Gaming device having symbols with transformation probabilities

• US 20050164775A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kaminkow, Joseph E., Rodgers, Paulina, Asdale, Shawn Van
• Granted Patent: US 6,997,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 device which includes symbols having a transformation probability. The gaming device in one embodiment includes an activator symbol. When the activator symbol is displayed, a processor of the gaming device determines the transformation probability of each of the displayed symbols and randomly determines which, if any, symbols are to be transformed into wild symbols or other functional symbols based on the transformation probability of the symbols.

Claims

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

a display device controlled by the processor;

a plurality of symbols displayable by the display device;

a transformation probability greater than zero percent and less than one hundred percent associated with one of the symbols, wherein said transformation probability is associated with said symbol regardless of the position at which the symbol is displayed by the display device; and

at least one activator symbol, wherein if the activator symbol is displayed by the display device and the symbol which has the associated transformation probability is displayed by the display device, the processor randomly determines if said symbol displayed by the display device is transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with said symbol.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of transformation probabilities are associated with a plurality of the symbols.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the transformation probability for a first one of the plurality of symbols is higher than the transformation probability for a second one of the plurality of symbols.

4. The gaming device of claim 2, which includes a plurality of different types of symbols in the plurality of symbols, wherein a first type of symbol has a higher transformation probability than the transformation probability of a second type of symbol.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein one of the functional symbols is selected from the group consisting of:

a wild symbol, a credit value, a free primary game symbol, and a bonus trigger symbol.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of groups of symbols in the plurality of symbols, wherein a first group of the symbols has a higher transformation probability than a transformation probability of a second group of the symbols.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of activator symbols.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of activator symbols include a first activator symbol and a second activator symbol, wherein said processor randomly determines which symbols displayed by the display device which have associated transformation probabilities are transformed into functional symbols in association with the first activator symbol and the second activator symbol based on the transformation probabilities associated with the displayed symbols if said first activator symbol and said second activator symbol are displayed by the display device.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor is operable to

(a) transform only the symbols associated with one of said first and second activator symbols determined to be transformed by the processor;

(b) transform symbols into functional symbols successively with respect to the first activator symbol and second activator symbol;

(c) transform symbols into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to the first activator symbol and second activator symbol;

(d) transform symbols into functional symbols successively with respect to each symbol;

or

(e) transform symbols into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to each symbol.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said symbol is transformed into one of a credit value and a multiplier.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor transforms less than all of the symbols to be transformed based on a random event controlled by the processor.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the random event includes an interaction between the activator symbols.

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

a display device controlled by the processor;

a plurality of symbols displayable by the display device;

at least one activator symbol displayable by the display device; and

a transformation probability associated with each said activator symbol, wherein for each said activator symbol said transformation probability is associated with said activator symbol regardless of the position at which said activator symbol is displayed, and wherein upon a triggering event including said activator symbol being displayed by the display device, the processor randomly determines if at least one of the symbols displayed by the display device is transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with said activator symbol.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein said functional symbol is one of a wild symbol, a credit value, a free primary game symbol, and a bonus trigger symbol.

15. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol varies in at least two different displays of the symbols by the display device.

16. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol decreases as each symbol displayed by the display device is transformed into one of the functional symbols.

17. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol increases as each symbol displayed by the display device is transformed into one of the functional symbols.

18. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol is greater than zero after the activator symbol does not transform one of the symbols displayed by the display device.

19. The gaming device of claim 13, which includes a plurality of activator symbols and a separate transformation probability associated with each activator symbol.

20. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein if a plurality of said activator symbols are displayed by the display device, the processor transforms symbols into functional symbols successively with respect to each of the displayed activator symbols.

21. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein if a plurality of said activator symbols are displayed by the display device, the processor transforms symbols into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to each of the activator symbols.

22. A gaming device operated under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a plurality of symbols; and

a display device controlled by the processor and operable to display said symbols, said processor and said display device operable to;

display a plurality of the symbols,

access a transformation probability from a table stored within a memory device in communication with said processor,

determine whether each of a plurality of symbols displayed by the display device will be transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with each said symbol, wherein said transformation probability is associated with each said symbol of a plurality of the symbols regardless of the position at which said symbol is displayed by the display device, and

display any said transformation determined to occur.

23. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

providing a transformation probability greater than zero percent and less than one hundred percent associated with one of a plurality of symbols, wherein the transformation probability is associated with the symbol regardless of any position at which the symbol is displayed;

displaying a plurality of the symbols;

if an activator symbol and the symbol which has the associated transformation probability are displayed, determining if said symbol is transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with said symbol; and

displaying any said transformation determined to occur.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein transformation probabilities are associated with a plurality of the symbols.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the transformation probability for a first symbol of the plurality of symbols is higher than the transformation probability for a second symbol of the plurality of symbols.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of symbols include a plurality of different types of symbols, wherein a first type of symbol has a higher transformation probability than the transformation probability of a second type of symbol.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein one of the functional symbols is selected from the group consisting of a wild symbol, a credit value, a free primary game symbol, and a bonus trigger symbol.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said plurality of symbols include a plurality of groups of the symbols, wherein a first group of the symbols has a higher transformation probability than a transformation probability of a second group of the symbols.

29. The method of claim 23, which includes determining whether to display any of a plurality of activator symbols.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of activator symbols include a first activator symbol and a second activator symbol, wherein determining if the symbol displayed is transformed includes determining which symbols displayed which have associated transformation probabilities are transformed into functional symbols in association with the first activator symbol and the second activator symbol based on the transformation probabilities associated with the displayed symbols if said first activator symbol and said second activator symbol are displayed.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein

(a) only the symbols associated with one of said first and second activator symbols determined to be transformed are transformed,

(b) symbols are transformed into functional symbols successively with respect to the first activator symbol and second activator symbol,

(c) symbols are transformed into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to the first activator symbol and second activator symbol,

(d) symbols are transformed into functional symbols successively with respect to each symbol, or

(e) symbols are transformed into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to each symbol.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the symbol is transformed into one of a credit value and a multiplier.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the symbols to be transformed are designated prior to such transformation.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein less than all of the symbols to be transformed are transformed based on a random event.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the random event includes an interaction between the activator symbols.

36. The method of claim 23, which is provided through a data network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data network is an internet.

38. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

associating a plurality of transformation probabilities with a plurality of symbols, wherein each of the plurality of transformation probabilities is associated with a different one of the plurality of symbols regardless of the positions at which the plurality of symbols are displayed;

displaying at least one of the plurality of symbols;

upon a triggering event, determining if each of the displayed symbols having one of the associated transformation probabilities is transformed into a functional symbol based on said transformation probability associated with said symbol; and

displaying any said transformation determined to occur.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein one of the functional symbols is selected from the group consisting of a wild symbol, a credit value, a free primary game symbol, and a bonus trigger symbol.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the triggering event is an activator symbol displayed.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein determining if each of the symbols having an associated transformation probability is transformed includes determining which symbols are transformed into functional symbols in association with a first activator symbol and a second activator symbol based on the transformation probability of said symbols displayed if said first activator symbol and said second activator symbol are displayed.

42. The method of claim 38, which is provided through a data network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the data network is an internet.

44. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

associating a transformation probability with at least one activator symbol, wherein for each activator symbol the transformation probability is associated with said activator symbol regardless of the position at which the activator symbol is displayed;

displaying at least one of a plurality of symbols;

upon a triggering event including the activation symbol being displayed, determining if at least one of the symbols displayed is transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol; and

displaying any said transformation determined to occur.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the functional symbol is selected from the group consisting of a wild symbol, a credit value, a free primary game symbol, and a bonus trigger symbol.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol varies in at least two different displays of the symbols.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol decreases as each symbol displayed transformed into one of the functional symbols.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol increases as each symbol displayed is transformed into one of the functional symbols.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the transformation probability associated with the activator symbol is greater than zero after the activator symbol does not transform one of the symbols displayed.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein if a plurality of the activator symbols are displayed, determining if at least one of the symbols displayed is transformed includes transforming symbols into functional symbols successively with respect to each of the displayed activator symbols.

51. The method of claim 44, wherein if a plurality of the activator symbols are displayed, symbols are transformed into functional symbols simultaneously with respect to each of the activator symbols.

52. The method of claim 44, which is provided through a data network.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the data network is an internet.