Gaming system and method for providing a multiple dimension cascading symbols game
First Claim
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a 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 display device supported by the housing;
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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device 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;
(b) 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) a plurality of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to a plurality of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth, and(iii) said plurality of generated symbols include at least one active designated symbol, said at least one active designated symbol being associated with an initial indicated quantity, said initial indicated quantity being greater than one;
(c) display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein;
(i) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are initially displayed, and(ii) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are not initially displayed;
(d) determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations;
(e) 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 of any displayed non-designated symbols from the at least one displayed winning symbol combination,(iii) for at least one of any displayed designated symbols from the at least one winning symbol combination;
(A) modify the indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol,(B) determine whether said designated symbol is inactive, said determination being based, at least in part, on the modified indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol,(C) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be inactive, remove said inactive displayed designated symbol, and(D) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be active, continue displaying said active displayed designated symbol;
(iv) for each removed symbol, create an empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said empty symbol display position is created in association of at least one of;
(A) the removal of the symbol, and(B) a repositioning of 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, and(v) 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
(f) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
377 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a 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 display device supported by the housing; 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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device 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; (b) 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) a plurality of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to a plurality of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth, and (iii) said plurality of generated symbols include at least one active designated symbol, said at least one active designated symbol being associated with an initial indicated quantity, said initial indicated quantity being greater than one; (c) display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein; (i) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are initially displayed, and (ii) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are not initially displayed; (d) determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations; (e) 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 of any displayed non-designated symbols from the at least one displayed winning symbol combination, (iii) for at least one of any displayed designated symbols from the at least one winning symbol combination; (A) modify the indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol, (B) determine whether said designated symbol is inactive, said determination being based, at least in part, on the modified indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol, (C) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be inactive, remove said inactive displayed designated symbol, and (D) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be active, continue displaying said active displayed designated symbol; (iv) for each removed symbol, create an empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said empty symbol display position is created in association of at least one of; (A) the removal of the symbol, and (B) a repositioning of 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, and (v) 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 (f) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A gaming system comprising:
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a 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 display device supported by the housing; 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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to, for a play of a game; (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; (b) 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, and (ii) a plurality of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to a plurality of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth; (c) display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein; a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are initially displayed, and (ii) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are not initially displayed; (d) determine if any award is associated with the displayed symbols, said determination being based on a comparison of the displayed symbols to a plurality of stored symbols, said stored symbol being symbols previously generated and previously displayed in association with a previous play of the game; (e) if the determination is an award is associated with the displayed symbols; (i) display the award associated with the displayed symbols, (ii) remove at least one displayed symbol, (iii) for each removed symbol, create an empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said empty symbol display position is created in association of at least one of; (A) the removal of the symbol, and (B) a repositioning of 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, and (iv) 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 (f) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(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) a plurality of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to a plurality of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position grids associated with a second, different depth, and (iii) said plurality of generated symbols includes at least one active designated symbol, said at least one active designated symbol being associated with an initial indicated quantity, said initial indicated quantity being greater than one; (b) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of the generated symbols, wherein; (i) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are initially displayed, and (ii) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are 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, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the displayed award for each displayed winning symbol combination, said credit balance is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance is decreasable via a cashout device, (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove at least one of any displayed non-designated symbols from the at least one displayed winning symbol combination, (iii) for at least one of any displayed designated symbols from the at least one winning symbol combination; (A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol, (B) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said designated symbol is inactive, said determination being based, at least in part, on the modified indicated quantity associated with said displayed designated symbol, (C) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be inactive, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove said inactive displayed designated symbol, and (D) if said displayed designated symbol is determined to be active, causing the at least one display device to continue displaying said active displayed designated symbol; (iv) for each removed symbol, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to create an empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said empty symbol display position is created in association of at least one of; (A) the removal of the symbol, and (B) a repositioning of 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, and (v) 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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a gaming system, for a play of a game, said method comprising:
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(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, and (ii) a plurality of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position grids associated with a first depth correspond to a plurality 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) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are initially displayed, and (ii) a plurality of the symbols generated at a plurality of the symbol display positions of at least one of the symbol display position grids are not initially displayed; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if any award is associated with the displayed symbols, said determination being based on a comparison of the displayed symbols to a plurality of stored symbols, said stored symbol being symbols previously generated and previously displayed in association with a previous play of the game; and (d) if the determination is an award is associated with the displayed symbols; (i) causing the at least one display device to display the award associated with the displayed symbols, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the displayed award associated with the displayed symbols, said credit balance is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance is decreasable via a cashout device, (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove at least one displayed symbol, (iii) for each removed symbol, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to create an empty symbol display position of the symbol display position grid of the removed symbol, wherein said empty symbol display position is created in association of at least one of; (A) the removal of the symbol, and (B) a repositioning of 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, and (iv) 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. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification