Class of feature event games suitable for linking to multiple gaming machines

• US 8,251,800 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer, Malina K
• Application Number:
  US12/761,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 463/21, 463/23, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/21
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming method, apparatus and system for playing a game of chance is disclosed in which a plurality of gaming machines may be linked together for mutually competitive play. According to one embodiment, two or more gaming machines are linked to a centrally located display exhibiting a game board comprising one or more groups of earmarkable cells in one or more groups. Players on the gaming machines wager and attempt to achieve winning outcomes which earmark cells in the group with designators of their respective gaming machines. When a predetermined number or configuration of cells of a group are earmarked, an award may be distributed to those gaming machines having earmarked cells according to the number of designators within that group associated with each gaming machine. The game of chance may be configured for play on an individual gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

(a) at least one processor;

(b) at least one input device;

(c) at least one display device; and

(d) a 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 and the at least one input device to;

(i) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game;

(ii) generate and display one of a plurality of different game outcomes for the play of the game, said plurality of different game outcomes including at least a first game outcome and a second different game outcome; and

(iii) provide the player any award associated with the displayed game outcome; and

at least one central controller configured to operate with the plurality of gaming devices, for a play of a group game, to

(a) cause a display of a first award associated with a first group of displayed cells;

(b) cause a display of a second different award associated with a second different group of displayed cells;

(c) for each of said plurality of gaming devices;

(i) for each occurrence of the first game outcome for said gaming device, associate one of said cells of the first group of cells with said gaming device and cause a display of a designation indicative of said gaming device, said displayed designation being associated with said cell of the first group of cells, and

(ii) for each occurrence of the second different game outcome for said gaming device, associate one of said cells from the second different group of cells with said gaming device and cause a display of the designation indicative of said gaming device, said displayed designation being associated with said cell of the second group of cells;

(d) if a first predetermined quantity of said cells of the first group of cells is associated with at least one of said gaming devices;

(i) based on said occurrences of the first game outcome, select a first plurality of the gaming devices to receive a portion of the first award, said first plurality of the gaming devices including the gaming devices associated with the cells of the first group of cells, and

(ii) for each of the selected first plurality of the gaming devices;

(A) determine a portion of the first award based on a quantity of cells of the first group of cells associated with said gaming device, and

(B) cause said gaming device to provide the player of said gaming device the determined portion of said first award; and

(e) if a second predetermined quantity of said cells of said second different group of cells is associated with at least one of said gaming devices;

(i) based on said occurrences of the second game outcome, select a second plurality of the gaming devices to receive a portion of the second award, said second plurality of the gaming devices including the gaming devices associated with the cells of the second group of cells, and

(ii) for each of the selected second plurality of the gaming devices;

(A) determine a portion of the second different award based on a quantity of cells of the second group of cells associated with said gaming device, and

(B) cause said gaming device to provide the player of said gaming device the determined portion of said second different award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined quantity of cells of the first group of cells is different than the second predetermined quantity of cells of the second group of cells.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined quantity of said cells of the first group of cells includes all of the cells in the first group of cells.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined quantity of said cells of the second group of cells includes all of the cells in the second group of cells.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each cell of the first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells can be associated with multiple gaming devices.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each cell of the first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells can be associated with any of the gaming devices.

7. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

(a) at least one processor;

(b) at least one input device;

(c) at least one display device; and

(d) a 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 and the at least one input device to;

(i) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game;

(ii) generate and display one of a plurality of different game outcomes for the play of the game; and

(iii) provide the player any award associated with the displayed game outcome; and

at least one central controller configured to operate with the plurality of gaming devices to;

(a) cause a display of a play of a group game including;

(i) a first plurality of cells and a first award associated with and displayed in association with said first plurality of cells, and

(ii) a second plurality of cells and a second different award associated with and displayed in association with said second plurality of cells;

(b) for each game outcome from a first set of game outcomes which occurs, associate a cell of the first plurality of cells with the gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices at which the game outcome from the first set of game outcomes was generated, designate said cell with a designation indicative of said gaming device, and cause a display of said designation;

(c) for each game outcome from a second set of game outcomes which occurs, associate a cell of the second plurality of cells with the gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices at which the game outcome from the second set of game outcomes was generated, designate said cell with a designation indicative of said gaming device, and cause a display of said designation;

(d) if a first group goal is achieved through designation of each of the first plurality of cells;

(i) based on said occurrences of the game outcomes from the first set of game outcomes, select a first plurality of the gaming devices to receive a portion of the first award, said first plurality of the gaming devices including the gaming devices associated with the cells of the first group of cells, and

(ii) for each of the selected first plurality of the gaming devices;

(A) determine a portion of the first award based on a quantity of designated cells of the first group of cells that include the designation indicative of said gaming device, and

(B) cause said gaming device to provide the player of said gaming device the determined portion of said first award; and

(e) if a second group goal is achieved through designation of each of the second plurality of cells;

(i) based on said occurrences of the game outcomes from the second set of game outcomes, select a second plurality of the gaming devices to receive a portion of the first award, said second plurality of the gaming devices including the gaming devices associated with the cells of the second group of cells, and

(ii) for each of the selected second plurality of the gaming devices;

(A) determine a portion of the second different award based on based on a quantity of designated cells of the second group of cells that include the designation indicative of said gaming device, and

(B) cause said gaming device to provide the player of said gaming device the determined portion of said second different award.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein each cell of the first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells can be designated with multiple designations for multiple gaming devices.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein, for each game outcome from the first set of game outcomes, the central controller is configured to designate one of the cells of the first plurality of cells and remove a previous designation, if any, from said one of the cells;

and for each game outcome from the second set of game outcomes, the central controller is configured to designate one of the cells of the second plurality of cells and remove a previous designation, if any, from said one of the cells.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

(a) at least one processor;

(b) at least one input device;

(c) at least one display device; and

(d) a 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 and the at least one input device to;

(i) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game;

(ii) generate and display one of a plurality of different game outcomes for the play of the game; and

(iii) provide the player any award associated with the displayed game outcome;

at least one central controller configured to operate with the plurality of gaming devices, for a play of a group game, to;

(a) cause a display of;

(i) a first award in association with a first group of displayed cells, and

(ii) a second different award in association with a second different group of displayed cells;

(b) for each game outcome from a first set of game outcomes generated by one of the gaming devices, designate one of the cells of the first group of cells with a designation indicative of said gaming device and display said designation;

(c) for each game outcome from a second different set of game outcomes generated by one of the gaming devices, designate one of the cells of the second group of cells with a designation indicative of said gaming device and display said designation;

(d) if a first quantity of the cells in the first group of cells is designated, provide a portion of said first award to each of a first plurality of players, wherein the portion provided to each of said players is determined based on a quantity of said designated cells in the first group of cells associated with said player; and

(e) if a second quantity of the cells in the second group of cells is designated, provide a portion of said second different award to each of a second plurality of players, wherein the portion of the second award provided to each of said players is determined based on a quantity of said designated cells in the second group of cells associated with said player.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the quantity of said designated cells in the first group of cells associated with each player corresponds to a number of outcomes from the first set of outcomes achieved at the gaming device at which said player is playing.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the quantity of said designated cells in the second group of cells associated with each player corresponds to a number of outcomes from the second set of outcomes achieved at the gaming device at which said player is playing.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the first quantity includes all of the cells in the first group of cells.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the second quantity includes all of the cells in the second group of cells.

15. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the central controller is configured to:

(i) apportion the first award among the first plurality of players if all of the cells in the first group of cells are designated; and

(ii) apportion the second different award among the second plurality of players if all of the cells in the second group of cells are designated.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein designating one of the cells of the first plurality of cells or the second plurality of cells comprises removing a previous designation, if any.

17. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein each designated cell of the first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells can be associated with multiple players.

18. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein each designated cell of the first plurality of cells and the second plurality of cells can be associated with a single player multiple times.