Outcome determination method for gaming device

• US 8,956,214 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/666,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/22, 463/25, 463/26
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3267 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Embodiments of this concept are directed to a method of operating a gaming device to determine game outcomes by using a range of game numbers for winning game outcomes. That is, the gaming device includes a range of numbers associated with a generic winning outcome or each winning outcome to ensure that a winning outcome or specific winning outcome will hit within the specified range. This method may be used a variety of game types including slot machines, video poker, keno, video pachinko, etc. These gaming machines may additionally include one or more proximity indicators or meters associated with the various outcomes.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic gaming device operable to repeatedly play a game responsive to a game initiating input by a player, the method comprising:

determining a game number count;

selecting a triggering game number from a predetermined range of game numbers for at least one of a plurality of winning game outcomes, including respectively selecting triggering game numbers for each possible winning game outcome from predetermined ranges of game numbers associated with the possible winning game outcomes;

receiving a game initiating input at the electronic gaming device;

incrementing the game number count; and

displaying on the gaming device the winning game outcome when game number count is greater than or equal to the triggering game number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering the selected triggering game numbers in a common game outcome table.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remaining entries of the common game outcome table are filled with a generic losing game outcome.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein incrementing a game number count includes advancing to a next entry in the common game outcome table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering each selected triggering game number in a corresponding one of a plurality of game outcome tables.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein incrementing a game number count includes advancing to a next entry in each of the game outcome tables.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a triggering game number from a predetermined range of game numbers for at least one of a plurality of winning game outcomes includes:

selecting multiple triggering game numbers from a predetermined range of game numbers for at least one of the plurality of winning game outcomes; and

entering the multiple triggering game numbers is a selection chart.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting another triggering game number from the predetermined range of game numbers for the winning game outcome after the winning game outcome is displayed.

9. A method of operating an electronic gaming device operable to repeatedly play a game responsive to a game initiating input by a player, the method comprising:

presenting a player with a particular type of winning game outcome;

selecting a next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome from a range of numbers associated with the particular type of winning game outcome, including;

randomly selecting a number within the range of numbers associated with the particular type of winning game outcome; and

combining the randomly selected number with a current value of the game counter;

entering the selected next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome in a table of game outcomes, including associating next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome with a game number in the table of game outcomes;

incrementing a game counter that indicates a current game outcome in the table of game outcomes in response to wagers placed on the gaming device; and

presenting the player with the particular type of winning game outcome when the game counter indicates the next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome in a table of game outcomes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein incrementing a game counter includes sequentially moving between game numbers associated with game outcomes in the table of game outcomes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein presenting the player with the particular type of winning game outcome when the game counter indicates the next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome in a table of game outcomes includes displaying a winning game outcome and providing an award corresponding to the winning game outcome when the game counter indicates the game number associated with the next occurrence of the particular type of winning game outcome.