Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing a game having a dynamic award scheme

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9418510-B2
Application number	US-61736609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2009
Priority date	Nov 12, 2009
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide gaming systems, gaming devices and methods which have casual games with dynamic award schemes. Each game has a designated number of elements such as positions, moveable elements, or the combination of positions and moveable elements. For each play of the wagering game, the gaming system: receives a wager from a player; determines a number of the designated number of elements which will function as or be designated as payout elements; determines which of the designated number of elements to make the payout elements; for each payout element, determines the payout value associated with that payout element; and (e) determines a game ending condition. The gaming system enables the player to play the wagering game in accordance with the predetermined rules of the wagering game. This includes enabling the player to employ the elements until the game ending condition occurs. For each payout element, if the payout element is employed in that play of the wagering game in a designated manner in accordance with the predetermined rules of the wagering game, the gaming system provides the player the payout value associated with that payout element.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A gaming system comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor;
at least one display device supported by the housing;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to:
establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the acceptor receives the physical item, the physical item being one of a ticket associated with the monetary value and currency;
for each play of a wagering game:
(a) following an actuation of a wager button, place a wager for the play of the wagering game, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;
(b) randomly determine a quantity of a designated number of elements which will be designated as payout elements for the play of the wagering game, said quantity being less than all of the designated number of elements;
(c) randomly determine which of the number of elements to designate as payout elements for the play of the wagering game;
(d) for each payout element, randomly determine a payout value associated with that payout element for the play of the wagering game;
(e) determine a game ending condition for the play of the wagering game;
(f) enable a player to use at least one of the plurality of input devices to play the wagering game in accordance with predetermined rules of the wagering game, which includes enabling the player to employ the elements until the game ending condition occurs, wherein employing each element includes causing said element to move to one of a plurality of different element positions including at least one non-designated element position and at least one designated element position; and
(g) for each payout element, if the payout element is employed in the play of the wagering game in a designated manner in accordance with the predetermined rules of the wagering game;
(1) if the payout element is moved to and displayed at one of the at least one designated element position, provide the player the payout value associated with that payout element based on said move to said designated element position, the credit balance increasable based on the payout value; and
(2) if the payout element is moved to and displayed at one of the at least one non-designated element position, not provide the player the payout value associated with that payout element based on said move to said non-designated element position; and

initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following an actuation of a cashout button.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine one or more of the following based in part on the player's wager: (a) the quantity of the designated number of elements which will be designated as payout elements for that play of the wagering game; (b) which of the designated number of elements to make the payout elements for that play of the wagering game; (c) the payout value associated with one or more of the payout elements for that play of the wagering game; and (d) the game ending condition for the play of the wagering game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the quantity of the designated number of elements which will be designated as payout elements for that play of the wagering game based at least in part on the player's wager.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine which of the elements to make the payout elements for that play of the wagering game based at least in part on the player's wager.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the payout value associated with each payout element for that play of the wagering game based at least in part on the player's wager.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the payout value associated with each payout element for that play of the wagering game using a payout value specific paytable.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the game ending condition for the play of the wagering game is one or more of: (a) an expiration of an amount of time; (b) a selection of a terminating element; (b) a determination that no more elements may be employed in accordance with the predetermined rules of the game; (c) a determination that all of the designated number of elements have been employed in accordance with the rules of the game; and (d) the player quitting the game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to enable the game ending condition to occur before the player employs all of the designated number of elements.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to upon the occurrence of the game ending condition, enable the player to one of: (i) place an additional wager to start a new game and (ii) place an additional wager to continue play of the current game.

10. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to provide a game win paytable for that play of the wagering game.

11. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to randomly determine a game win value using the game win paytable and provide the game win value to the player in addition to the payout values provided to the player if a game winning condition occurs.

12. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the game includes a jackpot meter.

13. The gaming system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to: if a game winning condition occurs before the game ending condition occurs, randomly determine a game win value using the game win paytable, add the game win value to the jackpot meter and provide the player with some or all of a plurality of credits in the jackpot meter in addition to the payout values provided to the player.

14. The gaming system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to enable the player to play a bonus selection game to determine how many of the credits in the jackpot meter to provide the player.

15. The gaming system of claim 14 , wherein the bonus selection game includes a plurality of selections each

Assignees

• Baerlocher Anthony J
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Baerlocher Anthony J

Classifications

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title

• G07F17/3209

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

• G07F17/32

  for games, toys, sports, or amusements · CPC title

• G07F17/3293

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• G07F17/3244 Primary

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