Multiple tier gaming machine
First Claim
1. A gaming machine comprising control means for controlling operation of the machine, display means including a plurality of display positions for displaying combinations of indicia and reward means for returning a reward to a player of the machine in response to certain predetermined indicia combinations being displayed on the display means at the end of a game, the display means including a separate indicia display means for each display position, each indicia display means being responsive to the control means to display an indicium at the end of the game which is selected by the control means from a set of possible indicia, and the control means including indicia selection means for making that selection for each of the display positions, wherein, for at least one display position, a two tier selection process is employed whereby the set of indicia is divided into at least two subsets and the indicia selection means comprises first random number selection means for selecting a random number from a set of random numbers having members each of which uniquely corresponds to one member of a first of said subsets of the set of indicia plus additional numbers each of which uniquely corresponds to one of the remaining subsets of indicia, and second random number selection means, which is invoked only in the event of the first random number selection means selecting a number corresponding to one of said remaining subsets, the second random number selection means being arranged to select a number from a set of numbers each of which uniquely corresponds to one indicia in said one of said remaining subsets of indicia, and the display means being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the number selected by the first random number selection means if the random number selected by the first random number selection means is a number corresponding to a member of said first of said subsets, and being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the number selected by the second random number selection means, if the number selected by the first random number selection means is a number corresponding to one of the remaining subsets.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming machine is provided in which the symbols/indicia to be displayed are selected by using a random selection process to generate a random number element for each display position. The process is a two-step selection process. In a first selection process random numbers are chosen from a first table of random numbers, elements of which are mapped directly to reel stopping positions and at least one element of which if generated, causes a second selection step. The second selection step is between a further stopping position, not available in the first selection step, and an alternative stopping position which is preferably also available in the first selection step. The stopping position not available in the first selection step may be associated with a jackpot symbol. The frequency of occurrence of a jackpot symbol can be reduced by this method, and an appropriately high jackpot can therefore be offered.
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Citations
38 Claims
- 1. A gaming machine comprising control means for controlling operation of the machine, display means including a plurality of display positions for displaying combinations of indicia and reward means for returning a reward to a player of the machine in response to certain predetermined indicia combinations being displayed on the display means at the end of a game, the display means including a separate indicia display means for each display position, each indicia display means being responsive to the control means to display an indicium at the end of the game which is selected by the control means from a set of possible indicia, and the control means including indicia selection means for making that selection for each of the display positions, wherein, for at least one display position, a two tier selection process is employed whereby the set of indicia is divided into at least two subsets and the indicia selection means comprises first random number selection means for selecting a random number from a set of random numbers having members each of which uniquely corresponds to one member of a first of said subsets of the set of indicia plus additional numbers each of which uniquely corresponds to one of the remaining subsets of indicia, and second random number selection means, which is invoked only in the event of the first random number selection means selecting a number corresponding to one of said remaining subsets, the second random number selection means being arranged to select a number from a set of numbers each of which uniquely corresponds to one indicia in said one of said remaining subsets of indicia, and the display means being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the number selected by the first random number selection means if the random number selected by the first random number selection means is a number corresponding to a member of said first of said subsets, and being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the number selected by the second random number selection means, if the number selected by the first random number selection means is a number corresponding to one of the remaining subsets.
- 16. A method of selecting an indicium to be displayed on a gaming machine display, the method comprising dividing a set of possible indicia for display into a plurality of subsets, randomly selecting an element from a set of elements each of which uniquely corresponds to one of the number of indicia in a first of the subsets and the number of remaining subsets, and in the event that the selected element corresponds to one of the remaining subsets further randomly selecting an element from another set of elements corresponding in number to the number of indicia in said one of said remaining subsets and displaying the indicium corresponding to the element selected in said first or second selection, wherein at least one of the indicia in at least one of the remaining subsets is also a member of the first of the subsets, so that said at least one indicium is selectable by said first and second selection step, and at least one other indicium of the at least one remaining subsets is not a member of the first of the subsets.
- 26. A gaming machine comprising control means for controlling operation of the machine, display means including a plurality of display positions for displaying combinations of indicia, the display means including a separate reel display means for each display position, each reel display means comprising a rotatably reel mounting a set of indicia thereon, each reel display means being responsive to the control means to display an indicium at the end of the game which is selected by the control means rom the set of indicia mounted on the rotatable reel, wherein for at least one display positions, a two tier selection process is employed whereby the set of indicia on the reel is divided into at least two subsets, and the control means comprises first selection means for randomly selecting an element from a set of elements each of which uniquely corresponds to one indicium of a first of said subsets of the set of indicia plus additional elements each of which uniquely corresponds to one of the remaining subsets of indicia, and second selection means, which is invoked only in the event of the first selection means selecting an element corresponding to one of the remaining subsets, the second selection means being arranged to randomly select an element from a set of elements each of which uniquely corresponds to one indicium in said one of said remaining subsets of indicia, the reel display means being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the element selected by the first selection means if the element by the first selection means, is an element corresponding to an indicium which is a member of a first of the subsets, and being arranged to display the indicium corresponding to the element selected by the second selection means, if the number selected by the first selection means is an element corresponding to one of the remaining subsets.
Specification