Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-18
2002-05-28
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C273S14300R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394902
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain 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 more specifically to a gaming device having a different set of reel symbols for primary and secondary games, and different probabilities for each set of reel symbols to increase player excitement and enjoyment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain gaming devices, and in particular, slot machines include base or primary games and bonus or secondary games using identical symbols and sets of symbols on the reels which are displayed to the player on the same display device or on different display devices. To avoid player confusion, regulators have required that the same symbols have the same probability of winning in the primary game and in the bonus game or round. For instance, when the player obtains a bonus of ten free spins based on a predetermined combination of symbols, each free spin must provide the same probability of winning as the spin in the primary game.
It is known in the art to provide bonus games which have some of the same symbols as the symbols in the primary game to change the probability in the bonus game and to increase a player's chances of winning in the bonus game. However, using the same symbols in the primary game and in the bonus game, and then changing the associated probability related to those symbols between each game, has been prohibited in certain jurisdictions in the United States. Regulators believe that such dual use of symbols and dual probabilities relating to those similar symbols will cause player confusion. Therefore, the gaming regulators generally do not allow for the same set of symbols to have varying probabilities of winning.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide new gaming devices that eliminate confusion and increase player enjoyment and excitement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings by providing a gaming device, and specifically a slot machine, which includes a set of reel symbols for the primary game having probabilities of winning for each available award and a different set of reel symbols for one or more bonus games having different probabilities of winning for each available award.
Each set of symbols preferably includes completely different symbols; however, it should be appreciated that one or relatively few symbols could be the same in each set.
In the preferred embodiment, there are less reel symbols in the set of symbols for the bonus game than the set of symbols for the primary game. The probabilities of winning in the bonus round are therefore greater than the probabilities of winning in the primary game. Additionally, the pay-outs associated with or for the bonus set of symbols is preferably larger than the pay-outs for the set of symbols in the primary game.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming machine having different sets of reel symbols for base and bonus games and different probabilities of winning the base and bonus games.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.
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Slot Machines published by Reno-Tahoe Specialty, Inc. in 1989.
Little Devils Brochure published by IGT in 1998.
Tropical Fever Glass published by IGT.
Winning Streak Brochure published by Aristocrat in 1994.
Totem Pole Brochure published by IGT in 1997.
Slotopoly Brochure published by IGT in 1998.
Top Dollar Brochure published by IGT in 1998.
Wheel of Fortune Video Brochure published by IGT in 1999.
Elvis Brochure published by IGT in 1999.
Baerlocher Anthony J.
Glavich Paulina
Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLC
IGT
Jones Scott E.
Martin-Wallace Valencia
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