US 8,708,804 B2 · Gaming system and method providing a collection game including at least one customizable award collector

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing a collection game including at least one customizable collector. The gaming system displays a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of awards, provides a player with a collector, and enables the player to associate an item with the collector. The item is associated with one of the obstacles such that the item enables the collector to overcome that obstacle. The gaming system enables the player to position the collector within the field, and displays the collector moving within the field. If the collector intersects with an award, the gaming system accumulates that award. If the collector intersects an obstacle, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome that obstacle, the gaming system ends the play of the collection game with respect to the collector.

Claims56

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
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 at least one display device and the at least one input device to, for a play of a collection game:
(a) display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(b) provide a collector;
(c) receive a selection of one of a plurality of different items and associate the selected item with the collector, wherein each of the items, when associated with the collector, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(d) receive an input associated with a position within the field and display the collector at said position;
(e) display at least one move of the displayed collector within the field;
and
(f) for each move:
(i) if the displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol and remove said award symbol from the field;
and
(ii) if the displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to the displayed collector.

12 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising, for a play of a collection game:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(b) providing a collector;
(c) receiving a selection of one of a plurality of different items and associating the selected item with the collector, wherein each of the items, when associated with the collector, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(d) receiving an input associated with a position within the field and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the collector at said position;
(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one move of the displayed collector within the field;
and
(f) for each move, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to:
(i) if the displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol and remove said award symbol from the field;
and
(ii) if the displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to the displayed collector.

7 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
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 at least one display device and the at least one input device to, for a play of a collection game:
(a) display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(b) provide a plurality of collectors and display a plurality of items, wherein each of the items, when associated with one of the collectors, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(c) for each of the collectors, receive a selection of one of the items and associate the selected item with said collector;
(d) receive an input associated with a position within the field and display one of the collectors at said position;
(e) display a move of said displayed collector within the field and for said move:
(i) if said displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols as a result of said move, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol and repeat (e);
and
(ii) if said displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles as a result of said move:
(A) if the item associated with said displayed collector does not enable said displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to said displayed collector;
and
(B) if the item associated with said displayed collector enables said displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, repeat (e);
(f) determine whether said play of the collection game has been ended with respect to at least one of the collectors;
(g) if said play of the collection game has not been ended with respect to at least one of the collectors, repeat (d) to (g) for one of the remaining collectors;
and
(h) if said play of the collection game has been ended with respect to each of the collectors, provide any accumulated awards.

17 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

for a play of a collection game, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device and at least one input device to:
(a) display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(b) provide a plurality of collectors and display a plurality of items, wherein each of the items, when associated with one of the collectors, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(c) for each of the collectors, receive a selection of one of the items and associate the selected item with said collector;
(d) receive an input associated with a position within the field and display one of the collectors at said position;
(e) display a move of said displayed collector within the field and for said move:
(i) if said displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols as a result of said move, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol and repeat (e);
and
(ii) if said displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles as a result of said move:
(A) if the item associated with said displayed collector does not enable said displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to said displayed collector;
and
(B) if the item associated with said displayed collector enables said displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, repeat (e);
(f) determine whether said play of the collection game has been ended with respect to at least one of the collectors;
(g) if said play of the collection game has not been ended with respect to at least one of the collectors, repeat (d) to (g) for one of the remaining collectors;
and
(h) if said play of the collection game has been ended with respect to each of the collectors, provide any accumulated awards.

13 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
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 at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) enable a player to initiate a secondary award determination;
(b) if the player initiates the secondary award determination, perform the secondary award determination to obtain a secondary award and display the secondary award;
(c) provide the secondary award to the player and not provide a play of a collection game if an input that the player desires to keep the secondary award is received;
and
(d) if an input that the player does not desire to keep the secondary award is received:
(i) not provide the secondary award to the player;
(ii) provide the play of the collection game;
and
(iii) for said play of the collection game:
(A) display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(B) provide a collector;
(C) receive a selection of one of a plurality of different items and associate the selected item with the collector, wherein each of the items, when associated with the collector, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(D) receive an input associated with a position within the field and display the collector at said position;
(E) display at least one move of the displayed collector within the field;
and
(F) for each move:
(1) if the displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol;
and
(2) if the displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to the displayed collector.

21 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising, for a play of a collection game:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(b) providing a collector;
(c) receiving a selection of one of a plurality of different items and associating the selected item with the collector, wherein each of the items, when associated with the collector, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(d) receiving an input associated with a position within the field and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the collector at said position;
(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one move of the displayed collector within the field;
(f) for each move, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:
(i) if the displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol;
and
(ii) if the displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to the displayed collector;
and
(g) after said play of the collection game is complete with respect to the displayed collector:
(i) enabling a player to initiate a secondary award determination;
(ii) if the player initiates the secondary award determination, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to perform the secondary award determination to obtain a secondary award;
and
(iii) if a value of the secondary award is greater than a value of any accumulated awards, providing the secondary award and not providing the accumulated awards.

12 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to initiate a secondary award determination;
(b) if the player initiates the secondary award determination, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to perform the secondary award determination to obtain a secondary award and display the secondary award;
(c) providing the secondary award to the player and not providing the play of the collection game if an input that the player desires to keep the secondary award is received;
and
(d) if an input that the player does not desire to keep the secondary award is received:
(a) not providing the secondary award to the player;
(b) providing the play of the collection game;
and
(c) for said play of the collection game:
(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display a field including a plurality of different obstacles and a plurality of award symbols, each award symbol being associated with an award;
(ii) providing a collector;
(iii) receiving a selection of one of a plurality of different items and associating the selected item with the collector, wherein each of the items, when associated with the collector, enables the collector to overcome at least one of the obstacles;
(iv) receiving an input associated with a position within the field and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the collector at said position;
(v) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one move of the displayed collector within the field;
and
(vi) for each move, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:
(A) if the displayed collector intersects one of the award symbols, accumulate the award associated with said award symbol;
and
(B) if the displayed collector intersects one of the obstacles, and if the item associated with the displayed collector does not enable the displayed collector to overcome said obstacle, end said play of the collection game with respect to the displayed collector.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gaming system and method providing a collection game including at least one customizable award collector

Life of this patent

Gaming system and method providing a collection game including at least one customizable award collector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims56