Gaming Machine And Method

• US 20080188285A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Roelofs, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 8,096,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a display having a reel section and a grid section. The reel section includes a plurality of cells arranged in one reel row and a plurality of reel columns. The grid section includes a plurality of cells arranged in a plurality of grid rows and a plurality of grid columns, with each of the reel columns corresponding to a specific grid column. A game is played by repeating the steps of displaying icons in each of the cells in the reel section, selecting one of the icons in the reel section and transferring the selected icon to the lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid column corresponding to the reel column in which the icon is displayed. The game is won when an alignment of icons in the grid section is equal to a defined winning grid alignment of icons.

Claims

1. A method of playing a game on a gaming machine including a display having a reel section defining a plurality of cells disposed in one reel row and a plurality of reel columns and a grid section defining a plurality of cells disposed in a plurality of grid rows and a plurality of grid columns with each of the grid columns corresponding to one specific reel column, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a winning grid alignment of icons;

displaying an icon in each cell of the reel section of the display;

selecting one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display;

transferring the selected icon from the reel section to a lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid column of the grid section corresponding to the specific reel column in which the icon is displayed;

repeating the steps of displaying an icon in each cell of the reel section of the display, selecting one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display and transferring the selected icon from the reel section to the lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid column of the grid section corresponding to the specific reel column in which the icon is displayed to position a plurality of icons in the grid section of the display; and

indicating a win if an alignment of the icons positioned in the grid section of the display is equal to the defined winning grid alignment.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the icons from the grid section of the display that equal the defined winning alignment upon an indication of a win.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising the step of shifting downward all icons displayed in the grid column above the icons removed from the grid section upon an indication of a win.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising the step of indicating a win if an alignment of the icons in the grid section after shifting downward all icons displayed in the grid column above the icons removed from the grid section upon an indication of a win is equal to the defined winning grid alignment.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the lowermost icon in the grid column when the selected icon is transferred into a grid column having all cells occupied.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of deleting an icon displayed in the grid section of the display.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising the step of shifting downward all icons displayed in the grid column above the icon deleted from the grid section.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of deleting all icons displayed in the grid section.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of defining a situational icon.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising the step of automatically selecting the situational icon and automatically transferring the situational icon from the reel section to a lowermost unoccupied cell in the grid section corresponding to the specific reel column in which the situational icon is displayed upon the situational icon being displayed in the reel section of the display.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of defining a winning grid alignment is further defined as defining a plurality of winning grid alignments.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising the step of dispensing a payout upon an indication of a win.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the step of dispensing a payout is further defined as varying the payout based upon which one of the plurality of winning grid alignments is equaled by the alignment of icons in the grid section of the display.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gaming machine includes a spin device and said method further comprises the step of activating the spin device to generate a new set of icons to display in the cells of the reel section.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 further comprising the step of charging a credit for each activation of the spin device.

16. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gaming machine includes a memory and said method further comprises the step of storing a plurality of different icons in the memory.

17. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the display includes a touch screen display and said step of selecting one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display includes touching the display to select one of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display.

18. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gaming machine includes a controller and the step of selecting one of the icons displayed on the reel section is further defined as randomly selecting one of the icons displayed on the reel section by the controller.

19. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of defining a winning reel alignment.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further including the step of indicating a win if an alignment of the icons displayed in the reel section of the display is equal to the defined winning reel alignment.

21. A gaming machine comprising:

a controller having a processor for operating a software program and a memory for storing data;

a display having a reel section for displaying a plurality of icons in one reel row and a plurality of reel columns and a grid section for displaying a plurality of icons in a plurality of grid rows and a plurality of grid columns with each of said grid columns corresponding to one of said reel columns;

a selector device for selecting one of the icons displayed in said reel section of said display;

a transfer device for transferring a selected icon from said reel column in said reel section to said grid column in said grid section corresponding to said reel column in which the icon is displayed.

22. A gaming machine as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a monetary value input device.

23. A gaming machine as set forth in claim 22 further comprising a spin device for displaying a random selection of icons in said reel section.

24. A gaming machine as set forth in claim 23 wherein said display includes a touch screen display.

25. A gaming machine as set forth in claim 23 wherein said display includes a first display for displaying said reel section and a second display for displaying said grid section.

26. A gaming machine as set forth in claim 25 wherein said first display is disposed above said second display such that each of said reel columns are aligned vertically with said corresponding grid columns.