Gaming system, gaming device and method for determining an outcome of a secondary game based on one or more events which occur in association with a primary game

• US 9,547,955 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Sutich, Alexandria Estella Ponte, Peterson, Lance R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US14/824,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein includes an accumulation sequence and a competition sequence. In one embodiment, the gaming system includes competitor points which determine (i) a competitor'"'"'s eligibility to participate in the competition sequence and (ii) the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence. In this embodiment, a competitor (which is either representative of an actual player or a virtual, gaming system controlled player) accumulates competitor points during one or more point accumulation sequences which occur in association with designated events. For a subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system determines if a competitor will participate in the triggered competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points. For the subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system further determines the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points.

Claims

1. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) associate one of a plurality of different characters with a player,

(b) when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment;

(i) cause at least one display device to display the associated character and at least one parameter of the associated character, and

(ii) receive data associated with at least one input made by the player to modify the at least one parameter of the associated character, and

(c) when the player is subsequently associated with a gaming device at a gaming establishment, cause at least one gaming device display device to display the associated character and the at least one modified parameter of the associated character, wherein any award determined for any play of any game displayed by the at least one gaming device display device causes an increase of a gaming device credit balance, said gaming device credit balance being increasable via a gaming device acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a gaming device cashout device.

2. The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor when the player is subsequently associated with the gaming device at the gaming establishment, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive, via at least one gaming device input device, at least one input made by the player to modify the at least one modified parameter of the associated character.

3. The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor when the player is subsequently associated with the gaming device at the gaming establishment, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one gaming device display device to display the associated character and the at least one modified parameter of the associated character in association with a play of a game.

4. The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to purchase at least one modification of the at least one parameter of the associated character.

5. The gaming system server of claim 4, wherein the at least one purchased modification is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

6. The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein any award determined for any play of any game displayed by the at least one gaming device display device is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

7. The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein at least one modification to the at least one parameter of the associated character is unavailable until at least one event occurs.

8. The gaming system server of claim 1, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein said data network is an internet.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a housing,

at least one display device supported by the housing,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device,

at least one processor, and

at least one memory device which stores 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 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) during a first period of time;

(i) display a character and at least one parameter of the character,

(ii) if at least one input is made by a player to modify the at least one parameter of the character;

(A) modify, based on the at least one input made by the player, the at least one parameter of the character, and

(B) display the character and the at least one modified parameter of the character,

(c) receive a wager placed on a play of a game, said credit balance being decreasable based on said placed wager,

(d) for the wagered on play of the game;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine any award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome, said credit balance being increasable based on any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

(e) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance, wherein the player is enabled to modify the at least one parameter of the character during at least one of;

(i) a second period of time which occurs after any payout associated with the credit balance when the player is located remote from the housing, and (ii) a third period of time which occurs before any receipt of the physical item to establish the credit balance when the player is located remote from the housing.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to purchase at least one modification of the at least one parameter of the character.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one purchased modification is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein at least one modification to the at least one parameter of the character is unavailable until at least one event occurs.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to associate one of a plurality of different characters with a player,

(b) when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment;

(i) causing at least one display device to display the associated character and at least one parameter of the associated character, and

(ii) receiving data associated with at least one input made by the player to modify the at least one parameter of the associated character, and

(c) when the player is subsequently associated with a gaming device at a gaming establishment, causing at least one gaming device display device to display the associated character and the at least one modified parameter of the associated character, wherein any award determined for any play of any game displayed by the at least one gaming device display device causes an increase of a gaming device credit balance, said gaming device credit balance being increasable via a gaming device acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a gaming device cashout device.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes, when the player is subsequently associated with the gaming device at the gaming establishment, receiving, via at least one gaming device input device, at least one input made by the player to modify the at least one modified parameter of the associated character.

17. The method of claim 15, which includes, when the player is subsequently associated with the gaming device at the gaming establishment, causing the at least one gaming device display device to display the associated character and the at least one modified parameter of the associated character in association with a play of a game.

18. The method of claim 15, which includes enabling the player to purchase at least one modification of the at least one parameter of the associated character.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one purchased modification is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein any award determined for any play of any game displayed by the at least one gaming device display device is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits and a quantity of non-monetary credits.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one modification to the at least one parameter of the associated character is unavailable until at least one event occurs.

22. The method of claim 15, which is operated over a data network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said data network is an internet.