GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GAMING

• US 20080234045A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Mezen, Brett
• Application Number:
  US12/050,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide a gaming system including a touch screen display and a display controller arranged to control the touch screen display to display at least one player moveable object to a player of a game. The gaming system also includes a contact monitor arranged to monitor an output of the touch screen display to determine that a contact has been detected by the touch screen display at a first position corresponding to the current location of a moveable object and that the contact has been maintained with the touch screen display while moving to a second position. The display controller is further configured to control the display to display the moveable object at a new location derived from the second position.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a touch screen display;

a display controller arranged to control the touch screen display to display at least one player moveable object to a player of a game; and

a contact monitor arranged to monitor an output of the touch screen display to determine that a contact has been detected by the touch screen display at a first position corresponding to the current location of a moveable object and that the contact has been maintained with the touch screen display while moving to a second position,

the display controller further configured to control the display to display the moveable object at a new location derived from the second position.

2. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display controller controls the display to display the moveable object moving to the new location.

3. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of possible locations is defined for the moveable object, and the display controller derives the new location by determining which of the set of possible locations is nearest to the second position.

4. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a game outcome determiner arranged to determine a game outcome based on the new location of the moveable object.

5. A gaming system as claimed in claim 4, comprising a game play mechanism operable by the player to place a wager, and wherein the game outcome determiner determines a game outcome based partly on the wager.

6. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one moveable object is an indicator.

7. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a bet amount.

8. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a number of lines to be wagered on.

9. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a number of ways to be wagered on.

10. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of possible new locations, and the display controller moves the at least one moveable object to one of the possible new locations.

11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of moveable objects.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 when dependent on claim 4, wherein the game outcome determiner is arranged to determine a game outcome based on the new location of the moveable objects only after a specified number of the plurality of the moveable objects have moved to respective ones of a plurality of new locations.

13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the game outcome determiner is arranged to determine that a condition has been met before determining a game outcome.

14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the moveable object is a token indicating a position in a maze and a condition is a player reaching a specified position in the maze.

15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 14 wherein a player is allowed to release the moveable object as many times as desired until the condition is met.

16. A method of gaming comprising:

displaying at least one moveable object on a touch screen display;

monitoring an output of the touch screen display to determine that a contact has been detected by the touch screen display at a first position corresponding to the current location of the moveable object and that the contact is maintained with the touch screen display while moving to a second position; and

displaying the moveable object at a new location derived from the second position.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, comprising controlling the display to display the moveable object moving to the new location.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a set of possible locations is defined for the moveable object, and deriving the new location comprises determining which of the set of possible locations is nearest to the second position.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16, comprising determining a game outcome based on the new location of the moveable object.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, comprising determining the game based partly on a wager made by the player.

21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one moveable object is an indicator.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a bet amount.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a number of lines to be wagered on.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the new location of the indicator indicates a number of ways to be wagered on.

25. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein there are a plurality of possible new locations, and the display controller moves the at least one moveable object to one of the possible new locations.

26. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein there are a plurality of moveable objects.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, comprising determining a game outcome based on the new location of the moveable object, wherein the game outcome determiner is arranged to determine a game outcome based on the new location of the moveable objects only after a specified number of the plurality of the moveable objects have moved to respective ones of a plurality of new locations.

28. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the game outcome determiner is arranged to determine that a condition has been met before determining a game outcome.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the moveable object is a token indicating a position in a maze and a condition is a player reaching a specified position in the maze.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein a player is allowed to release the moveable object as many times as desired until the condition is met.

31. A method of moving a moveable object in a gaming system:

contacting a touch screen display at a first position corresponding to the current location of the moveable object; and

maintaining contact to a second position corresponding to a desired new location of the moveable object.

32. Computer program code which when executed causes a computer to carry out the steps of:

displaying at least one moveable object on a touch screen display;

monitoring an output of the touch screen display to determine that a contact has been detected by the touch screen display at a first position corresponding to the current location of the moveable object and that the contact is maintained with the touch screen display while moving to a second position; and

displaying the moveable object at a new location derived from the second position.