Gaming system and method providing a keno-type primary game associated with persistence pools that may be incremented to trigger one or more bonuses

• US 9,472,062 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: DeFrance, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/455,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20160042586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a keno-type primary game including designated values that may be accumulated to trigger one or more bonuses. In one embodiment, the gaming system is configured to operate a keno-type primary game and a plurality of bonuses. Each bonus is associated with a different one of a plurality of different designated values. The gaming system accumulates the designated values upon the occurrence of certain events during play of the primary game. When the gaming system accumulates a designated quantity of a particular designated value during play of the primary game, the gaming system provides the bonus associated with that designated value. The gaming system thus enables accumulation of designated values across a plurality of plays of the primary game and, in some instances, over a plurality of gaming sessions to attempt to trigger the bonuses.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device;

a plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item

(b) display a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) form a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(d) select a value of a set of a plurality of values, the set of the plurality of values including a first subset of one or more designated values and a second subset of one or more non-designated values, each designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values being associated with one of a plurality of different persistence pools;

(e) associate the selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(f) select a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(g) add the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(h) if the selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated;

(i) repeat (f) to (h) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(j) determine any primary awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(k) display any determined primary awards;

(l) for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to a designated value, provide a bonus associated with said persistence pool; and

(m) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. 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 selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated by accumulating the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two different persistence pools are associated with different designated values.

4. 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 selected keno number is associated with a non-designated value of the second subset of one or more non-designated values:

(i) select a designated quantity of values of the set of the plurality of values, and

(ii) associate each selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus includes a bonus game including a quantity of plays, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to the designated value, provide the bonus associated with said persistence pool by:

(1) displaying a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(2) forming a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(3) associating each of a set of one or more free play indicators with a number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(4) selecting a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(5) adding the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(6) if the selected keno number is associated with a free play indicator of the set of one or more free play indicators;

(i) accumulating the free play indicator with which the selected keno number is associated,

(ii) removing the accumulated free play indicator from the set of free play indicators, and

(iii) increasing the quantity of plays;

(7) repeating (4) to (6) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(8) determining any bonus awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(9) displaying any determined bonus awards;

(10) reducing the quantity of plays;

(11) if a designated quantity of free play indicators of the set of one or more free play indicators has been accumulated, returning each accumulated free play indicator to the set of one or more free play indicators; and

(12) if the quantity of plays is at least one, repeating (1) to (11).

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the set of one or more free play indicators includes a quantity of free play indicators determined based on the persistence pool associated with the provided bonus.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(b) causing the at least one processor to form a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) causing the at least one processor to select a value of a set of a plurality of values, the set of the plurality of values including a first subset of one or more designated values and a second subset of one or more non-designated values, each designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values being associated with one of a plurality of different persistence pools;

(d) causing the at least one processor to associate the selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(e) causing the at least one processor to select a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(f) causing the at least one processor to add the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(g) if the selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, causing the at least one processor to increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated;

(h) repeating (e) to (g) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(i) causing the at least one processor to determine any primary awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(j) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display any determined primary awards, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any determined primary awards, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(k) for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to a designated value, providing a bonus associated with said persistence pool, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the bonus associated with said persistence pool.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to, if the selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated by accumulating the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two different persistence pools are associated with different designated values.

10. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to, if the selected keno number is associated with a non-designated value of the second subset of one or more non-designated values:

(i) select a designated quantity of values of the set of the plurality of values, and

(ii) associate each selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the bonus includes a bonus game including a quantity of plays, and which includes, for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to the designated value, providing the bonus associated with said persistence pool by:

(1) displaying a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(2) forming a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(3) associating each of a set of one or more free play indicators with a number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(4) selecting a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(5) adding the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(6) if the selected keno number is associated with a free play indicator of the set of one or more free play indicators;

(i) accumulating the free play indicator with which the selected keno number is associated,

(ii) removing the accumulated free play indicator from the set of free play indicators, and

(iii) increasing the quantity of plays;

(7) repeating (4) to (6) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(8) determining any bonus awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(9) displaying any determined bonus awards;

(10) reducing the quantity of plays;

(11) if a designated quantity of free play indicators of the set of one or more free play indicators has been accumulated, returning each accumulated free play indicator to the set of one or more free play indicators; and

(12) if the quantity of plays is at least one, repeating (1) to (11).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of one or more free play indicators includes a quantity of free play indicators determined based on the persistence pool associated with the provided bonus.

13. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) cause at least one display device to display a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(b) form a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) select a value of a set of a plurality of values, the set of the plurality of values including a first subset of one or more designated values and a second subset of one or more non-designated values, each designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values being associated with one of a plurality of different persistence pools;

(d) associate the selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(e) select a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(f) add the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(g) if the selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated;

(h) repeat (e) to (g) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(i) determine any primary awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(j) cause the at least one display device to display any determined primary awards, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any determined primary awards, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(k) for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to a designated value, provide a bonus associated with said persistence pool, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the bonus associated with said persistence pool.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the selected keno number is associated with a designated value of the first subset of one or more designated values, increment the persistence pool associated with the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated by accumulating the designated value with which the selected keno number is associated.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least two different persistence pools are associated with different designated values.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the selected keno number is associated with a non-designated value of the second subset of one or more non-designated values:

(i) select a designated quantity of values of the set of the plurality of values, and

(ii) associate each selected value with a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the bonus includes a bonus game including a quantity of plays, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, for each persistence pool, if said persistence pool has been incremented to the designated value, provide the bonus associated with said persistence pool by:

(1) causing the at least one display device to display of a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(2) forming a player keno number set including one or more keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(3) associating each of a set of one or more free play indicators with a number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(4) selecting a keno number in the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(5) adding the selected keno number to a gaming system keno number set;

(6) if the selected keno number is associated with a free play indicator of the set of one or more free play indicators;

(i) accumulating the free play indicator with which the selected keno number is associated,

(ii) removing the accumulated free play indicator from the set of free play indicators, and

(iii) increasing the quantity of plays;

(7) repeating (4) to (6) until the gaming system keno number set includes a designated quantity of keno numbers;

(8) determining any bonus awards based on a comparison of the player keno number set with the gaming system keno number set;

(9) causing the at least one display device to display any determined bonus awards;

(10) reducing the quantity of plays;

(11) if a designated quantity of free play indicators of the set of one or more free play indicators has been accumulated, returning each accumulated free play indicator to the set of one or more free play indicators; and

(12) if the quantity of plays is at least one, repeating (1) to (11).

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the set of one or more free play indicators includes a quantity of free play indicators determined based on the persistence pool associated with the provided bonus.