Gaming device having a multiple coordinate award distributor including award percentages

• US 7,625,278 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US12/045,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20080182638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 19, 273/142.H, 273/142.HA, 273/142.R
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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

A gaming device includes an award distributor having a plurality of sections having first and second coordinates, a symbol group and a plurality of modifier groups including the sections, a plurality of awards associated with the sections in the symbol group and a plurality of award percentages associated with the sections in the modifier groups, an illumination device associated with the sections, a section indicator associated with the award distributor and a processor in communication with the award distributor. The gaming device determines the first coordinate of one of the modifier groups and then spins the award wheel to determine the second coordinate of one of the sections in the indicated modifier group, which indicates the section. The section indicator also indicates a section including an award in the symbol group. The indicated award is multiplied by the indicated award percentage to provide an activation award to the player.

Claims

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

(a) randomly determining a first coordinate;

(b) indicating, based on the determined first coordinate, one of a plurality of groups of sections of an award distributor and an award associated with said indicated group of sections;

(c) randomly determining a second coordinate;

(d) indicating one of the sections of the indicated one of the plurality of groups of selections based on the determined second coordinate; and

(e) causing a display device to display an activation award based on the indicated award and any award percentage associated with the indicated section.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes associating a probability of being indicated with each of the sections of the award distributor and determining said first coordinate and said second coordinate based on said plurality of probabilities of being indicated.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes repeating (a) to (e) at least once and displaying a bonus award if each of the sections of any group of said plurality of groups of sections is indicated.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling a player to indicate one selected from the group consisting of:

one of the sections of the award distributor, a plurality of the sections of the award distributor, and all of the sections of the award distributor.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes randomly determining a plurality of first coordinates and a plurality of second coordinates, indicating a plurality of sections of at least one group of sections based on the plurality of determined first coordinates and the plurality of determined second coordinates, and causing the at least one display device to display the activation award based on the indicated award and any award percentage associated with any of the plurality of indicated sections.

6. The method of claim 5, which includes indicating said plurality of sections based on the plurality of determined first coordinates and the plurality of determined second coordinates using a plurality of activatable section indicators associated with the award distributor.

7. The method of claim 1, which is operated through a data network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) randomly determining a first coordinate;

(b) randomly determining a second coordinate;

(c) indicating, based on the first coordinate, one of a plurality of groups of sections of an award distributor;

(d) indicating, based on the second coordinate, one of the sections of the indicated group of sections;

(e) indicating any letter of the indicated one of the sections;

(f) repeating (a) to (e) until at least one letter is indicated in each of the sections of one of the plurality of groups of sections; and

(g) causing at least one display device to display a prize associated with said one of the plurality of groups of sections having at least one letter indicated in each of the sections.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes associating a probability of being indicated with each of the sections of the award distributor and determining said first coordinate and said second coordinate based on said plurality probabilities of being indicated.

11. The method of claim 9, which includes selecting the prize from the group consisting of:

a physical prize, a monetary prize, at least one free spin, at least one free game, and a multiplier.

12. The method of claim 9, which is operated through a data network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) determining one of a plurality of first coordinates which partially defines one of a plurality of sections of an award distributor;

(b) independently determining one of a plurality of second coordinates which partially defines one of the plurality of sections of the award distributor, wherein;

(i) a plurality of groups of said sections include a symbol group and a plurality of modifier groups,

(ii) the first coordinate and the second coordinate of at least one section of a designated one of the groups is different from the first coordinate and second coordinate of at least one of the other sections in said designated group,

(iii) a plurality of symbols are associated with the sections in the symbol group, and

(iv) a plurality of modifiers are associated with the sections in the modifier groups;

(c) causing a section indicator associated with the award distributor to indicate the section in the modifier group associated with the determined first and second coordinates;

(d) causing the section indicator to indicate one of the sections in the symbol group; and

(e) providing an activation award to a player based on the symbol associated with the indicated section in the symbol group and the modifier associated with the indicated section of the modifier group.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes associating a probability of being indicated with each of the sections of the award distributor and determining said first coordinate and said second coordinate based on said probabilities of being indicated.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes a plurality of awards associated with the plurality of symbols and a plurality of award percentages associated with the plurality of modifiers, and which further includes calculating the activation award by multiplying the award associated with the symbol of the indicated section in the symbol group by the award percentage associated with the modifier of the indicated section in the modifier group.

17. The method of claim 14, which includes selecting the activation award from the group consisting of:

a value, a modifier, a multiplier, at least one free activation, at least one free spin, at least one free game, and a prize.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a plurality of the sections in at least one of the modifier groups each include a terminator symbol.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a plurality of the sections in the symbol group each include a terminator symbol.

20. The method of claim 14, which includes activating at least one activatable section indicator of a plurality of activatable section indicators associated with the award distributor, wherein each of the plurality of activated activatable section indicators indicates one of the sections of the award distributor.

21. The method of claim 20, which includes activating said at least one activatable section indicator based on an event selected from the group consisting of:

a random activation and an activation based on a wager made by the player.

22. The method of claim 14, which is operated through a data network.

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

24. A method for operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) determining one of a plurality of first coordinates which partially defines one of a plurality of sections of one of a plurality of award wheels;

(b) independently determining one of a plurality of second coordinates which partially defines one of the plurality of sections of the plurality of award wheels, wherein;

(i) a plurality of groups of said sections include a symbol group and a plurality of modifier groups,

(ii) the symbol group is associated with one of the plurality of award wheels and the plurality of modifier groups are associated with different of the plurality of award wheels,

(iii) a plurality of awards are associated with the sections in the symbol group, and

(iv) a plurality of award percentages are associated with the sections in the modifier groups;

(c) causing a section indicator associated with the award wheels to indicate the section in the modifier group associated with the determined first and second coordinates;

(d) causing the section indicator to indicate one of the sections in the symbol group; and

(e) providing an activation award to a player based on an award associated with the indicated section in the symbol group and an award percentage associated with the indicated section in the modifier group.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes selecting the award associated with the indicated section in the symbol group from the group consisting of:

a value, a modifier, a multiplier, at least one free activation, at least one free spin, at least one free game, and a prize.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of modifier groups includes a plurality of different award percentages.

27. The method of claim 24, which includes displaying the symbol group and each of the modifier groups on different award wheels.

28. The method of claim 24, which includes repeating (a) through (e) above and providing a bonus award to the player when at least one of the sections in each of the modifier groups is indicated by the section indicator.

29. The method of claim 28, which is operated through a data network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.

31. A method for operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) determining one of a plurality of first coordinates which partially defines one of a plurality of sections of an award distributor;

(b) independently determining one of a plurality of second coordinates which partially defines one of the plurality of sections of the award distributor, wherein;

(i) a plurality of groups of said sections include an award group and a plurality of symbol groups,

(ii) a plurality of awards are associated with the sections of the award group, said awards including at least one prize, and

(iii) a plurality of symbols are associated with the sections in the symbol groups, said symbols including a plurality of award percentages and at least one letter associated with the at least one prize;

(c) causing a section indicator associated with the award distributor to indicate the section in the symbol group associated with the determined first and second coordinates;

(d) causing the section indicator to indicate one of the sections in the award group; and

(e) providing an activation award to a player based on the award associated with the indicated section in the award group and the symbol associated with the indicated section in the symbol group.

32. The method of claim 31, which includes repeating (a) to (e) above and providing the at least one prize to the player when each of the sections including one of the letters associated with the at least one prize are indicated by the section indicator.

33. The method of claim 31, which includes selecting the prize from the group consisting of:

a physical prize, a monetary prize, at least one free spin, at least one free game, and a multiplier.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said symbols include a plurality of letters associated with said at least one prize and wherein each of said letters is included in a different one of the plurality of symbol groups.

35. The method of claim 31, which is operated through a data network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the data network is an internet.