GAMING MACHINE AND GAMING METHOD

• US 20140087816A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interblock DOO
• Original Assignee: Aruze Gaming America Incorporated (Aruze Gaming America, Inc. /Okada/), Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: KITAMURA, Kenta, Fujisawa, Masumi, Teranishi, Tatsuya, Okada, Kazuo, Kada, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A controller of a gaming machine executes a normal round of a game to spin reels of a first display, and triggers a chance round of the game when a result of the normal round satisfies a predetermined condition. The controller displays a wheel and a plurality of touch areas on a second display, and the wheel includes a plurality of areas, each of the plurality of areas corresponding to a number of free rounds. When any one of the touch areas is touched and slid by a player, the controller spinning the wheel in a direction corresponding to the slid touch area, and randomly determines a number of free rounds. The controller stops the wheel at a position of an area that corresponds to the determined number of free rounds among the plurality of areas, and provides free rounds having the determined number.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display including a plurality of reels, each of the plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols;

a second display including a touch screen panel; and

a controller configured to

execute a normal round of a game to spin the reels,

trigger a chance round of the game when a result of the normal round satisfies a predetermined condition,

display a wheel and a plurality of touch areas on the second display, the wheel including a plurality of areas and each of the plurality of areas corresponding to a predetermined number of free rounds,

when any one of the touch areas is touched and slid by a player, spin the wheel in a direction corresponding to the slid touch area,

randomly determine a number of free rounds,

stop the wheel at a position of an area that corresponds to the determined number of free rounds among the plurality of areas, and

provide free rounds having the determined number.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to spin the wheel at a spinning speed that corresponds to a speed that is slid by the player among a plurality of spinning speeds.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, further comprising a memory configured to store a plurality of spin table,

wherein each of the plurality of spin table corresponds to any one of the plurality of spinning speeds and includes a plurality of numbers for the free rounds, and

wherein the controller is further configured to select a spin table that corresponds to the spinning speed of the wheel among the plurality of spinning speeds, and to randomly determine any one number from among the plurality of numbers included in the selected spin table.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of areas includes a plurality of positions,

wherein the controller is further configured to randomly determine any one position from among the plurality of positions included in the area that corresponds to the determined number of free rounds, and to stop the wheel for an indicator to indicate the determined position.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein two adjacent areas among the plurality of areas have different numbers for free rounds, and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position that is nearest to a boundary of the two adjacent areas with a highest probability.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically spin the wheel when a spin button is pressed by the player or an input of the player is not input.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to randomly determine a direction in which the wheel spins and a spinning speed of the wheel when automatically spinning the wheel.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to start to spin the wheel when a period during which the wheel is touched and slid by the player exceeds a predetermined time.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to start to spin the wheel when the touch of the player is taken off from the second display.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to

execute each free round of the game, and

end the chance round and return to the normal round when a result of the free round includes a combination of specific symbols whose number being greater than or equal to a predetermined number or a number of executed free rounds is the determined number.

11. A gaming method by a controller of a gaming machine including a first display including a plurality of reels and a second display including a touch screen panel, each of the plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, the method comprising:

executing a normal round of a game to spin the reels;

triggering a chance round of the game when a result of the normal round satisfies a predetermined condition;

displaying a wheel and a plurality of touch areas on the second display, the wheel including a plurality of areas and each of the plurality of areas corresponding to a predetermined number of free rounds;

when any one of the touch areas is touched and slid by a player, spinning the wheel in a direction corresponding to the slid touch area;

randomly determining a number of free rounds;

stopping the wheel at a position of an area that corresponds to the determined number of free rounds among the plurality of areas; and

providing free rounds having the determined number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein spinning the wheel includes spinning the wheel at a spinning speed that corresponds to a speed that is slid by the player among a plurality of spinning speeds.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the gaming machine further includes a memory configured to store a plurality of spin table,

wherein each of the plurality of spin table corresponds to any one of the plurality of spinning speeds and includes a plurality of numbers for the free rounds, and

wherein determining the number of free rounds includes selecting a spin table that corresponds to the spinning speed of the wheel among the plurality of spinning speeds, and randomly determining any one number from among the plurality of numbers included in the selected spin table.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of areas includes a plurality of positions,

wherein stopping the wheel includes randomly determining any one position from among the plurality of positions included in the area that corresponds to the determined number of free rounds, and stopping the wheel for an indicator to indicate the determined position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein two adjacent areas among the plurality of areas have different numbers for free rounds, and

wherein determining the any one position includes determining a position that is nearest to a boundary of the two adjacent areas with a highest probability.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically spinning the wheel when a spin button is pressed by the player or an input of the player is not input.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising randomly determining a direction in which the wheel spins and a spinning speed of the wheel when automatically spinning the wheel.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein spinning the wheel includes starting to spin the wheel when a period during which the wheel is touched and slid by the player exceeds a predetermined time.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein spinning the wheel includes starting to spin the wheel when the touch of the player is taken off from the second display.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

executing each free round of the game; and

ending the chance round and returning to the normal round when a result of the free round includes a combination of specific symbols whose number being greater than or equal to a predetermined number or a number of executed free rounds is the determined number.