Gaming system, apparatus and method with a player decision field for providing interactive game results

• US 8,764,539 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Jefferson C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/772,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20100216538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed wherein a decision field is displayed having a number of result tokens spaced apart at different locations about the decision field, with each result token displaying a respective potential result. A decision point is also displayed within the decision field. This decision point is associated with two or more direction options which are preferably graphically depicted along with the decision point, and the player is enabled to make a direction input to select one of the direction options.

Claims

1. A gaming method including:

following receipt of a wager at a gaming device, initiating a wagering game;

at a display device associated with the gaming device, displaying a decision field and a decision point within the decision field, the decision point being associated with two or more direction options;

responsive to a direction input which selects one of the two or more direction options and which is entered through a player interface associated with the gaming device, displaying a player token traversing the decision field along a player token path which includes a path portion associated with the selected direction option; and

in the event the player token path intersects a result token displayed on the display device, awarding a potential result associated with the intersected result token.

2. The gaming method of claim 1, further including determining a game outcome, the game outcome corresponding to a game result;

and

the decision field displaying step including providing the direction options in accordance with the game result.

3. The gaming method of claim 2, after the step displaying the player token traversing the decision field,

displaying an additional decision point within the decision field in the event the game result has not been achieved.

4. The gaming method of claim 2 including:

performing the game outcome determining step remotely from the gaming device; and

transmitting game outcome information to the gaming device.

5. The gaming method of claim 2 including

determining the game outcome by reading a result from a lottery record.

6. The gaming method of claim 2 including

determining the game outcome by performing a bingo game.

7. The gaming method of claim 2 including

determining the game outcome by applying an outcome generating algorithm.

8. An apparatus including:

(a) a display device;

(b) a player input device;

(c) a presentation processor, the presentation processor configured to (i) transmit a first signal causing the display device to display a decision field and a decision point within the decision field, the decision point being associated with two or more direction options;

(ii) receive a direction input entered through the player input device, the direction input selecting one of the direction options associated with the decision point;

(iii) responsive to the direction input, transmit a second signal causing the display device to display a player token traversing the decision field along a player token path from the decision point, the player token path including a path portion that is determined by the direction option selected through the direction input; and

(iv) in the event that the player token path intersects a result token displayed on the display device, causing the display device to indicate a potential result to be awarded to a player.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the presentation processor or a separate processor is configured to determine a game outcome, the game outcome corresponding to a game result, and wherein the direction options are provided in accordance with the game result.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the presentation processor or the separate processor is configured to determine the game outcome by reading a result from a lottery record.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the presentation processor or the separate processor is configured to determine the game outcome by conducting a bingo game.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the presentation processor or the separate processor is configured to determine the game outcome by applying an outcome generating algorithm.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the presentation processor is also configured to cause the display device to display an additional decision point within the decision field after displaying the player token traversing the decision field along the player token path from the decision point.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the presentation processor is configured to cause the display device to display the result token and a number of alternate result tokens at a periphery of the decision field.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the result token is located in an interior portion of the decision field spaced apart from a periphery of the decision field.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program code, the program code including:

decision field program code executable to cause a display device associated with a gaming device to display a decision field and a decision point within the decision field, the decision point being associated with two or more direction options;

player interface program code executable to receive a wager input initiated by a player at the gaming device and to receive a direction input initiated by the player, the direction input selecting one of the direction options associated with the decision point;

player token control program code executable to, responsive to the direction input, display a player token traversing the decision field along a player token path, the player token path including a path portion determined by the selected direction option; and

award program code executable to, in the event the player token path intersects a result token displayed on the display device, awarding a potential result associated with the intersected result token.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the program code further includes result identifying program code executable to determine a game outcome for the wager input.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the game outcome is determined by reading a result from a lottery record.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the game outcome is determined by conducting a bingo game.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the game outcome is determined by applying an outcome generating algorithm.