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 9,159,202 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• 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:
  US14/643,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20150187184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor and a validator;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to;

(a) if a physical item associated with a monetary value is received by the acceptor;

(1) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and (2) establish a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) after placement of a wager following an actuation of a wager button, said wager deducted from said credit balance, for a single play of a pseudo-skill game having an average expected payback percentage that is independent of any inputs received during said single play of the pseudo-skill game;

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

(2) receive an input;

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

(4) 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 pseudo-skill game, the designated number of times being at least one, trigger a play of a chance-based game; and

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

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

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

(C) display the randomly determined outcome; and

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

(c) if a cashout button is actuated, initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

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 different chance based games.

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

a reel slot game and a wheel game.

4. 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.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each potential outcome of the chance-based game is one of the plurality of winning outcomes.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of winning outcomes is associated with an award greater than said wager.

7. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein an average expected payback percentage of the chance-based game is greater than 100%.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a ticket dispenser and a ticket printer.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the cashout button is actuated:

(1) print, via the ticket printer, a ticket associated with a second monetary value; and

(2) dispense, via the ticket dispenser, the printed ticket.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each potential outcome of the chance-based game is one of the plurality of winning outcomes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of winning outcomes is associated with an award greater than said wager.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein an average expected payback percentage of the chance-based game is greater than 100%.

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

(a) if a physical item associated with a monetary value is received by an acceptor;

(1) identifying, via a validator, the received physical item, and (2) causing at least one processor to establish a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) after placement of a wager following an actuation of a wager button, said wager deducted from said credit balance, for a single play of a pseudo-skill game having an average expected payback percentage that is independent of any inputs received during said single play of the pseudo-skill game;

(1) causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display a gaming environment having one or more individually activatable components;

(2) receiving an input via an input device;

(3) after receiving the input, causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to introduce a game object into the displayed gaming environment;

(4) 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 pseudo-skill game, the designated number of times being at least one, causing the at least one processor to trigger a play of a chance-based game; and

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

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

(B) causing the at least one processor to randomly determine an outcome for said triggered play of said chance based game;

(C) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome; and

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

(c) if a cashout button is actuated, causing the at least one processor to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

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 different chance based games.

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

a reel slot game and a wheel game.

13. 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.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the gaming system includes the acceptor, the validator, the wager button, the cashout button, a ticket dispenser, and a ticket printer.

18. The method of claim 10, which includes, if the cashout button is actuated:

(1) printing, via the ticket printer, a ticket associated with a second monetary value; and

(2) dispensing, via the ticket dispenser, the printed ticket.

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.