Gaming system having multiple gaming devices that share a multi-outcome display

• US 7,771,270 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Carlisle, Christopher D., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Tedsen, Kirk A., Brill, Zeke, LeSourd, Kehl T., Kaminkow, Joseph E., Elias, Hans, MacVittie, Michael, Rodgers, Paulina, Wagner, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US11/830,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 20, 463 30- 31, 463/42, 463/45
• US Class Current: 463/22
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

A gaming device system in which a plurality of gaming devices are linked by a common bonus event is provided. In one embodiment, the linked gaming device system includes a shared symbol generation display that is positioned adjacent to each of a plurality of associated gaming devices and has a plurality of sections and values displayed at each section. Upon a triggering of the bonus event, any player eligible to participate in the bonus may achieve an outcome generated from the bonus event including the shared display. When the shared display is activated, it simultaneously generates a separate or individual outcome associated with each of the gaming devices. The outcomes are spatially related to one another so that a random generation of an outcome associated with one gaming device automatically generates random outcomes associated with each gaming device. Each gaming device receives the outcome only if it has participated in the random generation.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a plurality of individual gaming machines each including a game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising:

(a) providing a secondary game including at least one shared display device, wherein a plurality of predefined outcome groups are displayable by the at least one shared display device, wherein at least two of the predefined outcome groups have different probabilities of being associated with the gaming machines, each predefined outcome group including a plurality of predefined outcomes, a plurality of said predefined outcomes being different, and for each predefined outcome group, each outcome within said outcome group has a same probability of being associated with each of the gaming machines; and

(b) for a play of the secondary game;

(i) displaying the outcomes on the shared display device;

(ii) randomly selecting one of the predefined outcome groups;

(iii) after selecting one of the predefined outcome groups, associating the outcomes of the selected predefined outcome group with the gaming machines, and

(iv) causing the at least one shared display device to simultaneously or substantially simultaneously display the outcomes of said randomly selected predefined outcome group associated with the gaming machines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outcomes include a plurality of different values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each outcome group includes a same number of outcomes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of outcomes are evenly divisible by the total number of gaming machines.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the outcome groups has an average expected value and for each of the outcome groups the average expected value is equal or approximately equal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the outcome groups has an average expected value, wherein one of the outcome groups has a higher expected average value than at least one of the other outcome groups.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each outcome group has a range of values of the outcomes and the ranges of values of the outcomes of at least two outcome groups are different.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one shared display device includes a wheel, and the gaming machines are positioned around the wheel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the outcomes are positioned on the wheel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one shared display device includes a substantially horizontally disposed wheel supported by a frame and having a plurality of sections which display the outcomes, the plurality of individual gaming machines arranged around the wheel, each gaming machine including a pointer positioned to indicate a section of the wheel, wherein when a triggering event occurs on one of the gaming machines, said gaming machines enables a player of the gaming machine to enter an input which indicates that the player wants to obtain one of the outcomes from a next activation of the wheel.

11. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one shared display device to move to simultaneously or substantially simultaneously display the outcomes of said outcome group associated with the gaming machines.

12. The method of claim 1, which is controlled through a data network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.

14. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a plurality of independently operable gaming machines, each of said gaming machines including a game operable upon a wager by a player, and each gaming machine including a triggering event, said method comprising:

(a) providing a secondary game including at least one shared display device, said secondary game including a plurality of different predefined outcomes displayed on said at least one shared display device, said predefined outcomes divided into a plurality of predefined groups, each predefined group including a plurality of the predefined outcomes;

(b) randomly selecting one of the predefined groups and one of the displayed outcomes in said selected group to provide to a first one of the gaming machines for a play of said secondary game after an occurrence of a triggering event on at least one of the gaming machines;

(c) after the outcome is randomly selected, displaying said selected outcome in association with the first one of the gaming machines; and

(d) after the outcome is randomly selected, displaying another one of the outcomes from the same group as the selected outcome in association with another one of the gaming machines.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes displaying a plurality of the other outcomes from the same group as the selected outcome in association with a plurality of the other gaming machines.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes displaying each of the other outcomes from the same group as the selected outcome in association with different ones of the other gaming machines.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the outcomes include a plurality of different awards.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein each group includes a same number of outcomes.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of outcomes are evenly divisible by the total number of gaming machines.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the groups has an average expected value and for each of the groups the average expected value is equal or approximately equal.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the groups has an average expected value, wherein one of the groups has a higher average expected value than at least one of the other groups.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein each group has a range of values of the outcomes and the range of values of the outcomes of at least two of the groups are different.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a plurality of the outcomes have substantially a same probability of being selected.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the outcomes in each group has a higher probability of being selected than one of the other outcomes in the same group.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the outcomes has substantially a same probability of being selected and at least one of the groups includes a greater number of outcomes than at least one of the other groups.

26. The method of claim 14, which includes moving the at least one shared display device to display the selected outcome in association with the first one of the gaming machines.

27. The method of claim 14, which includes displaying the outcomes on a simulated display.

28. The method of claim 14, which includes positioning the at least one shared display remotely from at least one of the gaming machines.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein each outcome has a predetermined relationship with respect to each other outcome.

30. The method of claim 14, which is controlled through a data network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data network is an internet.

32. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a plurality of independently operable gaming machines, each of said gaming machines including a game operable upon a wager by a player, and each gaming machine including a triggering event, said method comprising:

(a) providing a secondary game including a plurality of different displayed predefined outcomes on at least one shared display device, said predefined outcomes divided into a plurality of predefined groups, each predefined group including a plurality of the predefined outcomes; and

(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event, for a play of the secondary game;

(i) randomly selecting one of the groups to associate with at least one of the gaming machines,

(ii) after the random selection of one of the groups, displaying one of the outcomes of said selected group in association with one of the gaming machines,

(iii) after the random selection of one of the groups, displaying a plurality of the other outcomes of the selected group in association with the other gaming machines, and

(iv) if one of the other gaming machines is participating in said play of the secondary game, providing a player of said other gaming machine one of said other displayed outcomes in the selected group.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the outcomes include a plurality of different awards.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein each group includes a same number of outcomes.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the number of outcomes are evenly divisible by the total number of gaming machines.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein each of the groups has an average value and for each of the groups the average value is equal or approximately equal.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein each of the groups has an average value, and wherein one of the groups has a higher average value than at least one of the other groups.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein each group has a range of values of the outcomes and the range of values of the outcomes of at least two of the groups are different.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein one of the groups has a higher probability of being selected than one of the other groups.

40. The method of claim 32, which includes displaying the outcomes on at least one simulated shared display device.

41. The method of claim 32, which includes positioning said at least one shared display device remotely from at least one of the gaming machines.

42. The method of claim 32, which includes moving the at least one shared display device to display the selected outcome in association with the one of the gaming machines.

43. The method of claim 32, which is controlled through a data network.

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