AU5596001A - Gaming machine with multi-level interactive bonus feature - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 560292

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: S S 0 55e*

S.

S S WMS Gaming Inc.

800 South Northpoint Boulevard Waukegan Illinois 60085 United States of America Eric M. Pryzby, Michael P. Casey Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Gaming Machine with Multi-level Interactive Bonus Feature The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- IP Australia Documents received on: JUL 2001 Batch No: 5845c GAMING MACHINE WITH MULTI-LEVEL INTERACTIVE BONUS FEATURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to gaming machines and, more particularly, to a gaming machine including an multi-level interactive bonus feature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by enhancing the entertainment value and excitement associated with the game.

One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a "secondary" or "bonus" game that may be played in conjunction with a "basic" game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon 9 the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative 25 to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop new features for bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators. Preferably, such new bonus game features will maintain, or even further enhance, the level of player excitement offered by bonus games heretofore known in the art. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.

2CHICAGO 127701vl 47079-00068 CHICAGO 127701vi 47079-00068 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprises a basic game and a multi-level interactive bonus game. The basic game includes a plurality of basic game outcomes. The plurality of basic game outcomes include a start-bonus outcome. The bonus game is triggered by the start-bonus outcome and indicated on a visual display. The bonus game includes a plurality of levels of play.

At least a first of the levels includes a plurality of elements selectable by a player. At least some of the elements are associated with respective hidden award outcomes, and at least one of the elements is associated with a hidden end-bonus outcome which, upon selection, ends the bonus game. The bonus game advances to a next of the levels in response to the player selecting a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-bonus outcome.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent 15 upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gaming machine embodying the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming 20 machine; FIG. 3 is a display screen capture showing simulated reels of a five-reel, nineline basic game played on the gaming machine; FIG. 4 is a display screen capture showing a scatter pay generated by ladybug symbols appearing on the reels; FIG. 5 is a display screen capture showing a winning reel symbol combination completed with a wild watering pail symbol; FIG. 6 is a display screen capture showing a reel symbol combination that triggers a bonus game called the County Fair Veggie Contest; FIG. 7 is a display screen capture showing the County Fair Veggie Contest; 3 CHICAGO 127701vl 47079-00068 I~ FIG. 8 is a display screen capture showing a reel symbol combination that triggers a harvest bonus feature; and FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 are display screen captures showing the harvest bonus feature.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Turning now to the drawings and referring initially to FIG. 1, there is depicted a gaming machine 10 that may be used to implement a bonus game according to the present invention. The gaming machine 10 includes a video display 12 preferably in the form of a dot matrix, CRT, LED, LCD, electro-luminescent, or other type of video display known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is an "upright" version in which the display 12 is oriented vertically relative to the player.

Alternatively, the gaming machine may be a "slant-top" version in which the display 12 is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player. The video display 12 is preferably outfitted with a touch screen to facilitate interaction between the player and S: aspects of the game of chance played on the machine.

In one embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is operable to play a game of chance entitled CASH CROPTM having an outdoor gardening/farming theme. The CASH CROPTM game features a basic slot game with five simulated spinning reels and an multi-level interactivebonus game involving player selection of vegetables for .harvest. It will be appreciated, however, that the gaming machine 10 may be implemented with any of several alternative game themes.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming machine 10. Coin/credit detector 14 signals a central processing unit (CPU) 16 when a player has inserted a number of coins or played a number of credits. Then, the CPU 4 CHICAGO 127701v1 47079-00068 16 operates to execute a game program that causes the video display 12 to display the basic game that includes simulated symbol-bearing reels. The player may select the number of pay lines to play and the amount to wager via touch screen input keys 17.

The basic game commences in response to the player activating a switch 18 by pulling a lever or pushing a button), causing the CPU 16 to set the reels in motion, randomly select a game outcome and then stop the reels to display symbols corresponding to the pre-selected game outcome. In one embodiment, certain of the basic game outcomes cause the CPU 16 to enter a bonus mode causing the display 12 to show the multi-level interactive bonus game.

.A system memory 20 stores control software, operational instructions and data associated with the gaming machine 10. In one embodiment, the memory comprises a separate read-only memory (ROM) and battery-backed random-access memory (RAM). However, it will be appreciated that the system memory 20 may be implemented on any of several alternative types of memory structures or may be implemented on a single memory structure. A payoff mechanism 22 is operable in response to instructions from the CPU 16 to award a payoff of coins or credits to the player in response to certain winning outcomes which might occur in the basic game or bonus game. The payoff amounts corresponding to certain combinations of symbols in the basic game is predetermined according to a pay table stored in system memory 20. The payoff amounts corresponding to certain outcomes of the bonus game are also stored in system memory As shown in FIG. 3, the basic game is implemented on the video display 12 on five video simulated spinning reels 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 (hereinafter "reels") with nine pay lines 40-48. Each of the pay lines 40-48 extends through one symbol on each of the five reels 30-34. Generally, game play is initiated by inserting a number of coins or playing a number of credits, causing the CPU 16 (FIG. 2) to activate a number of pay lines corresponding to the number of coins or credits played. In one embodiment, the player selects the number of pay lines (between one and nine) to play by pressing a "Select Lines" key 50 on the video display 12. The player then chooses the number of coins or credits to bet on the selected pay lines by pressing the "Bet Per Line" key 52.

CHICAGO 127701vI 47079-00068 After activation of the pay lines, the reels 30-34 may be set in motion by touching the "Spin Reels" key 54 or, if the player wishes to bet the maximum amount per line, by using the "Max Bet Spin" key 56 on the video display 12. Alternatively, other mechanisms such as, for example, a lever or push button may be used to set the reels in motion. The CPU 16 uses a random number generator to select a game outcome "basic" game outcome) corresponding to a particular set of reel "stop positions." The CPU 16 then causes each of the video reels 30-34 to stop at the appropriate stop position. Video symbols are displayed on the reels 30-34 to graphically illustrate the reel stop positions and indicate whether the stop positions of the reels represent a winning game outcome.

Winning basic game outcomes symbol combinations resulting in payment of coins or credits) are identifiable to the player by a pay table. In one embodiment, the pay table is affixed to the machine 10 and/or displayed by the video display 12 in response to a command by the player by pressing the "Pay Table" button 58). A winning basic game outcome occurs when the symbols appearing on the reels 30-34 along an active pay line correspond to one of the winning combinations on the pay table. If the displayed symbols stop in a winning combination, the game credits the player an amount corresponding to the award in the pay table for that combination multiplied by the amount of credits bet on the winning pay line. The player may collect the amount of accumulated credits by pressing the "Collect" button The reel symbols for the CASH CROPTM basic game include a Cash Crop logo, headshot of Farmer Brown, watering pail, vegetable basket, tractor, carrot, radish, turnip, sun, barn and grain silo, and ladybug. In a preferred implementation, 25 the winning combinations start-from the first reel 30 (left to right) and span adjacent reels. In an alternative implementation, the winning combinations start from either the first reel 30 (left to right) or the fifth reel 34 (right to left) and span adjacent reels.

With respect to the Cash Crop logo, tractor, carrot, radish, turnip, sun, and barn and grain silo, three or more of the same symbol generate a basic game payout. The Cash Crop logo provides the largest award. The next most valuable symbol is the sun.

Then there are the vegetable-oriented symbols, which in descending order of value 6 CHICAGO 1 2 7 701vl 47079-00068 include the carrot, the radish, and the turnip. After the vegetable-oriented symbols are the farm-oriented symbols, which in descending order of value include the barn and grain silo and the tractor.

Three or more ladybug symbols appearing anywhere on the reels at the same time awards a scatter pay. FIG. 4, for example, depicts four ladybug symbols scattered on the display. The watering pail symbol, which is only found on the third reel 32, is wild for winning vegetable combinations. In FIG. 5, for example, the watering pail symbol serves as a radish symbol in a winning combination of five radish symbols along pay line 48 which, if active, would generate a payout. When the watering pail symbol completes a vegetable combination, the watering pail symbol preferably animates on the display 12 such that water appears to pour out of it.

The vegetable basket symbol, which is also only found on the third reel 32, is wild for vegetable symbols and triggers a County Fair Veggie Contest. In particular, the combination of the vegetable basket symbol with at least a pair of the same vegetable symbol pair of carrot symbols, pair of radish symbols, or pair of turnip symbols) along an active pay line triggers the County Fair Veggie Contest. For example, in FIG. 6 the combination of the vegetable basket symbol with the three carrot symbols along pay line 41 triggers the County Fair Veggie Contest if the pay line 41 is active. Referring to FIG. 7, in the County Fair Veggie Contest depicted on 20 the video display 12 the farmer takes a vegetable from the triggering combination to #ooo# the County Fair Veggie Contest to attempt to win a prize. Using the touch screen or push-buttons, the player selects two contestants (out of four) to compete with the farmer and his vegetable. After the two contestants are selected, the contestants pull *o.o *their own vegetables out from under a table. The farmer then reveals his vegetable.

First through third prizes are awarded to the farmer and other two contestants. The o. player receives the award given to the farmer, which in FIG. 7 is 24 credits for third prize.

The combination of at least three farmer symbols along an active pay line triggers an multi-level interactive harvest bonus feature depicted on the video display 12. For example, FIG. 8 depicts five farmer symbols along the pay line 41 which, if active, triggers the harvest bonus feature. The harvest bonus feature includes five CHICAGO 127701vl 47079-00068 i- ICZ- i r- crops of root vegetables appearing in order of least to greatest overall value. These five crops are potatoes, turnips, beets, radishes, and carrots. Each crop consists of seven vegetables, lined up in a row, which are not yet pulled from the ground.

Underground, there a hidden gopher that may be dining on one or more of these vegetables. The player must help Farmer Brown successfully pick any three uneaten vegetables out of the seven in order to advance on to the next more valuable vegetable crop. In FIG. 9, for example, the player has thus far successfully picked two potatoes, each worth ten times the line bet for an accumulated bonus of 20 credits. The player may select a vegetable that the gopher has already eaten and left behind. The player will not win any credits for this selection but may continue picking. If the player picks the vegetable and the gopher appears as in FIG. 10, the harvest bonus feature ends and the player collects the winnings that the player has accumulated before picking the gopher.

Each successive round plays the same. The player must continue to try to avoid the gopher and pick three uneaten vegetables. Referring to FIG. 11, in addition to regular vegetables, special bonus vegetables may be randomly introduced among the row of seven. These may be in the form of a special "silver" vegetable, which is worth 2x the normal value of that vegetable, and a "gold" vegetable, which is worth 3x the normal value of that vegetable. In FIG. 11, for example, the normal value is fifteen times the line bet. The bonus feature is complete when the player successfully 'negotiates his or her way through all five crops without picking a gopher. The player then collects his or her total winnings and returns to basic slot game. In an alternative embodiment, if an already eaten vegetable is picked, no credit value is awarded but S. the pick counts towards the three necessary to move on to the next crop.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, throughout the harvest bonus feature, the top portion of the display contains a cloud animation showing the development of various ""types of weather. As the bonus feature progresses, additional darker clouds may begin to appear. The increased cloud activity may eventually result in a rain shower. If rain begins to fall, it happens following a transition to the next crop and lasts approximately 3-5 seconds. After the rain stops an animation takes place over all Suneaten vegetables. The vegetables in that current crop will appear to grow in size 8 CHICAGO 127701v1 47079-00068 :II II~Cii~ ill- fiLl~.)yl~~ -ii^r~3?i and their value doubles. If the player progresses on to the next crop, the vegetable values return to their normal amount. The timing of the rain is determined, based upon certain probabilities, at the beginning of the harvest bonus feature. It preferably does not rain in the first round or in consecutive rounds of the harvest bonus feature, but all other combinations of rain bonuses are possible including, for example, rain during the second and fifth rounds.

While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, the basic game need not comprise a spinning reel slot machine game as illustrated in FIG. 1, but may comprise virtually any type of game of chance or skill or combination of games having outcomes start-bonus outcomes) that trigger play of a bonus game on one or more displays. For example, the basic game may comprise a video poker or blackjack game. Also, the CASH CROPTM harvest bonus feature may be implemented as a stand-alone basic game that is not triggered by start-bonus outcomes on spinning reels. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of crops and gophers and the probabilities of selecting eaten vegetables, uneaten vegetables, and the gopher may be varied to achieve a desired payback percentage for the game. In addition, the interactive bonus feature may have a theme other than harvesting crops but still involving multiple levels of play in which the player only progresses to the oooo# next level of play if the player successfully negotiates a prior level without encountering an end-bonus element. Each of these embodiments and obvious °variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

aO a 9o 9 CHICAGO 127701v 47079-00068

Claims (18)

1. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising: a basic game including a plurality of basic game outcomes, the plurality of basic game outcomes include a start-bonus outcome; and a multi-level interactive bonus game triggered by the start-bonus outcome and indicated on a visual display, the bonus game including a plurality of levels of play, at least a first of the levels including a plurality of elements selectable by a player, at least one of the selectable elements being associated with an end-bonus outcome which, upon selection, ends the bonus game, the bonus game advancing to a next of the levels in response to the player selecting a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-bonus outcome. 15 2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the bonus game awards a bonus for not selecting the element associated with the end-bonus outcome.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the bonus game awards a bonus for at least some of the elements selected that are not associated with the end-bonus outcome. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the bonus game awards a bonus for advancing to the next of the levels. 25 5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of elements is greater than one.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable elements are associated with respective hidden outcomes, the hidden outcomes being revealed CHICAGO 127701vl 47079-00068 Y, ;x in response to selecting the respective elements, one of the hidden outcomes corresponding to the end-bonus outcome.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable elements are animated symbols on the visual display.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein each of the levels includes a respective plurality of elements selectable by the player, at least one of the selectable elements at each level being associated with the end-bonus outcome which, upon selection, ends the bonus game, the bonus game advancing to the next of the levels in response to the player selecting the predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-bonus outcome.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the bonus game awards a normal bonus for at least some of the elements selected that are not associated with the end- bonus outcome, the normal bonus for each element at the first level being less than the ~normal bonus for each element at the next level. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the visual display is a touch screen video display, the elements being selectable by the player by touching the touch screen video display at locations of the elements. S11. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising a multi-level interactive game feature involving chance indicated on a visual display, the game including a plurality of levels of play, at least a first of the o levels including a plurality of elements selectable by a player, at least one of the selectable elements being associated with an end-feature outcome which, upon selection, ends the game feature, the game feature advancing to a next of the levels in response to the player selecting a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome, the game feature CHICAGO 127701v 47079-00068 awarding a normal payout for at least some of the elements selected that are not associated with the end-feature outcome.

12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the game feature awards a payout for advancing to the next of the levels.

13. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the predetermined number of elements is greater than one.

14. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the plurality of selectable elements are associated with respective hidden outcomes, the hidden outcomes being revealed in response to selecting the respective elements, one of the hidden outcomes corresponding to the end-feature outcome.

15. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the plurality of selectable elements are animated symbols on the visual display.

16. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein each of the levels includes a respective plurality of elements selectable by the player, at least one of the selectable elements at each level being associated with the end-feature outcome which, upon *o selection, ends the game feature, the game feature advancing to the next of the levels in response to the player selecting the predetermined number of the elements without •selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome. 25 17. The gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the game feature awards the normal °o payout for at least some of the elements selected that are not associated with the end- feature outcome, the normal payout for each element at the first level being less than the normal payout for each element at the next level. 12 CHICAGO 127701vl 47079-00068 r I

18. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the visual display is a touch screen video display, the elements being selectable by the player by touching the touch screen video display at locations of the elements.

19. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising a multi-level interactive game feature of chance including a plurality of levels of play, at least a first of the levels including a plurality of selectable elements depicted on a touch screen video display, each element being selectable by a player by touching the touch screen video display at a location of the element, at least some of the elements being associated with respective hidden award outcomes, at least one of the elements being associated with a hidden end-feature outcome which, upon selection, ends the game feature, the game feature advancing to a next of the levels in response to the player selecting a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the elements associated with the hidden award outcomes generate respective payouts in response to being selected by player.

21. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, ooooo3 comprising a multi-level interactive game feature of chance indicated on a visual display, the game feature including a plurality of levels of play, each of the levels including a plurality of elements selectable by a player, at least some of the elements being associated with respective hidden award outcomes, at least one of the elements being associated with a hidden end-feature outcome which, upon selection, ends the o game feature, the game feature advancing to a next of the levels in response to the player selecting a predetermined number of the elements at a prior one of the levels without selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome.

22. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising: receiving a wager; 13 CHICAGO 127701v1 47079-00068 executing, under control of a processor, a multi-level interactive game feature of chance including a plurality of levels of play, at least a first of the levels of play including a plurality of elements selectable by a player, at least some of the elements being associated with respective award outcomes, at least one of the elements being associated with an end-feature outcome; receiving a player's selection of one of the elements; awarding a payout if the selected element is associated with the award outcome; ending the game feature if the selected element is associated with the end- feature outcome; and advancing the game feature to a next of the levels if the player has selected a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome; otherwise repeat steps and

23. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising: receiving a wager; executing, under control of a processor, a multi-level interactive game feature of chance including a plurality of levels of play, each of the levels of play including a plurality of elements selectable by a player, at least some of the elements being associated with respective award outcomes, at least one of the elements being associated with an end- feature outcome; receiving a player's selection of one of the elements; awarding a payout if the selected element is associated with the award outcome; ending the game feature if the selected element is associated with the end- feature outcome; 14 CHICAGO 127701v1 47079-00068 repeating steps and until the player has selected a predetermined number of the elements without selecting the element associated with the end-feature outcome; And advancing the game feature to a next of the levels. too* **o 5515 CHCG 1270v 477-06 I t 16-

24. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, said gaming machine being substantially as described herein in relation to any one embodiment with reference to Fig. 1-13.

25. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method being substantially as described herein in relation to any one embodiment with reference to Fig. 1-13. DATED this twenty-fifth Day of July, 2001 WMS Gaming Inc. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON S @0 S e 0 O [R:\LIBT|25909.doc:mxl