Method and apparatus for bonus round play

• US 8,882,584 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Sammon, Russell P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/762,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 1, 463/16, 463 17- 19, 463/20, 463/21, 463/25, 463/423, 463/42, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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
• 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 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for enabling a player to take a tour of a secondary game at a game machine. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes offering to enable entry of a player into a bonus round of a game machine in exchange for a fee, receiving the fee from the player, and enabling entry of the player into the bonus round. The method further includes receiving an indication of at least one player selection during the bonus round, and determining an outcome based on the at least one player selection. In other embodiments, the method includes providing a prize to the player based on the outcome.

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) for each of a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game;

(i) enable a player to place a wager on the play of the wagering game;

(ii) generate a wagering game outcome from a plurality of different wagering game outcomes,

(iii) display the generated wagering game outcome,

(iv) determine any wagering game award associated with the generated wagering game outcome, and

(v) display any determined wagering game award associated with the generated wagering game outcome,

(b) for each of any of the quantity of plays of the wagering game associated with a bonus game triggering event, for at least one play of a bonus game;

(i) generate a bonus game outcome from a plurality of different bonus game outcomes,

(ii) display the generated bonus game outcome,

(iii) determine any bonus game award associated with the generated bonus game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined bonus game award associated with the generated bonus game outcome, and

(c) when none of the quantity of at least two plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event, for at least one tour of the bonus game;

(i) generate a bonus game tour outcome from a plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes,

(ii) display the generated bonus game tour outcome,

(iii) determine a bonus game tour award, said determination based, at least in part, on the generated bonus game tour outcome, and

(iv) display any determined bonus game tour award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one of the quantity of plays of the wagering game is associated with the bonus game triggering event if a designated wagering game outcome is generated.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein none of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event if no wagering designated game outcomes are generated.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to pay a fee and if the player pays the fee and none of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event, execute (c)(i) to (c)(iv) for at least one tour of the bonus game.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the fee is associated with a designated wager placed on each of the quantity of plays of the wagering game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for the at least one tour of the bonus game, determine the bonus game tour award based, at least in part, on an amount of wagers placed on the quantity of plays of the game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different bonus game outcomes and the plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes are the same plurality of different outcomes.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different wagering game outcomes, the plurality of different bonus game outcomes and the plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes are the same plurality of different outcomes.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any determined wagering game award, any determined bonus game award and any determined bonus game tour award is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one play of the bonus game includes at least one free generation of a plurality of reel symbols.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one tour of the bonus game includes at least one free generation of the plurality of reel symbols.

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

(a) for each of a quantity of at least two plays of a wagering game;

(i) enabling a player to place a wager on the play of the wagering game;

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

(iii) causing at least one display device to display the generated wagering game outcome,

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any wagering game award associated with the generated wagering game outcome, and

(v) causing the at least one display device to display any determined wagering game award associated with the generated wagering game outcome,

(b) for each of any of the quantity of plays of the wagering game associated with a bonus game triggering event, for at least one play of a bonus game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate a bonus game outcome from a plurality of different bonus game outcomes,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the generated bonus game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any bonus game award associated with the generated bonus game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined bonus game award associated with the generated bonus game outcome, and

(c) when none of the quantity of at least two plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event, for at least one tour of the bonus game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate a bonus game tour outcome from a plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the generated bonus game tour outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a bonus game tour award, said determination based, at least in part, on the generated bonus game tour outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined bonus game tour award.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the quantity of plays of the wagering game is associated with the bonus game triggering event if a designated wagering game outcome is generated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein none of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event if no wagering designated game outcomes are generated.

15. The method of claim 12, which includes enabling the player to pay a fee and if the player pays the fee and none of the quantity of plays of the wagering game are associated with the bonus game triggering event, executing (c)(i) to (c)(iv) for at least one tour of the bonus game.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fee is associated with a designated wager placed on each of the quantity of plays of the wagering game.

17. The method of claim 12, which includes, for the at least one tour of the bonus game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the bonus game tour award based, at least in part, on an amount of wagers placed on the quantity of plays of the game.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different bonus game outcomes and the plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes are the same plurality of different outcomes.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different wagering game outcomes, the plurality of different bonus game outcomes and the plurality of different bonus game tour outcomes are the same plurality of different outcomes.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of any determined wagering game award, any determined bonus game award and any determined bonus game tour award is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one play of the bonus game includes at least one free generation of a plurality of reel symbols.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one tour of the bonus game includes at least one free generation of the plurality of reel symbols.

23. The method of claim 12, which is provided through a data network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.