Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-12
2004-08-24
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06780107
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.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming device having a pick reduction game.
Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a secondary or bonus game in which a player has an opportunity to win potentially large awards or credits in addition to the awards associated with the primary or base game of the gaming device is one known method for enhancing player enjoyment and excitement.
Gaming devices having bonus games generally employ a triggering event that occurs during the operation of the base game of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts the base game play and enables a player to enter a second, different game, which is the secondary or bonus game. The player plays the bonus game, likely receives an award, and returns to the base game.
Bonus games exist that include reels having target symbols or target symbol combinations where the player receives a bonus award for obtaining the particular target symbol or target symbol combination on the reels. The bonus award may be a predetermined award or a random award. In some bonus games, the bonus award is modified based on the number of attempts used by the player to obtain the target symbol or target symbol combination on the reels. The modified bonus award is provided to the player once the player obtains the target symbol or target symbol combination on the reels.
One such bonus game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,445, which is assigned to Acres Gaming, Inc. In this patent, several gaming machines having a plurality of reels are interconnected over a gaming network. Each of the gaming machines displays a plurality of reels having various symbols to the player in a primary or base game. If the player obtains a predetermined winning combination of symbols on the reels after a spin, a bonus game is triggered and a bonus award is provided to start the bonus game. In the bonus game, the bonus award immediately decreases after the first spin of the reels. Subsequently, the bonus award continues to decrease after each spin until the player obtains one of the winning symbols or winning symbol combinations on the reels. The player then receives the modified bonus award.
Gaming devices that increase the opportunities to obtain awards and increase the size of the awards are desirable. Players are attracted to games that provide several larger awards and the opportunity to obtain a very large award. Therefore, to increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide new games for gaming devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a gaming device having a pick reduction game and specifically, a bonus game. In one embodiment, primarily discussed herein, the gaming device displays a plurality of first selections, which are masked or hidden, to the player. Additionally, the gaming device displays a number of picks to the player. The number of picks is preferably greater than the number of first selections. However, in another embodiment, the number of picks may be equal to or less than the number of first selections.
The player uses the picks to pick selections from the plurality of first selections until the player picks a trigger selection. The number of picks are reduced by each pick by the player. Once the player obtains the trigger selection, the gaming device displays a plurality of second selections to the player. The first and second selections may be displayed separately on the same display device or on different display devices, or the second selections may replace the first selections on the same display device. The player uses the remaining number of picks to pick selections from the plurality of second selections. The plurality of second selections are associated with awards. Initially, the awards are masked or hidden from the player and an award is revealed after the player picks the second selection associated with that award. In one embodiment, if the player picks the trigger selection with the player's last pick or the player runs out of picks before picking the trigger selection, the player receives a consolation award. In another embodiment such as in a primary game, the player does not receive any awards and the game ends.
In a further embodiment, the gaming device provides the player with additional picks to choose second selections in the game. If the player has picks remaining after picking the trigger selection, the player also receives the additional picks to choose second selections to receive extra awards. If the player does not have any picks remaining, the player just receives the additional picks and thereby has the minimum number of picks to pick second selections in the bonus game. In this embodiment, the player receives at least a minimum number of picks to pick second selections and obtain awards in the bonus game.
The player's goal is to obtain the trigger selection from the plurality of first selections as quickly as possible so that the player has the maximum number of picks to use to pick selections from the plurality of second selections. The player uses the picks to choose second selections from the plurality of second selections and accumulates the awards associated with each of the second selections picked by the player. The total accumulated award obtained by the player when the player has no picks remaining is the award provided to the player at the end of the bonus game. In one embodiment, the awards include at least one relatively large award. In this manner, the player still has an opportunity to obtain the relatively large award, even if the player has only one pick to use to choose selections from the plurality of second selections.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a bonus symbol is associated with one or more of the plurality of first selections and/or one or more of the plurality of second selections. The bonus symbol provides the player with a predetermined or random number of additional picks in the bonus game. The player may use the additional picks to obtain the trigger selection from the plurality of first selections and thereby receive more picks to choose selections from the plurality of second selections. Additionally, if the player picks the bonus symbol from the plurality of second selections, the player obtains additional picks and thereby receives more awards and possibly, a relatively large award. In a further embodiment, at least one additional pick is associated with one of the first or second selections.
In a further embodiment, relationship indicators are displayed to the player and associated with the plurality of first selections. In one embodiment, the relationship indicators automatically indicate the location or relationship of the trigger selection with respect to the player's last selection or pick from the plurality of first selections. In another embodiment, the player may choose to receive a “hint” by pressing a button or selector and use the relationship indicators to indicate the relative location of the trigger selection in the plurality of first selections. If the player chooses to use the “hint” and thereby the relationship indicators, the player in one embodiment will lose one or more picks to obtain this advantage. Otherwise, the player does not have to use the relationship indicators and may proceed as described above.
In still a further embodiment, the number of picks, the plurality of first selections, and the plurality of second selections displayed to the player by the gaming device are displayed in various shapes, characters or symbol
Baerlocher Anthony J.
Kaminkow Joseph E.
Mead Randall D.
Schlegel Megan N.
Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLC
Brocketti Julie
IGT
Walberg Teresa
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