Gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method for shifting symbols from a staging area to a symbol matrix

• US 9,202,339 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Ching, Erick T., Menesini, Benjamin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US13/892,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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 displays a symbol matrix including a plurality of symbol positions and at least two symbol staging areas, each symbol staging area including at least one supplemental symbol potentially shiftable into the symbol matrix. The gaming device displays a symbol staging area indicator. For a play of a game, the gaming device generates a symbol in each symbol position of the symbol matrix. Upon an occurrence of a triggering condition, the gaming device indicates one of the symbol staging areas using the symbol staging area indicator and removes at least one symbol from at least one symbol position of the symbol matrix. The gaming device re-populates the empty symbol positions by shifting any appropriate symbols of the symbol matrix any appropriate empty symbol positions, and thereafter shifting at least one supplemental symbol from the indicated symbol staging area into at least one remaining empty symbol position.

Claims

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, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency;

(b) display a symbol matrix including a plurality of symbol positions and at least one symbol staging area including a plurality of supplemental symbol positions;

(c) at each of the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix and at each of the plurality of supplemental symbol positions of each symbol staging area, display a randomly generated symbol selected from a plurality of symbols, wherein the generation of symbols for the symbol matrix is independent of the generation of symbols for the at least one symbol staging area;

(d) determine if the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations;

(e) provide an award to a player based on any generated winning symbol combinations;

(f) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix;

(i) remove at least one symbol from the symbol matrix, resulting in at least one empty symbol position,

(ii) for each empty symbol position;

(A) shift one of the supplemental symbols of the at least one symbol staging area to cause any empty symbol position to be filled, wherein prior to be shifted from the at least one symbol staging area, no determination occurs of whether said supplemental symbol is part of any winning symbol combination, and

(B) generate a new supplemental symbol in the at least one symbol staging area, and

(iii) repeat (d) to (f) at least once; and

(g) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to fill any empty symbol position by:

shifting at least one displayed symbol displayed at at least one of the symbol positions of the symbol matrix into said empty symbol position, said shifting resulting in at least one shift-caused empty symbol position,

shifting at least one of the supplemental symbols displayed at at least one of the supplemental symbol positions into the at least one shift-caused empty symbol position, and

displaying at least one randomly generated supplemental symbol in the at least one symbol staging area.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one symbol staging area is associated with an order, and wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to shift one of the supplemental symbols of the at least one symbol staging area into the symbol matrix according to an order.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor, if a winning symbol combination is displayed in the symbol matrix, to randomly indicate one of at least two symbol staging areas using a symbol staging area indicator.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly indicate one of the at least two symbol staging areas for each winning symbol combination displayed in the symbol matrix.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each symbol staging area includes at least two sub-staging areas, each sub-staging area associated with one of a plurality of different subsets of the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix, and wherein said supplemental symbols are shifted into each empty symbol position from one of the sub-staging areas associated with the different subset of the plurality of symbol positions which includes that empty symbol position.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display a plurality of randomly generated symbols at a plurality of the symbol positions of the symbol matrix based on a first symbol map and to display a plurality of randomly generated symbols at a plurality of the supplemental symbol positions of the at least one symbol staging area based on a different second symbol map.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor, for at least one supplemental symbol position of the at least one symbol staging area, to randomly generate at least one symbol based on the second symbol map which is not available based on the first symbol map.

9. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency;

(b) display a symbol matrix, said symbol matrix including a plurality of symbol positions;

(c) display at least one symbol staging area;

(d) for a first play of a game;

(i) display a randomly generated one of a plurality of symbols at each symbol position of the symbol matrix,

(ii) display a randomly generated plurality of supplemental symbols in the at least one symbol staging area,

(iii) determine if any winning symbol combination is displayed at the symbol positions of the symbol matrix,

(iv) if any winning symbol combination is displayed at the symbol positions of in the symbol matrix;

(A) remove at least one symbol from the symbol matrix based on said displayed winning symbol combination, resulting in at least one empty symbol position, and

(B) shift at least one supplemental symbol displayed in the at least one symbol staging area to fill the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix, wherein prior to be shifted from the at least one symbol staging area, no determination occurs of whether said supplemental symbol is part of any winning symbol combination, and

(v) provide an award for any winning symbol combination displayed during the first play of the game; and

(e) for a second, subsequent play of the game;

(i) display a randomly generated one of a plurality of symbols at each symbol position of the symbol matrix,

(ii) determine if any winning symbol combination is displayed at the symbol positions of the symbol matrix,

(iii) if any winning symbol combination is displayed at the symbol positions of the symbol matrix;

(A) remove at least one symbol from the symbol matrix based on said displayed winning symbol combination, resulting in at least one empty symbol position, and

(B) shift at least one supplemental symbol generated and displayed in the at least one symbol staging area for the first play of the game to fill the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix, wherein prior to be shifted from the at least one symbol staging area, no determination occurs of whether said supplemental symbol is part of any winning symbol combination, and

(iv) provide an award for any winning symbol combination displayed during the second play of the game; and

(f) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(a) display a plurality of symbol staging areas;

(b) display at least one symbol staging area indicator;

(c) for the first play of the game;

(i) indicate one of the symbol staging areas with the symbol staging area indicator, and

(ii) shift the at least one supplemental symbol from the indicated symbol staging area to the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix; and

(d) for the second play of the game, shift the at least one supplemental symbol from the indicated symbol staging area to the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly indicate one of the at least one symbol staging areas.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(a) display a plurality of symbol staging areas;

(b) display at least one symbol staging area indicator;

(c) for the first play of the game;

(i) indicate a first one of the symbol staging areas with the symbol staging area indicator, and

(ii) shift the at least one supplemental symbol from the first indicated symbol staging area to the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix; and

(d) for the second play of the game;

(i) indicate a second one of the symbol staging areas with the symbol staging area indicator, and

(ii) shift the at least one supplemental symbol from the second indicated symbol staging area to the at least one empty symbol position of the symbol matrix.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly indicate one of the first one symbol staging area and to randomly indicate the second symbol staging area.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first symbol staging area and the second symbol staging area are a same symbol staging area.

15. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input device supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency;

(b) display a symbol matrix including a plurality of symbol positions and at least one symbol staging area including a plurality of supplemental symbol positions;

(c) at each of the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix and at each of the plurality of supplemental symbol positions of each symbol staging area, display a randomly generated symbol selected from a plurality of symbols, wherein the generation of symbols for the symbol matrix is independent of the generation of symbols for the at least one symbol staging area;

(d) determine if the displayed-symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations;

(e) provide an award to a player based on any formed winning symbol combinations;

(f) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix;

(i) remove at least one symbol from the symbol matrix, resulting in at least one empty symbol position,

(ii) for each empty symbol position, shift one of the supplemental symbols of the at least one symbol staging area to cause any empty symbol position to be filled, wherein prior to be shifted from the at least one symbol staging area, no determination occurs of whether said supplemental symbol is part of any winning symbol combination, and

(g) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to repeat (d) to (f) at least once.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to fill any empty symbol position by:

shifting at least one symbol displayed at at least one symbol position of the symbol matrix into said empty symbol position, said shifting resulting in at least one shift-caused empty symbol position, and

shifting at least one of the supplemental symbols into the at least one shift-caused empty symbol position.

18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor, if a winning symbol combination is displayed in the symbol matrix, to randomly indicate one of at least two symbol staging areas using a symbol staging area indicator.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein each symbol staging area includes at least two sub-staging areas, each sub-staging area associated with one of a plurality of different subsets of the plurality of symbol positions of the symbol matrix, and wherein said supplemental symbols are shifted into each empty symbol position from one of the sub-staging areas associated with the different subset of the plurality of symbol positions which includes that empty symbol position.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display a plurality of randomly generated symbols at a plurality of the symbol display positions of the symbol matrix based on a first symbol map and to display a plurality of randomly generated symbols at a plurality of the supplemental symbol positions of the at least one symbol staging area based on a different second symbol map.