Gaming device providing an award based on a count of outcomes which meets a condition

• US 8,002,620 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Bolich, Kathleen, Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer; Malina K
• Application Number:
  US10/993,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 463/11, 463/16, 463/20, 273/143.R, 138/0.1, 138/0.2
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing an award based on a multiplicity of game outcomes. In one implementation the invention provides a method for providing a game. The method includes placing a bet by a player, playing of a game to produce a game outcome, evaluating a primary game outcome, paying a direct award if the primary outcome merits it, advancing a bonus accumulator if the primary outcome merits it, and if the bonus accumulator has advanced sufficiently, paying a bonus award to the player and clearing the bonus accumulator.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one memory device, and for a single play of a game upon a wager, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a plurality of selection areas;

(ii) receive one input corresponding to one pick of one of the plurality of the displayed selection areas;

(iii) for the picked selection area, reveal one of a plurality of different symbols;

(iv) determine if any of the revealed symbols define one of a plurality of different, predetermined symbol combinations, each of the predetermined symbol combinations meeting only one of a first condition and a different second condition, each of the predetermined symbol combinations including a plurality of revealed symbols and each of the predetermined symbol combinations being determined prior to the single play of the game;

(v) if the revealed symbols define one of the predetermined symbol combinations meeting the first condition, provide a first award;

(vi) if the revealed symbols define one of the predetermined symbol combinations meeting the different, second condition;

(1) add one count to a counter to form a total count;

(2) indicate the total count; and

(3) provide a second award if the total count reaches a designated level which is greater than one; and

(vii) if the revealed symbols do not define any of the predetermined symbol combinations;

(a) do not provide any award in association with the revealed symbol;

(b) do not add any count to the counter in association with the revealed symbol; and

(c) if a termination event does not occur, repeat (ii) to (vii) at least once.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first condition includes a win condition having a requirement which is met after:

(a) the defined symbol combination corresponds to a win category; and

(b) the symbols of said defined symbol combination are identical to one another.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the second condition includes a non-win condition having a requirement which is met after:

(a) the defined symbol combination corresponds to a non-win category; and

(b) the symbols of said defined symbol combination are identical to one another, and the symbols of said defined symbol combination being different from the symbols of the defined symbol combination which meets the first condition.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second condition has a requirement which is met after the symbols of the defined symbol combination are identical to one another, and said symbols of the defined symbol combination being different from the symbols of the defined symbol combination which meets the first condition.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to determine whether a counter reset condition is met if the defined symbol combination meets the second condition, and said defined symbol combination includes at least one symbol different than at least one symbol of another one of the defined symbol combinations which meets the second condition.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause a display of a visual indication of the total count.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first award and the second award are randomly determined.

8. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one memory device storing;

(a) a plurality of instructions; and

(b) data corresponding to a plurality of different types of symbols; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one memory device, for a single play of a game upon a wager, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a plurality of selection areas;

(ii) receive one input corresponding to one pick of one of the plurality of the displayed selection areas;

(iii) for the picked selection area, reveal one of a plurality of different symbols;

(iv) determine if any of the revealed symbols define one of a plurality of different, predetermined symbol combinations, each of the predetermined symbol combinations including only one of a first type of symbols and a different, second type of symbols, each of the predetermined symbol combinations including a plurality of revealed symbols and each of the predetermined symbol combinations being determined prior to the single play of the game;

(v) if the revealed symbols define one of the predetermined symbol combinations including a plurality of the first type of the symbols;

(A) determine one of a plurality of first outcomes based on the defined symbol combination including a plurality of the first type of symbols;

(B) provide a first award based on the determined first outcome;

(vi) if the revealed symbols define one of the predetermined symbol combinations including a plurality of the second type of the symbols;

(A) determine one of a plurality of second outcomes based on the defined symbol combination including a plurality of the second type of symbols;

(B) based one the determined second outcome;

(1) add one count to a counter to form a total count;

(2) indicate the total count; and

(3) provide a second award if the total count reaches a designated level which is greater than one; and

(vii) if the revealed symbols do not define any of the predetermined symbol combinations;

(a) do not provide any award in association with the revealed symbol;

(b) do not add any count to the counter in association with the revealed symbol; and

(c) if a termination event does not occur, repeat (ii) to (vii) at least once.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the determined one of a plurality of first outcomes corresponds to a win category.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the determined one of the second outcomes corresponds to a non-win category.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to determine whether a counter reset condition is met if the total count reaches the designated level.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause a display of a visual indication of the total count.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the inputs are received consecutively.

14. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the total count is maintained for consecutive occurrences of the symbol combination that includes a plurality of the second type of symbols.

15. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one memory device, for a single game session upon a wager, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) for a play of a card game during the game session, generate one card from a plurality of cards;

(ii) determine if any of the generated cards define one of a plurality of different, predetermined card combinations, each of the predetermined card combinations meeting only one of a first award condition and an accumulation condition, each of the predetermined card combinations including a plurality of generated cards and each of the predetermined card combinations being determined prior to the single game session;

(iii) if the generated cards define one of the predetermined card combinations meeting the first award condition, provide a first award;

(iv) if the generated cards define one of the predetermined card combinations meeting the accumulation condition;

(1) add one count to a counter to form a total count;

(2) indicate the total count; and

(3) provide a second award based, at least in part, on if the total count reaches a designated value greater than one; and

(v) if the generated cards do not define any of the predetermined card combinations;

(a) do not provide any award in association with the generated card;

(b) do not add any count to the counter in association with the generated card; and

(c) if a termination event does not occur, repeat (i) to (v) at least once.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the accumulation condition includes a non-award condition.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the accumulation condition includes a second award condition which is different from the first award condition.

18. The gaming system of claim 15, which includes at least one instruction executable by the processor to cause the at least one display device to receive at least on input with respect to at least one of the generated cards, the input affecting the card combination.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the card game includes a game selected from the group consisting of blackjack, poker, buy-a-pay match poker, accumulated win poker, multi-strike poker, and multi-strike star poker.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, which includes at least one instruction executable by the processor to determine the counter reset condition is met if the total count reaches the designated value.

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the game session includes a single play of the card game.

22. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the game session has:

(a) a starting point which starts after the wager is provided by a player;

(b) an effective period which remains in effect as long as there is a balance of credit for the player which meets a game play condition; and

(c) a plurality of plays of the game during the effective period.

23. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one memory device, for a single play of a game upon a wager, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a plurality of selection areas;

(b) receive a plurality of consecutive inputs corresponding to a plurality of picks of a plurality of the selection areas;

(c) for each one of the picked selection areas, reveal one of a plurality of different symbols such that a plurality of the revealed symbols define one of a plurality of different symbol combinations, and each of the defined symbol combinations satisfy only one of a winning condition and only one of a plurality of counter modification conditions;

(d) if the defined symbol combination satisfies the winning condition, provide a first award based on the defined symbol combination satisfying the winning condition; and

(e) if the defined symbol combination satisfies a first one of the plurality of counter modification conditions;

(i) add a count to a counter

(ii) indicate a total count;

(iii) display another plurality of selection areas, said other plurality of selection areas being independent from any previously displayed plurality of selection areas for the single play of the game;

(iv) receive a plurality of consecutive inputs corresponding to a plurality of picks of the other plurality of selection areas;

(v) for each one of the other picked selection areas, reveal one of a plurality of different symbols such that a plurality of the revealed symbols define a subsequent symbol combination;

(vii) if the defined subsequent symbol combination satisfies the winning condition, provide a second award based on the defined subsequent symbol combination satisfying the winning condition;

(viii) if the defined subsequent symbol combination satisfies the first one of the plurality of counter modification conditions;

(1) do not reset the counter;

(2) add another count to the counter to update the total count;

(3) indicate the updated total count; and

(4) provide a third award based, at least in part, on the indicated updated total count; and

(ix) if the defined subsequent symbol combination satisfies a second different one of the plurality of counter modification conditions;

(1) do not add another count to the counter; and

(2) reset the counter.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the first one of the plurality of counter modification conditions includes a non-award condition.

25. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the second, different one of the plurality of counter modification conditions includes a second winning condition which is different from the winning condition of (d).

26. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to reset the total count as a result of (b) having been repeated a designated quantity of times.

27. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the first one of the plurality of counter modification conditions includes a condition selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a plurality of matching symbols of one type; and

(b) a plurality of matching symbols of a different type.

28. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to repeat (e)(iii) to (ix) at least once if the defined subsequent symbol combination does not satisfy the winning condition and no award is provided.

29. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the first award, the second award and the third award are randomly determined.