US 7,520,809 B2
Bonus game for a gaming machine
Alfred Thomas, Chicago, Ill. (US); Benjamin T. Gomez, Chicago, Ill. (US); Robert J. Wilson, Jr., Buffalo Grove, Ill. (US); and Roger A. Delott, Chicago, Ill. (US)
Assigned to WMS Gaming Inc., Waukegan, Ill. (US)
Filed on Apr. 08, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/101,959.
Application 11/101959 is a division of application No. 10/813099, filed on Mar. 30, 2004, granted, now 6,905,412.
Application 10/813099 is a division of application No. 10/673718, filed on Sep. 29, 2003, abandoned.
Application 10/673718 is a continuation of application No. 09/981203, filed on Oct. 16, 2001, granted, now 6,645,074, filed on Nov. 11, 2003.
Application 09/981203 is a continuation of application No. 09/710564, filed on Nov. 09, 2000, granted, now 6,322,309, filed on Nov. 27, 2001.
Application 09/710564 is a continuation of application No. 09/127377, filed on Jul. 31, 1998, granted, now 6,190,255, filed on Feb. 20, 2001.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/079143, filed on Mar. 24, 1998.
Prior Publication US 2005/0181867 A1, Aug. 18, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63F 13/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 463—20  [463/16; 463/25; 463/29; 273/138.1; 273/138.2] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of conducting a wagering game, comprising:
conducting a basic game until a start-bonus outcome is achieved, said conducting including displaying a set of basic-game symbols that are indicative of outcomes in said basic game;
in response to said start-bonus outcome, terminating said displaying of said set of said basic-game symbols;
in response to said start-bonus outcome, displaying selectable elements fixedly associated with respective award indicia for a bonus game, said selectable elements being distinct from said set of basic-game symbols in said basic game, said award indicia for at least one of said selectable elements having a monetary value, said award indicia for at least one of said selectable elements being a stop-bonus-game symbol;
receiving, from a player, a plurality of selections from said selectable elements;
revealing said award indicia associated with each of said plurality of selected elements;
after said revealing said award indicia associated with each of said plurality of selected elements, revealing said award indicia associated with unselected ones of said selectable elements, thereby permitting said player to view said award indicia that were not achieved in said bonus game; and
awarding a bonus-game award associated with each one of said plurality of selected elements such that said plurality of selections results in a plurality of bonus game awards, said bonus game award for each of said plurality of selections being independent of a previous selection of said plurality of selections.