Gaming system and method providing simultaneous gaming with linked paytable events

• US 8,915,786 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Gerrard, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US11/836,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20090042652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,693 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 17/3262 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The gaming device disclosed herein includes a plurality of simultaneously, substantially simultaneously or sequentially played primary games, wherein a designated triggering event in at least one of the games causes the gaming device to change, modify, supplement, add to, activate or otherwise influence the paytable of at least another game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing 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;

(i) enable a player to place a total wager associated with a plurality of distinct wagers on a plurality of simultaneous plays of a plurality of separate games; and

(ii) after receiving the total wager and prior to enabling the player to place any additional wagers on any additional plays of any separate games, for each wagered on play of each of the plurality of separate games of each total wager placed;

(a) generate an outcome for said play of said game;

(b) display to the player the generated outcome for said play of said game;

(c) determine if at least one designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game;

(d) if said designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game, modify a paytable associated with a different one of said plurality of games distinctly wagered on by the player;

(e) determine an award based on said outcome generated for said play of the game and the paytable associated with said game, wherein if the paytable associated with said game is modified, the award for said play of the game is determined based on said modified paytable; and

(f) display said determined awards to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said designated triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols generated in association with the outcome of at least one of said plurality of games;

(b) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols on a designated payline;

(c) a winning game outcome;

(d) a losing game outcome;

(e) a game event which is independent of any symbols generated in association with the outcomes of said plurality of games; and

(f) a random event.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the paytable includes a modification selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a change of one of the awards in the paytable;

(b) a change of a plurality of the awards in the paytable;

(c) a change of one of the winning outcomes in the paytable;

(d) a change of a plurality of the winning outcomes in the paytable;

(e) an addition of winning outcomes to the paytable;

(f) an addition of a plurality of winning outcomes to the paytable;

(g) an application of a modifier to at least one award in the paytable;

(h) an increase of the probability of at least one winning game outcome being generated; and

(i) a modification of an award associated with a designated payline in the paytable.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the paytable is associated with how many of said plurality of games the designated triggering event occurs in.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the paytable is associated with how many times the designated triggering event occurs based on the plays of said plurality of games.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the paytable lasts for a period selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a designated amount of time;

(b) a round of play; and

(c) a duration of a designated number of games.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of games include a same type of game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of games include at least two different types of games.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the games are slot-type games.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one display device and the at least one input device are supported by a housing.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is remote from the housing.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said designated triggering event is associated with a game component.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein said game component is a payline.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the 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 change an award associated with said game component in the paytable of the different one of the games.

15. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing 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;

(i) enable a player to place a total wager associated with a plurality of distinct wagers on a plurality of simultaneous plays of a plurality of separate games; and

(ii) after receiving the total wager and prior to enabling the player to place any additional wagers on any additional plays of any separate games, for each wagered on play of each of the plurality of separate games of each total wager placed;

(a) generate an outcome for said play of said game;

(b) display to the player the generated outcome for said play of said game;

(c) determine if at least one designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game;

(d) if said designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game, activate an alternative paytable in place of a default paytable associated with a different one of the plurality of games distinctly wagered on by the player;

(e) determine an award based on said outcome generated for said play of the game and the paytable associated with said game, wherein if the alternative paytable associated with said game is activated, the award for said play of the game is determined based on said activated alternative paytable; and

(f) display said determined awards to the player.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the alternative paytable is activated for a period selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a designated amount of time;

(b) a round of play; and

(c) a designated number of games.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein different designated triggering events are associated with different respective alternative paytables.

18. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein different designated triggering events are associated with different respective periods.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein said designated triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols generated in association with the outcome of at least one of said plurality of games;

(b) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols on a designated payline;

(c) a winning game outcome;

(d) a losing game outcome;

(e) a game event which is independent of any symbols generated in association with the outcomes of said plurality of games; and

(f) a random event.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of games include a same type of game.

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of games include at least two different types of games.

22. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the games are slot-type games.

23. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the at least one display device and the at least one input device are supported by a housing.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is remote from the housing.

25. A method of operating a gaming system, said method including:

(i) enabling a player to place a total wager associated with a plurality of distinct wagers on a plurality of simultaneous plays of a plurality of separate games; and

(ii) after receiving the total wager and prior to enabling the player to place any additional wagers on any additional plays of any separate games, for each wagered on play of each of the plurality of separate games of each total wager placed;

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate an outcome for said play of said game;

(b) causing at least one display device to display to the player the generated outcome for said play of said game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if at least one designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game;

(d) if said designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify a paytable associated with a different one of said plurality of games distinctly wagered on by the player;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award based on said outcome generated for said play of the game and the paytable associated with said game, wherein if the paytable associated with said game is modified, the award for said play of the game is determined based on said modified paytable; and

(f) causing the at least one display device to display said determined awards to the player.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the designated triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols generated in association with the outcome of at least one of said plurality of games;

(b) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols on a designated payline;

(c) a winning game outcome;

(d) a losing game outcome;

(e) a game event which is independent of any symbols generated in association with the outcomes of said plurality of games; and

(f) a random event.

27. The method of claim 25, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the paytable of another of said plurality of games based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(a) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change one of the awards in the paytable;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change a plurality of the awards in the paytable;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change one of the winning outcomes in the paytable;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change a plurality of the winning outcomes in the paytable;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to add winning outcomes to the paytable;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to add a plurality of winning outcomes to the paytable;

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to apply a modifier to at least one award in the paytable;

(h) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase probability of at least one winning game outcome being generated; and

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify an award associated with a designated payline in the paytable.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the paytable is associated with how many of said plurality of games the designated triggering event occurs in.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the paytable is associated with how many times the designated triggering event occurs based on the plays of said plurality of games.

30. The method of claim 25, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the paytable for a period selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a designated amount of time;

(b) a round of play; and

(c) a duration of a designated number of games.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein said plurality of games include a same type of game.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein said plurality of games include at least two different types of games.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the games are slot-type games.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein said designated triggering event is associated with a game component.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said game component is a payline.

36. The method of claim 34, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change an award associated with said game component in the paytable associated with the different one of the games.

37. The method of claim 25, which is provided through a data network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the data network is an internet.

39. A method of operating a gaming system, said method including:

(i) enabling a player to place a total wager associated with a plurality of distinct wagers on a plurality of simultaneous plays of a plurality of separate games; and

(ii) after receiving the total wager and prior to enabling the player to place any additional wagers on any additional plays of any separate games, for each wagered on play of each of the plurality of separate games of each total wager placed;

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate an outcome for said play of said game;

(b) causing at least one display device to display to the player the generated outcome for said play of said game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if at least one designated triggering event occurs in based on the play of said game;

(d) if said designated triggering event occurs based on the play of said game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to activate an alternative paytable in place of a default paytable associated with a different one of the plurality of games distinctly wagered on by the player;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award based on said outcome generated for said play of the game and the paytable associated with said game, wherein if the alternative paytable associated with said game is activated, the award for said play of the game is determined based on said activated alternative paytable; and

(f) causing the at least one display device to display said determined awards to the player.

40. The method of claim 39, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to activate the alternative paytable for a period selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a designated amount of time;

(b) a round of play; and

(c) a designated number of games.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein different designated triggering events are associated with different respective alternative paytables.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein different designated triggering events are associated with different respective periods.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the designated triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols generated in association with the outcome of at least one of said plurality of games;

(b) an occurrence of at least one predetermined symbol or set of symbols on a designated payline;

(c) a winning game outcome;

(d) a losing game outcome;

(e) a game event which is independent of any symbols generated in association with the outcomes of said plurality of games; and

(f) a random event.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein said plurality of games include a same type of game.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein said plurality of games include at least two different types of games.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the games are slot-type games.

47. The method of claim 39, which is provided through a data network.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the data network is an internet.