Rotor-based gaming device having a secondary award system

• US 9,911,281 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wei
• Application Number:
  US15/251,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16, 463 20, 463 25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection 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 17/3258 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 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A game system including a plurality of symbols, a rotor and an award amount. The plurality of symbols include at least one secondary award group of the symbols. A wager is placeable on the secondary award group. The rotor displays the symbols and a plurality of ball landings adjacent to the symbols. A plurality of the symbols are indicatable after multiple spins of the rotor. The game system is operable to provide a secondary award based on the indication of one or more symbols within the secondary award group.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device;

at least one input 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;

responsive to receipt, via the at least one input device, of a wager input, place a streak wager for a play of a streak game associated with a plurality of consecutive plays of a wagering game, the wagering game including a rotor displaying a plurality of different outcomes;

for a first play of the wagering game;

randomly determine and cause the at least one display device to display a first one of the outcomes;

determine and cause the at least one display device to display any first wagering game award based on the first outcome;

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a termination condition, end the play of the streak game; and

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a continuation condition, determine, cause the at least one display device to display, and provide a first streak award based on the streak wager and continue the play of the streak game, the first streak award being in addition to any first wagering game award; and

for a second play of the wagering game following the first play of the wagering game;

randomly determine and cause the at least one display device to display a second one of the outcomes;

determine and cause the at least one display device to display any second wagering game award based on the second outcome;

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the continuation condition, determine, cause the at least one display device to display, and provide a second streak award based on the streak wager, the second streak award being in addition to any second wagering game award; and

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the termination condition, end the play of the streak game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the streak game is associated with a set of two or more of the outcomes, and wherein the first outcome satisfies the termination condition when the first outcome is not one of the outcomes of the set.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first outcome also satisfies the termination condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has already occurred during the play of the streak game.

4. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first outcome satisfies the continuation condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has not already occurred during the play of the streak game.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the first outcome satisfies a suspension condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has already occurred during the play of the streak game.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(1) for the first play of the wagering game, responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies the suspension condition, continue the play of the streak game; and

(2) for the second play of the wagering game, responsive to determining that the suspension condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the continuation condition, determine, cause the at least one display device to display, and provide the first streak award based on the streak wager.

7. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the set of outcomes responsive to receipt, via the at least one input device, of a player selection of the outcomes.

8. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first outcome satisfies the continuation condition when the first outcome:

is one of the outcomes of the set that has not yet occurred during the play of the streak game, and

occurs according to a designated order of the outcomes of the set.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second streak award is greater than the first streak award.

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

responsive to receiving a wager input via at least one input device, placing, by at least one processor, a streak wager for a play of a streak game associated with a plurality of consecutive plays of a wagering game, the wagering game including a rotor displaying a plurality of different outcomes;

for a first play of the wagering game;

randomly determining, by the at least one processor, and causing, by the at least one processor, at least one display device to display a first one of the outcomes;

determining, by the at least one processor, and causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display any first wagering game award based on the first outcome;

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a termination condition, ending, by the at least one processor, the play of the streak game; and

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a continuation condition, determining, by the at least one processor;

causing, by the at least one processor the at least one display device to display; and

providing a first streak award based on the streak wager and continuing, by the at least one processor, the play of the streak game, the first streak award being in addition to any first wagering game award; and

for a second play of the wagering game following the first play of the wagering game;

randomly determining, by the at least one processor, and causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display a second one of the outcomes;

determining, by the at least one processor, and causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display any second wagering game award based on the second outcome;

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the continuation condition, determining, by the at least one processor;

causing, by the at least one processor the at least one display device to display; and

providing a second streak award based on the streak wager, the second streak award being in addition to any second wagering game award; and

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the termination condition, ending, by the at least one processor, the play of the streak game.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the streak game is associated with a set of two or more of the outcomes, and wherein the first outcome satisfies the termination condition when the first outcome is not one of the outcomes of the set.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first outcome also satisfies the termination condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has already occurred during the play of the streak game.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first outcome satisfies the continuation condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has not already occurred during the play of the streak game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first outcome satisfies a suspension condition when the first outcome is one of the outcomes of the set that has already occurred during the play of the streak game.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes:

(1) for the first play of the wagering game, responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies the suspension condition, continuing, by the at least one processor, the play of the streak game; and

(2) for the second play of the wagering game, responsive to determining that the suspension condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the continuation condition, determining, by the at least one processor;

causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display; and

providing the first streak award based on the streak wager.

16. The method of claim 11, which includes determining, by the at least one processor, the set of outcomes responsive to receipt, by the at least one input device, of a player selection of the outcomes.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first outcome satisfies the continuation condition when the first outcome:

is one of the outcomes of the set that has not yet occurred during the play of the streak game, and

occurs according to a designated order of the outcomes of the set.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the second streak award is greater than the first streak award.

19. The method of claim 10, which is at least partially provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

21. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device;

at least one input 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;

responsive to receipt, via the at least one input device, of a wager input, place a streak wager for a play of a streak game associated with a plurality of consecutive plays of a wagering game, the wagering game including a rotor displaying a plurality of different outcomes;

for a first play of the wagering game;

randomly determine and cause the at least one display device to display a first one of the outcomes;

responsive to determining that any first wagering game award is associated with the first one the outcomes, display said determined first wagering game award;

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a termination condition, end the play of the streak game, wherein the streak game is associated with a set of two or more of the outcomes, wherein the termination condition is satisfied when an outcome of a play of the wagering game is not one of the outcomes of the set, and wherein the termination condition is also satisfied when an outcome of a play of the wagering game is one of the outcomes of the set that has already occurred during the play of the streak game; and

responsive to determining that the first outcome satisfies a continuation condition, determine, cause the at least one display device to display, and provide a first streak award based on the streak wager and continue the play of the streak game, said first streak award being in addition to any said determined first wagering game award; and

for a second play of the wagering game following the first play of the wagering game;

randomly determine and cause the at least one display device to display a second one of the outcomes;

responsive to determining that any second wagering game award is associated with the second one the outcomes, display said determined second wagering game award;

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the continuation condition, determine, cause the at least one display device to display, and provide a second streak award based on the streak wager, said second streak award being in addition to any said determined second wagering game award; and

responsive to determining that the continuation condition was satisfied for the first play of the wagering game and that the second outcome satisfies the termination condition, end the play of the streak game.