wager from the player for the play of the wagering game;

(i) display an acceptance zone having a predefined size and a predefined shape;

(ii) for each of a plurality of selections, individually display said selection for a limited time period, said limited time period based on said selection moving at a predefined velocity through the displayed acceptance zone, wherein at least one of the selections yields a change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone;

(iii) enable the player to accept a plurality of the selections during the respective limited time periods during which said selections move through the acceptance zone; and

(iv) provide an award including any values associated with any selections accepted by the player during the respective limited time periods for said selections.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to decrease the limited time period for at least one of any of said subsequent selections by decreasing at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the predefined shape of the acceptance zone includes a length and a width.

4. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

a display device;

a processor that communicates with the display device; and

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

(a) receive a wager from a player for a play of a wagering game; and

(b) after receiving the wager from the player for the play of the wagering game;

(i) display an acceptance zone;

(ii) provide a plurality of selections, each of said selections having a predefined size and a predefined shape;

(iii) for each of said selections, individually display said selection for a limited time period, said limited time period determined by an amount of time said selection, moving at a predefined velocity, appears completely within the displayed acceptance zone, and wherein at least one of the selections yields a change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of at least one of the subsequent selections moving through said acceptance zone;

(iv) enable the player to accept a plurality of the selections during the respective limited time periods during which said selections move through the acceptance zone; and

(v) provide an award including any values associated with any selections accepted by the player during the respective limited time periods for said selections.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, for one of the selections, decrease the limited time period by increasing at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of said selection.

6. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the predefined shape of the selections each include a separate length and a separate width.

7. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

after causing a processor to operate with an input device to receive a wager from a player for a play of a wagering game;

causing the processor to operate with a display device to display an acceptance zone having a predefined size and a predefined shape;

for each of a plurality of selections, causing the processor to operate with the display device to individually display said selection for a limited time period, said limited time period based on said selection moving at a predefined velocity through the displayed acceptance zone, wherein at least one of the selections yields a change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone;

enabling the player to pick a plurality of the selections during the respective limited time periods during which said selections move through the acceptance zone; and

providing an award to the player including any values associated with any selections accepted by the player during the limited time periods respectively for said selections.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes, for at least one subsequent selection, decreasing the limited time period for at least one of any of said subsequent selections by decreasing at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone.

9. The method of claim 7, which includes displaying a value associated with one of the selections that is not picked by the player within the limited time period for said selection.

10. The method of claim 7, which includes a plurality of value ranges, each of said value ranges associated with a different of said limited time periods.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the value ranges includes an entry that yields the change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone, said entry being weighted so that said change is weighted differently than a value in said value range.

12. The method of claim 11, which includes, if the selection is picked that yields the change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone:

decreasing at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of the acceptance zone; and

changing the value range to one having a higher average value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the award includes values selected from the plurality of value ranges until a predefined number of said values are accepted.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the award includes values selected from the plurality of value ranges until a terminator is selected.

15. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data network is an internet.

17. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

after causing a processor to operate with an input device to receive a wager from a player for a play of a wagering game;

causing the processor to operate with a display device to display an acceptance zone;

for each of a plurality of selections, causing the processor to operate with the display device to individually display said selection for a limited time period, each of the selections having a predefined size and a predefined shape, said limited time period determined by the amount of time said selection, moving at a predefined velocity, appears completely within the displayed acceptance zone, and wherein at least one of the selections yields a change in at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of at least one subsequent selection;

enabling the player to pick a plurality of the selections during the respective limited time periods during which said selections move through the acceptance zone; and

providing an award to the player including any values associated with any selections accepted by the player during the respective limited time periods for said selections.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, which includes, for said at least one subsequent selection, decreasing the limited time period for said at least one subsequent selection, by increasing at least one of said predefined size and said predefined shape of said at least one subsequent selection.

19. The method of claim 17, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an Internet.