Gaming device providing an award based on a count of outcomes which meets a condition

• US 8,641,509 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Bolich, Kathleen
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/800,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3258 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing an award based on a multiplicity of game outcomes. In one implementation the invention provides a method for providing a game. The method includes placing a bet by a player, playing of a game to produce a game outcome, evaluating a primary game outcome, paying a direct award if the primary outcome merits it, advancing a bonus accumulator if the primary outcome merits it, and if the bonus accumulator has advanced sufficiently, paying a bonus award to the player and clearing the bonus accumulator.

Claims

1. 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enable the player to place a game wager,

(B) generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) display the generated game outcome to the player, and

(D) provide to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if any of the generated game outcomes is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than a threshold value, reset the bonus opportunity counter, wherein said threshold value is greater than zero, and

(iii) if each of the generated game outcomes are associated with one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards each having a value greater than zero and less than the threshold value;

(A) modify the bonus opportunity counter,

(B) display to the player the modified bonus opportunity counter,

(C) if the modified bonus opportunity counter reaches a designated value, provide a bonus opportunity award to the player, and

(D) if the modified bonus opportunity counter has not reached the designated value and has not been reset in association with any of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game, repeat (i) to (iii) for another one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.

3. 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for each of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enable the player to place a game wager,

(B) generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) display to the player the generated game outcome, and

(D) provide to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if each of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards having a value greater than zero and less than a threshold value greater than zero, provide the player a bonus opportunity award, and

(iii) if any of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than the threshold value, not provide the player the bonus opportunity award.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.

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

(a) enabling a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enabling the player to place a game wager,

(B) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) causing at least one display device to display the generated game outcome to the player, and

(D) providing to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if any of the generated game outcomes is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than a threshold value, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reset the bonus opportunity counter, wherein said threshold value is greater than zero, and

(iii) if each of the generated game outcomes are associated with one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards each having a value greater than zero and less than the threshold value;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the bonus opportunity counter,

(B) causing the at least one display device to display to the player the modified bonus opportunity counter,

(C) if the modified bonus opportunity counter reaches a designated value, providing a bonus opportunity award to the player, and

(D) if the modified bonus opportunity counter has not reached the designated value and has not been reset in association with any of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game, repeating (i) to (iii) for another one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.

7. The method of claim 5, which is provided through a data network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data network is an Internet.

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

(a) enabling a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for each of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enabling the player to place a game wager,

(B) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) causing at least one display device to display to the player the generated game outcome, and

(D) providing to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if each of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards having a value greater than zero and less than a threshold value greater than zero, providing the player a bonus opportunity award, and

(iii) if any of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than the threshold value, not providing the player the bonus opportunity award.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.

11. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data network is an Internet.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) enable a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enable the player to place a game wager,

(B) generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) cause at least one display device to display the generated game outcome to the player, and

(D) provide to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if any of the generated game outcomes is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than a threshold value, reset the bonus opportunity counter, wherein said threshold value is greater than zero, and

(iii) if each of the generated game outcomes are associated with one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards each having a value greater than zero and less than the threshold value;

(A) modify the bonus opportunity counter,

(B) cause the at least one display device to display to the player the modified bonus opportunity counter,

(C) if the modified bonus opportunity counter reaches a designated value, provide a bonus opportunity award to the player, and

(D) if the modified bonus opportunity counter has not reached the designated value and has not been reset in association with any of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game, repeat (i) to (iii) for another one of the plays of the wagering game of the quantity of plays of the wagering game.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) enable a player to place a bonus opportunity wager associated with a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game, and

(b) if the player placed the bonus opportunity wager;

(i) for each of the quantity of plays of the wagering game;

(A) enable the player to place a game wager,

(B) generate a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

(C) cause at least one display device to display to the player the generated game outcome, and

(D) provide to the player any game award associated with the generated game outcome,

(ii) if each of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are one of;

a losing game outcome associated with a game award having a value of zero and any of a plurality of winning game outcomes associated with any of a plurality of game awards having a value greater than zero and less than a threshold value greater than zero, provide the player a bonus opportunity award, and

(iii) if any of the generated game outcomes of the quantity of plays of the wagering game is a winning game outcome associated with a game award having a value greater than the threshold value, not provide the player the bonus opportunity award.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the bonus opportunity award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a static award amount, a random award amount, an award amount that is based on at least one of the generated game outcomes, a multiplier of a non-bonus award, a bonus round, an advancement to the bonus round, and an increase in a progressive award.