Systems and methods for generating prizes for a primary game and a secondary game of chance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11100756-B2
Application number	US-202016886449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 19, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A system and method for operating a game of chance. A gaming system includes a primary game display and secondary game display with the secondary game display mapped with prize blocks arranged in a grid that may generally mimic a primary game grid. The prize blocks can be represented as characters, articles, numeral values, symbols and the like. Each prize block is assigned a prize value and a health value. When the health value of a prize block is exhausted based on primary game outcomes, the prize block is destroyed and removed awarding its corresponding prize value. New prize blocks fill the void left by removed prize blocks or the void remains as a space without any assigned prize value. One version of the system and method is facilitated by a slot-based primary game incorporating certain pre-established symbols (e.g., dice) that diminish (or increase) health values of the prize blocks.

First claim

We claim:

1. A gaming system comprising:
a monetary input device configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;
a user interface configured to:
enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance and enable the player to initiate a cash out operation;

at least one processor running executable instructions related to a game of chance;
said at least one processor programmed to:
add said monetary value to a credit balance for said player;
deduct said selected wager from said credit balance; and
decrease said credit balance in response to said cash out operation;

one or more displays;
memory in communication with said at least one processor; and
wherein said at least one processor runs said executable instructions to: (i) generate and present on at least one of said one or more displays random primary game outcomes and (ii) responsive to one or more pre-established primary game outcomes, diminish or increase one or more health values associated with one or more prize blocks mapped on at least one of said one or more displays.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said at least one processor further runs said executable instructions to: (iii) responsive to any of said one or more health values reaching a threshold value, award a prize based on a prize value corresponding to said one or more prize blocks reaching a threshold health value.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said one or more pre-established primary game outcomes include a symbol representing a numerical value, said numerical value associated with diminishing or increasing one or more health values associated with said one or more prize blocks mapped on at least one of said one or more displays.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said one or more displays comprise at least a primary game display and secondary game display, said primary game display and secondary game display being separate, individual displays.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said one or more displays comprise a primary game display and secondary game display being part of a single segmented display.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said one or more pre-established primary game outcomes comprise one or more pre-established game symbols appearing on said at least one of said one or more displays.

7. The gaming system of claim 5 wherein said at least one processor further runs said executable instructions to: diminish or increase said one or more health values associated with said one or more prize blocks mapped on said at least one of said one or more displays based on a positional relationship between said one or more prize blocks and said one or more pre-established game symbols appearing on said at least one of said one or more displays.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said at least one processor further runs said executable instructions to: remove from said at least one of said one or more displays any prize block having a health value reaching said threshold value.

9. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein said at least one processor further runs said executable instructions to: reveal on said at least one of said one or more displays a prize value associated with a prize block having a health value reaching said threshold value.

10. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said at least one processor further runs said executable instructions to: replace on said at least one of said one or more displays a removed prize block with either a space having no prize value or one or more new prize blocks.

11. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein said threshold value is zero.

12. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein said prize is selected from a group consisting of: monetary, free plays, advancement to a bonus game, merchandise, prize multipliers and/or comps.

13. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said one or more displays facilitate a video, slot-based reel game utilizing a 3×5 matrix of game spaces for containing random primary game indicia and said at least one of said one or more displays depict a 3×5 matrix mapped with multiple of said prize blocks.

14. A gaming system comprising:
a monetary input device configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;
a user interface configured to:
enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance and enable the player to initiate a cash out operation;

at least one processor running executable instructions related to a game of chance;
said at least one processor programmed to:
add said monetary value to a credit balance for said player;
deduct said selected wager from said credit balance; and
decrease said credit balance in response to said cash out operation;

one or more displays;
memory in communication with said at least one processor; and
wherein said at least one processor runs said executable instructions to: (i) generate and present on said at least one of said one or more displays, random primary game outcomes; (ii) responsive to one or more pre-established primary game outcomes, diminish or increase one or more health values associated with one or more prize blocks mapped on said at least one of said one or more displays; and (iii) responsive to certain of said one or more health values reaching a threshold value, store an associated multiplier for use with a next monetary prize award associated with certain of said one or more health values reaching a threshold value.

15. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein said stored associated multiplier is displayed on said at least one of said one or more displays.

16. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein responsive to said health value of any of said prize blocks reaching a threshold value, said at least one processor runs executable instructions to: cause said prize block to be removed.

17. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein responsive to said health value of any of said prize blocks reaching a threshold value, said at least one processor runs executable instructions to: reveal on said at least one of said one or more displays a prize value associated with said prize blocks.

18. The gaming system of claim 14 wherein responsive to said health value of any of said prize blocks reaching a threshold value, said at least one processor runs executable instructions to: replace said removed prize block with either a space having no prize value or one or more new prize blocks.

19. A video poker gaming system comprising:
a monetary input device configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value;
a user interface configured to:
enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance and enable the player to initiate a cash out operation;

at least one processor running executable instructions related to a game of chance;
said at least one processor programmed to:
add said monetary value to a credit balance for said player;
deduct said selected wager from said credit balance; and
decrease said credit balance in response to said cash out operation;

a game display;
memory in communication with said at least one processor; and
wherein said at least one processor runs said executable instructions to: (i) present on said game display, random playing cards from a virtual deck of playing cards to form a poker hand; (ii) responsive to one or more player discard inputs, replace discards with new playing cards from said virtual deck of playing cards; (iii) responsive to one of one or more pre-established poker hands being formed, award a monetary prize; (iv)

Assignees

• Gaming Arts LLC

Inventors

• Colvin David
• Ficarrotta Justin Thomas
• Porter Joshua Ewing
• Sims Scott Forbes
• Chong William
• Charron Dan
• Kruczynski Keith Matthew

Classifications

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title

• G07F17/3213 Primary

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

• 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

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title