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Bonus actuator attachment for gaming machinesBonus actuator attachment for gaming machines description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090111564, Bonus actuator attachment for gaming machines. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
The present invention relates to gaming machines, e.g. slot machines, video poker/blackjack machines, and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method of selectively triggering a first bonus triggering event, by way of a bonus actuator attachment, so as to make the player eligible to participate in a bonus game upon the happening of a second bonus triggering event. Gaming machines, e.g. slot machines, are well known in the art. Specifically, gaming machines involve a plurality of reels, images, cards, or the like, which, ultimately, are interpreted to produce a random generation of a combination of numbers, symbols, etc. A processor within the gaming machine typically evaluates this combination against a pre-set menu of numbers/symbol combinations. This pre-set menu is comprised of numbers/symbol combinations which are deemed winning combinations such that an award value is correlated with specific combinations. The value of the award is usually related to the odds that the particular number/symbol combination will arise, in light of all of the possible combinations of numbers, symbols, etc. In order to initiate playing the gaming machine, the player must first enter a specified dollar amount, or coin-in, within the gaming machine. The dollar amount may be between a minimal amount, such as a penny, nickel, dollar, etc., and a maximum amount. The player then initiates and plays the particular game in accordance with the rule set of the gaming machine, which, ultimately, produces a final combination of numbers/symbols. The processor of the gaming machine then compares the generated combination with the preset menu of combinations to determine if the random generated combination is a winner. If the generated combination, or a portion of the combination, matches one of the predetermined award producing or winning combinations, the player receives the award which corresponds with the random number. Accordingly, on each turn played, a gaming operator has the chance to win a range of awards ranging depending upon the number combination generated. To increase attraction of the slot machines to potential players, slot machines have been developed to increase the number and variety of winning combinations and provide more and varying opportunities for the player to win. This functions to hold a player\'s interest for longer leading, ultimately, to greater coin-in deposits made by players to play the game and larger payouts. Several formats for the play of gaming machines which are known to produce increased jackpots and increased player interest include, bonus plays, bonus awards, and progressive jackpots. Referring to bonus plays and awards, these gaming formats are usually correlated with a bonus triggering event which may be distinct from the play of the original gaming format. For example, a bonus or bonus play may be triggered with the presence of one or more designated symbols in a specific order or combination. When these designated symbols are detected by the processor, the player may be awarded a “bonus” payout or may participate in a secondary game to determine the bonus payout. Examples of such additional games include ancillary spinning wheels (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,848,932; 5,823,874; and 6,059,658), a player-interactive video game (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,097), a plurality of free spins of the slot machine reels wherein each spin generates individual random combinations which are compared to the preset menu, a separate gaming event associated with a display screen, and the like. Typically, however, a bonus triggering event was only activated if the player\'s coin-in or wager on the game was the maximum amount allowed by the gaming machine. Any coin-in deposit which was less than this amount would automatically be eliminated from the bonus and/or the bonus triggering event. To this end, certain players may not desire to wager the maximum bet and would, therefore, be dissuaded from playing the bonus gaming machines. U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,925 (hereinafter the \'925 patent) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0054429 (hereinafter the \'429 publication) both disclose bonus gaming machines wherein the bonus triggering event would occur regardless of the amount of coin-in. Specifically, in the \'429 publication a first bonus award was based upon a triggering event only detected if a maximum coin-in was made prior to playing. To this end, the processor evaluates the random combination for a bonus triggering event only if the maximum coin-in is played by the player. However, a player who made a wager that was less than the maximum bet was still eligible for a secondary type of bonus award, if the triggering event occurred. These secondary bonus awards were less than a bonus that may be achieved if a maximum bet is played. Ultimately, the amount of the bonus and/or the actual bonus game itself is dependent upon the amount of the wager, i.e. the more a player wagers the greater the potential bonus. Similarly, the \'925 patent discloses that the bonus game and bonus payout represent a percentage that is variable with the wager amount such that the bonus game payout percentage per credit changes in response to the varying wagers. In both of the above patents, however, players may be unaware that they have the possibility of winning or triggering a bonus round and may, therefore, limit their bet based on such ignorance. In other words, players may make a wager on any of the known gaming machines without understanding the impact that the coin-in has on the potential bonus round. As such, they will limit their potential winnings by not playing the maximum amount. To this end, a gaming machine is desirable wherein players have the option of selecting eligibility for a bonus round based upon some action taken by the player before playing the game other than the amount wagered. The present invention addresses this need as discussed herein. This invention relates to a bonus actuator attachment for a slot or gaming machine. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for a player of a gaming machine to selectively initiate a first bonus triggering event so as to be eligible for a second bonus triggering event. The gaming machine of the present invention may be any gaming machine understood in the art. For example, in one embodiment, the gaming machine of the present invention may be comprised of a base, a panel and at least one display all of which surrounds a gaming machine interior and processor. The base may be cubical, or any similar shape, with a front face, a first side, a second side, a back, a bottom and an open top. The base may support a cash out slot adapted to return a player\'s coin-in and/or winnings. The first side of the base may optionally contain a lever wherein the lever is one mechanism to initiate playing a game on the slot machine. Proximal to the open top of the base is a panel. In one embodiment, the panel may contain one or more coin-in slots adapted to accept a player\'s coin-in wager. The panel may also contain a plurality of actuating devices, such as buttons, switches, or the like, wherein each actuating device present a function with respect to the game. For example, one button may be a cash out button wherein the function of the cash out button is to end a player\'s session with a gaming machine and return to the player his or her coin-in and/or winnings, if any. Another button may be a maximum bet button to automatically wager the maximum bet allowed by the gaming machine. Another button may be a one credit wager button wherein actuation of the button increases a desired wager by one credit increments. Another button may be a gaming machine activating button wherein, in addition to or instead of the lever, actuation of the gaming machine activating button initiates the game on the slot machine. Another button may be a bonus actuator attachment. Actuation of the bonus actuator attachment signifies a first triggering event of the bonus game. By actuating the bonus actuator attachment, the first triggering event occurs and the player is eligible for the bonus round, as determined by a second triggering event (discussed below). In a further embodiment, activation of the first triggering event by the bonus actuator attachment requires the player to make an additional wager. The plurality of buttons are not limited to buttons, as discussed above. Rather, they may be comprised of a switch, a button, a lever, a dial, a knob, a touch sensitive segment (discussed below) or any similar embodiment understood in the art. Moreover, the location of the buttons are not limited to the panel and the buttons may be present on any part of the gaming machine, as understood in the art. Immediately above the base and panel is at least one display. In one embodiment, the display may be a lower display and an upper display each adapted to communicate at least one aspect of the game with the player. The displays may be comprised of a plurality of reels, a color display unit, monochrome display, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, plasma display, or liquid crystal display (LCD) or any embodiment understood in the art to communicate one or more aspects of the game to the player. In one embodiment, either or both of the displays may be adapted to replace or work in conjunction with the buttons of the panel. For example, in a non-limiting embodiment, either or both displays may have a touch sensitive or heat sensitive screens and designated segments of the screen corresponding with the plurality of buttons. One segment of the screen may correspond with the cash out button, another segment with the maximum credit button, another segment with the bonus actuator attachment, and so forth. To this end, a player touching any one of these segments results in the same effect as if the player actuated any of the corresponding buttons of the panel. Thus, the displays may have a dual function of communicating aspects/results of the game to the player and receiving the information from the player. The present invention is not limited to an upper display and a lower display, as discussed above. Rather, gaming machine of the present invention may comprise a single display unit with each of the functions above on a single display or any other display known in the art. As such, the above embodiment, is intended only for illustrative purposes, and the gaming machine is not limited to this embodiment. The gaming machine may be comprised of any type of slot machine, electronic poker machine, blackjack machine, or any other similar gaming device known in the art to be used in a gaming setting. In any of these embodiments, the gaming machine contains a bonus actuator attachment wherein the bonus actuator serves to indicate to the processor of the gaming machine that the player wishes to trigger the first event of the bonus game. In operation, a player inserts at least a minimum amount of money into the gaming machine, which may be translated into a number of credits. These credits are stored within the processor of the gaming machine and communicated to the player. The player then selects the number of credits to wager for the game by way of the plurality of buttons and/or the touch screen display. The player may then trigger the first triggering event in the bonus game by actuating the bonus actuator attachment. Optionally, if the first triggering event occurs, a wager from the player\'s available coin-in credits may be deducted. In either case, once the bonus actuating attachment is actuated, the player is eligible for the second bonus triggering event. The player may then initiate the game by actuating the gaming machine actuating button, thereby generating a random combination of numbers and/or symbols. After generating the random combination, the gaming machine processor first determines if the first bonus triggering event occurred. If it did not, then the random combination is evaluated for any winning combinations. The presence of any winning combinations results in a specific pre-set amount paid to the player. Conversely, the absence of any combinations ends the game. If the first triggering event did occur, then the gaming machine processor examines the random combination to determine if a second bonus triggering event occurred. The second bonus may be the presence of a particular number or symbol in a particular place within the combination, a specific combination of numbers or symbols, or any other similar event understood in the art to initiate a bonus game. If there is not a second triggering event, then the player is paid any winnings in accordance with the above and the game is over. If the second triggering event does occur, e.g. the symbol, combination, etc. was present, then the bonus is played by the player and the player is paid according to an winning result that follows. Continue reading about Bonus actuator attachment for gaming machines... Full patent description for Bonus actuator attachment for gaming machines Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Bonus actuator attachment for gaming machines patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20090298570 - Gaming machine performing rendered effect that allows suspense of winning to be sustained according to symbol combination rearranged upon losing result - A gaming machine 13 starts a game, determines symbols to be rearranged, and variably displays symbol groups. 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