Gaming system, gaming device and method for determining an outcome of a secondary game based on one or more events which occur in association with a primary game

• US 8,342,947 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Sutich, Alexandria Estella Ponte, Peterson, Lance R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US12/618,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 13, 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/28, 463/29, 463 40- 43
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein includes an accumulation sequence and a competition sequence. In one embodiment, the gaming system includes competitor points which determine (i) a competitor'"'"'s eligibility to participate in the competition sequence and (ii) the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence. In this embodiment, a competitor (which is either representative of an actual player or a virtual, gaming system controlled player) accumulates competitor points during one or more point accumulation sequences which occur in association with designated events. For a subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system determines if a competitor will participate in the triggered competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points. For the subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system further determines the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including at least one input device;

at least one display device associated with said gaming device; and

at least one controller configured to operate with said gaming device and said at least one display device to;

(a) enable a player to place a wager on at least one play of a primary game;

(b) associate one of a plurality of different virtual competitors with the player;

(c) for each competitor point accumulation event which occurs in association with the at least one play of the primary game, accumulate a quantity of competitor points for the associated competitor;

(d) for each eligibility point accumulation event which occurs in association with the at least one play of the primary game, accumulate a quantity of eligibility points for the associated competitor; and

(e) if a competition sequence triggering event occurs;

(i) determine if the associated competitor is eligible to participate in a competition sequence, the determination based on the quantity of eligibility points accumulated for the associated competitor; and

(ii) if the associated competitor is eligible to participate in the competition sequence;

(1) enable the associated competitor and at least one additional competitor to participate in the competition sequence, said at least one additional competitor being associated with a quantity of competitor points; and

(2) for each participating competitor, determine an outcome of the competition sequence based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the competitor achieving a designated outcome in the competition sequence, said relative probability based, at least in part, on the quantity of competitor points accumulated for the competitor relative to the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each of the participating competitors.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to cause an award to be provided if the associated competitor achieves said designated outcome.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein after determining the outcome of the competition sequence said controller is configured to reset the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each participating competitor to a reset value.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the reset value is zero.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to maintain at least one of the eligibility points accumulated for the associated competitor for at least one subsequent play of the primary game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to enable the player to make one of a plurality of different inputs remote from any gaming establishment, wherein at least one of said plurality of inputs causes an eligibility point accumulation event to occur.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein said input made by the player is received through a data network.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein said data network is an internet.

9. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including at least one input device;

at least one display device associated with said gaming device; and

at least one controller configured to operate with said gaming device and said at least one display device to;

(a) enable a player to place a wager on at least one play of a primary game;

(b) associate one of a plurality of different virtual competitors with the player;

(c) for each competitor point accumulation event which occurs in association with the at least one play of the primary game, accumulate a quantity of competitor points for the associated competitor; and

(d) if a competition sequence triggering event occurs;

(i) determine if the associated competitor is eligible to participate in a competition sequence, the determination based on the quantity of competitor points accumulated for the associated competitor; and

(ii) if the associated competitor is eligible to participate in the competition sequence;

(1) enable the associated competitor and at least one additional competitor to participate in the competition sequence, said at least one additional competitor being associated with a quantity of competitor points; and

(2) for each participating competitor, determine an outcome of the competition sequence based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the competitor achieving a designated outcome in the competition sequence, said relative probability based, at least in part, on the quantity of competitor points accumulated for the competitor relative to the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each of the participating competitors.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein said at least one controller is configured to cause an award to be provided if the associated competitor achieves said designated outcome.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein after determining the outcome of the competition sequence said controller is configured to reset the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each participating competitor to a reset value.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the reset value is zero.

13. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including at least one input device;

at least one display device associated with said gaming device; and

at least one controller configured to operate with said gaming device and said at least one display device to;

(a) enable a player to place a wager on at least one play of a primary game;

(b) associate one of a plurality of different virtual competitors with the player;

(c) if a first competitor point accumulation event occurs in association with the at least one play of the primary game, accumulate a first quantity of competitor points for the associated competitor, said first competitor point accumulation event based on a first criteria;

(d) if a second, different competitor point accumulation event occurs in association with the at least one play of the primary game, accumulate a second quantity of competitor points for the associated competitor, said second competitor point accumulation event based on a second, different criteria and said second, different criteria being independent of any placed wager; and

(e) if a competition sequence triggering event occurs;

(1) enable the associated competitor and at least one additional competitor to participate in a competition sequence, said at least one additional competitor being associated with a quantity of competitor points; and

(2) for each participating competitor, determine an outcome of the competition sequence based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the competitor achieving a designated outcome in the competition sequence, said relative probability based, at least in part, on the quantity of competitor points accumulated for the competitor relative to the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each of the participating competitors.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said at least one controller is configured to cause an award to be provided if the associated competitor achieves said designated outcome.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein after determining the outcome of the competition sequence, said at least one controller is configured to reset the quantity of competitor points accumulated for each competitor to a reset value.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the reset value is zero.

17. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said at least one controller is configured to enable the player to pick one of said plurality of different virtual competitors, and associate said picked competitor with the player.

18. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said first criteria is the wager placed by the player.

19. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the at least one additional competitor is independent of any player.

20. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said accumulated quantity of competitor points of said at least one additional competitor are randomly determined.

21. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said at least one controller is configured to operate with said at least one display device to display each participating competitor'"'"'s relative probability of achieving said designated outcome.

22. The gaming system of claim 13, which includes a plurality of gaming devices, and for each of said plurality of gaming devices, said at least one controller is configured to enable a player at said gaming device to place a wager on at least one of the competitors participating in the competition sequence.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said plurality of players is independent of each of the participating competitors.