Gaming device having multiple selectable display interfaces based on player's wagers

• US 7,699,699 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gilliland, John G., Laakso, Jeffrey P., Kaminkow, Joseph E., Vasquez, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pandya; Sunit
• Application Number:
  US10/953,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 26
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying multiple gaming device interfaces for the same wagering game is provided. The game can be slot although other wagering games are also within the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, the exact same game is played using one of a plurality of different display interfaces, wherein the gaming device enables the player to select which interface to play. The player can play the game for a while using one interface and then switch interfaces to provide a fresh display or to change the player'"'"'s luck. The player can then switch back to the original interface or select a brand new interface depending upon how many interfaces overall are provided.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores 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, for a single play of a game, to;

(a) display a plurality of reels associated with the single play of the game and a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels,

(b) receive one of a plurality of different inputs from a player, the received input corresponding to a designated number of said paylines for the single play of the game, the designated number including one, a plurality or all of said paylines,

(c) receive one of a plurality of different wager amounts from the player for the single play of the game, the received wager amount corresponding to the designated number of the paylines for the single play of the game,

(d) in response to the received input from the player for the single play of the game, determine an interface from a plurality of different interfaces for the single play of the game, each different interface being associated with a different paytable, the determination based, at least in part, on the designated number of the a lines for the single play of the game, each of the different interfaces including a plurality of different symbols which each have a function in the paytable associated with that interface, and for each of the different interfaces, each one of a plurality of the symbols of said interface has an identical function to a corresponding one of a plurality of the symbols in another one of the interfaces, each of the different paytables for the different interfaces including a plurality of different winning combinations of the symbols of said interface and a plurality of different awards associated with said different winning combinations,

(e) display the determined interface for the single play of the game, and

(f) provide an outcome for the single play of the game in association with the determined interface for the single play of the game, the outcome based on the paytable associated with the determined interface.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different interfaces includes a first interface and a second different interface and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(i) cause a display of the first interface when the received input from the player corresponds to a first number of paylines, and (ii) cause a display of the second interface when the received input from the player corresponds to a second different number of paylines.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of different paytables includes a first paytable and a second different paytable, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(i) provide the outcome based on the first paytable when the received input from the player corresponds to the first number of paylines and (ii) provide the outcome based on the second paytable when the received input from the player corresponds to the second different number of paylines.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different paytables includes a first paytable and a second different paytable, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(i) provide the outcome based on the first paytable when the received input from the player corresponds to a first number of paylines and (ii) provide the outcome based on the second paytable when the received input from the player corresponds to a second different number of paylines.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the interfaces include a plurality of different characteristics, the plurality of different characteristics including at least one of:

(i) an interface color;

(ii) an interface design;

(iii) a number of components;

(iv) an ordering of the components; and

(v) a proportion of the components.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein for each of the different interfaces, each one of the symbols of the symbols of said interface has the identical function to a corresponding one of the symbols in another one of the interfaces.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein for each one of the paytables:

(i) each one of the different winning combinations of said paytable is associated with a different one of the awards, and (ii) each one of the different winning combinations of said paytable is associated with an identical award as a corresponding one of the winning combinations in another one of the paytables.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of the different paytables for the different interfaces includes an identical set of awards, each identical set of awards including a plurality of different awards, and the symbols having the identical function in one of the paytables result in the same award as the corresponding symbols of another one of the paytables.

9. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method, for a single play of a game, comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels associated with the single play of the game and a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels;

(b) receiving one of a plurality of different inputs from a player, the received input corresponding to a designated number of the paylines for the single play of the game, the designated number including one, a plurality or all of said paylines;

(c) receiving one of a plurality of different wager amounts from the player for the single play of the game, the received wager amount corresponding to the designated number of the paylines for the single play of the game;

(d) in response to the received input from the player for the single play of the game, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an interface from a plurality of different interfaces for the single play of the game, each different interface being associated with a different paytable, the determination based, at least in part, on the designated number of the paylines for the single play of the game, each of the different interfaces including a plurality of different symbols which each have a function in the paytable associated with that interface, and for each of the different interfaces, each one of a plurality of the symbols of said interface has an identical function to a corresponding one of a plurality of the symbols in another one of the interfaces, each of the different paytables for the different interfaces including a plurality of different winning combinations of the symbols of said interface and a plurality of different awards associated with said different winning combinations;

(e) causing the at least one display device to display the determined interface for the single play of the game; and

(f) providing an outcome for the single play of the game in association with the determined interface for the single play of the game, said outcome is based on the paytable associated with the determined interface.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one display device to display a first interface when the received input corresponds to a first number of paylines and causing the at least one display device to display a second different interface when the received input corresponds to a second different number of paylines.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes providing the outcome based on a first paytable when the received input corresponds to the first number of paylines and providing the outcome based on a second different paytable when the received input corresponds to the second different number of paylines.

12. The method of claim 9, which includes providing the outcome based on a first paytable when the received input corresponds to a first number of paylines and providing the outcome based on a second different paytable when the received input corresponds to a second different number of paylines.

13. The method of claim 9, which is provided to the player through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

15. The method of claim 9, which includes, for each one of the paytables:

(i) causing each one of the different winning combinations of said paytable to be associated with a different one of the awards, and (ii) causing each one of the different winning combinations of said paytable to be associated with an identical award as a corresponding one of the winning combinations in another one of the paytables.

16. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising;

(a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels associated with a single play of a game and, a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels;

(b) causing at least one memory device to store data corresponding to;

(i) a first game display interface in association with the single play of the game, the first game display interface including a first set of different symbols displayable on the reels;

(ii) a first paytable associated with the first game display interface, the first paytable including a first set of awards;

(iii) a second game display interface in association with the single play of the game, the second game display interface including a second set of different symbols being displayable on the reels, the second set of symbols being different from the first set of symbols;

(iv) a second paytable associated with the second game display interface, wherein the second paytable includes a second set of awards which is different from the first set of awards; and

(c) for the single play of the game;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to receive one of a plurality of different inputs from a player for the single play of the game, the received input corresponding to a first quantity of the paylines or a second, different quantity of the paylines for the single play of the game;

(ii) in response to the received input corresponding to the first quantity of the paylines, causing the at least one display device to display the first display interface associated with the first paytable to represent the single play of the game, wherein the first set of symbols are displayed on the reels for the single play of the game; and

(iii) in response to the received input corresponding to the second, different quantity of the paylines, causing the at least one display device to display the second interface associated with the second paytable to represent the single play of the game, wherein the second set of symbols are displayed on the reels for the single play of the game.

17. A gaming device comprising;

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores;

(a) data corresponding to;

(i) a game including a plurality of reels and a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels,

(ii) a first game display interface in association with a single play of the game, the first game display interface including a first set of different symbols displayable on the reels,

(iii) a first paytable associated with the first game display interface, wherein the first paytable includes a first set of awards,

(iv) a second game display interface in association with the single play of the game, the second game display interface including a second set of different symbols displayable on the reels, the second set of symbols being different from the first set of symbols, and

(v) a second paytable associated with the second game display interface, wherein the second paytable includes a second set of awards which is different from the first set of awards, and

(b) 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, for the single play of the game, to;

(i) receive one of a plurality of different inputs from a player for the single play of the game, the received input corresponding to a first quantity of the paylines or a second, different quantity of the paylines for the single play of the game,

(ii) in response to the received input corresponding to the first quantity of the paylines, display the first display interface associated with the first paytable to represent the single play of the game, wherein the first set of symbols are displayed on the reels for the single play of the game, and

(iii) in response to the received input corresponding to the second, different quantity of the paylines, display the second interface associated with the second paytable to represent the single play of the game, wherein the second set of symbols are displayed on the reels for the single play of the game.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, in response to the received input corresponding to the first quantity of the paylines, display an outcome including a plurality of the first set of symbols for the play of the game in association with the first display interface, wherein the displayed outcome is based on the first paytable.

19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, in response to the received input corresponding to the second quantity of the paylines, display an outcome including a plurality of the second set of symbols for the play of the game in association with the second display interface, wherein the displayed outcome is based on the second paytable.

20. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the game includes a primary game operable upon a wager by the player.