Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-27
2003-05-27
Sager, Mark (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S025000, C463S020000, C273S14300R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06569015
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device and in particular to a gaming device having a separately changeable value and modifier bonus scheme that increases player excitement and enjoyment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaming machines currently exist with bonus schemes in which the player has two or more opportunities to completely accept or reject an offered bonus value. With each offer (prior to the last offer), if the player accepts the offered bonus value, the player is credited with the value. If the player rejects the offered bonus value, the player is provided with another offer which the player can completely accept or reject. Each subsequent offer may be higher, lower or equal to the previous offers. If the offer is the final offer, the player is awarded the final offer.
One such game having a bonus scheme for allowing players to accept or decline multiple award offers is named TOP DOLLAR™ which is manufactured and distributed by International Game Technology, the assignee of this application. The player plays the primary game until reaching the bonus round. The bonus credit or amount which is ultimately awarded to the player depends upon certain values generated by the bonus scheme and the player's selection of those values.
Specifically, the TOP DOLLAR™ game bonus round includes a screen showing multiple dollar bill images. The images include varying numeric values such as “5 coins,” “20 coins,” “50 coins,” and “100 coins.” The bonus round provides the player with three offers and a final award. The game illuminates one or more particular images corresponding to each offer made. The offer amount is equal to the sum of the numeric values appearing on the illuminated images.
When an offer is given, the player may completely accept or reject it by pushing an accept button or indicator or a reject button or indicator, respectively. If the player accepts an offer, the player receives the accepted bonus amount and the bonus round terminates. If the player declines an offer, the game generates another offer for the player. If the player declines all three offers, the game generates a final award and the bonus round terminates. No matter how the bonus round terminates, the player will receive an award, the amount depending upon the particular offer and the player's selection of such offer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides a gaming device having a separately changeable value and modifier bonus scheme. In one preferred embodiment, the modifier is a multiplier. The bonus scheme begins when a triggering event occurs during normal operation of the gaming device. Initially, the game displays a value and a multiplier to the player, which form an offer. The game enables the player to keep the offer or change either the value or the multiplier. If the player changes either, the game changes the value or multiplier selected by the player, and yields a new offer. In the preferred embodiment of the bonus scheme, the player can keep the new offer or change the previously unaltered value or multiplier and obtain a new offer. After the player can no longer change the value or multiplier or if at any time the player keeps an offer, the bonus scheme ends by adding the amount of the offer to the player's gaming device credit, and the player resumes normal play.
The triggering event could consist of mechanical or simulated reels, simulated cards, or some other form of gaming device. In an illustrative embodiment, a combination of indicia from each of a number of reels triggers the bonus round if the combination matches a combination programmed into the gaming device.
In one embodiment, the game displays the value and multiplier via spinning wheels, wherein one wheel has a plurality of values and one wheel has a plurality of multipliers. When the wheels stop spinning, one or more indicators point to the selected value and selected multiplier. The game calculates and displays the current offer to the player.
In a second embodiment, the bonus scheme indicates the value and multiplier via displays, wherein one display has a plurality of values and one display has a plurality of multipliers. The displays of this embodiment illuminate different values and multipliers randomly and sequentially until ending the sequence on the chosen value and multiplier.
Although the preferred embodiment only allows the player to change the value and the multiplier one at a time, the bonus scheme could allow for both values to be changed at the same time. Further, the mathematical equation described above is a multiplication of the value and multiplier. Alternatively, in the bonus scheme, the offer could be calculated by adding, subtracting, or dividing the value with a modifier, as opposed to a multiplier.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device having a bonus scheme which provides the player with an offer formed from a separately changeable value and modifier.
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Baerlocher Anthony J.
Gerrard Peter
Ashburn Steven
Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLC
IGY
Sager Mark
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