Gaming device having an accumulating award symbol

• US 7,744,454 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cregan, Karen M., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Mierau, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US10/987,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 463 25- 31, 463 40- 42, 463/16, 463/20, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/293, 273/274, 273/309, 715/839
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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
• 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

A gaming device and method which includes a plurality of reels having multiple symbols on the reels. The symbols include at least one activator symbol. In one embodiment, if the player obtains an activator symbol on the reels, the activator symbol activates the symbols that are adjacent to the activator symbol. Activating the adjacent symbols reveals the awards associated with the adjacent symbols. The player receives an award that equals the activator symbol award plus the awards associated with each symbol that is adjacent to the activator symbol.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a plurality of reels, a plurality of symbols on said reels, said symbols including a plurality of activator symbols,

(ii) individually associate each of a plurality of awards with a different one of said reels, wherein each of the plurality of awards is separate from any of the symbols on the reels, and

(iii) if one of the activator symbols is generated on one of the reels having an associated award and said activator symbol is activated, provide the award associated with said reel to a player.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each reel includes one of said activator symbols on the reel.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein each reel has one of the awards associated with said reel.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each reel has one of the awards associated with said reel.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to provide an accumulated award to the player, said accumulated award based on the awards associated with the reels and a plurality of activated activator symbols indicated on said reels.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, if one of the activator symbols is generated on one of the reels, the activator symbol is randomly generated.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to include a number of spins of the plurality of reels in a game and enable the player to initiate each of the spins until there are no spins remaining.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels and a plurality of different modifiers, each modifier individually associated with one of the paylines, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, if the activator symbol generated on the reel is generated on one of the paylines, any award provided to the player is modified by the modifier associated with said payline.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said activator symbol is always activated.

10. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols including a plurality of activator symbols;

individually associating each of a plurality of awards with a different one of said reels, wherein each of the plurality of awards is separate from of any of the symbols on the reels;

generating a plurality of said symbols upon a triggering event;

causing the at least one display device to display said generated symbols; and

determining if one of the activator symbols is generated on one of the reels having an associated award and if said activator symbol is activated, and if one of the activator symbols is generated on one of the reels having an associated award and if said activator symbol is activated, providing the award associated with said reel to a player.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each reel includes one of said activator symbols on the reel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each reel has one of the awards associated with said reel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each reel has one of the awards associated with said reel.

14. The method of claim 10, which includes providing an accumulated award to the player, the accumulated award based on awards associated with multiple reels in the plurality of reels and multiple activated activator symbols indicated on said multiple reels.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the plurality of said symbols upon the triggering event includes randomly generating the plurality of said symbols upon the triggering event.

16. The method of claim 10, including displaying a number of spins remaining in a game and enabling the player to initiate each of the spins until there are no spins remaining.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels and a plurality of different modifiers, each modifier individually associated with one of the paylines, wherein if the activator symbol generated on the reel is generated on one of the paylines, the award provided to the player is modified by the modifier associated with said payline.

18. The method of claim 10, which is controlled through a data network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data network is an internet.

20. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a first reel,

(ii) display a second reel a plurality of symbols on said reels, said symbols including a first activator symbol on said first reel and a second activator symbol on said second reel,

(iii) associate a first award with the first reel, wherein the first award is separate from any of the symbols on the first reel,

(iv) associate a second different award with said second reel, wherein the second different award is separate from of any of the symbols on the second reel,

(v) if the first activator symbol is generated on the first reel and said first activator symbol is activated, provide the first award to a player, and

(vi) if the second activator symbol is generated on the second reel and said second activator symbol is activated, provide the second award to the player.

21. The gaming device of claim 20, wherein if the first activator symbol is generated on the first reel, the first activator symbol is randomly generated on the first reel.

22. The gaming device of claim 20, which includes a first payline associated with the reels and a second different payline associated with the reels, a first modifier associated with the first payline and a second different modifier associated with the second payline, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, if one of the activator symbols generated on the reels is generated on one of the paylines, the award provided to the player is modified by the modifier associated with said payline.

23. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols including a first reel including a first activator symbol and a second reel including a second activator symbol;

associating a first award with the first reel, wherein the first award is separate from any of the symbols on the first reel;

associating a second different award with the second reel, wherein the second award is separate from any of the symbols on the second reel;

generating a plurality of said symbols upon a triggering event;

causing the at least one display device to display said generated symbols;

providing the first award to a player if the first activator symbol is generated on the first reel and said activator symbol is activated; and

providing the second award to the player if the second activator symbol is generated on the second reel.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the plurality of said symbols upon the triggering event includes randomly generating the plurality of said symbols upon the triggering event.

25. The method of claim 23, which includes a first payline associated with the reels and a second different payline associated with the reels, a first modifier associated with the first payline and a second different modifier associated with the second payline, wherein if the activator symbols generated on the reel is generated on one of the paylines, the award provided to the player is modified by the modifier associated with said payline.

26. The method of claim 23, which is controlled through a data network.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the data network is an internet.

28. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a plurality of reels, a plurality of symbols on the reels including a first activator symbol,

(ii) associate a plurality of different paylines with the reels;

(iii) individually associate a first plurality of awards with the reels, wherein each of the first plurality of awards is separate from any of the symbols on the reels,

(iv) individually associate a second plurality of awards with the paylines, and

(v) provide a first accumulated award to a player if the first activator symbol is generated on the reels, the first accumulated award being based on a first award from the first plurality of awards and a second award from the second plurality of awards.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein the first activator symbol is activated.

30. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein the first award is associated with a first reel in the plurality of reels and the first activator symbol is associated with the first reel.

31. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein the second award is associated with a first payline in the plurality of paylines and the first activator symbol is associated with the first payline.

32. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to determine the first accumulated award by multiplying the first award and the second award.

33. The gaming device of claim 28, which includes a second activator symbol.

34. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to provide a second accumulated award to the player when the second activator symbol is generated on the reels and the second activator symbol is activated, the second accumulated award being based on a third award from the first plurality of awards and a fourth award from the second plurality of awards.

35. The gaming device of claim 34, wherein the first award is different than the third award.

36. The gaming device of claim 34, wherein the first award is the third award.

37. The gaming device of claim 34, wherein the second award is different than the fourth award.

38. The gaming device of claim 34, wherein the second award is the fourth award.

39. The gaming device of claim 28, including a network connection, wherein the processor communicates with the reels via the network connection.

40. The gaming device of claim 39, wherein the network connection includes an internet connection.

41. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to include a number of spins of the plurality of reels in a game, and enable the player to initiate each of the spins until there are no spins remaining.

42. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels;

causing the at least one display device to display a plurality of symbols on the reels, the reels including a first activator symbol;

causing the at least one display device to display a plurality of paylines associated with the reels;

causing the at least one display device to display a first plurality of awards individually associated with the reels, wherein each of the first plurality of awards is separate from any of the symbols on the reels;

causing the at least one display device to display a second plurality of awards individually associated with the paylines; and

awarding a first accumulated award to a player when the first activator symbol is generated on the reels, the first accumulated award being based on a first award from the first plurality of awards and a second award from the second plurality of awards.

43. The method, of claim 42, wherein the first activator symbol is activated.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the first award is associated with a first reel in the plurality of reels and the first activator symbol is associated with the first reel.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the second award is associated with a first payline in the plurality of paylines and the first activator symbol is associated with the first payline.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the first accumulated award is determined by multiplying the first award and the second award.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the reels include a second activator symbol.

48. The method of claim 47, including awarding a second accumulated award to the player when the second activator symbol is generated on the reels and the second activator symbol is activated, the second accumulated award being based on a third award from the first plurality of awards and a fourth award from the second plurality of awards.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the first award is different than the third award.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the first award is the third award.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the second award is different than the fourth award.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the second award is the fourth award.

53. The method of claim 42, which is provided to the player through a data network.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the data network includes an internet.

55. The method of claim 42, which includes displaying a number of spins and allowing the player to initiate each of the spins until there are no spins remaining.

56. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(i) display a plurality of reels, a plurality of symbols on the reels, the symbols including an activator symbol, and

(ii) individually associate each of a plurality of awards with a different one of the reels, wherein each of the plurality of awards is separate from any of the symbols on the reels, and

(iii) if the activator symbol is generated on one of the reels having an associated award and the activator symbol is activated, provide the award associated with the reel to a player.

57. The gaming device of claim 56, wherein each reel has one of the awards associated with the reel.

58. The gaming device of claim 56, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to provide an accumulated award to the player, the accumulated award based on the awards associated with the reels.

59. The gaming device of claim 56, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to, if the activator symbol is generated on one of the reels, the activator symbol is randomly generated.

60. The gaming device of claim 56, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to include a number of spins of the plurality of reels in a game, and enable the player to initiate each of the spins until there are no spins remaining.

61. The gaming device of claim 56, which includes a plurality of different paylines associated with the reels and a plurality of different modifiers, each modifier individually associated with one of the paylines, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to if the activator symbol generated on the reel is generated on one of the paylines, modify any award provided to the player by the modifier associated with the payline.

62. The gaming device of claim 56, wherein the activator symbol is always activated.