Gaming system, gaming device and method providing a first game and a plurality second wagering games each associated with a separate activatable component of the first game

• US 8,992,297 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: De Waal, Daniel J., Filipour, Cameron A., Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINHEIRO, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/779,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/02 using falling playing bodies or playing bodies running on an inclined surface, e.g. pinball games bagatelle or similar games A63D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system having a first skill, partial skill, or pseudo skill based game having a plurality of individually activatable designated components and a plurality of second chance based games each respectively associated with a different one of the individually activatable components of the skill based game. When each designated component of the first game is activated through one or player inputs, a corresponding chance based game associated with that designated component is activated. Each chance based game randomly determines whether the player wins an award. In one embodiment, the likelihood of activating each designated component is different and the chance based game associated with each different designated component is different.

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 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 input device and the at least one display device to, for a single play of a game;

(a) display a gaming environment having one or more individually activatable components;

(b) receive an input from a player;

(c) after receiving the input from the player, introduce a game object into the displayed gaming environment;

(d) after introducing the game object into the displayed gaming environment, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, if the game object activates said individually activatable component a designated number of times during said single play of the game, the designated number of times being at least one, trigger a play of a chance-based game;

(e) for each triggered play of the chance based game;

(i) display said triggered play of said chance based game;

(ii) randomly determine an outcome for said triggered play of said chance based game;

(iii) display the randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(iv) if the randomly determined outcome is one of a plurality of different winning outcomes, display an award associated with said randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(f) provide any awards for any triggered plays of the chanced based game to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the one or more individually activatable components include a plurality of individually activatable components, and two of the individually activatable components are associated with:

(a) different likelihoods of being activated, and (b) different chance based games.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the chance based game is a reel slot game.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the chance based game is a wheel game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the chance based game is one of:

a reel slot game and a wheel game.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, the game object activates said individually activatable component when the game object collides with said individually activatable component.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the displayed gaming environment includes an individually activatable bonus component associated with a chance based bonus game.

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

for a single play of a game;

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a gaming environment having one or more individually activatable components;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive an input from a player;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, after receiving the input from the player, introduce a game object into the displayed gaming environment;

(d) after introducing the game object into the displayed gaming environment, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, if the game object activates said individually activatable component a designated number of times during said single play of the game, the designated number of times being at least one, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to trigger a play of a chance-based game;

(e) for each triggered play of one of the chance based game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) operate with the at least one display device to display said triggered play of said chance based game;

(ii) randomly determine an outcome for said triggered play of said chance based game;

(iii) operate with the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(iv) if the randomly determined outcome is one of a plurality of different winning outcomes, operate with the at least one display device to display an award associated with said randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(f) providing any awards for any triggered plays of the chanced based game to the player.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more individually activatable components include a plurality of individually activatable components, and two of the individually activatable components are associated with:

(a) different likelihoods of being activated, and (b) different chance based games.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the chance based game is a reel slot game.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the chance based game is a wheel game.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the chance based game is one of:

a reel slot game and a wheel game.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, the game object activates said individually activatable component when the game object collides with said individually activatable component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the displayed gaming environment includes an individually activatable bonus component associated with a chance based bonus game.

19. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

for a single play of a game;

(a) cause at least one display device to display a gaming environment having one or more individually activatable components;

(b) operate with at least one input device to receive an input from a player;

(c) after receiving the input from the player, introduce a game object into the displayed gaming environment;

(d) after introducing the game object into the displayed gaming environment, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, if the game object activates said individually activatable component a designated number of times during said single play of the game, the designated number of times being at least one, trigger a play of one of a chance based game;

(e) for each triggered play of the chance based game;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display said triggered play of said chance based game;

(ii) randomly determine an outcome for said triggered play of said chance based game;

(iii) cause the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(iv) if the randomly determined outcome is one of a plurality of different winning outcomes, cause the at least one display device to display an award associated with said randomly determined outcome to the player; and

(f) provide any awards for any triggered plays of the chanced based game to the player.

22. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 21, wherein the one or more individually activatable components include a plurality of individually activatable components, and two of the individually activatable components are associated with:

(a) different likelihoods of being activated, and (b) different chance based games.

23. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 21, wherein the chance based game is a reel slot game.

24. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 23, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

25. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 21, wherein the chance based game is a wheel game.

26. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 21, wherein the chance based game is one of:

a reel slot game and a wheel game.

27. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 26, wherein the reel slot game is associated with a plurality of reels including at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mechanical reels and video reels.

28. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 21, wherein, for each of the one or more individually activatable components, the game object activates said individually activatable component when the game object collides with said individually activatable component.

29. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 28, wherein the displayed gaming environment includes an individually activatable bonus component associated with a chance based bonus game.