Wagering game with enhanced progressive game

• US 8,038,528 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Peter R., Mastropietro, Michael W., Englman, Allon G
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/587,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 27, 463/30, 463/42, 273/274
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

A method of playing a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a multi-level secondary game. The method includes conducting the basic game at a gaming terminal. In response to achieving a first-level secondary game entry award, a first-level secondary game is activated. A first set of player-selectable game elements is displayed during the first level secondary game and a player selects, at least one of the first set of player-selectable game elements, which include at least one second-level secondary game entry award. Upon selecting the second-level secondary game entry award, a second-level secondary game is activated and a second set of player-selectable game elements are displayed. The player selects at least one of the second set of player-selectable game elements and a progressive game payoff is awarded based on the selecting.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal for playing a special-event game, the gaming terminal having a display; and

a signage that is related to the special event game and is coupled to a plurality of gaming terminals including the gaming terminal and is located proximate to the gaming terminal, the signage having a signage display that displays images from any of the plurality of gaming terminals;

wherein an identical first image of the special-event game having a plurality of image elements is simultaneously displayed on the display of the gaming terminal and the signage display, and after receiving a player input related to one of the image elements, changing one of the plurality of image elements to an alpha-numeric element on the display of the gaming terminal, wherein a second image of the special-event game having the identical plurality of image elements as the first image except for the alpha-numeric element is displayed on the display of the gaming terminal and the signage display simultaneously displays an altered version of the second image of the special-event game including the identical plurality of image elements identical to the first image except that the changed one of the plurality of image elements corresponding to the alpha-numeric element displayed on the gaming terminal is changed to a non-alpha-numeric format.

2. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal including an input device and a terminal display device;

a signage display device external and coupled to the gaming terminal; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the input device, the terminal display device, and the signage display device to;

receive a wager;

initiate a special event game including an array of selectable elements;

display the array of selectable elements on the terminal display device;

display the same array of selectable elements on the signage display device; and

in response to selection of one or more of the selectable elements in the array, reveal, on the terminal display device, awards in a numeric format proximate the respective one or more selected elements and reveal, on the signage display device, the awards in a non-numeric format, but not the numeric format, proximate the respective one or more selected elements.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the array of selectable elements includes multiple rows and multiple columns.

4. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the awards in the numeric format include credit amounts.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the awards in the non-numeric format include symbols indicative that credit amounts have been won.

6. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the awards in the numeric format and the non-numeric format are simultaneously displayed on the respective terminal display device and the signage display device.

7. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the gaming system includes a plurality of gaming terminals including the gaming terminal.

8. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system including a gaming terminal and a signage display device, the gaming terminal including an input device and a terminal display device, the signage display device being external and coupled to the gaming terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a wager via the input device;

initiating, by one or more processors, a special event game including an array of selectable elements;

displaying the array of selectable elements on the terminal display device;

displaying the same array of selectable elements on the signage display device; and

in response to selection of one or more of the selectable elements in the array, revealing, on the terminal display device, awards in a numeric format proximate the respective one or more selected elements and revealing, on the signage display device, the awards in a non-numeric format, but not the numeric format, proximate the respective one or more selected elements.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the array of selectable elements includes multiple rows and multiple columns.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the awards in the numeric format include credit amounts.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the awards in the non-numeric format include symbols indicative that credit amounts have been won.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the awards in the numeric format and the non-numeric format are simultaneously displayed on the respective terminal display device and the signage display device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the gaming system includes a plurality of gaming terminals including the gaming terminal.

14. One or more machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a wager via an input device of a gaming terminal;

initiating a special event game including an array of selectable elements;

displaying the array of selectable elements on a terminal display device of the gaming terminal;

displaying the same array of selectable elements on a signage display device, the signage display device being external and coupled to the gaming terminal; and

in response to selection of one or more of the selectable elements in the array, revealing, on the terminal display device, awards in a numeric format proximate the respective one or more selected elements and revealing, on the signage display device, the awards in a non-numeric format, but not the numeric format, proximate the respective one or more selected elements.

15. The storage media of claim 14, wherein the array of selectable elements includes multiple rows and multiple columns.

16. The storage media of claim 14, wherein the awards in the numeric format include credit amounts.

17. The storage media of claim 16, wherein the awards in the non-numeric format include symbols indicative that credit amounts have been won.

18. The storage media of claim 14, wherein the awards in the numeric format and the non-numeric format are simultaneously displayed on the respective terminal display device and the signage display device.

19. The storage media of claim 14, wherein the gaming system includes a plurality of gaming terminals including the gaming terminal.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal including an input device and a terminal display device;

a signage display device external and coupled to the gaming terminal; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the input device, the terminal display device, and the signage display device to;

receive a wager;

initiate a special event game including an array of selectable elements;

display the same array of selectable elements on both the terminal display device and the signage display device; and

in response to selection of one or more of the selectable elements in the array, reveal awards proximate the respective one or more selected elements, the one or more awards being displayed on the terminal display device in a numeric format and being displayed on the signage display device in a non-numeric, but not the numeric, format.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the array of selectable elements includes multiple rows and multiple columns.

22. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the awards in the numeric format include credit amounts.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the awards in the non-numeric format include symbols indicative that credit amounts have been won.

24. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the awards in the numeric format and the non-numeric format are simultaneously displayed on the respective terminal display device and the signage display device.

25. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the gaming system includes a plurality of gaming terminals including the gaming terminal.