Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-26
2004-08-03
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769986
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casino games of chance and, in particular, to improvements in the methods of players being able to customize the bonus play of casino games on slot machines by pre-selection.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Slot machines have become the most important contributor to revenue on casino floors. Among slot machines, those with a bonus game have become especially popular. Typically in these machines, a player plays the underlying game (sometimes referred to as the base game) with the usual pays for predefined combinations of symbols.
Occasionally, the player will qualify for a bonus game. This is usually triggered through the alignment of one or more special symbols (sometimes referred to as trigger symbols) as an event that initiates the bonus game. Hence, the bonus game is generally a somewhat rare and special occurrence that affords the player an opportunity to participate in an ancillary component of the slot machine with an associated award. Usually, no additional wager is required; the bonus game is an opportunity for the player to earn an additional award risk-free.
By use of the terms bonus game, there is intended no limitations to any particular form of bonus award. Rather, reference to a “bonus game” as one which is different than the traditional base game play, be that slot or table game or other game of chance. The bonus game may be housed separately from the slot reels (for example, in a spinning-reel slot machine with a top-box bonus), or may be simply on an additional screen (for example, in a video-reel slot machine). Too, for the purposes of the teachings herein, the manner and equipment that initiates a bonus game (e.g., combination of special symbols as described above or other methods) are varied in implementation.
There continues to be a need to enhance the bonus experience for slot machine players. In particular, players desire a feeling of control over the outcome of a bonus game. Typically, the feeling of control is in reality an illusion of control, as the player selects an object with a random award. Mathematically, the choice of object is not relevant to the overall expected value for the game.
Alternatively, in some bonus games, qualification occurs via an accumulation of something (e.g., symbols) in order to receive the award. In such games the astute player can choose a game wherein the accumulation has already begun such that the opportunity to win seems quicker.
IGT's game “Fortune Cookie” allows the player to touch an on-screen symbol which changes from “MSG” to “No MSG.” Whether “MSG” or “No MSG” is selected does not affect game play.
Slots institute a process in which the player first qualifies (via trigger symbols) for a bonus game. In some slots a bonus game to be played is randomly selected before initiation of play of the randomly-chosen bonus game, e.g., WMS's game, “Money Grab” and “The Big Win” from Silicon Gaming.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,097 has a gaming machine wherein a bonus game includes a video-type display controlled by the processor and displaying a plurality of player-selectable elements, at least one of which represents a winning bonus game outcome. During bonus play, a player successively picks until the winning element is obtained. In response to the pick of the winning element, the bonus game awards the player a bonus payout. The value of the bonus payout successively decreases in response to the player successively picking the non-winning elements prior to picking the winning element.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,897 has the bonus game triggered in response to start-bonus symbols from the respective stopped reels appearing in the spinning reel display. The bonus game has different expected values based on different arrangements of the start-bonus symbols in the base game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,481 has a base game with start-bonus outcome that may include a predetermined combination of trigger symbols on the reels. The linked image may illustrate an action. A first portion of the action may be shown on one of said displays and a second portion of the action may be shown on another of said displays. The action may be an object moving from one display to another display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,255 has a gaming machine including a processor operable in a basic mode and a bonus mode for controlling game play. In the basic mode, the processor selects a basic game outcome from among a plurality of possible basic game outcomes. The possible basic game outcomes include a start-bonus outcome the occurrence of which causes the processor to shift operation from the basic mode to the bonus mode. The processor is operable to define a plurality of player-selectable bonus game outcomes. In the bonus mode, a player selects one or more of the bonus game outcomes and credits are awarded based upon which ones of the bonus game outcomes are selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,955 has a game with a bonus feature that includes strategy. The player plays a dice game for awards listed in a paytable. Dice to be held, or not held, must be decided upon, and the player's choices have a meaningful impact on the game's expected value.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
While the foregoing have attempted various methods of increasing player appeal and control, none of them satisfactorily gives the player control over the type of bonus game to be played. What is proposed herein is an entirely different approach in which the player customizes the play of the game. The player proactively chooses an aspect of the bonus game (such as, one of several games or one of several options within a game) preferably before initiating play on the base game, during play of the base game or at entry to bonus play.
Prior to initiating play on the base game, the player may choose one of a plurality of aspects for the play of the bonus game. For example, consider a bonus game in which the player will be asked a trivia question from one of six categories. In the approach taught herein, the category of trivia may be pre-selected (e.g., prior to or concurrently with wagering on the base game) by means of choices presented on a video touch screen. One manner in which this may be done is to have all six categories on-screen, see
FIG. 1
or
2
, and have the current category blinking. Blinking can not be shown on the
FIG. 1
or
2
. If the player wishes to change the category, he/she may touch one of the other categories, which instead would blink, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment, there is a color assigned to each category. After pre-selecting, preferably all of a special set of triggering, or qualification, symbols (on the reels) for that bonus game also modify (via different colors) to reflect the current selected category. In this manner, the player has customized the bonus game play, and is reminded of that fact while playing the base game. Thus, this video slot machine allows play of a pre-selected bonus game provided with questions directed to the player's customized pre-selection being a preferred or favorite category or subject.
In a more general form, the idea is implemented as follows. On the reels, there are special symbols that trigger the bonus game play. Prior to play of the base game, the player pre-selects the type of bonus game play that will be played. In a preferred embodiment, a touch-screen is used. In principle, the player may pre-select the type or any aspect of bonus game play. The pre-selection is depicted to the player during play of the base game, for example by modifying the reel symbols that trigger the bonus game to reflect the pre-selection.
A preferred embodiment is a video slot machine based on the Trivial Pursuit® home game, a Horn Abbot, Ltd. property. For a bonus game based on questions from the Trivial Pursuit® archi
Dorr, Carson, Sloan, Birney & Kramer, P.C.
Mendoza Robert
Mikohn Gaming Corporation
Walberg Teresa
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