AU5595701A - Slot machine with reel re-spin bonus feature - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 561444

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: WMS Gaming Inc.

800 South Northpoint Boulevard Waukegan Illinois 60085 United States of America Joel R. Jaffe Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Slot Machine with Reel Re-spin Bonus Feature The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:-

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5845c SLOT MACHINE WITH REEL RE-SPIN BONUS FEATURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to slot machines and, more particularly, to a slot machine including a reel re-spin 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 20 enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by enhancing the O.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 the occurrence of a selected event or outcome of the basic game. Because the bonus o game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative 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 30 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.

CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 i SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a slot machine is controlled by a processor in response to a wager and comprises a basic game and a bonus game. The basic game includes a start-bonus outcome triggering the bonus game. The bonus game includes a plurality of free spins of symbol-bearing rotatable reels. In each free spin, the reels are spun and stopped to place one or more symbols on each reel in visual association with a viewable display area. The reels are preferably simulated on a video display including the viewable display area. The bonus game generates a payout for each payout symbol, e.g. "Grab" symbol, appearing in the viewable display area after each free spin. The value of this payout preferably varies and most preferably increases with successive ones of the free spins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent 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; 20 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming machine; FIG. 3 is a display screen capture showing the simulated reels of a five-reel, nine-line basic game played on the gaming machine; FIG. 4 is a display screen capture associated with a symbol selection bonus game; FIGS. 5 through 11 are display screen captures associated with a "Timer" **Money Grab bonus game; i, FIG. 12 is a display screen capture showing a start-bonus outcome on the reels for triggering a "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game; .i 30 FIG. 13 is a display screen capture associated with a free spin of the reels during the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game; and FIG. 14 is a display screen capture associated with a free super scatter spin of the reels, which can be awarded during the symbol selection bonus game.

CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 ~I 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 lower and upper visual displays 12 and 13 preferably in the form of a dot matrix, CRT, LED, LCD, electroluminescent, or other type of video display known in the art. The lower display 12 preferably includes a touch screen overlaying the monitor. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is an "upright" version in which both the lower and upper displays 12 and 13 are oriented vertically relative to the player.

Alternatively, the gaming machine may be a "slant-top" version in which the lower display 12 is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player of the gaming machine 10 and the upper display 13 is oriented vertically relative to the player. The gaming machine 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 has an optional marquee 15 and money chamber 19 disposed on top of the gaming machine.

In one embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is operable to play a game of chance entitled MONOPOLY®-MONEY GRAB having a theme based on the popular board game MONOPOLY®. The MONOPOLY®-MONEY GRAB game features a basic slot game with five simulated spinning reels and a multiple bonus games triggered by different outcomes in the basic game. It will be appreciated, however, o that the gaming machine 10 may be implemented with themes other than

MONOPOLY.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming 30 machine 10. Coin/credit detector 14 signals a central processing unit 16 when a player has inserted a number of coins or played a number of credits. Then, the CPU 16 operates to execute a game program that causes the lower display 12 to display the basic game that includes simulated symbol-bearing reels. The player may CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 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 an associated bonus mode causing one or both of the displays 12 and 13 to show an associated 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 games. 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 games are also stored in system memory ii.: 20 As shown in FIG. 3, the MONOPOLY®-MONEY GRAB basic game is implemented on the lower display 12 on five video simulated spinning reels 30-34 (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.

30 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 lower video display 12.

Alternatively, other mechanisms such as, for example, a lever or push button may be CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 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. Some of the video symbols disposed in the reels 30-34 are illustrated in FIG. 3 and include a MONEY BAG symbol 62, a GLOVED HAND Symbol 64, a MISS VIRGINIA symbol 66, a JAILED CONVICT symbol 68, a MARVIN GARDENS symbol 70, a MONEY FAN symbol 72, a SCOTTIE DOG symbol 74, an ENGLISH BENTLEY CAR symbol 76, a DIAMOND GEM symbol 78, a CASH REGISTER symbol 80, a CHANCE CARD symbol 82, a MR. MONOPOLY TIMER CLOCK symbol 84, and a MONEY GRAB symbol 86.

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. A winning combination, for example, could be three 20 or more MISS VIRGINIA symbols 66 along an active pay line, where the award is greater as the number of MISS VIRGINIA symbols 66 along the active pay line increases. 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 25 collect the amount of accumulated credits by pressing the "Collect" button 60. The game optionally employs a WILD symbol that can serve as another symbol to create a winning combination, but preferably is not wild for any symbols DIAMOND GEM symbol 78, CASH REGISTER symbol 80, CHANCE CARD symbol 82, and MR. MONOPOLY TIMER CLOCK symbol 84) used to trigger one of the bonus S 30 games. In a preferred implementation, 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.

CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 Included among the plurality of basic game outcomes are a plurality of startbonus outcomes for starting play of their associated bonus games. A start-bonus outcome may be defined in any number of ways. For example, a start-bonus outcome occurs when a special start-bonus symbol or a special combination of symbols appears on one or more of the reels 30-34. The start-bonus outcome may require the combination of symbols to appear along an active pay line, or may alternatively require that the combination of symbols appear anywhere on the display regardless of whether the symbols are along an active pay line. The appearance of a start-bonus outcome causes the CPU to shift operation from the basic game to the associated bonus game.

Referring to FIG. 4, three or more CHANCE CARD symbols along an active pay line trigger a symbol selection bonus game. If a player aligns three or more CHANCE CARD symbols along an active pay line, the player selects one of the CHANCE CARD symbols to reveal a mystery bonus. If the lower display 12 is outfitted with a touch screen, the selection is preferably accomplished by touching the display at the location of the selected CHANCE CARD symbol. The mystery bonus may be instant credits, a free super scatter spin (discussed below), or trigger of another bonus game. Different decks of Chance cards are used for three, four, or five CHANCE CARD symbol combinations, respectively. After revealing the bonus, the 20 display 12 depicts what the non-selected CHANCE CARD symbols would have awarded. The bonus on each non-selected CHANCE CARD symbol is preferably shown in a subdued color.

In FIG. 4, for example, three CHANCE CARD symbols landed along the pay line 47 which, if active, started the symbol selection bonus game. The player selected 25 the CHANCE CARD symbol on the reel 32 to reveal an instant credit bonus equal to times the player's line bet. The non-selected CHANCE CARD symbols on the reels 30 and 31 each would have awarded a free super scatter spin. In a free super scatter spin, a free spin of the reels is awarded where all the pay combinations are evaluated as scatter pays, symbols appearing anywhere on the display are counted 30 towards winning combinations. Only one symbol per reel can be used per winning combination. In FIG. 14, for example, the three scattered MONEY BAG symbols 62 along the respective reels 32, 33, and 34 form a winning combination that generates a payout.

CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 8 Three MR. MONOPOLY TIMER symbols along an active pay line in the basic game trigger a "Timer" Money Grab bonus game. This bonus game can also be triggered in the aforementioned symbol selection bonus game by selecting a CHANCE CARD symbol that reveals a trigger of the "Timer" Money Grab bonus game. Referring to FIG. 5, in response to the "Timer" Money Grab bonus game being triggered, the simulated reels on the lower display 12 disappear and are replaced by Monopoly contestants at respective contestant podiums. The display 12 prompts the player to choose a contestant. Using the touch screen, the player then chooses which Monopoly contestant goes into a money booth 90 depicted on the upper display 13 in FIG. 6. The selected contestant the jailed convict 92) runs out onto the upper display 13 as in FIG. 7, greets Mr. Monopoly 94 as in FIG. 8, and gets into the booth As shown by FIGS. 6 and 7, the images on the lower and upper displays 12 and 13 are preferably unified to enhance play.

Referring to FIG. 9, the contestant selection image on the lower display 12 disappears and is replaced by a Mr. Monopoly timer 96. Two grab buttons 98 and 100 appear below the timer 96. Using the touch screen, the player starts the bonus by choosing the grab left button 98 or the grab right button 100. This will cause the contestant in the booth on the upper display 13 to "grab" for some money as shown in FIG. 10. The grab may or may not be successful. Each grab attempt takes five 20 seconds off the Mr. Monopoly timer 96. The CPU randomly selects any money grabbed by the contestant to be between 5 and 500 credits times the line bet. In FIG.

11, for example, the contestant grabbed a money bill worth 50 credits times the line bet. When the timer 96 (FIG. 9) on the lower display 12 has counted down to zero, i the "Timer" Money Grab bonus round is over. The upper display 13 may depict the 25 contestant walking out of the booth and thanking Mr. Monopoly. For special effects, during the bonus round the money chamber 19 (see FIG. 1) is illuminated and .ooo .Monopoly money in the chamber is blown around by a fan.

Three or more CASH REGISTER symbols along an active pay line in the basic game trigger a "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game. In FIG. 12, for example, three CASH REGISTER symbols appear on the respective reels 30, 31, and 32 along the pay line 44 which, if active, triggers the bonus game. This bonus game can also be triggered in the aforementioned symbol selection bonus game by selecting a CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 CHANCE CARD symbol that reveals a trigger of the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game.

In response to the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game being triggered, the simulated reels on the lower display disappear and are replaced by Monopoly contestants at respective contestant podiums. The display prompts the player to choose a contestant. Using the touch screen, the player then chooses which Monopoly contestant goes into a money booth depicted on the upper display. The selected contestant runs out onto the upper display, greets Mr. Monopoly, and gets into the booth. The contestant selection and money booth images on the respective lower and upper displays are similar to those described above in connection with the "Timer" Money Grab bonus game.

Unlike the "Timer" Money Grab bonus game, however, the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus awards a random number of free spins of the five simulated slot reels 30-34 on the lower display 12. The number of free spins is randomly selected to be from three to seven spins. The bill denomination values in the money booth on the upper display 13 are increased for each successive spin of the reels on the lower display 12. The first spin starts with a small denomination value such as five, and this value may be successively increased for subsequent spins to tens, twenties, fifties, mix of fifties and one hundreds, one hundreds, and five hundreds. For each MONEY 20 GRAB symbol appearing on the stopped reels following a spin on the lower display 12, the selected contestant in the money booth on the upper display 13 grabs a bill.

The MONEY GRAB symbol animates while the contestant grabs the bill. In FIG. 13, for example, the MONEY GRAB symbol 64 appears on the reel 32. The player is awarded a bonus corresponding to each grabbed bill. As depicted in FIG. 13, a "spins 25 remaining" meter above the reels on the left shows how many spins are remaining, while a "bonus won" meter above the reels on right shows the accumulated bonus.

**o After each spin, Mr. Monopoly announces that the bills in the money booth are all changing to the next higher denomination.

In addition to being awarded a bonus for each MONEY GRAB symbol 30 appearing on the stopped reels following each free spin, winning symbol combinations along active pay lines are preferably effective not disabled) during the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game. As discussed above, the winning symbol combinations and their associated payouts are determined by the pay table. If a free CHICAGO 128044v1 47079-00075 spin results in a start-bonus outcome that normally triggers either the "Timer" Money Grab bonus game or the "Cashier's" Money Grab bonus game, a large payout is awarded in lieu of triggering the bonus game. If a free spin results in a start-bonus outcome that triggers the symbol selection bonus game, the symbol selection bonus game employs a modified deck of Chance cards that do not trigger additional bonus games but may, for example, award additional free spins.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the lower display 12 optionally includes a "Help" button 59 disposed thereon which may provide a player struggling with the logistics of the gaming machine 10 with assistance. Upon depressing the "Help" button 59, a "Help Screen" appears wherein the player of the gaming machine 10 is instructed on the logistics of the game. The "Help Screen" can include the following language summarizing the game play.

Timer Bonus 3 Timer symbols on an active pay line trigger the Timer Bonus.

First, choose a contestant to enter the money booth and reveal the amount of grab attempts. Once the contestant enters the booth, choose the Grab Left or Grab Right button to grab for money. Each bill grabbed awards its face value in credits times the line bet. Bill denominations include Ones, Fives, Tens, Twenties, Fifties, One Hundreds and Five Hundreds. Each bonus round awards 3-12 grab attempts.

Cashier's Bonus 25 3 Cash Register symbols on an active pay line trigger the Cashier's bonus. This :bonus awards 3-7 free spins.

First, choose a contestant to enter the money booth and reveal the amount of free spins. During the free spins, the contestant will grab a bill for each "Grab" symbol appearing on the reels. Initially, the money booth contains all Fives. In between each spin, Mr. Monopoly increases the denomination of the money in the booth to the next highest bill in the sequence.

oo The free spins also pay all winning combinations for the active pay lines.

During free spins, credits are awarded for Timer and Cashier's bonus triggers in lieu of triggering an additional bonus.

The amount of active pay lines is the same as the spin that triggered the Cashier's bonus.

Chance Bonus Winning combinations of 3 or more Chance symbols on an active pay line trigger the Chance bonus.

Touch one of the Chance cards on the screen to reveal the bonus. The bonus may award the amount on the card multiplied by the line bet. Sometimes, the Chance card CHICAGO 128044v 47079-00075 11 will award a bonus round instead of a specific amount of credits. Possible bonus rounds are Super Scatter bonus, Timer Bonus, or Cashier's bonus.

Super Scatter Bonus If the Chance card awards a Super Scatter bonus, a free spin is awarded where all the pay combinations are evaluated as scatter pays.

Begin the bonus by pushing any button. The reels re-spin to new positions.

All line pay combinations are now evaluated as scatter pays. Symbols appearing anywhere on the screen are now counted towards winning combinations. All winning combinations are multiplied by the line bet, except for Diamonds, which are multiplied by the total bet.

During the Super Scatter bonus round only one symbol per reel can be used per winning combination.

During the Super Scatter free spin, credits are awarded for Timer and Cashier's bonus triggers in lieu of triggering an additional bonus.

All Super Scatter awards pay highest winner per winning combination.

Super Scatter awards highest of each 'same' character's pay as well as the highest 'mixed' character pay.

Super Scatter re-spins and Cashier's bonuses are not awarded from within a Super Scatter re-spin.

Three Chance Cards anywhere on the screen during the Super Scatter re-spin trigger a Chance bonus.

How to Play 35 Insert Button Graphics and Descriptions Here When using the mechanical buttons, first select the number of lines to play using the buttons on the top row. Then, start the game by selecting the amount to play per line using the buttons on the bottom row.

Insert Win Lines Graphics and Descriptions Here Total bet must be divided equally between each active pay line. Therefore, all total bet amounts are not available.

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, instead of simulating the reels on a video display, the reels may be S 50 mechanical and driven by respective stepper motors. If the reels are mechanical, a player may select one of the CHANCE CARD symbols in the symbol selection bonus game using physical push-buttons instead of the touch screen. Each of these CHICAGO 128044vl 47079-00075 I

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12 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.

CHICAGO 128044v 147079-00075

Claims (11)

1. 2. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein the payout for each payout symbol has a value that increases with successive ones of the free spins.
2. 3. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein the reels are simulated on a video display including the viewable display area.
3. 4. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein the number of free spins is randomly selected by the processor. 20 5. The slot machine of claim 4, wherein the number of free spins is between a predetermined minimum and a predetermined maximum.
4. 6. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein the payout for each payout symbol has a value that varies with successive ones of the free spins.
5. 7. A slot machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising a game of chance including a number of spins of symbol-bearing rotatable reels, in each spin the reels being spun and stopped to place one or more symbols on each reel in visual association with a viewable display area, the game of chance generating a payout for each payout symbol appearing in the viewable display area after each spin. CHICAGO 128044v 47079-00075 14
6. 8. The slot machine of claim 7, wherein the payout for each payout symbol has a value that varies with successive ones of the spins.
7. 9. The slot machine of claim 7, wherein the payout for each payout symbol has a value that increases with successive ones of the spins. A method of operating a slot machine, comprising: receiving a wager; executing a basic game including a start-bonus outcome; triggering a bonus game in response to the start-bonus outcome, the bonus game including a number of free spins of symbol-bearing rotatable reels; for each free spin, spinning and stopping the reels to place one or more symbols on each reel in visual association with a viewable display area; and generating a payout for each payout symbol appearing in the viewable display area after each free spin.
8. 11. The method of claim 10, further including varying a value of the payout for each payout symbol with successive ones of the free spins.
9. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of varying a value of the payout includes increasing the value of the payout for each payout symbol with the successive ones of the free spins. 0 *0* o° p CHICAGO 128044v 47079-00075
10. 13. A slot machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, the slot machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. 14. A method of operating a slot machine, the method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 6 July, 2001 WMS Gaming Inc. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person 1o SPRUSON FERGUSON *e 0S S. o 0 [I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] 11374.doc:ssl