Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2002-04-02
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S020000, C273S138100, C273S139000, C273S14300R, C273S272000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364766
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to gaming machines and, more particularly, to a gaming machine including a sorting feature in which a collection of scrambled objects, such as letters, symbols, pictures, or puzzle pieces, are sorted to some extent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by enhancing the entertainment value and excitement associated with the game.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop new features for bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators. Preferably, such new bonus game features will maintain, or even further enhance, the level of player excitement offered by bonus games heretofore known in the art. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A gaming machine comprises at least one visual display (mechanical or video) and a game of chance controlled by a processor in response to a wager. The game of chance includes a primary game and a sorting feature. The sorting feature is triggered by certain start-feature outcomes of the primary game. The sorting feature includes a collection of scrambled objects, such as letters, symbols, pictures, or puzzle pieces, that are at least partially sorted during operation of the sorting feature. The sorting feature generates an award, such as a payoff, a payoff multiplier, or extended play, if the sorted objects match predetermined criteria.
In one embodiment, the primary game includes a plurality of rotatable reels that are rotated and stopped to place symbols on each reel in visual association with at least one pay line. The reels may be mechanical or images shown on a video screen.
The collection of scrambled objects may be displayed in a string, a two-dimensional array, or a three-dimensional array and, when fully sorted, may form a word, a picture, a shape, a geometrical sequence, etc. In one embodiment, the collection of scrambled objects is a string of scrambled letters of the alphabet. When fully sorted, the letters form a word.
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Jumble TM That Scrambled Word Game, 2000, Jumble.com, 1-4.*
Atronic Casino Technology Brochure, 1995, pp. 1-4.
Anderson Peter
Casey Michael P.
Frohm Erica A.
Gilmore Jason C.
Gura Damon E.
Jenkens & Gilchrist
Jones Scott E.
O'Neill Michael
WMS Gaming Inc.
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