Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a cascading symbols game having magnetic symbols and target symbols

• US 10,217,315 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Paulina, Hoffman, Benjamin C., Parker, Christmas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US15/714,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20180012447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system displays one of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of symbol positions, at least one of the plurality of symbols being a target symbol for establishing a direction of shifting and at least one of the plurality of symbols being a magnetic symbol for shifting toward a target symbol. If any generated magnetic symbol is associated with a generated target symbol, the gaming system shifts that magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol, resulting in an empty symbol position. The gaming system fills the empty symbol position by shifting a displayed symbol or by generating one of the plurality symbols and repeats until no magnetic symbol is associated with a target symbol. The gaming system provides an award for any displayed winning symbol combination. The gaming system removes symbols from each winning combination, fills the empty symbol positions, and repeats as above.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

at each of a plurality of symbol display positions, cause a display, by a display device, of a symbol randomly selected from a plurality of different symbols,

responsive to a displayed symbol being a randomly determined magnetic symbol and said randomly determined magnetic symbol being displayed in association with a displayed target symbol;

cause a display, by the display device, of a shift of said randomly determined magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol display position, and

at the displayed empty symbol display position, cause a display, by the display device, of a symbol randomly selected from the plurality of different symbols,

responsive to the displayed symbol being the randomly determined magnetic symbol and said randomly determined magnetic symbol not being displayed in association with any target symbols, not cause any display of any shift of said randomly determined magnetic symbol,

determine any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, and

cause a display, by the display device, of any determined awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the displayed target symbol comprises a randomly determined target symbol.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each target symbol is predetermined independent of when the symbols are displayed at each the symbol display positions.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor responsive to the displayed symbol being the randomly determined magnetic symbol and said randomly determined magnetic symbol not being displayed in association with a displayed target symbol, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to not cause any display of any shift of said randomly determined magnetic symbol toward the displayed target symbol.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to transform any shifted randomly determined magnetic symbol into another symbol following said shifting of said randomly determined magnetic symbol.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the other symbol is a wild symbol.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate with the mobile device via a wireless network.

9. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

at each of a plurality of symbol display positions, cause a display, by a display device, of a symbol randomly selected from a plurality of different symbols,

responsive to a displayed symbol being a magnetic symbol and said magnetic symbol being displayed in association with a randomly determined target symbol;

cause a display, by the display device, of a shift of said magnetic symbol toward the associated randomly determined target symbol, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol display position, and

at the displayed empty symbol display position, cause a display, by the display device, of a symbol randomly selected from the plurality of different symbols,

responsive to the displayed symbol being the magnetic symbol and said magnetic symbol not being displayed in association with any target symbols, not cause any display of any shift of said magnetic symbol,

determine any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, and

cause a display, by the display device, of any determined awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein each magnetic symbol is predetermined independent of when the symbols are displayed at each the symbol display positions.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the processor responsive to the displayed symbol being the magnetic symbol and said magnetic symbol not being displayed in association with the displayed randomly determined target symbol, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to not cause any display of any shift of said magnetic symbol toward the displayed randomly determined target symbol.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to transform any shifted magnetic symbol into another symbol following said shifting of said magnetic symbol.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the other symbol is a wild symbol.

14. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate with the mobile device via a wireless network.