Gaming system and method providing indication of notable symbols
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a housing;
at least one display device supported by the housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing 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 plurality of input devices to;
(a) if a first physical item associated with a first monetary value is received via the acceptor, wherein the first physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the first monetary value and a unit of currency, establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item;
(b) receive, via a wager button, an input corresponding to a wager, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager;
(c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol;
(d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least;
(i) a first sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols; and
(ii) a second sub-region adjacent to the first sub-region;
(e) indicate at least one payline corresponding to at least one of the first sub-region and the second sub-region;
(f) while the reel is spinning, determine whether the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region;
(g) if it was determined that the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region, cause a change of the spinning of the reel from the first speed to a different second speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first sub-region regardless of whether the at least one payline corresponds to the first sub-region or the second sub-region;
(h) continue the spinning of the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first sub-region toward the second sub-region;
(i) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs;
(j) determine whether an award condition is satisfied based on one or more of the displayed symbols; and
(k) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, initiate a payment associated with the credit balance.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The gaming device and method disclosed herein produces an indication of an appearance of a notable or designated symbol in a symbol display region while at least one reel is spinning. The indication continues while the notable symbol appears in the symbol display region and while the at least one reel is spinning. Different indications are produced for the different notable symbols when appearing in the symbol display region while the at least one reel is spinning.
279 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing; a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing 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 plurality of input devices to; (a) if a first physical item associated with a first monetary value is received via the acceptor, wherein the first physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the first monetary value and a unit of currency, establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item;(b) receive, via a wager button, an input corresponding to a wager, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least; (i) a first sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols; and (ii) a second sub-region adjacent to the first sub-region; (e) indicate at least one payline corresponding to at least one of the first sub-region and the second sub-region; (f) while the reel is spinning, determine whether the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region; (g) if it was determined that the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region, cause a change of the spinning of the reel from the first speed to a different second speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first sub-region regardless of whether the at least one payline corresponds to the first sub-region or the second sub-region; (h) continue the spinning of the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first sub-region toward the second sub-region; (i) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (j) determine whether an award condition is satisfied based on one or more of the displayed symbols; and (k) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, initiate a payment associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gaming system comprising:
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a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing; a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including an acceptor; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing 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 plurality of input devices to; (a) if a first physical item associated with a first monetary value is received via the acceptor, wherein the first physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the first monetary value and a unit of currency, establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item;(b) receive, via a wager button, an input corresponding to a wager, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having a plurality of sub-regions, each one of the sub-regions being one of; (i) an evaluation sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols; and (ii) a non-evaluation sub-region adjacent to the evaluation sub-region; (e) while the reel is spinning, determine when the designated symbol will initially appear at a first one of the sub-regions; (f) based on said determination, cause a change of the spinning of the reel from the first speed to a different second speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first one of the sub-regions and regardless of whether the first one of the sub-regions is the evaluation sub-region or the non-evaluation sub-region; (g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves from the first one of the sub-regions toward another sub-region; (h) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) determine whether an award condition is satisfied based on one or more of the symbols which are displayed stopped at the evaluation sub-regions; and (j) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, initiate a payment associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:
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(a) if a first physical item associated with a first monetary value is received via an acceptor, wherein the first physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the first monetary value and a unit of currency, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item;(b) receiving, via a wager button, an input corresponding to a wager, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least; (i) a first sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols; and (ii) a second sub-region being adjacent to the first sub-region; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to indicate at least one payline corresponding to at least one of the first sub-region and the second sub-region; (f) while the reel is spinning, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region; (g) if it was determined that the designated symbol will appear at the first sub-region, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause a change of the spinning of the reel from the first speed to a different second speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first sub-region regardless of whether the at least one payline corresponds to the first sub-region or the second sub-region; (h) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to continue the spinning of the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first sub-region toward the second sub-region; (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; and (j) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether an award condition is satisfied based on one or more of the displayed symbols; and (k) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to initiate a payment associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:
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(a) if a first physical item associated with a first monetary value is received via an acceptor, wherein the first physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the first monetary value and a unit of currency, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to establish a credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item;(b) receiving, via a wager button, an input corresponding to a wager, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having a plurality of sub-regions, each one of the sub-regions being one of; (i) an evaluation sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols; and (ii) a non-evaluation sub-region adjacent to the evaluation sub-region; (e) while the reel is spinning, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine when the designated symbol will initially appear at a first one of the sub-regions; (f) based on said determination, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause a change of the spinning of the reel from the first speed to a different second speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first one of the sub-regions and regardless of whether the first one of the sub-regions is the evaluation sub-region or the non-evaluation sub-region; (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves from the first one of the sub-regions and toward another sub-region; (h) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether an award condition is satisfied based on one or more of the symbols which are displayed stopped at the evaluation sub-regions; and (j) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to initiate a payment associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification