Gaming system, gaming devices, and method for providing an enhanced multiple-player bonus redemption game

• US 9,142,088 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/362,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20120264500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A gaming system and methods provide a plurality of gaming devices configured to operate a multiple-player bonus or secondary game. Each gaming device of the gaming system generates targets upon occurrences of target-generation events. Each gaming device also generates collectors upon occurrences of collector-generating events. The collectors may be used in conjunction with the aforementioned targets to obtain awards in a bonus sequence as described. Upon the occurrence of a redemption event at one of the plurality of gaming devices, the gaming device provides all players playing at one of the gaming devices in the gaming system the opportunity to redeem all accumulated collectors and targets in a bonus sequence. In the bonus sequence, the gaming system determines any awards associated with the redemption of accumulated collectors and targets and provides them to the players.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices; and

a controller programmed to operate with said gaming devices to;

(a) generate a plurality of targets,

(b) cause at least one display device to display the plurality of generated targets,

(c) associate at least one of the plurality of generated targets with a first one of the gaming devices, and

(d) after associating at least one of the plurality of generated targets with the first one of the gaming devices, and upon an occurrence of a redemption event;

(i) randomly couple at least a first one of the generated targets with at least one collector associated with a second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display said random coupling,

(iii) determining at least one award based on the random coupling of the at least first one of the generated targets and the at least one collector, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display the determined at least one award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to cause the at least one display device to display at least one of the plurality of generated targets for at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a designated amount of time, a designated quantity of plays of a game, and a designated quantity of occurrences of the redemption event.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the at least first one of the generated targets associated with the first one of the gaming devices couples with the at least one collector associated with the second one of the gaming devices, the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to cause the at least one determined award to be provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player at the first gaming device, and a player at the second gaming device.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein upon the occurrence of the redemption event, the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to randomly couple the at least first one of the generated targets with the at least one collector based on a first probability associated with one of:

the at least first one of the generated targets and the at least one collector.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the first probability is based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a target value of the at least first one of the generated targets, a collector value of the at least one collector, a displayed location of the at least first one of the generated targets, and a displayed location of the at least one collector.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to operated with said gaming devices to randomly couple each of the plurality of generated targets with a different one of a plurality of collectors.

29. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the gaming devices includes a housing, and a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including (i) an acceptor, (ii) a validator, and (iii) a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to:

if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and (ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

7. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices; and

a controller programmed to operate with said gaming devices to;

(a) generate a plurality of collectors;

(b) cause at least one display device to display the plurality of generated collectors,

(c) associate at least one of the plurality of generated collectors with a first one of the gaming devices, and

(d) after associating at least one of the plurality of generated collectors with the first one of the gaming devices, and upon an occurrence of a redemption event;

(i) randomly couple at least a first one of the generated collectors with at least one target associated with a second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display said random coupling,

(iii) determine at least one award based on the random coupling of the at least first one of the generated collectors and the at least one target, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display the determined at least one award.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to cause the at least one display device to display at last one of the plurality of generated collectors for at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a designated amount of time, a designated quantity of plays of a game, and a designated quantity of occurrences of the redemption event.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein if the at least first one of the generated collectors associated with the first one of the gaming devices couples with the at least one target associated with the second one of the gaming devices, the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to cause the at least one determined award to be provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player at the first gaming device, and a player at the second gaming device.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein upon the occurrence of the redemption event, the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to randomly couple the at least first one of the generated collectors with the at least one target based on a first probability associated with one of:

the at least first one of the generated collectors and the at least one target.

11. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the first probability is based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a collector value of the at least first one of the generated collectors, a target value of the at least one target, a displayed location of the at least first one of the generated collectors, and a displayed location of the at least one target.

12. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed to operate with said gaming devices to randomly couple each of the plurality of generated collectors with a different one of a plurality of targets.

30. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein each of the gaming devices includes a housing, and a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including (i) an acceptor, (ii) a validator, and (iii) a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to:

if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and (ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

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

(a) causing the at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a plurality of targets,

(b) causing at least one display device to display the plurality of generated targets,

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to associate at least one of the plurality of generated targets with a first one of a plurality of gaming devices, and

(d) after associating at least one of the plurality of generated targets with the first one of the gaming devices, and upon an occurrence of a redemption event;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly couple at least a first one of the generated targets with at least one collector associated with a second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display said random coupling,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one award based on the random coupling of the at least first one of the generated targets and the at least one collector, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined at least one award.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the plurality of generated targets for at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a designated amount of time, a designated quantity of plays of a game, and a designated quantity of occurrences of the redemption event.

15. The method of claim 13, which includes, if the at least first one of the generated targets associated with the first one of the gaming devices couples with the at least one collector associated with the second one of the gaming devices, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one determined award to be provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player at the first gaming device, and a player at the second gaming device.

16. The method of claim 13, which includes, upon the occurrence of the redemption event, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly couple the at least first one of the generated targets with the at least one collector based on a first probability associated with one of:

the at least first one of the generated targets and the at least one collector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first probability is based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a target value of the at least first one of the generated targets, a collector value of the at least one collector, a displayed location of the at least first one of the generated targets, and a displayed location of the at least one collector.

18. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly couple each of the plurality of generated targets with a different one of a plurality of collectors.

19. The method of claim 13, which is operated through a data network.

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

31. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined at least one award causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via:

(i) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a plurality of collectors,

(b) causing the at least one display device to display the plurality of generated collectors,

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to associate at least one of the plurality of generated collectors with a first one of a plurality of gaming devices, and

(d) after associating at least one of the plurality of generated collectors with the first one of the gaming devices, and upon an occurrence of a redemption event;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instruction to randomly couple at least a first one of the generated collectors with at least one target associated with a second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display said random coupling,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one award based on the random coupling of the at least first one of the generated collectors and the at least one target, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined at least one award.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the plurality of generated collectors for at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a designated amount of time, a designated quantity of plays of a game, and a designated quantity of occurrences of the redemption event.

23. The method of claim 21, which includes, if the at least first one of the generated collectors associated with the first one of the gaming devices couple with the at least one target associated with the second one of the gaming devices, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one determined award to be provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player at the first gaming device, and a player at the second gaming device.

24. The method of claim 23, which includes, upon the occurrence of the redemption event, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly couple the at least first one of the generated collectors with the at least one target based on a first probability associated with one of:

the at least first one of the generated collectors and the at least one target.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first probability is based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a collector value of the at least first one of the generated collectors, a target value of the at least one target, a displayed location of the at least first one of the generated collectors, and a displayed location of the at least one target.

26. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly couple each of the plurality of generated collectors with a different one of a plurality of targets.

27. The method of claim 21, which is operated through a data network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said data network is an internet.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the determined at least one award causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via:

(i) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.