DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] The present invention describes a game offering the player a plurality of groups of selectable objects, each being associated with a hidden value and/or hidden operator. The player selects an object from each group, associating them, until there is no possible association left, thus all the selectable objects of at least one group has been selected. A prize is calculated, based on the associations, and awarded to the player.

[0019] The present invention is preferably carried out on a gaming apparatus, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Said gaming apparatus 10 comprises display means 12, such as a video screen, a LCD screen or mechanical reels; credit-receiving means 14 such as a card reader or a coin and/or bill acceptor; input means 16, such as buttons, levers or a touch screen; awarding means 18, such as a ticket printer, a card reader or a hopper; memory means 20 and a game controller means 22.

[0020] More precisely, the present invention provides a gaming apparatus 10 comprising display means 12 to display a plurality of selectable objects divided in a plurality of groups. Each selectable object is associated with a value, an operator or a couple value/operator. It also comprises input means 16 to receive the player selections of a selectable object from each group; and controller means 22 to associate the player selections, to evaluate an association value and to end the game when there is no possible association left. The gaming apparatus also comprises awarding means 18 to award a prize based on said associations.

[0021] The invention may also be applied in a computer program, or at a remote terminal, the game information (not shown) being distributed via a network, such as linked machines or the Internet, or broadcasted using an electrical or electromagnetic signal.

[0022] FIG. 3 explains the process of the present invention. A plurality of selectable objects, associated with a hidden value, a hidden operator or a hidden couple value/operator, is divided in groups and displayed 30. Player select-ions of a selectable object from each group are received 32. The game associates the selected objects 34 and evaluates for this association an association value 36. It is then determined whether or not at least another association is possible considering the remaining selectable objects in each group 38. If it is possible to make more associations, new player selections are received 32. If all selectable objects from at least one group have all been selected, a prize is awarded, based on the association values 40.

[0023] In a first preferred embodiment, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 4, the player is offered two (2) groups of selectable objects; the selectable objects of the first group 50 are associated with values varying from two (2) to twenty-five (25), while the selectable objects of the second group 52 are associated with pairs composed of an operator and a value varying from two (2) to five (5). The player selects a selectable object from the first group 54 and a selectable object from the second group 56, and these selections are associated to form a mathematical operation 58. The first player selections result in an association value of ten credits (5 from the first group and X2 from the second group, which forms the mathematical operation 5×2=10). FIG. 5 illustrates the completed game. Since all the possible associations are used up, and all the mathematical operations are formed, a prize of ninety (90) credits 60 is evaluated by adding the results of all the association mathematical operations 62 (10+0+50+30=90).

[0024] In a second preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the player is offered three groups: the selectable objects of the first 70 and third 74 groups are associated with values, while the selectable objects of the second group 72 is associated with operators. The player associates selectable objects from each group to form mathematical operations 76. When all possible associations are used up (when all the selectable objects of at least one group have been selected), a prize 78 corresponding to the highest operation result 80 is awarded to the player.

[0025] A third preferred embodiment describes a game wherein the selectable objects of a group are not all associated with values or operators, but may be sometimes associated with values and sometimes with operators, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In this example, the selectable objects of the first 90 and third 94 groups are all associated with values, while the selectable objects of the second groups 92 may be associated with operators 96 or values and operators 98. The player associates selectable objects from each group to form mathematical operations 102. When all possible associations are used up (when all the selectable objects of at least one group have been selected), a prize 100, corresponding to the sum of all the operation results, is awarded.

[0026] While illustrated in the block diagrams as groups of discrete components communicating with each other via distinct data signal connections, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the preferred embodiments are provided by a combination of hardware and software components, with some components being implemented by a given function or operation of a hardware or software system, and many of the data paths illustrated being implemented by data communication within a computer application or operating system. The structure illustrated is thus provided for efficiency of teaching the present preferred embodiment.

[0027] It should be noted that the present invention can be carried out as a method, can be embodied in a system, a computer readable medium or an electrical or electro-magnetic signal.

[0028] The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.