Gaming system and method providing simultaneous gaming with linked paytable events

• US 9,659,462 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gerrard, Peter, Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US14/570,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20150099571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The gaming device disclosed herein includes a plurality of simultaneously, substantially simultaneously or sequentially played primary games, wherein a designated triggering event in at least one of the games causes the gaming device to change, modify, supplement, add to, activate or otherwise influence the paytable of at least another game.

Claims

1. 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 of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(ii) a receptacle configured to store the physical item, and

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) for each of a plurality of at least partially simultaneously played games;

(i) determine a plurality of symbols,

(ii) display the determined plurality of symbols,

(iii) determine any awards associated with the displayed plurality of symbols, and

(iv) display any determined awards,

(b) if a first triggering event occurred in association with a first one of the played games and no second triggering event occurred in association with a second one of the played games, for a play of a secondary game;

(i) determine a secondary game outcome,

(ii) display the determined secondary game outcome,

(iii) determine a secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(iv) display the determined secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome,

(c) if the first triggering event occurred in association with the first one of the played games and a second triggering event occurred in association with the second one of the played games, for the play of the secondary game;

(i) determine the secondary game outcome,

(ii) display the determined secondary game outcome,

(iii) determine a modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(iv) display the determined modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(d) if no first triggering event occurred in association with the first one of the played games and the second triggering event occurred in association with the second one of the played games, not display any play of the secondary game associated with the occurrence of the second triggering event.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first triggering event occurs based on the displayed plurality of symbols of the first one of the played games including a first designated symbol.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the second triggering event occurs based on the displayed plurality of symbols of the second one of the played games including a second designated symbol.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome is determined in association with a first paytable and the modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome is determined in association with a second, different paytable.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to simultaneously display the plurality of played games.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one display device includes a designated display device and when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to at least partially simultaneously display the plurality of played games on the designated display device.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input devices includes a cashout device actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any awards and any determined secondary game awards is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

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

(a) receiving a wager deducted from a credit balance to initiate a plurality of at least partially simultaneously played games, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(b) for each of the plurality of at least partially simultaneously played games;

(i) causing at least one processor to determine a plurality of symbols,

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the determined plurality of symbols,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to determine any awards associated with the displayed plurality of symbols, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined awards,

(c) if a first triggering event occurred in association with a first one of the played games and no second triggering event occurred in association with a second one of the played games, for a play of a secondary game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to determine a secondary game outcome,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to determine a secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome,

(d) if the first triggering event occurred in association with the first one of the played games and a second triggering event occurred in association with the second one of the played games, for the play of the secondary game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to determine the secondary game outcome,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to determine a modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome, and

(d) if no first triggering event occurred in association with the first one of the played games and the second triggering event occurred in association with the second one of the played games, not displaying any play of the secondary game associated with the occurrence of the second triggering event.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first triggering event occurs based on the displayed plurality of symbols of the first one of the played games including a first designated symbol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second triggering event occurs based on the displayed plurality of symbols of the second one of the played games including a second designated symbol.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome is determined in association with a first paytable and the modified secondary game award associated with the determined secondary game outcome is determined in association with a second, different paytable.

13. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one display device to simultaneously display the plurality of played games.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display device includes a designated display device and which includes causing the designated display device to at least partially simultaneously display the plurality of played games.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of any awards and any determined secondary game awards is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

16. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.