Gaming devices using subsymbol bonus feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12211340-B2
Application number	US-202318235599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2023
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for implementing bonus features using subsymbols during game play. Accordingly, a gaming device can be configured to randomly overlay or otherwise associate zero, one, or more subsymbols on game symbols used in a game of chance. When subsymbols appear on game symbols that are randomly determined to be part of the game outcome, a bonus feature is triggered that may be used to modify awards provided from the game outcome. The presence of the subsymbols themselves may act as a trigger for a secondary bonus feature or event, or the subsymbols themselves may show random indicia within the subsymbol that provides a bonus modifier or other award.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A video poker machine configured to provide games of chance in response to the placement of wagers, the video poker gaming device comprising:
a physical gaming cabinet having one or more locks to restrict access to the inside of the gaming cabinet;
a display mounted to the cabinet, the display including a video screen having a poker game play grid;
a player interface device attached to the cabinet and including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
a memory housed inside the cabinet and configured to store a virtual deck of cards and a credit amount;
a random number generator housed inside the cabinet;
a wager input device mounted to the cabinet and structured to receive physical items associated with currency values; and
a processor housed inside of the cabinet, the processor operable to:
receive a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value associated with the received physical item;
receive a primary game initiation signal from the player interface device including a wager amount, the wager amount deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
randomly determine a card in the virtual deck of cards to associate with a bonus subsymbol based on a first random value provided by the random number generator;
randomly deal a poker hand from the virtual deck of cards to the poker game play grid on the display based on second random values provided by the random number generator;
determine if any of the cards dealt to the poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol;
initiate a secondary bonus event on the display when one of the cards dealt to the poker hand is associated with the bonus subsymbol to determine a bonus modifier;
determine awards associated with the poker hand based off of a predefined paytable;
modify any determined awards associated with the poker hand based on the bonus modifier; and
increase the credit amount stored in the memory by any determined awards as modified by the bonus modifier.

2. The video poker machine of claim 1 , wherein the secondary bonus event is a dice roll to determine a multiplier value as the bonus modifier.

3. The video poker machine of claim 2 , wherein the secondary bonus event includes two dice, where the first die if rolled to determine a first outcome value, where the second die is rolled to determine a second outcome value, and where the first outcome value and the second outcome values are added together to provide a multiplier value as the bonus modifier.

4. The video poker machine of claim 2 , wherein the secondary bonus event includes two dice, where the first die if rolled to determine a first outcome value, where the second die is rolled to determine a second outcome value, and where the first outcome value and the second outcome values are multiplied together to provide a multiplier value as the bonus modifier.

5. The video poker machine of claim 1 , wherein the secondary bonus event is a wheel spin to determine a multiplier value as the bonus modifier.

6. The video poker machine of claim 5 , wherein the secondary bonus event includes two wheels having multiplier values, where the first wheel is spun to determine a first multiplier value, where the second wheel is spun to determine a second multiplier value, and where the first multiplier value is added to the second multiplier value to provide the bonus modifier.

7. The video poker machine of claim 5 , wherein the secondary bonus event includes two wheels having multiplier values, where the first wheel is spun to determine a first multiplier value, where the second wheel is spun to determine a second multiplier value, and where the first multiplier value is multiplied by the second multiplier value to provide the bonus modifier.

8. A video poker machine configured to provide games of chance in response to the placement of wagers, the video poker gaming device comprising:
a physical gaming cabinet having one or more locks to restrict access to the inside of the gaming cabinet;
a display attached to the gaming cabinet, the display including a video screen having a poker game play grid;
a player interface attached to the gaming cabinet, the player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
a memory housed in the gaming cabinet, the memory configured to store a virtual deck of cards and a credit amount;
a random number generator housed inside the cabinet;
a wager input device housed in the gaming cabinet, the wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values; and
a processor housed in the gaming cabinet, the processor operable to:
receive a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value associated with the received physical item;
receive a primary game initiation signal from the player interface including a wager amount, the wager amount deducted from the credit amount stored in the memory;
randomly determine a card in the virtual deck of cards to associate with a bonus subsymbol based on a first random value provided by the random number generator;
randomly deal an initial poker hand from the virtual deck of cards to the poker game play grid on the display based on second random values provided by the random number generator;
determine if any of the cards dealt to the initial poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol;
initiate a secondary bonus event when one of the cards dealt to the initial poker hand is associated with the bonus subsymbol to determine a bonus modifier;
display the bonus modifier on the video screen;
receive signals from the player interface indicating cards to be held in the initial poker hand;
replace any cards not held in the initial poker hand with randomly drawn cards from the virtual deck of cards based on third random values provided by the random number generator to form a final poker hand, the final poker hand displayed on the display,
determine awards associated with the final poker hand based off of a predefined paytable;
modify any determined awards associated with the final poker hand with the bonus modifier; and
increase the credit amount stored in the memory by any determined awards as modified by the bonus modifier.

9. The video poker machine of claim 8 , wherein if the processor determines that none of the cards dealt to the initial poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol, the processor is further operable to:
determine if any of the cards in the final poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol, and
initiate a secondary bonus event when one of the cards in the final poker hand is associated with the bonus subsymbol to determine a bonus modifier.

10. The video poker machine of claim 8 , wherein if the processor determines that none of the cards dealt to the initial poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol, the processor is further operable to:
randomly redetermine a card in the virtual deck of cards to associate with the bonus subsymbol;
determine if any of the cards in the final poker hand are associated with the bonus subsymbol, and
initiate a secondary bonus event when one of the cards in the final poker hand is associated with the bonus subsymbol to determine a bonus modifier.

11. The video poker machine of claim 8 , wherein the secondary bonus event is a dice roll to determine a multiplier va

Assignees

• King Show Games Inc

Inventors

• Berman Bradley
• Lamb Jacob
• Rath Anthony

Classifications

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G07F17/3262

  Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played · CPC title

• G07F17/3244

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

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G07F17/3209

  Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen · CPC title