Gaming device having a composite game with potential award-generating game or event and guaranteed award-generating game or event

• US 7,874,904 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Randall, Dov Liam
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer; Malina K
• Application Number:
  US11/205,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20070042824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A gaming device and a method of operating a gaming device which include at least one potential award-generating event and at least one guaranteed award-generating event. The award-generating events can include independent games of a composite game or independent plays of a game. For each occurrence of a potential award-generating event, at least one guaranteed award-generating event occurs to provide the player at least one award. In an embodiment, the award-generating events occur simultaneously by being simultaneously displayed to a player and simultaneously played. Even if a terminating event occurs in the potential or guaranteed award-generating event, an award is provided to the player in the guaranteed award-generating event. In an embodiment, the potential award-generating event includes an advancement game and the guaranteed award-generating event includes a random selection game. In an embodiment, if a predetermined number of awards provided to a player are associated with an accumulation indicator, the player is provided an additional award.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

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 input device and the at least one display device, for each and every play of a composite game, to;

(i) cause a display of said play of said composite game which includes;

(1) causing a display of at least one play of a potential award-generating game; and

(2) additionally and distinctly from the play of the potential award generating game, causing a display of at least one play of a guaranteed award-generating game, wherein for each and every play of the potential award-generating game, at least one play of the guaranteed award-generating game occurs,

(ii) for each play of the guaranteed award-generating game;

(1) display a randomly determined outcome from a plurality of different outcomes, the outcomes including a display of a plurality of symbols, and

(2) based upon the displayed randomly determined outcome, determine one of a plurality of monetary guaranteed awards to provide to a player,

(iii) in addition to randomly determining any monetary guaranteed award from each play of the guaranteed award-generating game and separate from any random determination of any monetary guaranteed awards, for each play of the potential award generating game, determine if any award is generated for said play of the potential award-generating game wherein, said award for said play of the potential award-generating game may or may not be generated, and

(iv) provide to the player all of said randomly determined monetary guaranteed awards generated from each play of the guaranteed award-generating game and any of said awards generated from each play of the potential award generating game of said play of the composite game.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the composite game is a bonus game.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the composite game is a base game operable upon a wager.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the award-generating games include at least one terminating event.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the composite game includes a plurality of potential award-generating games.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the composite game includes a plurality of guaranteed award-generating games.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display the potential award-generating game and the guaranteed award-generating game simultaneously, or at least partially simultaneously.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one play of the potential award-generating game and at least one play of the guaranteed award-generating game occur simultaneously or at least partially simultaneously.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to provide an additional award to the player if a predetermined outcome is achieved by the player in at least one of the award-generating games.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the additional award includes a progressive award.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the award-generating game includes a path game, said path game including a plurality of adjacently interconnected positions wherein an indicator is moved from a first position to a second position of said plurality of positions and wherein the player is provided an outcome associated with the indicated second position.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the path game includes a terminating event, wherein said terminating event includes indicating a second position having a terminating symbol associated with said second position.

13. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the number of positions moved by the indicator from a first position to a second position is randomly determined.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the guaranteed award-generating game includes a selection game, wherein an award provided to the player is based on a symbol associated with a picked selection.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes at least one of the configurations selected from the group consisting of:

a) said at least one processor including at least one central processor remote from the gaming device;

b) said at least one processor including at least one central processor remote from the gaming device, wherein the central processor controls at least one of the award-generating games;

c) wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one award-generating game downloaded from a central processor;

d) wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive each of the guaranteed award-generating games downloaded from the central processor;

e) wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive each of the potential award-generating games downloaded from the central processor; and

f) wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least one award-generating game downloaded from the central processor and wherein the award-generating game downloaded from the central processor is controlled by the central processor.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the display device is selected from the group consisting of at least one mechanical display device, at least one video display device, and combinations thereof.

17. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising for each and every play of a composite game:

(i) causing at least one processor to operate with one display device to display said composite game, including;

(a) displaying at least One play of a potential award-generating game, and

(b) additionally and distinctly from the play of the potential award-generating game, displaying at least one play of a guaranteed award-generating game wherein, for each and every play of the potential award-generating game, at least one play of the guaranteed award-generating game occurs;

(ii) for each play of the guaranteed award-generating game causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to;

(a) display a randomly determined outcome from a plurality of different outcomes, the outcomes including a display of a plurality of symbols, and

(b) based upon the displayed randomly determined outcome, determine one of a plurality of monetary guaranteed awards to provide to a player;

(iii) causing the at least one processor, in addition to randomly determining any guaranteed award from each play of the guaranteed award generating game and separate from any random determination of any monetary guaranteed awards, for each play of the potential award-generating game, to separately determine if any award is generated for said play of the potential award-generating game wherein, said award for said play of the potential award-generating game may or may not be generated; and

(iv) causing the at least one processor to provide to the player all of said randomly determined monetary guaranteed awards generated from each play of the guaranteed award-generating game and all of said random awards generated from each play of the potential award-generating game of said play of the composite game.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes associating a terminating event with at least one of the award-generating games.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the composite game includes a plurality of potential award-generating games.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the composite game includes a plurality of guaranteed award-generating games.

21. The method of claim 17, which includes simultaneously or at least partially simultaneously causing the at least one display device to display the potential award-generating game and the guaranteed award-generating game.

22. The method of claim 17, which includes simultaneously or at least partially simultaneously causing play of the potential award-generating game and the guaranteed award-generating game.

23. The method of claim 17 which includes providing an additional award to the player if a predetermined outcome is achieved by the player in at least one of the award-generating games.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the additional award includes a progressive award.

25. The method of claim 23, which includes terminating the composite game if the predetermined outcome is achieved by the player.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the award-generating game includes a path game, said path game including a plurality of adjacently interconnected positions wherein an indicator is moved from a first position to a second position of said plurality of positions and wherein the player is provided an outcome associated with the indicated second position.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the path game includes a terminating event, wherein the terminating event includes indicating a second position having a terminating symbol associated with said second position.

28. The method of claim 26, which includes randomly determining the number of positions moved by the indicator from the first position to the second position.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the award-generating game includes a selection game, wherein an award provided to the player is based on a symbol associated with a picked selection.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the selection game includes a terminating event, wherein the terminating event includes picking at least one selection having a terminating symbol associated with said selection.

31. The method of claim 17, which includes at least one of the steps selected from the group consisting of:

a) controlling at least one of the award-generating games from at least one central processor;

b) downloading at least one of the award-generating games from at least one central processor;

c) downloading each of the award-generating games from at least one central processor; and

d) downloading at least one of the award-generating games from at least one central processor, wherein the award-generating game downloaded from said central processor is controlled by said central processor.

32. The method of claim 17, which includes at least one of the steps selected from the group consisting of causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the award-generating games by a mechanical display device, and causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the award-generating games by a video display device.