# US 9,039,514 B2 · Regulated games: multi-act games > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,514 B2 - Document ID: US9039514B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/193,351 - Filed: 2014-02-28 - Published: 2014-06-26 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-22 - Assignees: Igt - Applicants: Igt - Inventors: Sylvie Linard; John Papanastasiou; Thierry Brunet de Courssou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039514B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - A63F 9/18: Question-and-answer games - A63F 13/00: Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions - A63F 13/10 - A63F 13/45: Controlling the progress of the video game - G07F 17/32: for games, toys, sports, or amusements - G07F 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes} - G07F 17/326: {Game play aspects of gaming systems} - G07F 17/3286: {Type of games} - G07F 17/3295: {Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking} - A63F 2300/632: by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time - A63F 2300/807: Role playing or strategy 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}) - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Creative multi-act games for the younger generation of casino players accustomed to creative simulation games such as “The Sims®” and familiar TV characters such as the cast of “Friends”. Stories unfold through acts that have been staged by the player by selecting and placing acting objects. A palette of betting opportunities may be provided in each act in accordance with the staged act to allow the player(s) to place bets. A typical storyboard may include three acts: (a) a construction act, (b) a testing act and (c) a destruction or resolution act. The unfolding of acts may be non-linear and several players may participate simultaneously, sharing the opportunity to affect a storyboard's direction through decision-making. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gaming system comprising: a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including: (i) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value, (ii) a validator configured to identify the first physical item, and (iii) a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance, at least one processor, 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 plurality of input devices to: (a) receive at least one selectively placed bets on whether a conduit will enable an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the conduit, (b) randomly determine a layout of the conduit, (c) display the determined layout of the conduit, (d) randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the conduit; and (e) display the randomly determined outcome. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a liquid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the object travelling through at least part of the conduit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gaming system of claim 3, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object traveled through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gaming system of claim 3, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would not travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object did not travel through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 6 A gaming system server comprising: at least one processor, 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: (a) receive data representing at least one selectively placed bet on whether a conduit will enable an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the conduit, said bet selectively placed via an actuation of a bet button (b) randomly determine a layout of the conduit, (c) cause at least one display device to display the determined layout of the conduit, (d) randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the conduit; (e) cause the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome; and (f) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing an initiation of a payout associated with any credit balance displayed by the at least one display device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein the object includes a liquid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display the object travelling through at least part of the conduit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object traveled through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would not travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object did not travel through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The gaming system server of claim 6, which transmits and receives data over a data network. ### Claim 12 A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: (a) receiving, via an actuation of a bet button, at least one selectively placed bets on whether a conduit will enable an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the conduit, (b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly determine a layout of the conduit, (c) causing at least one display device to display the determined layout of the conduit, (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the conduit; and (e) causing the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome; and (f) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause an initiation of a payout associated with any credit balance displayed by the at least one display device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the object includes a liquid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which includes causing the at least one display device to display the object travelling through at least part of the conduit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object traveled through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award if a bet was placed that the object would not travel from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the conduit and the object did not travel through the conduit from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which is executed through a data network.