Gaming machine with substitute symbols

• US 7,014,559 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Fong, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): BROCKETTI, JULIE K
• Application Number:
  US10/111,024
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a display on which a plurality of display of display positions are displayed. A game controller is arranged to control images displayed on the display. The controller also controls playing of a game on the machine wherein a plurality of symbols are randomly selected and displayed on the display such that if a winning combination results, the machine pays a prize. The controller is operable, upon the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, to generate a bonus symbol which is displayed in a first display position and, thereafter in at least one other display position. In predetermined circumstances, when the bonus symbol moves from a preceding display position, a residual symbol remains at the preceding display position and, when the bonus symbol appears at a subsequent display position, both the original bonus symbol and the residual bonus symbol operates as substitute symbols in their display positions.

Claims

1. A gaming machine which includes:

a display means on which a plurality of display positions are displayed, the display positions being arranged in a predetermined region of the display means; and

a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the control means also controlling playing of a game on the machine, the game comprising a video representation of a plurality of spinning reels, each reel comprising a set of reel symbols wherein a plurality of reel symbols are randomly selected and displayed in the display positions on the display means such that, if a winning combination results, the machine pays a prize,

the control means being operable, upon the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, to generate a series of bonus symbols in a bonus feature game comprising a plurality of rounds, said bonus symbols being substitute symbols arranged to substitute for one or more of the reel symbols;

wherein a first bonus symbol in the series is displayed in one display position and is taken into consideration in determining a first award based on at least one payline-based winning combination wherein said winning combination includes at least a first bonus symbol and reel symbols which are not bonus symbols and,

thereafter, a second bonus symbol in the series is displayed in at least one other display position without changing the positions of the spinning reel symbols in a subsequent round and the control means further being operable to make a determination, when the first bonus symbol appears at the one display position, whether or not the first bonus symbol is to remain at the one display position as a residual substitute symbol and,

if the determination is that the first bonus symbol is a residual substitute symbol, when the second bonus symbol appears at the at least one other display position, both the first bonus symbol and the second bonus symbol are taken into consideration in determining an award based on at least one other payline-based winning combination wherein said winning combination includes at least the first and second bonus symbols and reel symbols which are not bonus symbols;

or

if the determination is that the first bonus symbol is not to remain at the one display position as a residual substitute symbol when the second bonus symbol appears at the one other display position, the second bonus symbol is taken into consideration in determining an award based on at least yet another payline-based winning combination and the first bonus symbol is not taken into consideration.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the substitute symbols are triggered when a predetermined combination of symbols is displayed.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the substitute symbols are triggered when a special symbol is displayed in a particular position on the display means.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3 in which, to trigger the substitute symbols, the special symbol must appear in conjunction with at least one other special symbol, the at least one other special symbol also having to appear at particular display positions.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4 in which each of said special symbols is a background symbol arranged behind another symbol.

6. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a third bonus symbol appears at another display position, and wherein at least one of the first and second bonus symbols and the third bonus symbol are taken into consideration in determining an award based on at least one other winning combination.

7. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein when each occurrence of a first or second bonus symbol is generated, animation occurs of the first or second bonus symbol originating and entering the predetermined region of the display means from a location arranged externally of the predetermined region of the display means.

8. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein when each occurrence of a first or second bonus symbol is generated, in the event of a substitute symbol being a residual substitute symbol, said residual substitute symbol follows an animation sequence which continues for the duration that a first or second symbol acts as a residual substitute symbol.