U.S. patent application number 10/182427 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-16 for gaming machine with interactive bonusing.
Invention is credited to Bennett, Nicholas Luke.
Application Number | 20030013519 10/182427 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 3819683 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030013519 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bennett, Nicholas Luke |
January 16, 2003 |
Gaming machine with interactive bonusing
Abstract
A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller
(30) arranged to control images (18) on the display (14). The game
controller (30) is arranged to play a game (16) wherein one or more
random events are caused to be displayed on the display (14) and,
if a predefined winning event or combination of events results, the
machine (10) awards a prize. A predetermined symbol from a set of
symbols of the game is selected as a bonus symbol. The display (14)
is an interactive display means such that, when at least one of the
bonus symbols appears then, by a player touching a part of the
display (14) overlying the, or each, occurrence of the bonus
symbol, a bonus prize is revealed in respect of the, or each, bonus
symbol.
Inventors: |
Bennett, Nicholas Luke;
(Rosebery, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
350 WEST COLORADO BOULEVARD
SUITE 500
PASADENA
CA
91105
US
|
Family ID: |
3819683 |
Appl. No.: |
10/182427 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2002 |
PCT Filed: |
January 18, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU01/00044 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3262 20130101;
G07F 17/3244 20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101; A63F 2001/008
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 013/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 11, 2000 |
AU |
PQ 5564 |
Claims
1. A gaming machine having a display means and a game control means
arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game
control means being arranged to play a game wherein one or more
random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and,
if a predefined winning event or combination of events results, the
machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterised in
that a predetermined symbol from a set of symbols of the game is
selected as a bonus symbol and in that the display means is an
interactive display means such that, when at least one of the bonus
symbols appears then, by a player touching a part of the display
means overlying the, or each, occurrence of the bonus symbol, a
bonus prize is revealed in respect of the, or each, bonus
symbol.
2. The gaining machine of claim 1 in which the, or each, bonus
symbol is revealed in an animated manner.
3. The gaming machine of claim 1 or claim 2 in which the
interactive display means is applicable in respect of a base
game.
4. The gaming machine of any one of the preceding claims in which
the interactive display means is applicable in respect of a feature
game which is triggered upon fulfillment of predetermined
conditions in a preceding base game.
5. The gaming machine of any one of the preceding claims in which
the feature allowing the player to touch the screen to reveal the,
or each, bonus symbol is triggered by a predetermined event.
6. The gaming machine of claim 5 in which, after the predetermined
extent has occurred, the control means selects a symbol from a set
of the symbols to be the bonus symbol.
7. The gaming machine of any one of claims 1 to 4 inclusive in
which the feature allowing the player to touch the screen to reveal
the, or each, bonus symbol is applicable for all games played.
8. The gaining machine of any one of claims 1 to 5 inclusive or
claim 7 in which the, or each, bonus symbol is selected by the
player.
Description
[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a gaming machine. More
particularly, the invention relates to a gaming machine and to an
improvement to a game played on such a gaming machine.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] Players who regularly play gaining machines quickly tire of
particular games and therefore it is necessary for manufacturers of
these machines to develop innovative game features which add
interest to the games. In so doing, it is hoped to keep players
amused and therefore willing to continue playing the game as well
as to attract next players.
[0004] Also, with the growth that has occurred in the gaming
machine market, there is intense competition between manufacturers
to supply various existing and new venues. When selecting a
supplier of gaining machines, the operator of a venue will often
pay close attention to the popularity of various games with their
patrons. Therefore, gaming machine manufacturers are keen to devise
games which are popular with the players as a mechanism for
improving sales, retaining customers and attracting new
customers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to the invention, there is provided a gaining
machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to
control images displayed on the display means, the game control
means being arranged to plait a game wherein one or more random
events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a
predefined winning event or combination of events results, the
machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterised in
that a predetermined symbol from a set of symbols of the game is
selected as a bonus symbol and in that the display means is all
interactive display means such that, when at least one of the bonus
symbols appears then, by a player touching a part of the display
means overlying the, or each, occurrence of the bonus symbol, a
bonus prize is revealed in respect of the, or each, bonus
symbol.
[0006] The set of symbols may be a set of standard symbols of the
game or a predetermined subset of that set of standard symbols.
[0007] The, or each bonus symbol may be revealed in an animated
manner such as the symbol which was touched by the player
transforming into another symbol or indicium representative of a
prize.
[0008] Further, it is to he understood that, in this specification,
the term "symbol" relates to a symbol on a spinning reel-type game
and, more particularly, a video simulation of such a spinning reel
game, a card of a card game, a ball of a Kenio game, or the
like.
[0009] The feature may, be applicable in respect of a base game.
Instead, or in addition, the feature may be applicable in respect
of a feature game which is triggered upon fulfillment of
predetermined conditions. For example, in respect of a spinning
reel-type game, the feature game may be triggered upon the
occurrence of three predetermined special symbols.
[0010] The feature allowing the platter to touch the screen to
reveal the, or each, bonus symbol may be triggered by a
predetermined event. Then, after the predetermined event has
occurred, the control means may select a symbol from the set of
symbols, or the subset of the set of symbols, to be the bonus
symbol. Instead, the feature allowing the player to touch the
screen to reveal the, or each, bonus symbol may be applicable for
all games played.
[0011] In another embodiment, the, or each, bonus symbol may be
selected by the player.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The invention is now described by way of example with
reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a gaining machine,
in accordance with the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the
gaming machine:
[0015] FIGS. 3a to 3d show display screens of a first embodiment of
a game played on the gaining machine of FIG. 1:
[0016] FIGS. 4a to 4h show display screens of a second embodiment
of a game played on the gaming machine:
[0017] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the game of FIG. 3; and
[0018] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the game of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 generally designates a
gaining machine, including a game, in accordance with the
invention. The machine to includes a console 12 having a video
display unit 14 on which a game 16 is displayed, in use. The game
16 is a spinning reel game which simulates the rotation of a number
of spinning reels 18. A keypad 20, arranged on a midtrim 21 of the
console 12, facilitates playing of the game 16.
[0020] The machine 10 includes a top box 22 on which artwork 24 is
carried. The artwork 24 includes paytables, details of bonus
awards, etc.
[0021] A coin tray 26 is mounted beneath the console 12 for cash
payouts from the machine 10.
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a control means or
control circuit 30 is illustrated. A program which implements the
game and user interface is run on a processor 32 of the control
circuit 30. The processor 32 forms part of a controller 34 which
drives the screen of the video display unit 14 and which receives
input signals from sensors 36. The sensors 36 include sensors 36
associated with the keypad 20 and touch sensors mounted in a screen
of the video display unit 14.
[0023] The controller 34 also receives input pulses from a
mechanism 38 indicating that a player has provided sufficient
credit to begin playing. The mechanism 38 may be a coin input chute
38.1 (FIG. 1), a bill collector 38.2. a credit card reader (not
shown), or any other type of validation device.
[0024] Finally, the controller 34 drives a payout mechanism 40
which, for example, may be a coin hopper for feeding coins to the
coin tray 26 to pay a prize once a predetermined combination of
symbols carried on the reels 18 appears on the screen 16 or some
other prize winning event occurs.
[0025] With a game played on the gaining machine 10 of the
invention, for example, a spinning reel game, a bonusing feature is
triggered by a predetermined event or, instead, may exist for all
games played. For ease of explanation, the invention will be
described below with reference to its application to a spinning
reel type game. It will, however, be appreciated that the invention
is applicable to other gaming machine games such as card games,
ball-type games such as Keno games, or the like.
[0026] In use, the game commences in a conventional way upon
actuation of the game via the keypad 20. The player is given the
opportunity to touch one or more of the standard symbols on the
actual reels 18 and, if necessary, is prompted to do so. When the
player touches the screen overlying the appropriate symbols, this
is sensed by the sensors 36 of the screen. The sensors 36 send the
appropriate command to the processor 32. The processor 32 then
causes prizes to be revealed in the same location as the touched
symbol by way of an animation technique which transforms the symbol
to a win-indicating indicium or by using some other, similar
method. Similarly, the symbol may transform into something other
than an indicium representing a win. For example, the symbol may
transform into one representing another bonus symbol.
[0027] A first embodiment of the game 16 is now described with
reference to FIGS. 3a to 3d of the drawings. In this embodiment,
the result of a base game is shown in FIG. 3a of the drawings.
While this embodiment is described with reference to the game 16
being a base game, it will be appreciated that the game 16 could
also be a feature game resulting from a base game.
[0028] One of the symbols is designated as a bonus symbol. The
designation of the bonus symbol could occur randomly or by some
predetermined process. Instead, the bonus symbol may be selected by
the player. A further possibility is that the bonus symbol may be
fixed in that the same symbol is always the bonus symbol for every
base game or feature game, as the case may be.
[0029] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3d of the
drawings, the J symbol 42 is selected as the bonus symbol. When the
screen of FIG. 3a is displayed, the player touches the screen of
the video display unit 14 overlying one of the J symbols 42 to
reveal a first bonus prize 44, as illustrated in FIG. 3b of the
drawings. The screen overlying a second of the J symbols 42 is then
touched by the player to reveal a second bonus prize 46 as
illustrated in FIG. 3c of the drawings. The screen overlying the
third J symbol 42 is touched by the player to reveal a final bonus
prize 48.
[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 4a to 4h of the drawings, a second
embodiment of the game 16 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the
screen display illustrated in FIG. 4a of the drawings is the result
of a base game. The presence of 3 S symbols 50 causes a second
screen feature game to commence having a screen display 52 as shown
in FIG. 4b of the drawings. It is to be noted in FIG. 4b of the
drawings that the initial screen display 52 of the second screen
feature game comprises three rows 54. 56 and 58 of symbols The
symbols in the row 54 are, initially, visually the same as each
other. Similarly, the symbols in the row 56 are, initially,
visually the same as each other and the symbols in the row 58 are
also, initially, visually the same as each other.
[0031] When the screen display 52 occurs, the player touches the
screen overlying one symbol from each row 54, 56 and 58. Hence,
when the player touches the screen overlying one of the symbols in
the row 54. the selected symbol transforms into a free game
indicator as shown at 60 in FIG. 4c of the drawings. This indicates
to the player the number of free games which the player has
won.
[0032] The player then touches the screen overlying one of the
symbols in the row 56. The selected symbol transforms itself as
shown at 62 in FIG. 4d of the drawings to reveal a free game
multiplier. The multiplier shows the number by which all wins will
be multiplied during the sequence of free games.
[0033] Finally, the player touches the screen overlying one of the
symbols in the row 58 to cause the selected symbol to transform
itself into a symbol 64 as shown ill FIG. 4e of the drawings. This
symbol 64 indicates to the player which symbol in the free games
which will follow will be a bonus symbol.
[0034] Upon completion of the steps shown in FIGS. 4c to 4e of the
drawings, a series of free games commences. The number of free
games which the player is awarded is as indicated by the symbol in
the row 54 of the second screen 52 revealed by the player having
touched that part of the screen.
[0035] The screen of one of the free games is shown in FIGS. 4f to
4h of the drawings and is designated generally by the reference
numeral 66.
[0036] When the reels 18 of the first free game cease spinning to
reveal the screen 66, after all applicable wins have been paid and
have been multiplied by the multiplier of the selected symbol in
the row 56 of the initial screen display of the second screen
feature 52. the player touches the screen overlying the first
special symbol 68 to reveal what bonus prize has been awarded. As
shown ill FIG. 4g. a bonus prize of tell credits is awarded. The
player then touches the screen overlying the second special symbol
70 to reveal a further bonus prize as illustrated in FIG. 4h of the
drawings.
[0037] The free games continue in this manner until all the free
games have been awarded after which the game returns to the normal
spinning reel game without bonuses until the next feature is
triggered.
[0038] Hence, it is an advantage of the invention that a gaming
machine 10 is provided with more player interaction which, the
applicant believes, will result ill greater player interest.
[0039] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the
invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing
from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The
present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all
respects as illustrative and not restrictive.
* * * * *