Gaming device having main game activating a bonus event

• US 7,749,074 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colepat, LLC
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Tarantino, Elia Rocco, Cole, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mosser; Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/268,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463 16- 21, 463/29, 463/1, 463/13, 463/25, 273/138.1, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 game and gaming apparatus include a main game and a bonus game. A player is entitled to participate in the bonus game without an additional wager beyond that required to play the main game. Winning outcomes of the main game determine the indicia used to play the bonus game. In one embodiment upon a winning outcome of the main game, an indicia, such as an image of a winning amount, is transferred to the bonus game. In another embodiment, the bonus event includes categories associated with winning outcomes of the main game, the categories activated based upon wins of the main game. In one embodiment, the main game is a game of video poker. Winning hands are associated with or activate positions of the bonus game. Play of the bonus game comprises selection of at least one of the indicia or positions/categories which have been activated.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a processor; and

a 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 input device to;

(a) receive a wager on a play of a main game;

(b) display an outcome of the play of the main game;

(c) determine if the displayed outcome is a designated outcome;

(d) if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome, associate one of a plurality of symbols with one of a plurality of bonus positions;

(e) if a first designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, regardless of the displayed outcome, enable a player to make an input to elect to play a bonus event, said first designated quantity being at least one;

(f) repeat (a) through (e) until a bonus event triggering condition occurs, the bonus event triggering condition;

occurring if the player makes the input to play the bonus event or if a second designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, said second designated quantity being greater than said first designated quantity; and

(g) if the bonus event triggering condition occurs;

(i) display a play of the bonus event, the play of the bonus event including an indication of one of the plurality of bonus positions, and

(ii) if one of the symbols is associated with the indicated bonus position, provide a bonus award to the player, said bonus award based at least in part on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine if the displayed outcome is one of a plurality of winning outcomes, and if the displayed outcome is one of the plurality of winning outcomes, provide a main game award to the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to determine if the displayed outcome is any of a plurality of designated outcomes, and if the displayed outcome is any of the plurality of designated outcomes, associate a designated number of the plurality of symbols with a designated quantity of the bonus positions, the designated number being at least one and the designated quantity being at least one.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to display the plurality of bonus positions.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to display any of the symbols associated with the displayed plurality of bonus positions.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbols represents one of:

a number, a value, a fraction, a multiplier, a predetermined amount, and a randomly determined amount.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine one of the symbols to associate with one of the bonus positions based at least in part on one of:

the displayed outcome;

a random determination; and

the displayed outcome and a random determination.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly select each of the symbols to associate with the bonus positions.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable the player to select one of the bonus positions to associate one of the symbols with for at least one time when the displayed outcome is the designated outcome.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a bonus wheel, the bonus wheel having a plurality of bonus wheel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus wheel positions.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the display device includes a video display and the bonus wheel is a video wheel.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a bonus reel, the bonus reel having a plurality of bonus reel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus reel positions.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the display device includes a reel display and the bonus reel is a video reel.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second designated quantity is equal to an amount of all of the bonus positions.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide an additional award to the player in addition to the bonus award if the bonus event triggering condition occurs.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly select the indicated bonus position.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus award is selected from the group consisting of:

a jackpot award;

a progressive award;

a static award;

a randomly determined award;

at least one free play of the main game;

at least one free play of a bonus game;

an award determined in the main game;

an award which is modified based on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position; and

an award which is modified based on a plurality of the symbols associated with the bonus positions.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to associate a win all symbol with one of the bonus positions, and if the bonus position associated with the win all symbol is indicated, provide the bonus award based on all of the symbols associated with all of the bonus positions.

19. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine:

(a) for at least one of the displayed outcomes, if said displayed outcome is one of a plurality of winning outcomes based on a plurality of displayed first symbols of said displayed outcome, and

(b) for said at least one displayed outcomes, if said displayed outcome is the designated outcome based on a plurality of displayed second symbols of said displayed outcome, said second symbols being different than said first symbols.

32. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly select the indicated bonus position.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a processor; and

a 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 input device to;

(a) enable a player to wager on a play of a main game;

(b) display an outcome of the play of the main game;

(c) determine if the displayed outcome is a designated winning outcome;

(d) if the displayed outcome is the designated winning outcome, associate one of a plurality of symbols with one of a plurality of bonus positions as a result of the displayed outcome being the designated outcome;

(e) regardless of the displayed outcome, enable receipt of an input from the player if each of a designated quantity of the plurality of symbols is associated with the plurality of bonus positions, said designated quantity being at least one, and if said input is received, the input causes play of a bonus event, the play of the bonus event including an indication of at least one of the plurality of bonus positions, and causes a bonus award to be provided to the player, said bonus award based at least in part on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position; and

(f) repeat (a) to (e) until a terminating event occurs.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to determine if the displayed outcome is any of a plurality of designated winning outcomes, and if the displayed outcome is any of the plurality of designated winning outcomes, associate a designated number of the plurality of symbols with a designated quantity of the bonus positions, the designated number being at least one and the designated quantity being at least one.

22. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to display the plurality of bonus positions.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to display any symbols associated with the displayed plurality of bonus positions.

24. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbols represents one of:

a number, a value, a fraction, a multiplier, a predetermined amount, and a randomly determined amount.

25. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine one of the symbols to associate with one of the bonus positions based at least in part on one of:

the displayed outcome;

a random determination; and

the displayed outcome and a random determination.

26. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly select each of the symbols to associate with the bonus positions.

27. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable the player to select one of the bonus positions to associate one of the symbols with for at least one time when the displayed outcome is the designated winning outcome.

28. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the display device includes a bonus wheel, the bonus wheel having a plurality of bonus wheel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus wheel positions.

29. The gaming system of claim 28, wherein the display device includes a video display and the bonus wheel is a video wheel.

30. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the display device includes a bonus reel, the bonus reel having a plurality of bonus reel positions, and wherein each of the bonus positions is one of the bonus reel positions.

31. The gaming system of claim 30, wherein the display device includes a reel display and the bonus reel is a video reel.

33. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the bonus award is selected from the group consisting of:

a jackpot award;

a progressive award;

a static award;

a randomly determined award;

at least one free play of the main game;

at least one free play of a bonus game;

an award determined in the main game;

an award which is modified based on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position; and

an award which is modified based on a plurality of the symbols associated with the bonus positions.

34. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to associate a win all symbol with one of the bonus positions, and if the bonus position associated with the win all symbol is indicated, provide the bonus award based on all of the symbols associated with all of the bonus positions.