Controlling an electronic gaming machine to provide a bonus feature opportunity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10854044-B2
Application number	US-201916290836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2019
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

An electronic gaming machine (EGM) may present first visual effects on a display system, including game play items, corresponding to one or more instances of a base game and determining instances of game play items that correspond to feature credits towards an automatic award of a feature comprising one or more bonus games. The EGM may present second visual effects corresponding to an accumulation of feature credits towards the automatic award of the feature, receive an indication of a player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature, at a time during which less than a number of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature has been accumulated, determine whether an award of the feature will be triggered and control the display system to present third visual effects corresponding to whether an award of the feature has been triggered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic gaming machine, comprising:
a display system including one or more displays;
a sensor system residing on or under at least a portion of the display system;
an interface system including one or more user interfaces; and
a control system including one or more processors, the control system being configured for:
controlling the display system to present first visual effects corresponding to one or more instances of a base game, the first visual effects including game play items;
determining, during the one or more instances of the base game, instances of game play items that correspond to feature credits towards an automatic award of a feature comprising one or more bonus games;
controlling the display system to present second visual effects corresponding to an accumulation of feature credits towards the automatic award of the feature;
receiving an indication, via the interface system, of a player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature, wherein the indication is received at a time during which less than a number of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature has been accumulated, and wherein the indication of the player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature comprises receiving an indication of a player's touch or gesture in a portion of the sensor system;
determining whether an award of the feature will be triggered; and
controlling the display system to present third visual effects corresponding to whether an award of the feature has been triggered.

2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the game play items include symbols, combinations of symbols, or both symbols and combinations of symbols.

3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein, upon determining that an award of the feature will be triggered, the control system is further configured for controlling the display system to present fourth visual effects corresponding to an award of the feature.

4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the second visual effects comprise a sector of a circle and wherein the area of the sector corresponds to a percentage of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature.

5. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4 , wherein the second visual effects further comprise a pointer and wherein presenting the third visual effects comprises at least one of rotating the pointer or rotating the sector.

6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4 , wherein the second visual effects further comprise an area within the circle and wherein the portion of the sensor system corresponds with the area within the circle.

7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the second visual effects comprise a bar and wherein an area of the bar corresponds to a percentage of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature.

8. The electronic gaming machine of claim 7 , wherein the second visual effects further comprise a pointer and wherein presenting the third visual effects comprises sliding the pointer along a line along which the bar is displayed.

9. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature is received at a time during which a monetary credit balance is insufficient for playing another instance of the base game.

10. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured for controlling the display system to present an indication of a number of instances of the base game that have been presented since the last instance of presenting the feature.

11. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured for controlling the display system to display a prompt to purchase a remaining number of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature.

12. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured for controlling the display system to display a prompt indicating that an attempt to trigger an award of the feature may be made in exchange for an additional wager.

13. The electronic gaming machine of claim 12 , wherein the additional wager is a maximum wager.

14. A method of controlling an electronic gaming machine, the method comprising:
controlling, via a control system of the electronic gaming machine that includes one or more processors, a display system of the electronic gaming machine to present first visual effects corresponding to one or more instances of a base game, the first visual effects including game play items;
determining, during the one or more instances of the base game, instances of game play items that correspond to feature credits towards an automatic award of a feature comprising one or more bonus games;
controlling, via the control system, the display system to present second visual effects corresponding to an accumulation of feature credits towards the automatic award of the feature;
receiving an indication, via an interface system of the electronic gaming machine that includes one or more user interfaces, of a player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature, wherein the indication is received at a time during which less than a number of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature has been accumulated, and wherein the indication of the player's initiation of an attempt to trigger an award of the feature comprises receiving an indication of a player's touch or gesture in a portion of a sensor system residing on or under at least a portion of the display system;
determining whether an award of the feature will be triggered; and
controlling, via the control system, the display system to present third visual effects corresponding to whether an award of the feature has been triggered.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the game play items include symbols, combinations of symbols, or both symbols and combinations of symbols.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein, upon determining that an award of the feature will be triggered, the method may involve controlling the display system to present fourth visual effects corresponding to an award of the feature.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second visual effects comprise a sector of a circle and wherein the area of the sector corresponds to a percentage of feature credits necessary for an automatic award of the feature.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second visual effects further comprise a pointer and wherein presenting the third visual effects comprises at least one of rotating the pointer or rotating the sector.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second visual effects further comprise an area within the circle and wherein the portion of the display system corresponds with the area within the circle that is being displayed.

20. One or more non-transitory media having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform a method, the method comprising:
controlling, via a control system of an electronic gaming machine that includes one or more processors, a display system of the electronic gaming machine to present first visual effects corresponding to one or more instances of a base game, the first visual effects including game play items;
determining, during the one or more instances of the base game, instances of game play items that correspond to feature credit

Assignees

• Aristocrat Technologies Au

Inventors

• Shapiro Lane Alan
• Ching Erick T
• La Guardia Chad
• Sanborn Hanna Lee
• Avakian Arlen
• Nelson Brittany Nyberg

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

• G07F17/3244 Primary

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title

• G07F17/3213

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title