US 9,437,077 B2Granted

Gaming device method and apparatus employing modified payouts

AssigneeIgt

InventorsJay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Scott T. Friesen

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Abstract

The invention includes a system and method for a gaming device to determine when to offer a player an opportunity to play using a “jackpot only” pay table. The player may choose to accept the gaming device's offer to switch from using a conventional pay table to using a pay table that only pays top payout amounts. Play with a jackpot only pay table may only require a small wager amount as compared to play with a conventional pay table. Play with a jackpot only pay table may be automated to generate outcomes quickly to allow a player to relatively inexpensively avoid spending time playing a gaming device perceived to be in a “cold period.”

Claims19

Dependent claims

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, and
(ii) a cashout device;
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) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;
(b) receive an input to play a wagering game in one of:
a first mode and a second mode, wherein:
(i) the first mode requires a first wager amount,
(ii) the first mode includes a first paytable for the play of the wagering game, the first paytable having:
(A) a first plurality of different winning outcomes, each of said first plurality of different winning outcomes associated with one of a first plurality of different awards, and
(B) a first average expected payout,
(iii) the second mode requires a second, different wager amount, and
(iv) the second mode includes a second, different paytable for the play of the wagering game, the second, different paytable having:
(A) a second, different plurality of different winning outcomes, each of said second, different plurality of different winning outcomes associated with one of a second, different plurality of different awards, and
(B) a second, different average expected payout;
(c) if the input to play the wagering game in the first mode is received:
(i) randomly determine a first game outcome,
(ii) display the randomly determined first game outcome, and
(iii) if the randomly determined first game outcome is one of the first plurality of different winning outcomes:
(A) determine one of the first plurality of different awards associated with the randomly determined first game outcome, and
(B) display the determined one of the first plurality of different awards associated with the randomly determined first game outcome,
(d) if the input to play the wagering game in the second mode is received:
(i) randomly determine a second game outcome,
(ii) display the randomly determined second game outcome, and
(iii) if the randomly determined second game outcome is one of the second, different plurality of different winning outcomes:
(A) determine one of the second, different plurality of different awards associated with the randomly determined second game outcome, and
(B) display the determined one of the second, different plurality of different awards associated with the randomly determined second game outcome, and
(e) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

29 more elements

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, and
(ii) a cashout device;
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) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;
(b) determine whether to switch from:
(i) a first mode requiring a first wager amount and including a first payout table for at least one play of a wagering game, to
(ii) a second mode requiring a second different wager amount and including a second different payout table for said at least one play of the wagering game, wherein the first payout table has:
(A) a first quantity of different winning outcomes,
(B) a first quantity of different awards associated with said winning outcomes,
(C) a first average payout for all of said winning outcomes, and
(D) a first quantity of losing outcomes, and
wherein the second payout table has:
(A) a second quantity of winning outcomes, said second quantity of winning outcomes being less than said first quantity of winning outcomes;
(B) a second quantity of awards associated with said second quantity of winning outcomes;
and
(C) a second quantity of losing outcomes, said second quantity of losing outcomes being greater than said first quantity of losing outcomes;
(c) if the determination is made to switch from the first mode to the second mode, display information associated with the switch from the first mode to the second mode;
and
(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

21 more elements

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, and
(ii) a cashout device;
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) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;
(b) determine whether to switch from a first mode including a first payout table for at least one play of a wagering game to a second mode including a second, different payout table for said at least one play of the wagering game,
wherein the first payout table has:
(a) a plurality of different winning outcomes,
(b) a plurality of different awards associated with the different winning outcomes,
(c) a first average payout for all of the winning outcomes, and
(d) a first plurality of different losing outcomes, and
wherein the second payout table has:
(a) a single designated winning outcome,
(b) a single designated award associated with said single designated winning outcome, and
(c) a second plurality of different losing outcomes,
(c) if the determination is made to switch from the first mode to the second mode, display information associated with the switch from the first mode to the second mode;
and
(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/811,365Filed 28 Jul 2015 · continuation
Priority: 19 Apr 2002
Published: US 2015/0332556 A119 Nov 2015
Granted: 6 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G07F 17/3258
Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes: cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
G07F 17/32
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
G07F 17/3209
Player-machine interfaces: input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
G07F 17/3211
Player-machine interfaces: display means

Family

Application60/374,437Us provisional application · filed 19 Apr 2002
Application10/419,304Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Apr 2003
Application11/428,716Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jul 2006
US 7,563,167 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Jul 2009
Application13/494,450Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jun 2012
US 8,210,928 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jul 2012
Application13/871,330Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Apr 2013
US 8,439,748 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 May 2013
Application14/313,015Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jun 2014
US 8,900,051 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Dec 2014
US 2015/0332556 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Nov 2015
US 9,105,156 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2003/0228902 A1Published application
US 2006/0252515 A1Published application
US 2012/0252563 A1Published application
US 2013/0310164 A1Published application
US 2014/0302911 A1Published application
US 9,437,077 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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