Method and apparatus for bonus round play

• US 7,862,429 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Sammon, Russell P., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/425,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060226596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/27, 463/29, 434/257, 434/428, 705/14.4, 705/14.52, 705/14.53, 705/14.61, 705/14.65, 705/14.66, 705/14.68, 273/138.1
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for enabling a player to take a tour of a secondary game at a game machine. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes offering to enable entry of a player into a bonus round of a game machine in exchange for a fee, receiving the fee from the player, and enabling entry of the player into the bonus round. The method further includes receiving an indication of at least one player selection during the bonus round, and determining an outcome based on the at least one player selection. In other embodiments, the method includes providing a prize to the player based on the outcome.

Claims

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

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine, prior to a wager being placed on a play of a primary game, an expected amount of play of a gaming device, the gaming device configured to enable a player to place the wager on the play of the primary game and to provide at least one input to;

(a) play the primary game, and

(b) play a bonus round upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the determined expected amount of play of the gaming device, whether to enable the player to tour the bonus round of the gaming device, the tour including at least one tour play of the bonus round, the at least one tour play of the bonus round provided without any occurrence of the triggering event; and

if the determination is to enable the player to tour the bonus round;

(a) causing a display device to display an offer to tour the bonus round,

(b) enabling the player to provide an input indicative of an acceptance of the offer to tour the bonus round,

(c) causing the display device to display the at least one tour play of the bonus round,

(d) receiving an indication of at least one player selection made using an input device of the gaming device during the tour of the bonus round,

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an outcome of the at least one tour play of the bonus round based on the received indication of the at least one player selection, and

(f) providing a prize associated with the determined outcome to the player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event includes an occurrence of a designated outcome of the play of the primary game, and further comprising enabling the player to provide an input indicative of acceptance of the offer to tour the bonus round without first requiring the designated outcome to occur.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the display device to display at least one lesson to the player during the tour of the bonus round.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the at least one lesson from a plurality of different lessons based on the received indication of the at least one player selection made during the tour of the bonus round.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the gaming device includes a slot machine.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the gaming device includes a video poker machine.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the expected amount of play of the gaming device based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one player status, an anticipated amount of demand of the gaming device, a wagering history of at least one player, a received indication that the player is present at the gaming device, a quantity of wins of the bonus round, a quantity of losses of the bonus round, a time of day, and a day of the week.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the prize associated with the determined outcome includes causing the gaming device to dispense the prize to the player.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the prize associated with the determined outcome of the tour of the bonus round is a first prize, and wherein a different second prize is associated with an occurrence of the determined outcome of the bonus round during a non-tour play of the bonus round.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to enable the player to tour the bonus round of the gaming device based, at least in part, on a quantity of times the player has previously toured the bonus round of the gaming device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if the player has previously toured the bonus round of the gaming device one or more times, the determination is to prevent the player from touring the bonus round.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

determining, prior to a wager being placed on a play of a primary game, an expected amount of play of a gaming device, the gaming device configured to enable a player to place the wager on the play of the primary game and to provide at least one input to;

(a) play the primary game, and

(b) play a bonus round upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game

determining, based on the determined expected amount of play of the gaming device, whether to enable the player to tour the bonus round of the gaming device, the tour including a tour play of the bonus round, the tour play of the bonus round provided without any occurrence of the triggering event; and

if the determination is to enable the player to tour the bonus round;

(a) causing a display device to display the tour play of the bonus round,

(b) receiving an indication of at least one player selection during the tour play of the bonus round,

(c) determining an outcome of the tour play of the bonus round based on the received indication of the at least one player selection, and

(d) providing a prize associated with the outcome to the player.

13. 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 to;

determine, prior to a wager being placed on a play of a primary game, an expected amount of play of the gaming device,

enable a player to place the wager on the play of the primary game,

enable the player to provide at least one input to;

(a) play the primary game, and

(b) play a bonus round upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game,

determine, based on the determined expected amount of play, whether to enable the player to tour the bonus round, the tour including at least one tour play of the bonus round provided without any occurrence of the triggering event, and

if the determination is to enable the player to tour the bonus round;

(a) display an offer to tour the bonus round,

(b) enable the player to provide an input indicative of acceptance of the offer to tour the bonus round,

(c) display the at least one tour play of the bonus round,

(d) receive an indication of at least one player selection during the at least one tour play of the bonus round,

(e) determine an outcome of the at least one tour play of the bonus round based on the received indication of the at least one player selection, and

(f) provide a prize associated with the outcome to the player.

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

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine, prior to a wager being placed on a play of a primary game, an expected amount of play of a gaming device, the gaming device configured to enable a player to place the wager on the play of the primary game and to provide at least one input to;

(a) play the primary game, and

(b) play a bonus round upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game; and

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the determined expected amount of play of the gaming device, whether to enable the player to tour the bonus round of the gaming device without any occurrence of the triggering event, the tour of the bonus round including at least one tour play of the bonus round, the at least one tour play of the bonus round;

(a) enabling a player to provide an input indicative of at least one tour player selection,

(b) including a determination by a processor of an outcome of the at least one tour play of the bonus round based on the input indicative of the at least one tour player selection, and

(c) resulting in a tour prize being provided to the player, the tour prize associated with the determined outcome of the at least one tour play of the bonus round.