Means for enhancing game play of gaming device

• US 9,728,043 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US12/981,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20120172108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16, 463 25, 463 42, 463 20- 22, 2731381, 273139
• 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
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Embodiments of the present concept provide gaming devices and gaming systems that are configured to implement means for enhancing game play. Here, various embodiments of this concept use game insertion techniques to enhance the game play experience for players. These game insertion techniques include placing bonus spins, free games, or other incentives within traditional game play. In one model, a gaming device may use a bonus spin routine to replace a losing game outcome with a winning game outcome. Here, the player may be shown the initial losing game outcome and then be notified that a bonus spin has been awarded, which ultimately results in the winning game outcome.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming device having a plurality of base game outcomes comprising predetermined combinations of base-game symbols that appear on a base game display, at least one of which is associated with a winning game outcome and at least one of which is associated with a losing game outcome, the method comprising:

receiving value from a player for wagering on the gaming device via a bill acceptor associated with the gaming device;

validating via the acceptor one of a bill and a ticket received at the acceptor;

receiving a game initiating input;

determining a base game outcome as a result of a random process implemented via computer processor responsive to each received game initiating input;

executing a bonus spin routine responsive to each game initiating input, the bonus spin routine ascertaining independently of the base game outcome if the determined base game outcome is associated with a bonus spin;

displaying the determined game outcome on a base game display when the determined outcome is not associated with a bonus spin;

when the determined game outcome is associated with a bonus spin;

selecting only a winning game outcome comprising a predetermined combination of symbols selected from the base-game symbols that comprises a winning base-game outcome;

displaying the selected winning game outcome on the base game display without indicating to the player of the presence of the bonus spin, and

awarding a prize associated with the selected winning outcome;

receiving an input for cashing out credits awarded;

printing a ticket on a ticket printer associated with the gaming device in response to receipt of the input for cashing out credits; and

using the ticket for at least one of redeeming the ticket for cash and transferring credits to another gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining if the determined base game outcome is associated with a bonus spin includes:

determining if the determined base game outcome is a losing game outcome; and

indicating that the base game outcome is not associated with a bonus spin when the determined base game outcome is not a losing game outcome.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining if the determined base game outcome is associated with a bonus spin includes:

selecting a bonus spin value from a predefined table; and

indicating that the base game outcome is not associated with a bonus spin when the selected bonus spin value does not meet a predefined criterion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting a bonus spin value from a predefined table includes randomly selecting a bonus spin value.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising associating a bonus spin with the determined base game outcome when the selected bonus spin value meets the predefined criterion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a bonus spin routine further comprises displaying the determined base game outcome prior to displaying a notification to the player that a bonus spin has been awarded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a base game outcome includes determining a base game outcome from a base game paytable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting only a winning game outcome includes selecting a winning outcome from a bonus spin paytable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each outcome in the bonus spin paytable has an associated award.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the bonus spin routine further comprises sending a command that causes the base game to stop at a predetermined winning outcome.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the symbols appear on rotating mechanical reels.

12. A gaming device having a plurality of base game outcomes comprising predetermined combinations of base-game symbols that appear on a base game display, at least one of which is associated with a winning base-game outcome and at least one of which is associated with a losing base-game outcome, the gaming device comprising:

a player interface including a game initiating input device;

a bill acceptor associated with the gaming device for validating one of a bill and a ticket received in the acceptor from a player of the poker gaming device;

a base game display to display a game outcome comprising a subset of symbols selected from a predetermined group of symbols when a gaming event is initiated;

a memory configured to store a base game paytable from which base-game outcomes are randomly selected, a bonus spin paytable having only winning game outcomes that are identical to at least some of the base-game winning outcomes in the base-game paytable, and a bonus spin criterion;

a processor configured to determine a bonus spin value and to determine a winning base-game outcome to display on the base game display as if the outcome was randomly selected from the base game paytable in response to each gaming event initiated on the gaming device, where the determined winning base-game outcome comprises only a winning base-game outcome selected from the bonus spin paytable when the bonus spin value meets the bonus spin criterion, and where the determined base-game outcome comprises a subset of the group of symbols determined by the base-game paytable when the bonus spin value does not meet the bonus spin criterion;

a cash out button for receiving a cash-out input from a player of the gaming device;

a ticket printer for printing a ticket in response to receipt of a cash-out input from the player; and

a ticket printed by the ticket printer, the ticket being usable for at least one of redeeming the ticket for cash and transferring credits to another gaming device.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to send a command that causes the base game to stop at a predetermined winning outcome.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including a communication port, a base game display, a memory to store a base game paytable, a bill acceptor for validating one of a bill and a ticket received in the acceptor from a player of the gaming device, and a processor configured to determine a game outcome comprising a subset of symbols randomly selected from a predetermined group of symbols using the base game paytable to display on the base game display; and

a bonus controller connected to the gaming device, the bonus controller configured to receive a signal from the gaming device indicating each gaming event initiation and to determine in response to the signal whether a bonus spin value satisfies a bonus spin criterion in response to each received signal, and configured to instruct the gaming device to display on the base game display as if the outcome was randomly selected from the base game paytable a bonus spin outcome comprising a subset of the group of symbols from a bonus spin paytable having only winning outcomes that are identical to at least some of the winning outcomes in the base game paytable when the bonus spin value satisfies the bonus spin criterion;

a cash out button for receiving a cash-out input from a player of the gaming system;

a ticket printer for printing a ticket in response to receipt of a cash-out input from the player; and

a ticket printed by the ticket printer, the ticket being usable for at least one of redeeming the ticket for cash and transferring credits to another gaming device.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, further comprising a machine interface device connecting the bonus controller to the communication port of the gaming device.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the bonus controller does not instruct the gaming device to display a bonus spin outcome when a determined game outcome using the base game paytable is a winning game outcome.