Stepper reel and variable cover display for bingo game

• US 8,668,571 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Joseph R., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Kaminkow, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINHEIRO, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/020,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,366 Days
• Field of Search: 273/143.R, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods and gaming apparatus for allowing a player to participate in a multi-player wagering game. The outcome of the multi-player wagering game may be displayed to the player, along with an alternate outcome display at an alternate outcome display device. The alternate outcome display device may include a rotatable reel and a cover variably disposed in front of the rotatable reel. The gaming apparatus controller may receive a display request where the alternate outcome display device disposes a cover to visibly obscure the reel if the request is to obscure the reel, and disposes the cover to visibly display the reel if the request is to observe the reel.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus comprising:

an input device;

a first display unit;

a second display unit including an outer rotatable reel and an inner rotatable reel independently rotatable inside the outer rotatable reel, the outer rotatable reel including a transparent cover portion and an opaque cover portion;

a controller configured to operate with the input device, the first display unit and the second display unit to;

receive data relating to a first multi-player wagering game outcome for a play of a multi-player wagering game,

cause the first display unit to display the first multi-player wagering game outcome,

independent of the first multi-player wagering game outcome, enable a player to input one of;

(i) a display request to obscure the second display unit, and

(ii) a display request to observe the second display unit,

if the player inputted the display request to obscure the second display unit, cause the second display unit to rotate the outer rotatable reel to dispose the opaque cover portion in front of the inner rotatable reel, and

if the player inputted the display request to observe the second display unit;

(i) cause the second display unit to rotate the outer rotatable reel to dispose the transparent cover portion in front of the inner rotatable reel,

(ii) determine a second outcome display corresponding to the first multi-player wagering game outcome, and

(iii) cause the second display unit to display to the player the determined second outcome display.

2. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the first display unit includes a video display unit, and

if the multi-player wagering game includes a video bingo game, the controller causes the first display unit to display at least one video image including an image of a bingo grid.

3. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second outcome display includes a display of a second wagering game outcome of a second wagering game.

4. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second wagering game includes a slots game.

5. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner rotatable reel includes one or more game indicia disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable reel.

6. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

cause the first display unit to display a game array having a combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for the play of the multi-player wagering game,

receive data relating to a plurality of randomly selected individual game indicia from the range of game indicia during the play of the multi-player wagering game,

compare a pattern of game indicia on the game array with the randomly selected game indicia, and

determine the first multi-player wagering game outcome based on the pattern of indicia on the game array.

7. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 6,

wherein the outer rotatable reel includes a peripheral surface having instruction indicia disposed on a portion of the peripheral surface, and the controller is configured to cause the second display unit to dispose the peripheral surface portion in front of the inner rotatable reel to display the instruction indicia to the player.

8. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the instruction indicia includes instructions to mark the pattern of indicia.

9. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the second outcome display further includes:

one or more outer rotatable reels,

a plurality of the inner rotatable reels rotatably disposed inside the one or more outer rotatable reels, each inner rotatable reel having indicia for a second wagering game disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable reel, and

the controller is configured to cause the inner rotatable reels to rotate and stop at a position with indicia corresponding to the outcome of the second outcome display.

10. The gaming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further including a memory configured to operate with the controller to store a plurality of second outcome displays corresponding to first multi-player wagering game outcomes, wherein the controller is configured to select from the memory one of the plurality of second outcome displays corresponding to the first multi-player wagering game outcome.

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

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a first wagering game outcome of a first wagering game;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a second wagering game outcome of a second wagering game corresponding to the first wagering game outcome;

causing a first display device to display the first wagering game outcome;

causing a second display device to display the second wagering game outcome, wherein the second display device includes an outer rotatable reel and an inner rotatable reel inside the outer rotatable reel; and

independent of the first wagering game outcome and in response to receiving an input from a player to not display the second wagering game outcome, preventing the display of the second wagering game outcome by disposing a cover to visibly obscure the second wagering game outcome by rotating the outer rotatable reel to dispose an opaque cover portion in front of the second display device.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein causing the second display device to display the second wagering game outcome includes disposing the cover to visibly observe the second wagering game outcome in response to receiving an input from the player to display the second wagering game outcome.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein disposing the cover includes disposing a transparent cover portion of the cover in front of the second display device.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the second display device includes the cover having instruction indicia disposed on a portion of a peripheral surface of the cover, and which includes displaying instruction indicia for the player.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the second display device includes a plurality of the rotatable reels, each rotatable reel having indicia for the second wagering game disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable reel, and which includes:

rotating the rotatable reels and stopping the rotatable reels at a position with indicia corresponding to the second wagering game outcome.

16. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming apparatuses which each enable a player to participate in a play of a multi-player wagering game, said method comprising:

for each of the gaming apparatuses;

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine an outcome for the play of the multi-player wagering game;

displaying the outcome for the play of the multi-player wagering game;

independent of the outcome for the play of the multi-player wagering game, enabling the player to input a display request;

if the display request relates to a request to obscure an alternate outcome display, disposing a cover to visibly obscure the alternate outcome display from the player, wherein disposing the cover to visibly obscure the alternate outcome display includes rotating an outer rotatable reel of an alternate outcome display device to dispose an opaque cover portion of the cover in front of the alternate outcome display, said alternate outcome display device including said outer rotatable reel and an inner rotatable reel inside the outer rotatable reel; and

if the display request relates to a request to observe the alternative outcome display;

(i) disposing the cover to visibly display the alternate outcome display to the player, wherein disposing the cover to visibly display the alternate outcome display includes rotating the outer rotatable reel to dispose a transparent cover portion in front of the alternate outcome display,

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an alternate outcome display corresponding to the outcome for the play of the multi-player wagering game; and

(iii) causing the alternate outcome display device to display the alternate outcome display.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the alternate outcome display is a display of an outcome of a second wagering game.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16, further including:

displaying a game array having a combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for of the play of the multi-player wagering game;

receiving data relating to a plurality of randomly selected individual game indicia from the range of game indicia during the play of the multi-player wagering game;

comparing a pattern of game indicia on the game array with the randomly selected game indicia; and

determining the outcome for the player for the play of the multi-player wagering game based on the pattern of indicia on the game array.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the cover includes a peripheral surface having instruction indicia disposed on a portion of the peripheral surface, and which includes disposing the peripheral surface portion in front of the rotatable reel to display the instructions indicia to the player.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the instruction indicia includes instructions to mark the pattern of indicia.

21. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the alternate outcome display includes a plurality of the rotatable reels, each rotatable reel having indicia for a second wagering game disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable reel, and one or more of the covers variably disposed in front of the rotatable reels, and which includes:

rotating the rotatable reels and stopping the rotatable reels at a position with indicia corresponding to the outcome of the alternate outcome display.

22. The method in accordance with claim 16, further including:

storing a plurality of alternate outcome displays corresponding to outcomes of the multi-player wagering game at the gaming apparatus; and

selecting the alternate outcome displays corresponding to the outcome for the player for the play of the multi-player wagering game from the plurality of stored alternate outcome displays.

23. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming apparatuses, the method comprising:

for each of the gaming apparatuses;

receiving a deposit of an amount of a medium of currency by a player;

receiving input for a wager on a play of a multi-player wagering game;

displaying a game array of game indicia for the play of the multi-player wagering game;

receiving a plurality of randomly selected game indicia;

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to compare the randomly selected game indicia to the game indicia of the game array in the order that the game indicia are selected;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a multi-player wagering game outcome for the play of the multi-player wagering game based on the comparison of the randomly selected game indicia to the game indicia of the game array, wherein the multi-player wagering game outcome is a winning multi-player wagering game outcome if a pattern formed by game indicia on the game array matching the randomly selected game indicia matches at least one predetermined game award-winning pattern;

displaying the multi-player wagering game outcome;

independent of the multi-player wagering game outcome, enabling the player to input one of;

(i) a display request to obscure any alternate outcome display, and

(ii) a display request to observe at least one alternate outcome display;

if the player inputted the display request to obscure any alternate outcome display, disposing a cover to visibly obscure an alternate outcome display from the player, wherein disposing the cover to visibly obscure the alternate outcome display includes rotating an outer rotatable reel of an alternate outcome display device to dispose an opaque cover portion of the cover in front of the alternate outcome display, said alternate outcome display device including the outer rotatable reel and an inner rotatable reel inside the outer rotatable reel; and

if the player inputted the display request to observe at least one alternate outcome display;

(i) disposing the cover to visibly display the alternate outcome display to the player, wherein disposing the cover to visibly display the alternate outcome display includes rotating the outer rotatable reel to dispose a transparent cover portion in front of the alternate outcome display;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an alternate outcome display corresponding to the multi-player wagering game outcome; and

(iii) causing the alternate outcome display device to display the determined alternate outcome display.

24. The method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the alternate outcome display is a display of a second wagering game outcome of a second wagering game.

25. The method in accordance with claim 23, further includes:

displaying a game array having a combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for the play of the multi-player wagering game;

receiving data relating to a plurality of randomly selected individual game indicia from the range of game indicia for the play of the multi-player wagering game;

comparing a pattern of game indicia on the game array with the randomly selected game indicia; and

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the multi-player wagering game outcome based on the pattern of indicia on the game array.

26. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the cover includes a peripheral surface having instruction indicia disposed on a portion of the peripheral surface, and which includes disposing the peripheral surface portion in front of the rotatable reel to display the instructions indicia for the player.

27. The method in accordance with claim 26, wherein the instruction indicia includes instructions to mark the pattern of indicia.

28. The method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the alternate outcome display includes a plurality of the rotatable reels, each rotatable reel having indicia for a second wagering game disposed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable reel, and one or more of the covers variably disposed in front of the rotatable reels, and which includes:

rotating the rotatable reels and stopping the rotatable reels at a position with indicia corresponding to the outcome of the alternate outcome display.

29. The method in accordance with claim 23, further includes selecting one of a plurality of alternate outcome displays corresponding to the multi-player wagering game outcome.