Alphanumeric slot game system and method

• US 9,224,271 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LC Gaming, LLC
• Original Assignee: LC Gaming, LLC
• Inventors: Kadlec, Gary F., Sedoris, Craig R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/338,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 21, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A slot game and systems and methods for administering the slot game wherein the slot administrator defines game parameters that in turn define the contours of the slot game. Game play consists of wagers made on plays of alphanumeric combinations that a player tries to successfully match with the characters on spinning slot wheels.

Claims

1. A method of providing a slot game on a gaming device having a display device, a player interface device, a memory, and a storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

setting up the slot game in an initialization stage comprising the substeps of;

receiving a set of game parameters associated with the slot game;

receiving a target phrase comprising;

a plurality of characters derived from a set of available characters; and

a plurality of positions having a linear order, wherein each character corresponds to a position;

displaying the target phrase on the display device;

preparing a wheel for each position in the plurality of positions, comprising the substeps of;

generating an outcome set comprising a plurality of outcome characters comprising the plurality of characters in the target phrase in a random order; and

displaying the wheel on the display device wherein the wheel is populated with the outcome set;

determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage, comprising the substeps of;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to receipt of the spin signal; and

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result, until all wheels are in a stopped state and the total spin result is displayed comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

finalizing the slot game in a settlement stage, comprising the substeps of;

retrieving pay table information;

determining a reward by comparing the total spin result to the pay table information;

ending the slot game when the reward is null; and

dispensing the reward and ending the slot game when the reward is not null.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the target phrase is received via the player interface device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

after receiving the target phrase, parsing the target phrase for a match with a disallowed phrase in an exclusion list comprising a plurality of disallowed phrases;

displaying the target phrase on the display device when no match exists; and

displaying a request for a new target phrase on the display device when a match exists.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises a set of outcome parameters comprising one or more of a character set, a color set, and a wild character set; and

the outcome set further comprises characters defined by the set of outcome parameters or at least one character from the set of available characters that is not in the plurality of characters in the target phrase.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the set of outcome parameters further comprises a replacement Boolean.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises a set of gameplay parameters comprising a spin limit integer, wherein the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the set of gameplay parameters further comprising a reorder Boolean, wherein the reorder Boolean is true.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a reorder input via the player interface device;

changing the position to which a wheel corresponds for at least two wheels;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via a lever of the gaming device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to receipt of the spin signal; and

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result, until all wheels are in a stopped state and the total spin result is displayed comprising the spin results for all wheels.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises a set of gameplay parameters comprising a spin limit integer, wherein the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the set of gameplay parameters further comprising a reorder Boolean, wherein the reorder Boolean is true.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a reorder input via the player interface device;

changing the position to which a wheel corresponds for at least two wheels;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the target phrase is received via a network communications device of the gaming device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises a set of gameplay parameters comprising a spin limit integer, wherein the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

storing the spin results for all wheels on a first row in a total spin result array; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

subtracting 1 from the spin limit integer;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

storing the spin results for all wheels on a new row in the total spin result array;

determining whether the spin limit integer is greater than zero;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result array when the spin limit integer is not greater than zero; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the spin limit integer is greater than zero.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises a set of gameplay parameters comprising a time limit, wherein the time limit is a positive amount of time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

actuating a timer control to track an elapsed time;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

calculating a time remaining comprising the difference between the time limit and the elapsed time;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result when the time remaining is equal to or less than zero, the total spin result comprising the spin results for all wheels; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the time remaining is greater than zero.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining a total spin result in a gameplay stage comprises the substeps of:

actuating a timer control to track an elapsed time;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device;

displaying all wheels in a spinning state on the display device in response to the receipt of the spin signal;

displaying each wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

storing the spin results for all wheels on a first row in a total spin result array; and

initiating an additional spin, comprising the substeps of;

receiving a spin signal via the player interface device and a hold Boolean set to false for one or more wheels;

displaying all wheels for which the corresponding hold Boolean is false in a spinning state on the display device;

displaying each spinning wheel in a stopped state on the display device wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result;

storing the spin results for all wheels on a new row in the total spin result array;

calculating a time remaining comprising the difference between the time limit and the elapsed time;

storing in the memory of the gaming device the total spin result array when the time remaining is equal to or less than zero; and

repeating the substeps for initiating an additional spin when the time remaining is greater than zero.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the pay table information is retrieved in one or more of the following manners:

from the storage device of the gaming device;

from an external data source via a network communications device of the gaming device; and

from the processor of the gaming device wherein the processor calculates the pay table information based upon the game parameters and the target phrase.

23. A device for playing a slot game comprising:

a storage device comprising;

a set of game parameters associated with the slot game;

a set of available characters associated with the slot game;

one or more software routines; and

a pay table comprising pay table information;

a memory;

a display device;

a player interface device;

a processor in communication with the storage device, the memory, the display device and the player interface control, wherein the processor executes the one or more software routines configured to;

display a target phrase on the display device, the target phrase comprising;

a plurality of characters derived from the set of available characters; and

a plurality of positions having a linear order, wherein each character corresponds to a position;

prepare a wheel for each position in the plurality of positions by generating an outcome set comprising a plurality of outcome characters comprising the plurality of characters in the target phrase in a random order;

display each wheel on the display device wherein the wheel is populated with the outcome set;

display all wheels in a spinning state in response to a spin signal received from the player interface device;

display each wheel in a stopped state wherein an outcome character from the outcome set corresponding to the wheel is depicted as a spin result, wherein a total spin result is displayed comprising the spin results for all wheels;

determine a reward by comparing the total spin result, the target phrase, the pay table information, and the game parameters;

dispense the reward when the reward is not null; and

end the slot game.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the one or more software routines are further configured to:

generate the target phrase based on the set of available characters.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the one or more software routines are further configured to:

display a target phrase selection screen on the display device; and

receive the target phrase via the player interface device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein:

the storage device further comprises an exclusion list comprising a plurality of disallowed phrases; and

the one or more software routines are further configured to;

parse the target phrase for a match with a disallowed phrase in the exclusion list;

display the target phrase on the display device when no match exists; and

display a request for a new target phrase on the display device in connection with the target phrase selection screen when a match exists.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein:

the set of game parameters comprises one or more of an order Boolean, a set of color parameters, a set of wildcard parameters, a replacement Boolean, a spin limit integer, a time limit, and a reorder Boolean.

28. A method of administering a slot game played on a plurality of gaming devices, the method comprising the steps of:

initializing a slot game instance on a slot administration server comprising the substeps of;

retrieving a set of game parameters via a network communications device of the slot administration server, wherein the set of game parameters are associated with the slot game instance;

creating a jackpot record in a memory of the slot administration server; and

creating an outcomes record in the memory of the slot administration server;

receiving a participation signal from each of the gaming devices via the network communications device of the slot administration server;

receiving a set of wager parameters from each of the gaming devices via the network communications device of the slot administration server;

storing the set of wager parameters received from each of the gaming devices in the jackpot record;

transmitting a target phrase to the plurality of gaming devices via the network communications device of the slot administration server, the target phrase comprising;

a plurality of characters derived from a set of available characters; and

a plurality of positions having a linear order, wherein each character corresponds to a position;

generating a plurality of outcome characters at a processor of the slot administration server comprising the plurality of characters in the target phrase in a random order for each of the plurality of positions;

transmitting the plurality of outcome characters to the plurality of gaming devices via the network communications device of the slot administration server;

gathering a set of outcomes from the plurality of gaming devices comprising the substeps of;

receiving a total spin result from each gaming device in the plurality of gaming devices via the network communications device of the slot administration server; and

storing the total spin result for each gaming device in the plurality of gaming devices in the outcomes record; and

finalizing the slot game in a settlement stage, comprising the substeps of;

retrieving pay table information;

determining at least one reward at the processor of the slot administration server based on the outcomes record and pay table information; and

dispensing the at least one reward.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the target phrase is received via the network communications device of the slot administration server from a gaming device in the plurality of gaming devices.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the target phrase is generated at a processor of the slot administration server based on the set of available characters and the game parameters.