Gaming device having competitive/bonus matching game

• US 7,901,282 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/457,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 23, 463 25- 26, 463/33, 273/137, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/269, 273/273, 273/138.2, 273/148.R, 273460-461
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3262 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

Abstract

A gaming device including a display device, a plurality of different symbols displayable by the display device, a processor, an input device operable with the processor to enable a player to pick a number of the different symbols for the play of the game, the processor configured for said play of the game to cause a number of different symbols to be picked by the game, cause at least one symbol from the plurality of different symbols to be drawn for matching, count a first amount of like player-picked symbols and processor drawn symbols, count a second amount of like game-picked symbols and processor drawn symbols, and provide an award if any to the player based on a difference between the first amount and the second amount.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising:

a display device controlled by the at least one processor;

an input device in communication with the at least one processor;

a memory device in communication with the at least one processor, said memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor, for a single play of a game, to;

(i) cause the display device to display a plurality of selections;

(ii) cause a first selection of a first subset of the plurality of selections;

(iii) cause a second selection of a second subset of the plurality of selections;

(iv) cause a third selection of a third subset of the plurality of selections, the first selection, the second selection, and the third selection each being independent of one another;

(v) compare said first subset of the plurality of selections to said third subset of said plurality of selections;

(vi) compare said second subset of the plurality of selections to said third subset of said plurality of selections;

(vii) determine a first number based on said comparison of said first subset to said third subset, said first number being based on a quantity of like selections between the first subset and the third subset;

(viii) determine a second number based on said comparison of said second subset to said third subset, said second number being based on a quantity of like selections between the second subset and the third subset;

(ix) determine if said first number is greater than said second number; and

(x) if said first number is greater than said second number;

(a) cause the display device to display an indication that a first award is to be provided to a player, and

(b) cause said first award to be provided to the player.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first award includes a play of a bonus game.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first award includes a credit amount.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first award includes a credit modifier.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the input device enables the player to provide at least one input to select the first subset of the plurality of selections.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to randomly select the second subset of the plurality of selections.

7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the player is a first player, and wherein the memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the second selection of the second subset of the plurality of selections by receiving data indicative of the second selection from a second player.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if said first number is less than said second number, cause the first award to be provided to the second player.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to randomly select the second subset of the plurality of selections.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores instructions which cause the at least one processor to, if the first number is equal to a predetermined number:

(a) cause the display device to display an indication that a second award is to be provided to the player and (b) cause the second award to be provided to the player.

11. A method of operating a gaming device to provide a single play of a game, said method comprising:

(i) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of selections;

(ii) enabling a first selection of a first subset of the plurality of selections;

(iii) enabling a second selection of a second subset of the plurality of selections;

(iv) enabling a third selection of a third subset of the plurality of selections, the first selection, the second selection, and the third selection each being independent of one another;

(v) comparing said first subset of the plurality of selections to said third subset of said plurality of selections;

(vi) comparing said second subset of the plurality of selections to said third subset of said plurality of selections;

(vii) determining a first number based on said comparison of said first subset to said third subset, said first number being based on a quantity of like selections between the first subset and the third subset;

(viii) determining a second number based on said comparison of said second subset to said third subset, said second number being based on a quantity of like selections between the second subset and the third subset;

(ix) determining if said first number is greater than said second number; and

(x) if said first number is greater than said second number;

(a) causing the at least one display device to display an indication that a first award is to be provided to a player, and

(b) providing said first award to the player.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes a play of a bonus game.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes a credit amount.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes a credit modifier.

15. The method of claim 11, which includes enabling the player to select the first subset of the plurality of selections.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes randomly selecting the second subset of the plurality of selections.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the player is a first player, and which includes enabling the second selection of the second subset of the plurality of selections to be made by a second player.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes, if said first number is less than said second number, causing the first award to be provided to the second player.

19. The method of claim 11, which includes randomly selecting the second subset of the plurality of selections.

20. The method of claim 11, which includes, if said first number is equal to a predetermined number, (a) causing the at least one display device to display an indication that a second award is to be provided to the player, and (b) providing the second award to the player.

21. A gaming system comprising:

a controller programmed to operate with a first gaming device and a second gaming device to;

(a) cause a display of a plurality of symbols on a first display device of the first gaming device and on a second display device of the second gaming device;

(b) enable a first player at the first gaming device to select a first set of the plurality of displayed symbols;

(c) enable a second player at the second gaming device to independently select a second set of the plurality of displayed symbols;

(d) cause a random selection of a third set of the plurality of displayed symbols, the random selection of the third set of symbols being independent of the first set of symbols and the second set of symbols;

(e) cause a comparison of said first set of symbols to said third set of symbols, said comparison determining a first quantity of matching symbols;

(f) cause a comparison of said second set of symbols to said third set of symbols, said comparison determining a second quantity of matching symbols;

(g) if the first quantity of matching symbols is greater than the second quantity of matching symbols, cause the first gaming device to provide an award to the first player; and

(h) if the second quantity of matching symbols is greater than the first quantity of matching symbols, cause the second gaming device to provide the award to the second player.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the award includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a play of a bonus game, a credit amount, and a credit modifier.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, which includes:

if the first quantity of matching symbols exceeds a predetermined number, causing the first gaming device to provide a bonus award to the first player; and

if the second quantity of matching symbols exceeds the predetermined number, causing the second gaming device to provide the bonus award to the second player.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the bonus award includes an amount based on a difference between the first quantity of matching symbols or the second quantity of matching symbols and the predetermined number.

25. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the award includes an amount based on the difference between the first quantity of matching symbols and the second quantity of matching symbols.