Gaming system and method for providing a multiple dimension cascading symbols game

• US 8,690,660 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2013
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Saunders, Brian F., Caputo, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/856,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/32, 463/33
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 system including a cascading symbol game which utilizes a plurality of adjacent symbol display position grids arranged at different depths. The multiple symbol display position grids at different depths provides that one or more of the symbols of at least a first symbol display position grid at a first depth are displayed to a player while one or more of the symbols of at least a second symbol display position grid at a second depth are not displayed to the player. When one or more symbols are removed from the first symbol display position grid at the first depth, before and/or after shifting the remaining displayed symbols from the first symbol display position grid into created empty symbol display positions of the first symbol display position grid, one or more symbols from the second symbol display position grid at the second depth become exposed.

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 to;

(a) generate one of a plurality of different symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions of each of a plurality of symbol display position grids, wherein;

(i) each symbol display position grid is associated with a different depth,

(ii) the plurality of symbol display positions of each of the symbol display position grids form at least three columns and at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row, and

(iii) at least one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to at least one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth;

(b) display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein;

(i) at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of a plurality of the symbol display position grids of different depths are initially displayed, and

(ii) at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids is not initially displayed;

(c) determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations; and

(d) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination;

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

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

(iii) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol display positions of any of the symbol display position grids, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol display positions of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol to create at least one empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, and

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol display positions of any of the symbol display position grids, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol display positions of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol to create at least one empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

for each created empty symbol display position, display one of the symbols generated at one of the symbol display positions of one of the symbol display position grids different than the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said symbol is generated at one of the symbol display positions corresponding to the symbol display position of the removed symbol, and

repeat (c) to (d) at least once.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine if any of the symbols displayed along any paylines form any winning symbol combinations, wherein at least one of the paylines is associated with at least two symbol display positions of at least two symbol display position grids of at least two different depths.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the symbol display positions of at least two symbol display position grids of at least two different depths are each associated with a different reel having a different plurality of symbols.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions in association with a plurality of unisymbol reels.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position grids from a first plurality of symbols, and (ii) generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position grids from a second, different plurality of symbols.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to repeat (c) to (d) at least once wherein at least one repeat of (c) to (d) is associated with a generation of a symbol at a symbol display position of an additional symbol display position grid of a different depth than the depth of the plurality of symbol display position grids.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

determine if any of the symbols displayed along any paylines form any winning symbol combinations, and

add at least one payline in association with the removal of at least one of the symbols.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate one of the plurality of symbols for at least one of the created empty symbol display positions if no symbols remain at any symbol display positions corresponding to the at least one created empty symbol display position.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate one of a plurality of different symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions of each of a plurality of symbol display position grids, wherein;

(i) each symbol display position grid is associated with a different depth,

(ii) the plurality of symbol display positions of each of the symbol display position grids form at least three columns and at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row, and

(iii) at least one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to at least one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth;

(b) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein;

(i) at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of a plurality of the symbol display position grids of different depths are initially displayed, and

(ii) at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids is not initially displayed;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations; and

(d) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display an award for each displayed winning symbol combination,

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove at least one displayed symbol from at least one displayed winning symbol combination,

(iii) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol display positions of any of the symbol display position grids, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol display positions of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol to create at least one empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, and

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol display positions of any of the symbol display position grids, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol display positions of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol to create at least one empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes:

for each created empty symbol display position, causing the at least one display device to display one of the symbols generated at one of the symbol display positions of one of the symbol display position grids different than the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said symbol is generated at one of the symbol display positions corresponding to the symbol display position of the removed symbol, and

repeating (c) to (d) at least once.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if any of the symbols displayed along any paylines form any winning symbol combinations, wherein at least one of the paylines is associated with at least two symbol display positions of at least two symbol display position grids of at least two different depths.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least two of the symbol display positions of at least two symbol display position grids of at least two different depths are each associated with a different reel having a different plurality of symbols.

14. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions in association with a plurality of unisymbol reels.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position grids from a first plurality of symbols, and (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate the plurality of symbols at each of the plurality of symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position grids from a second, different plurality of symbols.

16. The method of claim 10, which includes repeating (c) to (d) at least once wherein at least one repeat of (c) to (d) is associated with causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate a symbol at a symbol display position of an additional symbol display position grid of a different depth than the depth of the plurality of symbol display position grids.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if any of the symbols displayed along any paylines form any winning symbol combinations, and

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to add at least one payline in association with the removal of at least one of the symbols.

18. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate one of the plurality of symbols for at least one of the created empty symbol display positions if no symbols remain at any symbol display positions corresponding to the at least one created empty symbol display position.

19. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

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