Gaming machines with free play bonus mode presenting only winning outcomes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10614666-B2
Application number	US-201113090859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2011
Priority date	Apr 20, 2011
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a processor and a presentation device coupled to the processor. The processor is programmed to determine that a free play trigger condition is satisfied, and to execute one or more free plays based on the free play trigger condition to create one or more free play outcomes. Each free play outcome is a winning free play outcome or a non-winning free play outcome. The presentation device is configured to present winning free play outcomes when at least one free play outcome is a winning free play outcome. Non-winning free play outcomes are not presented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming machine communicatively coupled to a gaming server, the gaming machine comprising:
an accepting device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
a cashout button configured to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,
a presentation device; and
a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least:
accept, by the accepting device, the item to establish the credit balance;
receive, from the gaming server, a free play notification indicating that a free play trigger condition is satisfied;
receive, from the gaming server, a notification indicating a quantity of free spins to play;
initiate a free play bonus mode in response to the free play trigger condition being satisfied;
determine, during the free play bonus mode, a plurality of free play outcomes for the quantity of free spins, and one of:
in response to determining that the plurality of free play outcomes include a non-winning free play outcome and at least one winning free play outcome:
display, via the presentation device, during the free play bonus mode, the at least one winning free play outcome, wherein each of the at least one winning free play outcome is displayed with a winning symbol combination overlaid over a colored screen displayed on the presentation device; and
update the credit balance based, at least in part, on the at least one winning free play outcome; or

in response to determining that the plurality of free play outcomes do not include at least one winning free play outcome and only include non-winning free play outcomes, suppress a graphical representation of the free play bonus mode, wherein the graphical representation of the free play bonus mode is distinguished by the colored screen displayed on the presentation device associated with and indicative of the free play bonus mode, and wherein during suppression of the graphical representation of the free play bonus mode, the colored screen is not displayed, whereby, when the colored screen is not displayed, no indication is provided to a player that the free play bonus mode was initiated.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to sort a plurality of winning free play outcomes into a sequence that is based on a payout associated with each winning free play outcome of the plurality of winning free play outcomes.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
determine whether a base play bonus trigger condition is satisfied during base play; and
determine that the free play trigger condition is satisfied at least in part by determining that no base play bonus trigger condition is satisfied.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface coupled to the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to determine that the free play trigger condition is satisfied by receiving, via the communication interface, the free play notification from at least one of the gaming server or another gaming machine.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
determine the quantity of free spins to play based on a minimum quantity of free plays, a maximum quantity of free plays, or a random number; and
execute the determined quantity of free spins to play to generate the plurality of free play outcomes.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store winning and non-winning free play outcomes, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to create a report including at least the stored non-winning free play outcomes.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the free play outcomes are first free play outcomes, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
determine that a free play retrigger condition is satisfied based on the first free play outcomes;
execute a plurality of additional free plays based on the free play retrigger condition being satisfied to generate a plurality of second free play outcomes, the plurality of second free play outcomes including at least one non-winning free play outcome and at least one winning free play outcome;
suppress, during the free play bonus mode, the at least one non-winning free play outcome of the plurality of second free play outcomes, such that the non-winning free play outcome is not displayed; and
display, via the presentation device and during the free play bonus mode, the at least one winning free play outcome of the plurality of second free play outcomes.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the colored screen associated with and indicative of the free play bonus mode comprises a red screen displayed on the presentation device, and wherein during suppression of the graphical representation of the free play bonus mode, the red screen is not displayed on the presentation device.

9. A method for use with a gaming machine, the gaming machine comprising a processor, a presentation device, an accepting device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, a cashout button configured to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and a memory coupled to the processor, the method implemented using a gaming server including a random number generator, a gaming server processor and a database, the gaming server being communicatively coupled to the gaming machine, the method comprising:
determining, by the gaming server processor, that a free play trigger condition is satisfied;
receiving, from the gaming server, a notification indicating a quantity of free spins to play;
initiating, by the gaming server processor, a free play bonus mode in response to the free play trigger condition being satisfied;
determining, by the gaming server processor and during the free play bonus mode, a plurality of free play outcomes for the quantity of free spins, and one of:
in response to determining that the plurality of free play outcomes include a non-winning free play outcome and at least one winning free play outcome:
transmitting a free play notification to the gaming machine, wherein the free play notification indicates that the free play trigger condition is satisfied;
displaying, via the presentation device, during the free play bonus mode, the at least one winning free play outcome, wherein each of the at least one winning free play outcome is displayed with a winning symbol combination overlaid over a colored screen displayed on the presentation device;
updating the credit balance based, at least in part, on the at least one winning free play outcome; or

in response to determining that the plurality of free play outcomes do not include at least one winning free play outcome and only include non-winning free play outcomes, suppressing a graphical representation of the free play bonus mode, wherein the graphical representation of the free play bonus mode is distinguished by the colored screen displayed on the presentation device associated with and indicative of the free play bonus mode, and wherein during suppression of the graphical representation of the free play

Assignees

• Eubanks Mark Daniel
• Sisson Richard Kerr
• Webb Jeremy Michael
• Nicodemus Steve
• Gozdecki Sarah Jean
• Video Gaming Tech Inc

Inventors

• Eubanks Mark Daniel
• Sisson Richard Kerr
• Webb Jeremy Michael
• Nicodemus Steve
• Gozdecki Sarah Jean

Classifications

• G07F17/3267 Primary

  Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games · CPC title

• G07F17/3269

  Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine · CPC title

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title