Gaming device having multiple identical sets of simultaneously activated reels

• US 20050101379A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Falconer, Neil D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present invention involves a gaming device that provides a primary game which utilizes multiple sets of identical reels. The sets of reels simultaneously spin. A player is able to wager on paylines on one or more of said sets of reels. The gaming device also allows a player to wager on predetermined combinations of gaming symbols which occur over the plurality of sets of reels. The method of the present invention enables a player to simultaneously play multiple paylines on a plurality of identical sets of reels. The method enables a player to easily see different paylines by reducing the complexity of such paylines and duplicating paylines on sets of reels. The method provides novel arrangements of wagering combinations between the sets of reels which provide additional excitement to players. The method also reduces the complexity of software needed to evaluate multiple paylines.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor and having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor and having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) (i) an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the first set of reels but not on the second set of reels, or

(ii) an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the second set of reels but not on the first set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, or

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels.

2. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor, said first set of reels having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor, said second set of reels having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) (i) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on one of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels, or

(ii) said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring one of the paylines associated with said second set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, or

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels.

3. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor, said first set of reels having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor, said second set of reels having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels and said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination also occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels.

4. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) (i) any winning result occurring in the first game and no winning result occurring in the second game, or

(ii) any winning result occurring in the second game and no winning result occurring in the first game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, and a winning result occurs in the first game and no winning result occurs in the second game, or

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, and a winning result occurs in the second game and no winning result occurs in the first game.

5. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) (i) a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game but not in the second game, or

(ii) a particular predetermined result occurring in the second game but not in the first game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, and the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game but not in the second game, or

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, and the particular predetermined result occurs in the second game but not in the first game.

6. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player to place separate individual wagers on;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game and said particular predetermined result also occurring in the second game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) a plurality of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c) above and the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game and the particular predetermined result also occurs in the second game.