Gaming device having concentric reels and a displayable nudge symbol

• US 20060046830A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Webb, Bayard S.
• Application Number:
  US10/934,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members

Abstract

A gaming device including a plurality of reel sets where at least one of the reel sets includes an inner reel and an outer reel. The other reel sets include a plurality of symbols. Upon the activation of the reel sets, the inner reel displays a plurality of nudge symbols, which each identify a direction of movement of the outer reel. The outer reel includes a plurality of symbols and defines a viewable area. A processor causes the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols or the viewable area. If the viewable area is indicated, the processor moves the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols on the outer reel based on the direction of movement associated with the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area. The processor provides an outcome to a player based on the symbols indicated on the reel sets.

Claims

24. A gaming device comprising:

a game operable upon a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a housing connected to the cabinet;

a symbol display connected to said housing, said symbol display including a plurality of first symbols, said first symbols including at least one nudge symbol;

a symbol indicator connected to said housing, said symbol indicator overlapping at least a portion of the symbol display, said symbol indicator including a plurality of second symbols and defining at least one viewable area, wherein the symbol indicator is positionable to enable a player to view through the viewable area at least one of the first symbols displayed by the symbol display, and wherein each nudge symbol identifies a direction to move the symbol indicator; and

a processor operable to cause the symbol display to generate a plurality of the first symbols, cause the symbol indicator to move to indicate at least one of the second symbols and the viewable area, move the symbol indicator in a direction identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the nudge symbol is viewable through the indicated viewable area and provide any outcome to the player, wherein the outcome is based on the second symbol indicated by the symbol indicator.

1. A gaming device controlled by a processor, said gaming device comprising:

an inner reel including at least one nudge symbol, wherein a direction of movement is associated with each nudge symbol; and

an outer reel including a plurality of symbols and at least one viewable area, wherein the viewable area is positionable to enable a player to view through the viewable area said at least one nudge symbol of the inner reel,

and wherein the processor is operable to cause the inner reel to move to indicate said nudge symbol, cause the outer reel to move and indicate one of the symbols or the viewable area, move the outer reel based on the direction of movement associated with the nudge symbol when the viewable area is indicated on the outer reel and provide an outcome to a player based in part on the symbol indicated by the outer reel.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the inner reel includes at least one symbol, wherein the processor provides an outcome to the player when the viewable area is indicated on the outer reel and the symbol is viewable through the viewable area.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the inner reel includes a plurality of symbol positions, each of the symbol positions including one of the nudge symbols.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the inner reel includes a plurality of symbol positions, at least one of the symbol positions including a plurality of the nudge symbols.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, which includes a selector, said selector adapted to enable the player to select one of the plurality of nudge symbols at said symbol position when the plurality of nudge symbols are viewable through the viewable area.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the inner reel includes a plurality of symbol positions, a plurality of the symbol positions including a plurality of the nudge symbols.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, which includes a selector, said selector adapted to enable the player to select one of the plurality of nudge symbols at one of the plurality of symbol positions when the plurality of nudge symbols at said symbol position are viewable through the viewable area.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the outer reel includes at least one nudge symbol.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner and outer reels includes a mechanical reel.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the inner reel includes a video reel.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes at least one payline associated with the outer reel.

12. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the outcome is based on the symbol of the outer reel indicated by the payline.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of paylines associated with the outer reel.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the outcome is based on the symbol of the outer reel indicated by one of the paylines.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of reel sets, wherein at least one of said sets includes the inner reel and the outer reel.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of reel sets, wherein a plurality of said reel sets include the inner reel and the outer reel.

17. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of reel sets, wherein each of said reel sets include the inner reel and the outer reel.

18. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel a designated number of symbol positions when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

19. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel a random number of symbol positions when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

20. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel at least one symbol position when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

21. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel for a plurality of symbol positions when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

22. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel to an optimum symbol position when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

23. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to move the outer reel to indicate a winning symbol combination on the reel sets when the viewable area is indicated and one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the viewable area.

25. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the symbol display includes a plurality of symbol positions.

26. The gaming device of claim 25, wherein the symbol display includes at least two different nudge symbols at a single symbol position.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, which includes a selector, said selector adapted to enable the player to select one of the nudge symbols when the nudge symbols are viewable through the viewable area of the symbol display.

28. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the symbol display includes at least one reel.

29. The gaming device of claim 24, which includes at least one payline associated with the symbol indicator.

30. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein the outcome is based on the second symbol and any first symbols indicated by the payline associated with the symbol indicator.

31. The gaming device of claim 24, which includes a plurality of paylines associated with the symbol indicator.

32. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the outcome is based on the second symbol indicated by at least one of the paylines associated with the symbol indicator.

33. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the second symbols include at least one nudge symbol.

34. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the symbol display includes at least one reel.

35. The gaming device of claim 24, wherein the symbol display includes a plurality of reels.

36. A gaming device controlled by a processor comprising:

a game operable upon a wager by a player;

a cabinet;

a housing connected to the cabinet; and

a plurality of reel sets rotatably connected to the housing, said reel sets each including an inner reel and an outer reel, wherein in each of said reel sets, the inner reel and the outer reel are aligned along substantially the same axis of rotation, the outer reel overlaps at least a portion of the inner reel, the inner reel includes a plurality of nudge symbols and the outer reel includes a plurality of symbols and defines at least one viewable area,

wherein in each of said reel sets, the outer reel is positionable to enable a player to view through the viewable area at least one of the nudge symbols of the inner reel, and wherein each nudge symbol identifies a direction to move at least one of the outer reels;

wherein the processor is operable to activate the reel sets, cause each of the inner reels to generate the nudge symbols in each of the reel sets, cause each of the outer reels to move to indicate one of the symbols or the viewable area in each of the reel sets, move the outer reel in the direction identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when one of the nudge symbols is viewable through the indicated viewable area and provide an outcome to the player based on the symbols indicated by the reel sets.

37. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein the inner reel of each of the reel sets includes a plurality of symbol positions.

38. The gaming device of claim 37, wherein at least one of the symbol positions on one of the reel sets includes a plurality of different nudge symbols.

39. The gaming device of claim 38, which includes a selector, said selector adapted to enable the player to select one of the different nudge symbols when the different nudge symbols are viewable through the viewable area.

40. The gaming device of claim 36, which includes at least one payline associated with the reel sets.

41. The gaming device of claim 40, wherein the outcome is based on any symbols indicated by the payline associated with the reel sets.

42. The gaming device of claim 36, which includes a plurality of paylines associated with the reel sets.

43. The gaming device of claim 42, wherein the outcome is based on any symbols indicated by any one of the paylines associated with the reel sets.

44. The gaming device of claim 36, wherein at least one of the outer reels includes a nudge symbol.

45. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) displaying at least one reel set including an inner reel and an outer reel, said inner reel including at least one nudge symbol, said outer reel including a plurality of symbols and defining at least one viewable area, wherein each nudge symbol identifies a direction of movement;

(b) activating said reel set;

(c) causing the inner reel of said reel set to indicate or not to indicate the nudge symbol;

(d) moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols or the viewable area;

(e) moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the nudge symbol is viewable through the indicated viewable area; and

(f) providing an outcome to the player, wherein the outcome is based on the symbols indicated on the reel sets.

46. The gaming device of claim 45, wherein the inner reel includes a plurality of nudge symbols.

47. The gaming device of claim 45 which includes moving the inner reel upon the activation of the reel sets.

48. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel simultaneously.

49. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel sequentially.

50. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel at a same rate of rotation.

51. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel at different rates of rotation.

52. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel in the same direction.

53. The method of claim 45, which includes moving the inner reel and the outer reel in different directions.

54. The method of claim 45, which includes displaying at least two nudge symbols at one symbol position on the inner reel.

55. The method of claim 54, which includes enabling the player to pick one of the nudge symbols using a selector when the viewable area is indicated and the two nudge symbols are viewable through the viewable area.

56. The method of claim 45, which includes displaying at least two nudge symbols at a plurality of symbol positions on the inner reel.

57. The method of claim 56, which includes enabling the player to pick one of the nudge symbols using a selector when the viewable area is indicated and the two nudge symbols in one of the symbol positions are viewable through the viewable area.

58. The method of claim 45, which includes associating at least one payline associated with the reel sets.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein providing the outcome includes providing the outcome based on the award symbols indicated by the payline.

60. The method of claim 45, which includes associating a plurality of paylines with the reel sets.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein providing the outcome includes providing the outcome based on the symbols indicated by at least one of the paylines.

62. The method of claim 45, which includes displaying a plurality of reel sets each including the inner reel and the outer reel, wherein steps (c) to (e) are repeated for each of the reel sets.

63. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel for a designated number of symbol positions.

64. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel for a random number of symbol positions.

65. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel one symbol position.

66. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel for a plurality of symbol positions.

67. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel to an optimum symbol position.

68. The method of claim 45, wherein moving the outer reel to indicate one of the symbols based on the direction of movement identified by the nudge symbol viewable through the viewable area when the viewable area is indicated includes moving the outer reel to a symbol position which indicates a winning symbol combination on the reel sets.

69. The method of claim 45, which includes operating the gaming device through a data network.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the data network is an internet.