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US 2014/0228105 A1Published application
Gaming system and method with accumulating equity
AssigneeIgt
InventorsJay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Stephen C. Tulley, David F. Zucker, Andrew D. Rodgers, Geoffrey M. Gelman, Daniel E. Tedesco
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus are described for conducting a secondary game at a gaming device. In various embodiments, a player may acquire equity in the secondary game in such forms as a location of a game character, a number of symbols aggregated, a degree of completion of a puzzle, or a defensive provision. Certain symbols or outcomes in a primary game, however, may cause the player to lose equity in the secondary game.
Claims21
A gaming system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- at least one input device;
- at least one display device;
- and
- at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
- (a) cause a credit meter to display an amount of credits;
- (b) receive an input from a player of a designated wager amount on a play of a game;
- (c) for the play of the game:
- (i) randomly determine a game outcome from a plurality of different game outcomes,
- (ii) display the determined game outcome,
- (iii) determine a game award associated with the displayed game outcome, and
- (iv) increment the credit meter by any determined game award having a value greater than zero;
- (d) in addition to the credit meter, maintain an amount of equity for the player, said amount of maintained equity being distinct from said credit meter and said equity being maintained by:
- (i) accumulating an amount of equity for the player based on the designated wager amount, wherein different designated wager amounts cause an accumulation of different amounts of equity, and
- (ii) at periodic time intervals, reducing an amount of any accumulated equity for the player;
- and
- (e) if a triggering event occurs:
- (i) determine whether at least a designated amount of equity is maintained for the player,
- (ii) if the determination is that at least the designated amount of equity is maintained for the player, display an award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, said displayed award being based, at least in part, on the amount of equity maintained for the player, and
- (iii) if the determination is that at least the designated amount of equity is not maintained for the player, not determine, in association with the occurrence of the triggering event, any award based on any amount of equity maintained for the player.
17 more elements
A gaming system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- at least one input device;
- at least one display device;
- and
- at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
- (a) cause a credit meter to display an amount of credits;
- (b) for each play of a plurality of plays of a game:
- (i) receive a designation from a player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts on said play of the game;
- (ii) randomly determine a game outcome from a plurality of different game outcomes,
- (iii) display the determined game outcome,
- (iv) determine a game award associated with the displayed game outcome, and
- (v) increment the credit meter by any determined game award having a value greater than zero;
- (c) in addition to the credit meter, maintain an amount of equity for the player, said amount of maintained equity being distinct from said credit meter and said equity being maintained by:
- (i) accumulating an amount of equity for the player based on each of the wager amounts placed on each of the plurality of plays of the game, wherein different wager amounts placed cause an accumulation of different amounts of equity, and
- (ii) at periodic time intervals, reducing an amount of any accumulated equity for the player;
- and
- (d) if a triggering event occurs:
- (i) determine whether at least a designated amount of equity is maintained for the player,
- (ii) if the determination is that at least the designated amount of equity is maintained for the player, display an award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, said displayed award being based, at least in part, on the amount of equity maintained for the player, and
- (iii) if the determination is that at least the designated amount of equity is not maintained for the player, not determine, in association with the occurrence of the triggering event, any award based on any amount of equity maintained for the player.
17 more elements
A gaming system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- at least one input device;
- at least one display device;
- and
- at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
- (a) receive a designation from a player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts on a play of a game;
- (b) separate from any occurrence of any triggering event, increase an equity balance based on the placed wager amount;
- (c) at periodic time intervals, decrease the equity balance;
- and
- (d) when a triggering event occurs:
- (i) determine whether the equity balance is at least a designated equity balance,
- (ii) if the determination is that the equity balance is at least the designated equity balance, determine an award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein said determination is based, at least in part, on the equity balance when the triggering event occurs, and
- (iii) if the determination is that the equity balance is not at least the designated equity balance, not determine, in association with the occurrence of the triggering event, any award based on any equity balance.
10 more elements
A gaming system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- at least one input device;
- at least one display device;
- and
- at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
- (a) receive a designation from a player to place a wager on a play of a game;
- (b) for the wager placed on the play of the game, increase an equity balance, said equity balance being distinct from a credit meter;
- (c) for the play of the game:
- (i) randomly determine a game outcome from a plurality of different game outcomes,
- (ii) display the determined game outcome,
- (iii) determine a game award associated with the displayed game outcome, and
- (iv) increment the credit meter by any determined game award having a value greater than zero;
- (d) at periodic time intervals, reduce the equity balance;
- (e) if a triggering event occurs at a first point in time when the equity balance is associated with a first amount of equity, display a first award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event at the first point in time, said first award determined based, at least in part, on the first amount of equity;
- and
- (f) if the triggering event occurs at a second, different point in time when the equity balance is associated with a second, different amount of equity, display a second award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event at the second point in time, said second award determined based, at least in part, on the second amount of equity.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.