Method and apparatus for facilitating entry into bonus rounds

• US 8,142,272 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Gelman, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US11/160,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present invention allows gaming devices to set or modify game parameters through the use of random events such as spinning slot machine reels and/or random number generators. In one embodiment, a player may purchase an entry into a bonus round of a bonus game, without first having to qualify for the entry by obtaining a qualifying outcome of a base game. In one embodiment, a player may provide payment for an entry into one or more bonus rounds to establish an initial credit meter balance, wherein the initial credit meter balance is set to a number of credits based on the results of the one or more bonus rounds and not to an amount of credits corresponding to the payment provided by the player, wherein the player can pay for the entry without first having to qualify for the entry via a qualifying outcome of the base game.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating play of a gaming device, said method comprising:

independent of any determined results of any plays of any base games, receiving, at the gaming device, a monetary payment associated with a first number of electronic monetary credits;

without adding the first number of electronic monetary credits to a designated monetary credit meter balance of the gaming device, initiating at least one play of a secondary game in response to receiving the monetary payment;

for each of the at least one play of the secondary game, causing at least one processor to;

(i) determine a result of said secondary game based on a random event, and

(ii) display the determined result of the secondary game;

determining a second number of electronic monetary credits based on any quantity of electronic monetary credits resulting from the at least one play of the secondary game;

causing the designated monetary credit meter balance to display the second number of electronic monetary credits rather than the first number of electronic monetary credits, thereby establishing an initial monetary credit meter balance for wagering on at least one play of a base game of the gaming device using the second number of electronic monetary credits; and

requiring at least one monetary credit of the initial monetary credit meter balance to be wagered on the at least one play of the base game of the gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the gaming device, data indicative of a commitment from a player to participate in a designated quantity of game plays of the base game upon a completion of the at least one play of the secondary game.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the player has participated in the designated quantity of game plays of the base game; and

upon determining that the player has participated in the designated quantity of game plays of the base game, providing an award to the player based on the then displayed designated monetary credit meter balance.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes, prior to receiving said monetary payment associated with the first number of electronic monetary credits, receiving a request from a player to establish the initial monetary credit meter balance based on at least one result of the at least one play of the secondary game.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes determining the result of at least one additional play of the secondary game upon an occurrence of a triggering event during at least one play of the base game resulting from the required wager.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes requiring at least one monetary credit of the initial monetary credit meter balance to be wagered on a gaming session, the gaming session associated with a plurality of plays of the base game provided in exchange for the required wager.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes determining the second number of electronic monetary credits based on any quantity of electronic monetary credits resulting from the at least one play of the secondary game and also based, at least in part, on the received monetary payment.

8. A gaming device comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device; 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 display device to;

enable at least one wager on at least one play of a base game,

enable at least one play of a bonus secondary game, said secondary game configured to be triggered by an occurrence of a triggering event in at least one play of the base game,

display a designated monetary credit meter balance, and

in a first mode of operation;

(i) independent of any determined results of any plays of any base games, receive an amount of monetary funds in exchange for generation of an outcome of a random event, the amount of monetary funds associated with a first number of electronic monetary credits,

(ii) determine a second number of electronic monetary credits based on the outcome of the random event,

(iii) display the second number of electronic monetary credits on the designated monetary credit meter balance rather than displaying the first number of electronic monetary credits, and

(iv) require at least one wager on at least one play of the base game utilizing at least one of the monetary credits of the second number of electronic monetary credits displayed on the designated monetary credit meter balance.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a mechanical reel slot machine and a video reel slot machine.

10. The gaming device of claim 8, which includes at least one input device, and wherein the plurality of instructions, 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 enable a player to provide data indicative of a commitment to complete a specified number of plays of the base game using at least a portion of the second number of electronic monetary credits determined in the first mode of operation based on the outcome of the random event.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to prevent the player from withdrawing any of the second number of electronic monetary credits determined in the first mode of operation based on the outcome of the random event prior to a satisfaction of the commitment.

12. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the first number of electronic monetary credits based on the amount of monetary funds received by the gaming device in the first mode of operation without increasing the designated monetary credit meter balance in response to determining said first number of electronic monetary credits.

13. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the at least one display device includes a monetary credit meter display device for displaying the designated monetary credit meter balance and a second display device separate from the monetary credit meter display device, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to display, on the second display device and not on the monetary credit meter display device, an indication of the amount of monetary funds received by the gaming device in the first mode of operation.

14. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the outcome of the random event is determined in the first mode of operation based on a random number generated during the secondary game prior to any play of the base game.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, in a second mode of operation:

(i) enable the at least one required wager on the at least one play of the base game, and

(ii) if the at least one play of the base game results in an occurrence of the triggering event;

(A) generate an additional random outcome of the secondary game, and

(B) display an alteration of the second number of electronic monetary credits on the designated monetary credit meter balance.

16. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to enable a player to provide data indicative of a request to determine the designated monetary credit meter balance based on the outcome of the random event.

17. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the second number of electronic monetary credits is determined based, at least in part, on the received amount of monetary funds.

18. A gaming system 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 to;

(a) display a session play monetary credit meter,

(b) independent of any determined results of any plays of any base games of the gaming session, enable a player to provide a monetary payment in exchange for a play of a secondary game,

(c) randomly generate at least one secondary game outcome in exchange for the provided monetary payment,

(d) based on the at least one randomly generated secondary game outcome, display an initial monetary credit amount on the session play monetary credit meter, the initial monetary credit amount usable to wager on one or more plays of a base game,

(e) require the player to wager at least a portion of the initial monetary credit amount on a gaming session, the gaming session including a plurality of plays of the base game provided in exchange for the wager on the gaming session,

(f) in exchange for the required wager on the gaming session, determine a plurality of outcomes of the plurality of plays of the base game of the gaming session, and

(g) for each of any of the plurality of determined outcomes which is associated with a non-zero award, increment the session play monetary credit meter based on said non-zero award for said one of the plurality of determined outcomes.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein if any of the plurality of determined outcomes of the plurality of plays of the base game of the gaming session is associated with a triggering event, the plurality of instructions, 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 to:

(h) randomly generate at least one additional secondary game outcome in response to the occurrence of the triggering event, and

(i) increment the session play monetary credit meter based on any amount associated with the additional secondary game outcome.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to require the player to wager all of the initial monetary credit amount on a gaming session.

21. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to prevent the player from withdrawing any amount displayed on the session play monetary credit meter until after a designated quantity of plays of the base game have occurred.

22. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to prevent the player from withdrawing any amount displayed on the session play monetary credit meter until the gaming session is finished.

23. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the initial monetary credit amount is greater than, less than, or equal to, a designated quantity of monetary credits associated with the wager amount for the play of the bonus secondary game.

24. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the at least one bonus secondary game amount is based, at least in part, on the monetary payment provided in exchange for the play of the secondary game.