Granted Patent B2

US 8,342,945 · App. 12/305,561 · Granted Jan 1, 2013

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a wager input device for receiving a primary wager to play the wagering game; and

at least one display configured to display a randomly selected outcome of a basic game of the wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being determined by a controller and being indicated on the at least one display by a plurality of symbols, at least one of the symbols is a bonus symbol that triggers a bonus game in response to a certain condition being met;

wherein in response to the randomly selected outcome including at least one bonus symbol without the certain condition being met, the at least one bonus symbol is stored in a non-transitory storage medium and does not form a part of subsequent wagering games until such time as the at least one bonus symbol is utilizable to complete the certain condition in a subsequent basic game to thereby trigger a bonus game,

wherein the certain condition includes displaying a predetermined number of the bonus symbols, the predetermined number comprising a plurality of the bonus symbols,

wherein the number of bonus symbols from the randomly selected outcome is less than the predetermined number of bonus symbols required to initiate the bonus game, and

wherein in response to a cashout input, the player achieves an award in response to the display of a number of bonus symbols less than the required predetermined number of bonus symbols.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the certain condition comprises a predetermined minimum number bonus symbols comprising one or more stored bonus symbols and further comprising one or more bonus symbols disclosed in the symbol combination in the array, wherein the certain condition is independent of a symbol position of the one or more bonus symbols disclosed in the symbol combination.

3. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a wager input device for receiving a primary wager to play the wagering game; and

at least one display configured to display a randomly selected outcome of a basic game of the wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being determined by a controller and being indicated on the at least one display by a plurality of symbols, at least one of the symbols is a bonus symbol that triggers a bonus game in response to a certain condition being met;

wherein in response to the randomly selected outcome including at least one bonus symbol without the certain condition being met, the at least one bonus symbol is stored in a non-transitory storage medium and does not form a part of subsequent wagering games until such time as the at least one bonus symbol is utilizable to complete the certain condition in a subsequent basic game to thereby trigger a bonus game,

wherein the certain condition includes displaying a predetermined number of the bonus symbols, the predetermined number comprising a plurality of the bonus symbols, and

wherein the number of bonus symbols from the randomly selected outcome is more than the predetermined number of bonus symbols required to initiate the bonus game and the player achieves an enhanced bonus as a result thereof.

4. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving a wager;

initiating a wagering game;

displaying a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game via a plurality of symbols selected from a set of symbols including at least one trigger symbol;

in response to the outcome of the wagering game including at least one but less than a predetermined quantity of the trigger symbols necessary to constitute a trigger condition sufficient to trigger a game feature, storing the at least one trigger symbol for use with a trigger symbol achieved in a subsequent wagering game to trigger a game feature in the subsequent wagering game in which a first portion of the trigger condition is satisfied by one or more trigger symbols displayed on one or more reels in the subsequent wagering game and a second portion of the trigger condition is satisfied by the stored at least one trigger symbol; and

receiving a secondary wager to enable the act of storing the at least one trigger symbol for use with an outcome of a subsequent wagering game to trigger the game feature.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the game feature is initiated in response to a predetermined minimum number of trigger symbols comprising one or more stored trigger symbols and further comprising one or more trigger symbols disclosed in the one or more reels in the subsequent wagering game, wherein the predetermined minimum number of trigger symbols is satisfied independent of a symbol position of the one or more trigger symbols disclosed in the one or more reels in the subsequent wagering game.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising,

displaying the collected trigger symbols, or a representation thereof, on the display device of the wagering game machine, independent from the symbols comprising the randomly determined outcomes in the plurality of plays of the wagering game.

7. A method of conducting a wagering game on a wagering game machine, the method comprising:

initiating a wagering game on the wagering game machine, the wagering game comprising the display on a display device of a randomly determined outcome comprising a plurality of symbols randomly generated by a controller from a set of game symbols, at least one of the symbols being a trigger symbol;

displaying the outcome of a plurality of plays of the wagering game with the plurality of symbols;

collecting and storing in a non-transitory storage medium trigger symbols that are achieved in the plurality of plays of the wagering game; and

triggering the game feature in a subsequent play of the wagering game that includes at least one additional trigger symbol, the collected trigger symbols and the at least one additional trigger symbol being greater than a predetermined number of trigger symbols necessary for triggering the game feature,

wherein the game feature is enhanced due to the number of trigger symbols present exceeding the predetermined number of trigger symbols required to initiate the game feature.

8. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a wager input device;

at least one display for displaying a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being indicated by a plurality of symbols arranged in an array, the plurality of symbols selected from a set of symbols, at least one of the symbols in the set being a game feature trigger symbol;

wherein a predetermined number of game feature trigger symbols triggers a game feature,

wherein, in response to one or more game feature trigger symbols in an array forming said predetermined number of game feature trigger symbols in combination with one or more previously accumulated game feature trigger symbols, the display displaying a game feature,

wherein the predetermined number of game feature trigger symbols from the randomly selected outcome is more than the predetermined number of game feature trigger symbols required to initiate the game feature and the player achieves an enhanced award in the game feature as a result thereof.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein the display is further adapted to display a game feature trigger collector for displaying a collection of the game feature trigger symbols that have been collected.

10. The gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein the game feature trigger symbols displayed in the array form said predetermined number of game feature trigger symbols, in combination with one or more previously accumulated game feature trigger symbols, independent of a symbol position of the game feature trigger symbols displayed in the array.

11. The gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein the game feature trigger symbols are natural symbols.

Assignments (12)