Gaming device having variable speed of play

• US 8,657,662 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US12/204,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

This concept is directed to gaming devices configured to vary the speed of game play, as well as method of operating gaming devices to vary the speed of play. In some examples of the this concept, a gaming device may be configured to include a game initiating button that when pressed by a player triggers a game processor to ascertain and display a first game outcome, determine if the first game outcome is a winning outcome, and automatically ascertain and display a second game outcome if the first game outcome is not a winning outcome. If the first game outcome is a winning outcome the gaming device may pause to allow the player to appreciate the win before retriggering the processor to ascertain and display subsequent gaming event outcomes, or the gaming device may wait to receive further player input.

Claims

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

displaying credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device;

receiving a player input to activate a first gaming event on the gaming device;

determining an outcome of the first gaming event;

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels sequentially within a first predetermined time when the outcome associated with the first gaming event is a preferred outcome; and

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels substantially simultaneously within a second predetermined time when the outcome associated with the first gaming event is not the preferred outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time is longer than the second predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the outcome associated with the first gaming event for a third predetermined time when the outcome associated with the first gaming event is the preferred outcome; and

displaying the outcome associated with the first gaming event for a fourth predetermined time when the outcome associated with the first gaming event is not the preferred outcome.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically initiating a second gaming event after the outcome associated with the first gaming event has been displayed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second gaming event is automatically initiated only when the outcome associated with the first outcome is not the preferred outcome.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred outcome is an outcome with an award associated with the outcome.

7. A gaming device comprising:

a gaming display to display outcomes of gaming events played on the gaming device by a player;

a player interface panel including a fast-forward game initiating button configured to initiate a fast-forward gaming session; and

a game processor configured to operate the fast-forward gaming session by determining an outcome of a first gaming event, completing spinning the reels by stopping them sequentially within a first predetermined time if the outcome is one of a plurality of preferred outcomes, completing spinning the reels within a second predetermined time by stopping them substantially simultaneously if the outcome is not one of the plurality of preferred outcomes, and automatically determining and displaying a second gaming event on the gaming display if the first game outcome is not one of the plurality of preferred outcomes.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the player interface panel further includes a single-game game initiating button to initiate a single game event.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the game processor is further configured to operate the single game event by determining and displaying the single game event on the gaming display.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, further comprising a memory to store a plurality of game paytables, wherein the game processor utilizes a first game paytable when ascertaining game outcomes during a fast-forward gaming session and utilizes a second game paytable when ascertaining a single game outcome during a single game event.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the first game paytable has a payback percentage that is higher than a payback percentage of the second game paytable.

12. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the fast-forward game initiating button is operable to stop a fast-forward gaming session during the fast-forward gaming session.

13. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the player interface panel further includes a fast-forward game stopping button that is operable to stop a fast-forward gaming session during the fast-forward gaming session.

14. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the player interface panel further includes a speed knob configured to be operable by the player to adjust the speed at which the game processor automatically displays the second gaming event on the gaming display after displaying the first gaming event.

15. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the player interface panel further includes a plurality of fast-forward game initiating buttons, each fast-forward game initiating button associated with a wager amount.

16. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the gaming display includes at least one fast-forward game initiating soft button.

17. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the game processor is configured to stop the reels one at a time until symbols displayed on the stopped reels cannot result in a winning outcome, at which time each remaining reel is stopped substantially simultaneously.

18. A method of operating a gaming device including a game display to display a plurality of game reels, a first game initiating button, and a second game initiating button, the method comprising:

displaying credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device;

initiating a single gaming event on the gaming device when the second game initiating button is activated, the single gaming event comprising;

deducting a wagered amount of credits from the credits available,

determining an outcome for the single gaming event,

spinning the plurality of game reels,

stopping the plurality of game reels to display the outcome of the single game event, and

awarding a prize associated with the single game event when the outcome of the single game event is a winning outcome;

initiating a fast-forward gaming session on the gaming device when the first game initiating button is activated, the fast-forward gaming session comprising;

deducting a wagered amount of credits from the credits available,

determining an outcome of a first gaming event,

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels sequentially within a first predetermined time when the outcome of the first gaming event is a winning outcome,

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels substantially simultaneously within a second predetermined time when the outcome of the first gaming event is not a winning outcome, where the first predetermined time is longer than the second predetermined time,

awarding a prize associated with the first gaming event when the outcome of the first gaming event is a winning outcome,

determining if a fast-forward stop event has occurred,

ending the fast-forward gaming session when the fast-forward stop event has occurred, and

automatically playing a subsequent gaming event when the fast-forward stop event has not occurred, wherein playing a subsequent gaming event includes deducting a wagered amount of credits from the credits available, determining an outcome of the subsequent gaming event, spinning the plurality of game reels for a predetermined amount of time based on the determined outcome, stopping the plurality of game reels to display the outcome of the subsequent gaming event, awarding a prize associated with the subsequent gaming event when the outcome of the subsequent gaming event is a winning outcome, determining if a fast-forward stop event has occurred, and repeatedly playing gaming events until a fast-forward stop event has occurred; and

waiting for a subsequent player input.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a fast-forward stop event occurs when the outcome of the first gaming event or the outcome of one of the subsequent gaming events is a winning outcome.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a fast-forward stop event occurs when a predetermined number of subsequent gaming events have been played.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein a fast-forward stop event occurs when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from a time when the first game initiating button is activated.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the fast-forward stop event occurs when a player input is received to stop the fast-forward gaming session.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the player input received as a fast-forward stop event is an activation of the first game button.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the player input received as a fast-forward stop event is an activation of a stop button included on the gaming device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the fast-forward stop event occurs when a wagered amount of credits is greater than the credits available to wager on the gaming device.

26. A method of operating a gaming device having a set of reels, the method comprising:

displaying credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device;

receiving a player input to activate a win-seeking gaming session on the gaming device;

initiating a first gaming event including deducting a first portion of credits from the available credits;

determining an outcome of the first gaming event;

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels sequentially within a first predetermined time when the outcome of the first gaming event is a winning outcome;

completing spinning of the reels by stopping the game reels substantially simultaneously within a second predetermined time when the outcome of the first gaming event is a losing outcome; and

automatically initiating a second gaming event when the outcome of the first gaming event is a losing outcome.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein initiating a second gaming event includes deducting a second portion of credits from the available credits.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the win-seeking gaming session ends when the second portion of credits wagered is less than the credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second portion of credits wagered is automatically adjusted to the amount of credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device when the second portion of credits wagered is less than the credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the win-seeking gaming session pauses for a predetermined amount of time to allow a player to add additional credits to the gaming device or adjust the amount wagered when the second portion of credits wagered is less than the credits available to a player for wagering on the gaming device.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising automatically initiating subsequent gaming events until an outcome associated with a current gaming event is determined to be a winning outcome.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the win-seeking gaming session ends when an outcome associated with a current gaming event is determined to be a winning outcome.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein initiating subsequent gaming events includes deducting respective portions of credits from the available credits.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying the first gaming event includes providing a player feedback signal.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein providing a player feedback signal includes playing an auditory signal only during the first gaming event when the outcome of the first gaming event is a winning outcome.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein providing a player feedback signal includes:

playing a first auditory sound while displaying the first gaming event when the outcome of the first gaming event is a winning outcome; and

playing a second auditory sound while displaying the first gaming event when the outcome of the first gaming event is a losing outcome.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first auditory sound is varied depending upon an award amount associated with the winning outcome.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the second auditory sound is varied depending upon a number of consecutive losing outcomes.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein providing a player feedback signal includes providing a visual feedback signal.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein providing a player feedback signal includes providing a touch-based feedback signal.