# US 10,373,440 B2 · Gaming system and method providing a bonus opportunity when a designated relationship exists between a plurality of randomly determined elements

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- Number: US 10,373,440 B2
- Document ID: US10373440B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/880,819
- Filed: 2018-01-26
- Published: 2018-05-31
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-28
- Assignees: Igt
- Applicants: Igt
- Inventors: Leandro Basallo; Rachael A. Bristol; Colin M. Ferris; John Grime; Ana K. Rollins; Timothy L. Isaacson; Mark C. Nicely; Dacotah A. Petermann-Turner; Alex Present
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373440B2

## CPC

- G07F 17/3267: {Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a bonus opportunity when a designated relationship exists between a plurality of randomly determined elements. The gaming system randomly generates a plurality of elements in association with a play of a secondary game. The gaming system determines whether a designated relationship exists between the randomly determined elements. If the designated relationship exists between the randomly determined elements, the gaming system determines a bonus opportunity associated with the randomly determined elements and provides the bonus opportunity to a player.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gaming system server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
generate a primary game outcome in association with a play of a primary game;
communicate first data that results in a display device that is remote from the gaming system server displaying the primary game outcome;
determine whether the primary game outcome is a winning outcome or a losing outcome;
separate from the generation of the primary game outcome and before the display device displays the primary game outcome, randomly determine two or more of a plurality of elements, each element associated with one of multiple different characteristics, in association with a play of a secondary game and communicate second data that results in the display device displaying the two or more randomly-determined elements;
before the display device displays the primary game outcome, determine whether a designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements, wherein the designated relationship exists if the two or more randomly determined elements are each associated with a same one of the characteristics;
responsive to determining that the designated relationship does not exist between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determine a primary game award based on the primary game outcome and communicate third data that results in the display device displaying the primary game award;
responsive to determining that the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determine a modifier and determine the primary game award based on the primary game outcome and the modifier and communicate fourth data that results in the display device displaying the primary game award; and
responsive to determining that the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the losing outcome, not determine any primary game award based on the existence of the designated relationship.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is associated with a plurality of wheel portions, each of the wheel portions including a plurality of the elements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The gaming system server of claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine the two or more of the plurality of elements by, for each of the wheel portions, randomly determining one of the elements of said wheel portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The gaming system server of claim 3, wherein the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements if the two or more randomly determined elements of the wheel portions are each associated with a same one of the characteristics.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is associated with a wheel, the wheel includes a plurality of sections, each of the sections is associated with one of the elements, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine the two or more of the plurality of elements by selecting at least two of the sections of the wheel, each of the sections of the wheel being selectable more than once.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gaming system server of claim 5, wherein each selected section of the wheel is selected by a separate indicator, each indicator being one of: a pointer, and a lighted border.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to randomly determine the two or more of the plurality of elements by randomly generating one of the plurality of elements at a first point in time prior to a first event in the primary game and by randomly generating another one of the plurality of elements at a second subsequent point in time after the first event.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The gaming system server of claim 7, wherein the primary game is a draw poker game and the first event is a replacement of each of any cards discarded from an initial player hand with a replacement card.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
responsive to determining that a first designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determine a first modifier; and
responsive to determining that a second designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determine a second modifier, the first designated relationship and the second designated relationship being different and the first modifier and the second modifier being different.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The gaming system server of claim 1, wherein the display device is part of a mobile device.

### Claim 11

A method of operating a gaming system server, said method comprising:
generating, by a processor of the gaming system server, a primary game outcome in association with a play of a primary game;
communicating first data that results in a display device that is remote from the gaming system server displaying the primary game outcome;
determining, by the processor, whether the primary game outcome is a winning outcome or a losing outcome;
separate from the generation of the primary game outcome and before the display device displays the generated primary game outcome, randomly determining, by the processor, two or more of a plurality of elements, each element associated with one of multiple different characteristics, in association with a play of a secondary game and communicating second data that results in the display device displaying the two or more randomly-determined elements;
before the display device displays the generated primary game outcome, determining, by the processor, whether a designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements, wherein the designated relationship exists if the two or more randomly determined elements are each associated with a same one of the characteristics;
responsive to determining that the designated relationship does not exist between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determining, by the processor, a primary game award based on the primary game outcome and communicating third data that results in the display device displaying the primary game award;
responsive to determining that the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determining, by the processor, a modifier and determining, by the processor, the primary game award based on the primary game outcome and the modifier and communicating fourth data that results in the display device displaying the primary game award; and
responsive to determining that the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the losing outcome, not determining, by the processor, any primary game award based on the existence of the designated relationship.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the secondary game is associated with a plurality of wheel portions, each of the wheel portions including a plurality of the elements.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, which includes randomly determining, by the processor, the two or more of the plurality of elements by, for each of the wheel portions, randomly determining one of the elements of said wheel portion.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements if the two or more randomly determined elements of the wheel portions are each associated with a same one of the characteristics.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the secondary game is associated with a wheel, the wheel includes a plurality of sections, and each of the sections is associated with one of the elements, and which includes randomly determining, by the processor, the two or more of the plurality of elements by selecting at least two of the sections of the wheel, each of the sections of the wheel being selectable more than once.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein each selected section of the wheel is selected by a separate indicator, each indicator being one of: a pointer, and a lighted border.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, which includes randomly determining, by the processor, the two or more of the plurality of elements by randomly generating one of the plurality of elements at a first point in time prior to a first event in the primary game and by randomly generating another one of the plurality of elements at a second subsequent point in time after the first event.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the primary game is a draw poker game and the first event is a replacement of each of any cards discarded from an initial player hand with a replacement card.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, which comprises:
responsive to determining that a first designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determining, by the processor, a first modifier; and
responsive to determining that a second designated relationship exists between the two or more randomly determined elements and that the primary game outcome is the winning outcome, determining, by the processor, a second modifier, the first designated relationship and the second designated relationship being different and the first modifier and the second modifier being different.