Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a cascading symbols game having magnetic symbols and target symbols

• US 8,662,986 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Paulina, Hoffman, Benjamin C., Parker, Christmas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US12/270,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20100120507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/21
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• 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 system displays one of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of symbol positions, at least one of the plurality of symbols being a target symbol for establishing a direction of shifting and at least one of the plurality of symbols being a magnetic symbol for shifting toward a target symbol. If any generated magnetic symbol is associated with a generated target symbol, the gaming system shifts that magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol, resulting in an empty symbol position. The gaming system fills the empty symbol position by shifting a displayed symbol or by generating one of the plurality symbols and repeats until no magnetic symbol is associated with a target symbol. The gaming system provides an award for any displayed winning symbol combination. The gaming system removes symbols from each winning combination, fills the empty symbol positions, and repeats as above.

Claims

1. A gaming system 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for each play of a game, to;

(a) display a plurality of symbol positions,

(b) generate and display one of a plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions, the plurality of symbols including at least one predetermined target symbol and at least one predetermined magnetic symbol, wherein said at least one target symbol and said at least one magnetic symbol are each predetermined independent of when the generation and display of one of the plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions occurs,

(c) if and because the generated and displayed symbols include a first designated number of the magnetic symbols displayed in a designated spatial relationship with a second designated number of the target symbols, said first designated number being at least one and said second designated number being at least one, for each such displayed magnetic symbol;

(i) shift said magnetic symbol toward the spatially related target symbol based on the designated spatial relationship, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol position, and

(ii) generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in the displayed empty symbol position, and

(d) if the generated and displayed symbols include the first designated number of the magnetic symbols and the second designated number of the target symbols and said first designated number of magnetic symbols are not displayed in the designated spatial relationship with said second designated number of target symbols, not shift said magnetic symbols toward the target symbols,

(e) thereafter, if any winning symbol combination is displayed;

(i) display and provide an award for each displayed winning symbol combination,

(ii) remove at least one symbol from at least one displayed winning symbol combination,

(iii) generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in each empty symbol position, and

(iv) repeat (c) and (e).

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device to repeat at least (c)(i) at least once after (c)(ii) and prior to (e).

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in each of the plurality of symbol positions based on a plurality of reel strips, at least one of the reel strips including at least two adjacent target symbols.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to display the plurality of symbol positions as a matrix of symbol positions.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the designated spatial relationship includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

being in a same row of the matrix of symbol positions, being in a same column of the matrix of symbol positions, and being along a same one of a plurality of paylines.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein shifting said magnetic symbol toward said spatially related target symbol includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

shifting said magnetic symbol within a same row of the matrix of symbol positions toward said target symbol, shifting said magnetic symbol within a same column of the matrix of symbol positions toward said target symbol, and shifting said magnetic symbol along one of a plurality of paylines toward said target symbol.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device to shift each displayed magnetic symbol toward the spatially related target symbol until the magnetic symbol is adjacent to either (a) said spatially related target symbol or (b) a different magnetic symbol.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to transform any shifted magnetic symbol into a designated symbol following shifting of said shifted magnetic symbol.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the designated symbol is a wild symbol.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the designated symbol is the target symbol.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in any empty symbol position by:

(1) for each empty symbol position having a displayed symbol above said empty symbol position, shifting said displayed symbol downward into that empty symbol position, resulting in a different empty symbol position, and repeating (1), and

(2) generating and displaying one of the plurality of symbols in any remaining empty symbol position.

12. A gaming system 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for each play of a game, to;

(a) display a matrix of symbol positions including a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions,

(b) generate and display one of a plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix, the plurality of symbols including at least one predetermined target symbol and at least one predetermined magnetic symbol, wherein said at least one target symbol and said at least one magnetic symbol are each predetermined independent of when the generation and display of one of the plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix occurs,

(c) if and because the generated and displayed symbols include a first designated number of the magnetic symbols displayed in a designated spatial relationship with a second designated number of the target symbols, said first designated number being at least one and said second designated number being at least one;

(i) for each displayed magnetic symbol which is displayed in said designated spatial relationship;

(A) determine whether any symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said spatially related target symbol, and

(B) if at least one symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said spatially related target symbol;

 

(1) shift said magnetic symbol toward the spatially related target symbol into a symbol position adjacent to said spatially related target symbol, the shifting resulting in an empty symbol position,

 

(2) for each empty symbol position having a displayed symbol above said empty symbol position, shift said displayed symbol downward into that empty symbol position, resulting in a different empty symbol position, and repeat (2), and

 

(3) generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in any empty symbol position, and

(ii) repeat (c), and

(d) if the generated and displayed symbols include the first designated number of the magnetic symbols and the second designated number of the target symbols and said first designated number of magnetic symbols are not displayed in the designated spatial relationship with said second designated number of target symbols, not shift said magnetic symbols toward the target symbols,

(e) thereafter display and provide an award for any displayed winning symbol combination.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein after (e), if any winning symbol combination is displayed, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to:

(i) remove at least one symbol from at least one displayed winning symbol combination,

(ii) for each empty symbol position having a displayed symbol above said empty symbol position, shift said displayed symbol downward into the empty symbol position, resulting in a different empty symbol position, and repeat (ii),

(iii) generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in each empty symbol position, and

(iv) repeat (c).

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in each of the plurality of symbol positions based on a plurality of reel strips associated with the plurality of columns of the symbol matrix, at least one of the reel strips including at least two adjacent target symbols.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the designated spatial relationship includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

being in a same row of the matrix of symbol positions, being in a same column of the matrix of symbol positions, and being along a same one of a plurality of paylines.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein shifting said magnetic symbol toward said spatially related target symbol includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

shifting said magnetic symbol within a same row of the matrix of symbol positions toward said target symbol, shifting said magnetic symbol within a same column of the matrix of symbol positions toward said target symbol, and shifting said magnetic symbol along one of a plurality of paylines toward said target symbol.

17. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device, after shifting said magnetic symbol into a symbol position adjacent to said spatially related target symbol, to transform the shifted magnetic symbol into a designated symbol.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the designated symbol is a wild symbol.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the designated symbol is the target symbol.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device and the at least one display device to interpret the designated symbol as a wild symbol to determine if any winning symbol combination is displayed.