Gaming device having multi-characteristic symbol game with multiple award components

Abstract

The present invention provides a gaming device which includes a plurality of symbols. A first selection is chosen from a first set of symbols. A second reel is chosen from a second set of symbols. The first and second set of symbols have a first characteristic and a second characteristic. A third or modifier selection is chosen from a third set of symbols. The symbols in the third set of symbols have at least a first characteristic. The award a player receives includes a first characteristic component based on the first characteristics of the first selection, second selection and third selection. The award also includes a second characteristic component based on the second characteristic of the first and second selections and a second characteristic, if any, of the third selection.

The invention is claimed as follows:  
     
         1 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a display device;    a processor in communication with said display device;    a first plurality of symbols having a first characteristic and a second characteristic;    a first selection generated by the processor from the first plurality of symbols and displayed by the display device;    a second selection generated by the processor from the first plurality of symbols and displayed by the display device; and    an award provided to a player based on the characteristics of the first selection and second selection, said award including a first characteristic component based on at least one correlation, if any, between the first characteristic of the first and second selections and a second characteristic component based on at least one correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first and second selections.    
     
     
         2 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic is a value characteristic and the first characteristic component of the award includes the sum of the value characteristics of the first and second selections.  
     
     
         3 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by the processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one characteristic, wherein the first characteristic component of the award is also determined based on at least one characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         4 . The gaming device of  claim 3 , wherein the first characteristic of the first plurality of symbols are value characteristics and at least one characteristic of the second plurality of symbols is a modifier characteristic, wherein the first characteristic component of the award includes the sum of the value characteristics of the first and second selections, modified by the modifier characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         5 . The gaming device of  claim 4 , wherein the modifier characteristic of the second plurality of symbols is a multiplier characteristic, and the first characteristic component of the award includes the sum of the value characteristics of the first and second selections, multiplied by multiplier characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         6 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by the processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one characteristic, wherein the first characteristic component of the award and the second characteristic component of the award are also determined based on at least one characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         7 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by the processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one characteristic, wherein the second characteristic component of the award is also determined based on at least one characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         8 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein at least one characteristic of the second plurality of symbols is a modifier characteristic, and wherein the second characteristic component of the award is based on the correlation of the second characteristics of the first and second selections and modified by the modifier characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         9 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein at least one characteristic of the second plurality of symbols includes a wild characteristic for correlating with the second characteristic of the first and second selections, wherein the second characteristic component of the award is based on whether the first selection, second selection and third selection have correlated characteristics.  
     
     
         10 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by the processor from a second plurality of symbols having a first characteristic and a second characteristic, wherein the first characteristic component of the award is based on at least one correlation, if any, between the first characteristic of the first, second and third selections, and the second characteristic component of the award is based on at least one correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first, second and third selections.  
     
     
         11 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by said processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one repeat characteristic, wherein if the third selection includes a repeat characteristic, the processor provides a new first selection and a new second selection, wherein the first characteristic component of the award is based on a correlation, if any, of the first characteristic of the first and second selections and the first characteristic of the new first and second selections.  
     
     
         12 . The gaming device of  claim 11 , wherein the first characteristic is a value characteristic and the first characteristic component of the award includes the sum of the value characteristics of the first and second selections and the new first and second selections.  
     
     
         13 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which further includes a plurality of sole symbols having a sole characteristic, wherein the first and second selections may be selected from the sole symbols and wherein the award includes a sole characteristic component if the first selection and second selection are sole symbols.  
     
     
         14 . The gaming device of  claim 13 , which includes a third selection generated by the processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one characteristic and said plurality of sole symbols, and wherein the award includes a sole characteristic component if two or more of the first, second and third selections have sole characteristics.  
     
     
         15 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a plurality of reels, wherein the symbols and the first and second selections are displayed on said plurality of reels.  
     
     
         16 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic is a value and the second characteristic is a color.  
     
     
         17 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the display device includes mechanical reels.  
     
     
         18 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the mechanical reels rotate along a vertically extending axis.  
     
     
         19 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a third selection generated by said processor from a second plurality of symbols having at least one characteristic, wherein at least one characteristic of the third selection is selected from the group consisting of: a modifier characteristic, a repeat characteristic, a skip characteristic, and a wild characteristic.  
     
     
         20 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a plurality of symbols having a plurality of characteristics including a value characteristic and a second characteristic;    a first selection chosen from said plurality of symbols;    a second selection chosen from said plurality of symbols; and    an award provided to a player, said award having a value component based on a correlation, if any, of the value characteristics of the first and second selections and a second component based on a correlation, if any, of the second characteristic of the first and second selections.    
     
     
         21 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , which includes a third selection chosen from a plurality of modifier symbols each having at least one characteristic, wherein at least one of the value component of the award and the second component of the award are based on a correlation, if any, with at least one characteristic of said modifier symbol of the third selection.  
     
     
         22 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , wherein the modifier symbols include a multiplier characteristic, and wherein the value component of the award is the sum of the value characteristics associated with the first selection and the second selection multiplied by a multiplier characteristic, if any, associated with the third selection.  
     
     
         23 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , wherein one of the characteristics of the modifier symbols is a modifier characteristic, wherein the value component of the award is the sum of the value characteristics of the first selection and second selections modified by the modifier characteristic, if any, of the third selection.  
     
     
         24 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , which includes a plurality of reels, wherein the first, second and third selections are displayed on said plurality of reels.  
     
     
         25 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , which further includes a plurality of sole symbols, wherein the first, second and third selections may be one of the sole symbols and wherein the award includes a sole characteristic component if at least two of the first, second and third selections are sole symbols.  
     
     
         26 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , wherein one of the characteristics of the modifier symbols is a repeat characteristic which causes a new first selection and a new second selection to be chosen, each having a value characteristic and a second characteristic, wherein the value component of the award provided to the player is based on a correlation, if any, between the value characteristics of the first selection, second selection, new first selection and new second selection.  
     
     
         27 . The gaming device of  claim 21 , wherein at least one characteristic of the modifier symbols includes a wild characteristic which correlates with at least one of the second characteristics of the first and second selections, wherein the second component of the award is based on a correlation, if any, of the second characteristic of the first selection, second selection and the characteristic of the third selection.  
     
     
         28 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , which includes a third selection chosen from a plurality of modifier symbols each having at least one characteristic, wherein at least one of said modifier symbols has a second characteristic and wherein said second component of said award is based a correlation, if any, of the second characteristic of the first, second and third selections.  
     
     
         29 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the first characteristic of said first selection and second selection is a value and the second characteristic of said first selection and second selection is a color.  
     
     
         30 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a display device;    a processor in communication with said display device;    a first plurality of symbols having a first characteristic and a second characteristic;    a second plurality of symbols having a sole characteristic;    a third plurality of symbols having at least a modifier characteristic;    a first selection generated by the processor from the first and second plurality of symbols and displayed by the display device;    a second selection generated by the processor from the first and second plurality of symbols and displayed by the display device;    a third selection generated by the processor from said second and third plurality of symbols; and    an award provided to a player based on the characteristics of the first, second and third selections, said award including a first characteristic component based on a correlation, if any, between the first characteristic of the first, second and third selections, a second characteristic component based on a correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first, second and third selections, and a sole characteristic component of the award if two or more of the first, second and third selections have sole characteristics.    
     
     
         31 . The gaming device of  claim 30 , wherein the third plurality of symbols includes a first characteristic and a second characteristic, and wherein the second characteristic component is based on a correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first, second and third selections.  
     
     
         32 . A method for operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) selecting a first symbol from a plurality of symbols having a first characteristic and a second characteristic;    (b) selecting a second symbol from said plurality of symbols;    (c) determining a first characteristic component of an award based on at least one correlation, if any, between the first characteristic of the first selection and second selection;    (d) determining a second characteristic component of said award based on at least one correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first and second selection; and    (e) providing said award, if any, to the player based on the first characteristic component and the second characteristic component.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , which further includes the steps of: 
 selecting a third symbol from a plurality of modifier symbols having at least one characteristic; and    determining the first characteristic component of said award based on a correlation, if any, of the first characteristic of the first symbol, second symbol and at least one characteristic of the third symbol.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , which further includes the steps of: 
 selecting a third symbol from a plurality of modifier symbols having at least one characteristic; and    determining the second characteristic component of said award based a correlation, if any, of the second characteristic of the first symbol, second symbol and at least one characteristic of the third symbol.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , which further includes the steps of: 
 selecting a third symbol from a plurality of modifier symbols having at least one characteristic;    determining the first characteristic component of said award based a correlation, if any, of the first characteristic of the first symbol, second symbol and at least one characteristic of the third symbol; and    determining the second characteristic component of said award based on at least one correlation, if any, between the second characteristic of the first symbol, second symbol and at least one characteristic of the third symbol.