Granted Patent B2

US 9,142,093 · App. 13/788,369 · Granted Sep 22, 2015

Inventors: Joel R. Jaffe (Glenview, IL); Andrew Fowler (Chicago, IL); Jeremie D. Moll (Chicago, IL)

Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.

G07F17/3258

Abstract

Claims (71)

1. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, the gaming system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:

receive, via at least one input device, an indication of a wager from a player to play the wagering game;

display, via at least one display device, a randomly determined first outcome of the wagering game;

responsive to the first outcome including one of a plurality of potential winning combinations:

(i) store and display, via the at least one display device, a first award associated with the first outcome in a stored awards group;

(ii) display, via the at least one display device, another randomly determined outcome of the wagering game; and

(iii) responsive to the another outcome including one of the potential winning combinations, store and display another award associated with the another outcome in the stored awards group and return to step (ii), or

(iv) responsive to the another outcome not including one of the potential winning combinations, award to the player a cumulative award comprising the awards stored in the stored awards group,

wherein each award stored and displayed in the stored awards group is associated with a respective award enhancement displayed via the at least one display device and, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the displayed award enhancement associated with the previously stored awards are increased.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the stored awards group is continuously displayed via the at least one display device during successive plays of the wagering game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices store additional instructions that cause the gaming system to, responsive to the another outcome not including one of the potential winning combinations and the awarding of the cumulative award, clear all awards stored and displayed in the stored awards group.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the award enhancements associated with the previously stored awards are increased incrementally.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the award enhancements are award multipliers and, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the award multipliers associated with the previously stored awards are increased incrementally.

6. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein the cumulative award comprises the mathematical sum of the awards stored in the stored awards group after each of the awards is multiplied by its respective award multiplier.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the award enhancements are continuously displayed via the at least one display device during successive plays of the wagering game in a multiplier field.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the stored awards group is configured such that, when the first award is added to the stored awards group, the first award is displayed in a first position of the stored awards group.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the stored awards group is further configured such that, each time one of the another awards is added to the stored awards group, any award displayed in the first position are shifted to a second position of the stored awards group, and the another award is displayed in the first position of the stored awards group.

10. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each occurrence of (ii) includes receiving another wager, in addition to the first wager, to display another randomly determined outcome of the wagering game.

11. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the wagering game includes a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel positions populated by a plurality of symbols.

12. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the stored awards group is limited to storing a maximum total number of previously awarded awards.

13. The gaming system of claim 12 , wherein a predetermined triggering event increases or decreases the maximum total number of previously awarded awards that can be stored in the stored awards group.

14. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices store additional instructions that cause the gaming system to display a winning-streak-value field which includes a value of the sum of all awards stored and displayed in the stored awards group.

15. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices store additional instructions that cause the gaming system to award to the player the first award and each of the another awards, if any, at least once prior to awarding the cumulative award.

16. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein all awards stored and displayed in the stored awards group after the first award result from a corresponding consecutive winning play of the wagering game that is part of a winning streak.

17. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a wager to play the wagering game;

directing at least one display device to display a randomly determined first outcome of the wagering game;

responsive to the first outcome including one of a plurality of potential winning combinations:

(i) directing the at least one display device to display a first award associated with the first outcome in a stored awards group;

(ii) directing the at least one display device to display another randomly determined outcome of the wagering game; and

(iii) responsive to the another outcome including one of the potential winning combinations, directing the at least one display device to display another award associated with the another outcome in the stored awards group and returning to step (ii), or

(iv) responsive to the another outcome not including one of the potential winning combinations, awarding to the player a cumulative award comprising the sum of the awards stored in the stored awards group,

wherein each award stored and displayed in the stored awards group is associated with a respective award enhancement displayed via the at least one display device and, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the displayed award enhancement associated with the previously stored awards are increased.

18. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a wager to play the wagering game;

directing at least one display device of the gaming system to display a randomly determined first outcome of the wagering game;

responsive to the first outcome including one of a plurality of potential winning combinations:

(i) directing the at least one display device to display a first award associated with the first outcome in a stored awards group;

(ii) directing the at least one display device to display another randomly determined outcome of the wagering game; and

(iii) responsive to the another outcome including one of the potential winning combinations, directing the at least one display device to display another award associated with the another outcome in the stored awards group and returning to step (ii), or

(iv) responsive to the another outcome not including one of the potential winning combinations, awarding to the player a cumulative award comprising the sum if the awards stored in the stored awards group,

wherein each award stored and displayed in the stored awards group is associated with a respective award enhancement displayed via the at least one display device and, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the displayed award enhancement associated with the previously stored awards are increased.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the stored awards group is continuously displayed via the at least one display device during successive plays of the wagering game.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the awards in the stored awards group are stored and displayed in sequential order.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, responsive to the another outcome not including one of the potential winning combinations and the awarding of the cumulative award, clearing all awards stored and displayed in the stored awards group.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the award enhancements are award multipliers and, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the award multipliers associated with the previously stored awards are increased incrementally, and wherein the cumulative award comprises the mathematical sum of the awards stored in the stored awards group after each of the awards is multiplied by its respective award multiplier.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the stored awards group is configured such that, when the first award is added to the stored awards group, the first award is displayed in a first position of the stored awards group and, each time one of the another awards is added to the stored awards group, any award displayed in the first position are shifted to a second position of the stored awards group, and the another award is displayed in the first position of the stored awards group.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the award enhancements are continuously displayed via the at least one display device during successive plays of the wagering game in a multiplier field.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein, each time another award is stored and displayed in the stored awards group, the award enhancements associated with the previously stored awards are increased incrementally.

26. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least one input device and at least one display device, the method comprising:

a) receiving, via the at least one input device, at least one wager to play the wagering game;

b) displaying, via the at least one display device, a first outcome of the wagering game, the first outcome including at least one winning outcome, the at least one winning outcome being associated with a first award;

c) displaying, via the at least one display device, the first award in a stored-awards group;

d) displaying, via the at least one display device, another outcome of the wagering game;

e) in response to the another outcome of the wagering game not including at least one winning outcome, awarding the awards displayed in the stored awards group and clearing all awards displayed in the stored-awards group; and

f) in response to the another outcome of the wagering game including at least one winning outcome associated with another award value:

(i) enhancing all awards displayed in the stored-awards group;

(ii) displaying the another award value in the stored-awards group; and

(iii) repeating at least steps (d) through (f).

27. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

a) receiving, via an input device, at least one wager to play the wagering game;

b) displaying, via at least one display device, a first outcome of the wagering game, the first outcome including at least one winning outcome, the at least one winning outcome being associated with a first award;

c) displaying, via the at least one display device, the first award in a stored-awards group;

d) displaying, via the at least one display device, another outcome of the wagering game;

e) in response to the another outcome of the wagering game not including at least one winning outcome, awarding the awards displayed in the stored awards group and clearing all awards displayed in the stored-awards group; and

f) in response to the another outcome of the wagering game including at least one winning outcome associated with another award value:

(i) enhancing all awards displayed in the stored-awards group;

(ii) displaying the another award value in the stored-awards group; and

(iii) repeating at least steps (d) through (f).

Assignments (10)

Continuity (4)