Gaming device having a multiple coordinate award distributor

• US 7,708,628 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski; Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US10/630,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 463/10, 463/21, 463/30, 463 16- 22, 463/31, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/141.A, 273/141.R, 273/142.B, 273/142.D, 273/142.E, 273/142.F, 273/142.G, 273/143.B
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming device for providing awards to players. The gaming device includes an award distributor such as an award wheel having a plurality of sections, each of the sections having or defined by first and second coordinates, a plurality of award symbols included on the sections, an illumination device associated with the sections, a section indicator associated with the award wheel and a processor in communication with the award wheel. The gaming device determines the first coordinate of one of the groups of sections. Then, the gaming device or player spins the award wheel and the section indicator determines the second coordinate of one of the sections in the group, which indicates the section. The gaming device provides any award or symbol to the player that is associated with the indicated section.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display 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 to;

(a) display an award distributor associated with a game, said award distributor including an award wheel which includes;

(i) a plurality of sections displayed in a predetermined arrangement on said award distributor, said predetermined arrangement including each of the sections being in a set position relative to each other section of said award distributor, each of said sections defined by one of a plurality of first coordinates and one of a plurality of second coordinates, wherein;

(A) each first coordinate is associated with one of a first plurality of groups of the sections, each said group of the first plurality of groups including a plurality of the sections, and

(B) each second coordinate is associated with one of a second plurality of groups of the sections, each said group of the second plurality of groups including a plurality of the sections, and

(ii) a plurality of symbols, each of said symbols associated with one of a plurality of awards, wherein each of said plurality of sections of said award distributor is associated with one of said symbols;

(b) cause a display of said plurality of symbols and the awards associated with each of said symbols on the award distributor to a player upon initiation of a play of the game;

(c) cause a section indicator associated with the award distributor to indicate one of said plurality of sections of the award distributor by;

(i) determining one of the first coordinates,

(ii) independently determining one of the second coordinates of one of the sections in the group of sections associated with the determined first coordinate, and

(iii) causing the section indicator to indicate the section defined by the determined first and second coordinates; and

(d) provide to the player the award associated with the symbol of the indicated section.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a probability of being determined associated with each of the first and second coordinates.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein a plurality of the probabilities are the same.

4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein all of the probabilities are the same.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the sections, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the first and second coordinates based on said probabilities.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein one of the sections includes a terminator symbol.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the sections, wherein the probability associated with the section including the terminator symbol is greater than the probabilities associated with a plurality of the other sections.

8. The gaming device of claim 6, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the sections, wherein the probability associated with the section including the terminator symbol is greater than the probabilities associated with all of the other sections.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the awards include at least one of the awards selected from the group consisting of:

a value, a modifier, a multiplier, a free activation, a free spin and a free game.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the awards.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of potential total awards, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to pick one of the total awards and repeatedly cause the section indicator to indicate sections of the award distributor until the awards associated with the symbols on the indicated sections accumulate to the total award.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the determinations of the first and second coordinates are each random.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the symbols are game elements.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the section indicator includes at least one illumination device configured to illuminate the sections of the award distributor.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the section indicator includes at least one illumination device associated with each of the sections, wherein the illumination devices are configured to illuminate the sections of the award distributor.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the section indicator includes a plurality of illumination devices which are configured to simultaneously illuminate a plurality of the sections of the award distributor.

17. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the section indicator includes a plurality of illumination devices which are configured to alternately illuminate a plurality of the sections of the award distributor.

18. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the sections include a terminator symbol.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the sections, wherein the probabilities associated with the sections including the terminator symbols are greater than the probabilities associated with a plurality of the other sections.

20. The gaming device of claim 18, which includes a probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with each of the sections, wherein the probabilities associated with the sections including the terminator symbols are greater than the probabilities associated with all of the other sections.

21. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a spin initiator, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to enable the player to utilize the spin initiator to initiate each movement of one of said wheel and said section indicator.

45. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein after the section defined by the determined first and second coordinates is indicated, the probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with at least one of said plurality of sections changes, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to cause a subsequent indication of one of said plurality of sections based on said probabilities associated with the sections for said subsequent indication.

22. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display an award distributor in a game, said award distributor including an award wheel which includes;

(i) a plurality of sections displayed in a predetermined arrangement on said award distributor, said predetermined arrangement including each of the sections being in a set position relative to each other section of said award distributor, each of said sections defined by one of a plurality of first coordinates and one of a plurality of second coordinates, wherein;

(A) each first coordinate is associated with one of a first plurality of groups of the sections, each said group of the first plurality of groups including a plurality of the sections, and

each second coordinate is associated with one of a second plurality of group of sections, each said group of the second plurality of groups including a plurality of sections, and

(ii) a plurality of symbols, each of said symbols associated with one of a plurality of awards, wherein each of said plurality of sections of said award distributor is associated with one of said symbols;

(b) causing the at least one display device to display said plurality of symbols and the awards associated with each of said symbols on the award distributor to a player upon initiation of a play of the game;

(c) causing a section indicator associated with the award distributor to indicate one of said plurality of sections of the award distributor in said play of the game by;

(i) determining one of the first coordinates,

(ii) independently determining one of the second coordinates of one of the sections in the group of sections associated with the determined first coordinate, and

(iii) causing the section indicator to indicate the section defined by the determined first and second coordinates; and

(d) providing to the player the award associated with the symbol of the indicated section.

23. The method of claim 22, which includes associating a probability of being determined with each of the first and second coordinates.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a plurality of the probabilities of being determined associated with the first and second coordinates are the same.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein all of the probabilities of being determined associated with the first and second coordinates are the same.

26. The method of claim 25, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the sections and determining the first and second coordinates based on said probabilities.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein one of the sections includes a terminator symbol.

28. The method of claim 27, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the sections, wherein the probability associated with the section including the terminator symbol is greater than the probabilities associated with a plurality of the other sections.

29. The method of claim 27, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the sections, wherein the probability associated with the section including the terminator symbol is greater than the probabilities associated with all of the other sections.

30. The method of claim 22, which includes selecting at least one of the awards from the group consisting of:

a value, a modifier, a multiplier, a free activation, a free spin and a free game.

31. The method of claim 22, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the awards.

32. The method of claim 22, which includes picking a total award from a plurality of potential total awards and repeatedly causing the section indicator to indicate sections of the award distributor until the awards associated with the symbols on the indicated sections accumulate to the total award.

33. The method of claim 22, which includes randomly determining the first and second coordinates.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the symbols are game elements.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein the section indicator includes at least one illumination device and which includes causing the section indicator to illuminate the sections of the award distributor.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the section indicator includes at least one illumination device associated with each of the sections and which includes causing the section indicator to illuminate the sections of the award distributor.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein the section indicator includes a plurality of illumination devices and which includes causing the section indicator to simultaneously illuminate a plurality of the sections of the award distributor.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein the section indicator includes a plurality of illumination devices and which includes causing the section indicator to alternately illuminate a plurality of the sections of the award distributor.

39. The method of claim 22, wherein a plurality of the sections include a terminator symbol.

40. The method of claim 39, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the sections, wherein the probabilities associated with the sections including the terminator symbols are greater than the probabilities associated with a plurality of the other sections.

41. The method of claim 22, which includes associating a probability of being indicated by the section indicator with each of the sections, wherein the probabilities associated with the sections including the terminator symbols are greater than the probabilities associated with all of the other sections.

42. The method of claim 22, which includes enabling the player to use a spin initiator to initiate each movement of one of said award wheel and said section indicator.

43. The method of claim 22, wherein (a) to (d) are provided through a data network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data network is an internet.

46. The method of claim 26, which includes, after indicating the section defined by the determined first and second coordinates, changing the probability of being indicated by the section indicator associated with at least one of said plurality of sections for a subsequent indication of one of said plurality of sections.