Gaming device having perceived skill

• US 7,789,749 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Bansemer, Mark W., Nolz, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US11/420,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/142 with pay-out or rewarding with a prize
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• 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 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A gaming device wherein a player'"'"'s skill at an action or event determines or appears to determine the player'"'"'s success or failure. In reality, a database of information stores a number of successful results, and the game selects an award for each successful result. The action or event involves skill in real life, which requires the player to estimate the time an action will require and/or requires the player to aim at an object or estimate the direction necessary to successfully produce a result. The game can employ software adapted to determine if a player'"'"'s aim or timing is successful. The game can alternatively randomly determine the player'"'"'s success. The game displays the player'"'"'s attempt or action on the screen depicting success or failure and awards gaming device credits or multipliers for successful results.

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 by a player for a play of a game; and

(b) after receiving the wager, display a bonus round, and in said bonus round;

(i) determine a number of successful outcomes from a plurality of different possible numbers of successful outcomes, said number being at least two, each of said successful outcomes associated with one of a plurality of different award groups, each of said award groups including a plurality of different awards,

(ii) display a number of attempts at producing the successful outcomes, said number of attempts determined based on how many attempts are needed to produce said determined number of successful outcomes in the bonus round, each attempt including the player activating the input device, wherein, for each attempt, the determination of whether said attempt results in one of the successful outcomes is without regard to correct timing or correct aiming by the player using the input device, and wherein the number of attempts displayed in the bonus round can be greater than the determined number of successful outcomes, and

(iii) for each successful outcome, randomly select one of the plurality of different awards from the award group associated with said successful outcome and provide the selected award to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each attempt, the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine whether said attempt results in one of the successful outcomes.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein for each attempt, the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to employ a probability of determining whether said attempt results in one of said successful outcomes.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes an attempt producing device displayed by the display device which initiates the attempt on the display device after the player activates the input device.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes an object displayed by the display device which is effected by one of the attempts which results in one of the successful outcomes.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of awards is a wild symbol.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the wild symbol increases an average value of subsequently obtained awards.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the number of successful outcomes is determined based on at least one designated symbol appearing on at least one reel in the game.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the number of successful outcomes is determined based on at least one designated card appearing in the game.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine the number of successful outcomes from the plurality of different possible numbers of successful outcomes.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine the number of successful outcomes from the plurality of different possible numbers of successful outcomes and, for each successful outcome, randomly select one of the plurality of awards from the award group associated with said successful outcome to provide to the player.

12. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager by a player for a play of a game;

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a processor to operate with a display device and an input device to display a bonus round upon a triggering event, and

(c) in said bonus round;

(i) causing the processor to determine a number of successful outcomes from a plurality of different possible numbers of successful outcomes, said number being at least two, each of said successful outcomes associated with one of a plurality of different award groups, each of said award groups including a plurality of different awards;

(ii) causing the display device to display a number of attempts at producing the successful outcomes, said number of attempts determined based on how many attempts are needed to produce said determined number of successful outcomes in the bonus round, each attempt including the player activating the input device, wherein, for each attempt, the determination of whether said attempt results in one of the successful outcomes is made without regard to correct timing or correct aiming by the player using the input device, and wherein the number of attempts displayed in the bonus round can be greater than the determined number of successful outcomes; and

(iii) for each successful outcome, causing the processor to randomly select one of the plurality of different awards from the award group associated with said successful outcome and provide the selected award to the player.

13. The method of claim 12, which includes, for each attempt, causing the processor to randomly determine whether said attempt results in one of the successful outcomes.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes, for each attempt, said determination of whether said attempt results in one of said successful outcomes is based on a probability of generating one of the successful outcomes.

15. The method of claim 12, which includes causing the display device to display an attempt-producing device which initiates the attempt after the player activates the input device.

16. The method of claim 12, which includes causing the display device to display an object which is effected by one of the attempts which results in one of the successful outcomes.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of awards is a wild symbol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the wild symbol increases an average value of subsequently obtained awards.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of successful outcomes is determined based on at least one designated symbol appearing on at least one reel in the game.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of successful outcomes is determined based on at least one designated card appearing in the game.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein (a) to (c) are executed over a data network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data network is an internet.

23. The method of claim 12, which includes causing the processor to, for each successful outcome, randomly select one of the plurality of awards to provide to the player.

24. The method of claim 12, causing the processor to randomly determine the number of successful outcomes from the plurality of different possible numbers of successful outcomes and, for each successful outcome, randomly select one of the plurality of awards from the award group associated with said successful outcome to provide to the player.