MEANS FOR ENHANCING GAME PLAY OF GAMING DEVICE

• US 20120172108A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,728,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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, the method comprising:

receiving a game initiating input;

determining a game outcome;

ascertaining if the determined game outcome is associated with a bonus spin;

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

executing a bonus spin routine when the determined game outcome is associated with a bonus spin, the bonus spin routine including;

displaying a notification to the player that a bonus spin has been awarded,

selecting a winning game outcome,

displaying the winning game outcome on the game display, and

awarding a prize associated with the winning outcome.

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

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

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

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

selecting a bonus spin value from a predefined table; and

indicating that the 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 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 game outcome prior to displaying the notification to the player that a bonus spin has been awarded.

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

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

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

10. A method of operating a gaming device having a plurality of spinning reels, the method comprising:

receiving a game initiating input;

spinning the game reels to initiate a gaming event in response to the received game initiating input;

ascertaining if the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin;

stopping the spinning reels to display a game outcome when the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin; and

executing a bonus spin routine when the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin, the bonus spin routine including;

stopping the spinning reels to display a preliminary game outcome,

displaying a notification to the player that a bonus spin has been awarded,

receiving an input to respin the reels, and

spinning and stopping the reels to show a bonus spin outcome.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving an input to respin the reels includes receiving an input from a player to respin the reels.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving an input to respin the reels includes receiving a signal that the preliminary game outcome has been displayed for a predefined amount of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein ascertaining if the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin includes:

determining if a selected game outcome is a losing game outcome; and

indicating that the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin when a selected game outcome is determined to not be a losing game outcome.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein ascertaining if the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin further includes:

selecting a bonus spin value; and

indicating that the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin when the selected bonus spin value does not meet a predefined criterion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein ascertaining if the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin further includes indicating that the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin when the selected game outcome is determined to be a losing game outcome and when the selected bonus spin value does meet the predefined criterion.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a winning outcome as a bonus spin outcome when a gaming event is associated with a bonus spin.

17. A method of operating a video poker gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a game initiating input to wager on a gaming event;

dealing an initial hand of cards;

receiving one or more player inputs to hold cards and draw cards;

ascertaining if the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin;

displaying a final hand when the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin; and

executing a bonus spin routine when the gaming event is associated with a bonus spin, the bonus spin routine including;

selecting draw cards to make a final hand a winning hand, and

displaying a final hand with the selected draw cards.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting draw cards for any cards not held by the player when an input is received to draw cards;

determining if a final hand with the selected draw cards is a winning hand; and

indicating that the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin when the final hand with the selected draw cards is determined to be a winning hand.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising indicating that the gaming event is not associated with a bonus spin when a player holds all of the cards in the initial hand.

20. A gaming device comprising:

a player interface including a game initiating input device;

a game display to display a game outcome when a gaming event is initiated;

a memory configured to store a base game paytable, a bonus spin paytable, and a bonus spin criterion;

a processor configured to determine a bonus spin value and determine a game outcome to display on the game display in response to a gaming event being initiated, where the determined game outcome is determined from the bonus spin paytable when the bonus spin value meets the bonus spin criterion, and where the determined game outcome is determined the base-game paytable when the bonus spin value does not meet the bonus spin criterion.

21. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including a communication port, a game display, a memory to store a base game paytable, and a processor configured to determine a game outcome using the base game paytable to display on the game display; and

a bonus controller connected to the gaming device, the bonus controller configured to receive a signal from the gaming device indicating a gaming event initiation, and configured to instruct the gaming device to display a bonus spin outcome from a bonus spin paytable when a bonus spin value satisfies a bonus spin criterion.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, further comprising a machine interface device connecting the bonus controller to the communication port of the gaming device.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, 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.