IP Library Granted Patent US 11,645,891
Granted Patent B2
US 11,645,891 · App. 17/173,811 · Granted May 9, 2023

System for trade-in bonus

Inventor: John F. Acres (Las Vegas, NV)
Assignee: ACRES TECHNOLOGY
G07F17/3267A63F9/24G07F17/326G07F17/3211G07F17/3225G07F17/3244G07F17/3246G07F17/3255G07F17/3265G07F17/3293G07F17/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,645,891
App. No.
17/173,811
Granted
May 9, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming systems that allow customers to wager, or “trade-in” an object of value or winning situation for a chance to win an even more valuable award. The chance for valuable award may be a bonus game or chance to win a bonus game. Bonus awards are “funded” by the savings achieved from the players trading in their wins in the base game, which would otherwise be paid. Players who do not trade-in see no changes from the base game paytable, while those players who participate in the trade-in bonus have a different gaming experience.

Claims (33)

1. At least one non-transitory memory device, which stores a plurality of instructions, for use with an electronic gaming device comprising a cashout device, wherein the electronic gaming device uses a paytable stored in a memory device associated with the electronic gaming device, and that generates a set of symbols and displays, on a display device, a randomly determined outcome as a subset of the symbols, the plurality of instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to:

determine at least two symbols of the subset of symbols traded in by a player of a game on the electronic gaming device after the randomly determined outcome is displayed, wherein the two symbols are less than a total quantity of symbols in the set of symbols;

determine the traded at least two symbols are included in a winning outcome of a plurality of winning outcomes; and

provide, via the cashout device, based on the winning outcome, a bonus to the player of the electronic gaming device when the traded at least two symbols exceed a threshold.

2. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to provide the bonus to the player by spinning a wheel.

3. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to provide a second bonus as a bonus symbol stored in a bonus symbol accumulator.

4. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to periodically draw a symbol and compare it to at least one bonus symbol stored in the bonus symbol accumulator.

5. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to award a second bonus to a second player who holds a bonus symbol in the bonus symbol accumulator that matches the drawn symbol.

6. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 1 wherein the symbols appear on playing cards.

7. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 1 wherein the electronic gaming device is a slot machine.

8. At least one non-transitory memory device, which stores a plurality of instructions, for use with an electronic gaming device comprising a cashout device, wherein the electronic gaming device uses a paytable stored in a memory device associated with the electronic gaming device, and that generates a set of symbols and displays, on a display device, a determined outcome as a subset of the symbols, the plurality of instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to:

receive a user input configured to surrender a portion of an interim holding after a first stage of a game played on the electronic gaming device, wherein the surrendered portion includes a quantity of symbols less than a total quantity of symbols in the set;

determine the surrendered portion has at least two symbols included in one of a plurality of winning outcomes;

generate, based on the surrendered portion, a bonus opportunity; and

provide, via the cashout device, a bonus amount associated with the bonus opportunity when the surrended portion satisfies a threshold.

9. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to determine a bonus award savings from not paying on the surrendered portion.

10. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 8 , wherein the bonus award is a plurality of bonus points.

11. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to:

determine the bonus award exceeds a pre-defined number of bonus points; and

initiate a bonus eligibility session after the bonus award exceeds the pre-defined number of bonus points.

12. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 8 wherein the symbols appear on playing cards.

13. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 8 wherein the gaming device is a slot machine.

14. At least one non-transitory memory device, which stores a plurality of instructions, for use with an electronic gaming device comprising a cashout device, wherein the electronic gaming device uses a paytable stored in a memory device associated with the electronic gaming device, and that generates a set of symbols and displays, on a display device, a determined outcome as a subset of the symbols, the plurality of instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to:

accept, based on a received user input, a portion of the displayed subset of symbols as discards selected by a player, wherein the portion includes at least two symbols and less than a total quantity of symbols in the set of symbols;

compare the accepted discards to a plurality of winning outcomes;

generate an award for the player when the accepted discards are included in one at least one winning outcome of the plurality of winning outcomes; and

provide the award via the cashout device when the accepted cards satisfy a threshold.

15. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 14 , wherein the award comprises one or more bonus points to be added to a bonus point total for the player.

16. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to award at least one bonus point for accepting a discard of any two dissimilar symbols.

17. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to award at least two bonus points for accepting a discard of any pair of symbols having a first value.

18. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the processor to award at least three bonus points for accepting a discard of any pair of symbols having a second value greater than the first value.

19. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 14 , wherein the gambling device is a slot machine.

20. The at least one non-transitory memory device of claim 14 , wherein the symbols appear on playing cards.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2023
From: ACRES TECHNOLOGY
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063352/0118 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2021
From: ACRES, JOHN F.
To: ACRES TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 055234/0688 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 16846749 · Apr 13, 2020
Continuation 16507379 · Jul 10, 2019
Continuation 15885991 · Feb 1, 2018
Continuation 15686759 · Aug 25, 2017
Continuation 15349449 · Nov 11, 2016
Continuation 15013264 · Feb 2, 2016
Division 12716181 · Mar 2, 2010
Related Publication 20210174644A1 · Jun 10, 2021