Gaming device having changed or generated player stimuli

• US 8,016,674 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lucchesi, Matthew, Kremer, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duffy; David
• Application Number:
  US11/841,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 30- 35, 273/138.1, 273/143.R, 273459-461, 273/269, 273/292
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

A gaming system which maintains a count of the consecutive plays of a game. The system produces a same player stimuli for a designated quantity of the consecutive plays, and the system produces a different player stimuli for one or more of the plays which occur after the designated quantity is reached.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device configured to display a wagering game operable upon placement of a wager by a player, said wagering game having a plurality of different outcomes;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing 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;

(a) maintain a count of how many consecutive plays of the wagering game occur, wherein each play of the wagering game includes a random determination of one of said outcomes;

(b) produce a same player stimulus for a designated quantity of the consecutive plays of the wagering game, the designated quantity being at least two;

(c) produce a different player stimulus for the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached until a reset condition occurs, the different player stimulus being produced independently of any of the outcomes of the plays of the wagering game;

(d) after the reset condition occurs, produce the same player stimulus and not the different player stimulus for at least one play of the wagering game; and

(e) for each play of the wagering game, if the determined outcome is a winning outcome, provide the player a monetary award based on said determined outcome and the wager placed on said play of the wagering game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said different player stimulus is an increase in speed of play of the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one display device is configured to display a plurality of reels as part of the wagering game and said different player stimulus is an increase in speed of the reels spinning in the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to automatically cause the designated quantity of consecutive plays of the wagering game to occur.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein said different player stimulus is an increase in speed of play of the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the at least one display device is configured to display a plurality of reels as part of the wagering game and said different player stimulus is an increase in speed of the reels spinning in the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

7. A method of operating a gaming system having a wagering game operable upon placement of a wager by a player, said wagering game having a plurality of different outcomes, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored on at least one memory device to maintain a count of how many consecutive plays of the wagering game occur, wherein each play of the wagering game includes a random determination of one of said outcomes;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to produce a same player stimulus for a designated quantity of the consecutive plays of the wagering game, the designated quantity being at least two;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to produce a different player stimulus for the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached until a reset condition occurs, the different player stimulus being produced independently of any of the outcomes of the plays of the wagering game;

(d) after the reset condition occurs, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to produce the same player stimulus and not the different player stimulus for at least one play of the wagering game; and

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of the wagering game, if the determined outcome is a winning outcome, provide the player a monetary award based on said determined outcome and the wager placed on said play of the wagering game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to produce said different player stimulus includes increasing speed of play of the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wagering game includes a plurality of reels, and which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase speed of the reels spinning in the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

10. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to automatically cause the designated quantity of consecutive plays of the wagering game to occur.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to produce said different player stimulus includes increasing speed of play of the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wagering game includes a plurality of reels and includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase speed of the reels spinning in the plays of the wagering game that occur after the designated quantity is reached and before the reset condition occurs.

13. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is the internet.