Method and apparatus for competitive bonus games based upon strategy or skill

• US 8,585,489 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/242,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to gaming systems and methods where enablement for play of a bonus game is linked to play of a primary game. A player may qualify for the bonus game by preselected criteria associated with play of the primary game. The qualified players may participate in the bonus game and compete against one another in one or more rounds to achieve a final winning outcome based on the individual player'"'"'s skill, strategy, or knowledge. The player who achieves the final winning outcome at the end of a plurality of rounds of the bonus game is awarded a bonus pool funded by a portion of wagers accumulated during play of the primary game.

Claims

1. A gaming system, said gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of said gaming machines including;

a display device;

an input device;

a gaming machine processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the gaming machine processor, cause the gaming machine processor to operate with the display device and the input device to;

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

(b) display said play of the primary game; and

a central controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming machines, said central controller programmed to;

(a) determine whether to initiate a play of a bonus game for a plurality of the players of the gaming machines, said bonus game associated with a plurality of sets of selections, each set including a plurality of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a successful outcome and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an unsuccessful outcome; and

(b) for said play of the bonus game;

(i) select and cause a display of one of said sets of selections;

(ii) receive, from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a selection of one of the selections of the displayed set;

(iii) determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the successful outcome;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeat (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome, if any.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, if the award is to be provided, the award is divided among said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated number of players is selected from the group consisting of:

all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, less than all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a randomly determined number of players, and a predetermined number of players.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus game is associated with a plurality of trivia questions, each of said trivia questions associated with one of said plurality of sets of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a correct answer to said trivia question and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an incorrect answer to said trivia question, and

said central controller is configured, if the determination is made to initiate the bonus game, to:

(i) select and cause a display of one of said plurality of trivia questions and the set of selections associated with said trivia question;

(ii) receive, from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a selection of one of the selections from the set of selections associated with the displayed trivia question;

(iii) determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the correct answer to the displayed trivia question;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeat (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer, if any.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the selected trivia question and set of selections associated with said trivia question have a difficulty level selected according to a criterion, the criterion being independent of player preference.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the criterion is selected from the group consisting of:

a random selection, a past performance of one or more of the players, and a status in the bonus game.

7. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) for each of a plurality of gaming machines;

(i) causing at least one gaming machine processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one input device to enable a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game; and

(ii) causing the at least one gaming machine processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said play of the primary game;

(b) causing at least one central controller to determine whether to initiate a play of a bonus game for a plurality of the players of the gaming machines, said bonus game associated with a plurality of sets of selections, each set including a plurality of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a successful outcome and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an unsuccessful outcome; and

(c) for said play of the bonus game;

(i) causing the at least one central controller to select and cause a display of one of said sets of selections;

(ii) causing the at least one central controller to receive, from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a selection of one of the selections of the displayed set;

(iii) causing the at least one central controller to determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the successful outcome;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeating (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, causing the at least one central controller to cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome, if any.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the award is to be provided, the award is divided among said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the designated number of players is selected from the group consisting of:

all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, less than all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a randomly determined number of players, and a predetermined number of players.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the bonus game is associated with a plurality of trivia questions, each of said trivia questions associated with one of said plurality of sets of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a correct answer to said trivia question and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an incorrect answer to said trivia question, and which includes causing the at least one central controller to, if the determination is made to initiate the bonus game:

(i) select and cause a display of one of said plurality of trivia questions and the set of selections associated with said trivia question;

(ii) receive, from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a selection of one of the selections from the set of selections associated with the displayed trivia question;

(iii) determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the correct answer to the displayed trivia question;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeat (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer, if any.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected trivia question and set of selections associated with said trivia question have a difficulty level selected according to a criterion, the criterion being independent of player preference.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the criterion is selected from the group consisting of:

a random selection, a past performance of one or more of the players, and a status in the bonus game.

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.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one central controller, cause the at least one central controller to communicate with each of a plurality of gaming machines to:

(a) determine whether to initiate a play of a bonus game for a plurality of the players of the gaming machines, said bonus game associated with a plurality of sets of selections, each set including a plurality of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a successful outcome and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an unsuccessful outcome; and

(b) for said play of the bonus game;

(i) select and cause a display of one of said sets of selections;

(ii) receive, from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a selection of one of the selections of the displayed set;

(iii) determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the successful outcome;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeat (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome, if any.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein, if the award is to be provided, the award is divided among said players who selected the selection associated with the successful outcome.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the designated number of players is selected from the group consisting of:

all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, less than all of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, a randomly determined number of players, and a predetermined number of players.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the bonus game is associated with a plurality of trivia questions, each of said trivia questions associated with one of said plurality of sets of selections, wherein at least one of said selections of the set is associated with a correct answer to said trivia question and at least one of said selections of the set is associated with an incorrect answer to said trivia question, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one central controller, cause the at least one central controller to, if the determination is made to initiate the bonus game:

(i) select and cause a display of one of said plurality of trivia questions and the set of selections associated with said trivia question;

(ii) from each of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines, receive a selection of one of the selections from the set of selections associated with the displayed trivia question;

(iii) determine whether any of said plurality of the players of the gaming machines selected the selection associated with the correct answer to the displayed trivia question;

(iv) if a number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer meets or exceeds a designated number of players, repeat (i) to (iii) at least once; and

(v) if the number of players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer does not meet or exceed the designated number of players, cause an award to be provided to one or more of said players who selected the selection associated with the correct answer, if any.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selected trivia question and set of selections associated with said trivia question have a difficulty level selected according to a criterion, the criterion being independent of player preference.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the criterion is selected from the group consisting of:

a random selection, a past performance of one or more of the players, and a status in the bonus game.