GAMING MACHINE, GAMING SYSTEM, AND GAMING METHOD

• US 20140335928A1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Empire Technological Group Limited, Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Gaming America Incorporated (Aruze Gaming America, Inc. /Okada/), Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: FUJISAWA, Masumi, MUNAKATA, Hiroki, ENOKIDO, Kenji, ITAGAKI, Takehisa, HONDA, Masaya, OKAMOTO, Daisyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,177 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In a gaming machine, a display displays images of a free game. The controller executes a game, provides a plurality of free games when a result of the game satisfies a predetermined condition, determines at least one free game to a special mode from among the plurality of free game, and determine remaining free games to a base mode, rearranges a plurality of symbols to always appear at least one special symbol on the display in the free game of the special mode, rearranges the plurality of symbols to randomly determine whether to appear the special symbol on the display in the free game of the base mode, and provides a payout determined by a winning combination of symbols appeared on the display in each free game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a display configured to display images of a free game; and

a controller configured,

to execute of a game,

to provide a plurality of free games when a result of the game satisfies a predetermined condition,

to determine at least one free game to a special mode from among the plurality of free game, and determine remaining free games to a base mode,

to rearrange a plurality of symbols to always appear at least one special symbol on the display in the free game of the special mode,

to rearrange the plurality of symbols to randomly determine whether to appear the special symbol on the display in the free game of the base mode, and

to provide a payout determined by a winning combination of symbols appeared on the display in each free game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the special symbol is a symbol that is substituted to a certain symbol to combine with the certain symbol appeared on the display and establishes the winning combination.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the special symbols are appeared on all symbol blocks of at least one column in the free game of the special mode.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to randomly determine a positions of the at least one column.

5. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured

to appear the special symbols on all symbol blocks of two columns in the free game of the special mode, and

to appear the special symbols on all symbol blocks of only one columns in the free game of the base mode when it is determined that the special symbol is appeared on the display in the free game of the base mode.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the at least one special symbol is scattered on the symbol blocks in the free game of the special mode.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured

to scatter the special symbols of a predetermined number on the symbol blocks in the free game of the special mode, and

to randomly determine a number of special symbols to be scattered on the symbol blocks in the free game of the base mode when it is determined that the special symbol is appeared on the display in the free game of the base mode.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein executing the game includes executing each round of the game and determining an event to be performed in each round, and

wherein the predetermine condition satisfies the predetermined condition when the determined event belongs to a predetermined event.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to move a character of the gaming machine to a destination cell in each round and to determine the event of each round.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, further comprising a second display, and wherein the controller is further configured

to display a wheel including a plurality of digits in the display when each round is executed,

to determine any one digit from among the plurality of digits when the wheel is slid by the player on the display,

to stop the wheel in the second display to indicated the determined digit, and

to move the character by the determined digit.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the second display is shared by a neighbor gaming machine of the gaming machine.

12. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of main displays for a plurality of players, each main display configured to display images of a game for a corresponding player;

a common display provided for the main displays; and

a controller configured

to execute each round of the game for each player,

to perform for the corresponding player an event determined in each round,

to provide a plurality of free games to a player of the performed event when a performed event belongs to a predetermined event,

to determine at least one free game to a special mode from among the plurality of free game, and determine remaining free games to a base mode,

to rearrange a plurality of symbols to always appear at least one special symbol on a main display in the free game of the special mode,

to rearrange the plurality of symbols to randomly determine whether to appear the special symbol on the main display in the free game of the base mode, and

to provide a payout determined by a winning combination of symbols appeared on the display to the player of the performed event in each free game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the special symbol is a symbol that is substituted to a certain symbol to combine with the certain symbol appeared on the main display and establishes the winning combination.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the main display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the special symbols are appeared on all symbol blocks of at least one column in the free game of the special mode.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the main display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the at least one special symbol is scattered on the symbol blocks in the free game of the special mode.

16. A gaming method by a controller of a gaming machine, the method comprising:

executing a game;

providing a plurality of free games when a result of the game satisfies a predetermined condition;

determining at least one free game to a special mode from among the plurality of free game, and determining remaining free games to a base mode;

rearranging a plurality of symbols to always appear at least one special symbol on a display in the free game of the special mode;

rearranging the plurality of symbols to randomly determine whether to appear the special symbol on the display in the free game of the base mode; and

providing a payout determined by a winning combination of symbols appeared on the display in each free game.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the special symbol is a symbol that is substituted to a certain symbol to combine with the certain symbol appeared on the display and establishes the winning combination.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the special symbols are appeared on all symbol blocks of at least one column in the free game of the special mode.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the display includes a plurality of symbol blocks in columns and rows, and

the at least one special symbol is scattered on the symbol blocks in the free game of the special mode.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein executing the game includes executing each round of a game and performing an event determined in each round of the game, and

wherein the predetermine condition satisfies the predetermined condition when the determined event belongs to a predetermined event.