Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a cascading symbols game having magnetic symbols and target symbols

• US 9,262,895 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Paulina, Hoffman, Benjamin C., Parker, Christmas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US14/177,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• 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 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• 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 displays one of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of symbol positions, at least one of the plurality of symbols being a target symbol for establishing a direction of shifting and at least one of the plurality of symbols being a magnetic symbol for shifting toward a target symbol. If any generated magnetic symbol is associated with a generated target symbol, the gaming system shifts that magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol, resulting in an empty symbol position. The gaming system fills the empty symbol position by shifting a displayed symbol or by generating one of the plurality symbols and repeats until no magnetic symbol is associated with a target symbol. The gaming system provides an award for any displayed winning symbol combination. The gaming system removes symbols from each winning combination, fills the empty symbol positions, and repeats as above.

Claims

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) display a plurality of symbol positions,

(c) display one of a plurality of symbols at each of the symbol positions,

(d) if a determination is to designate at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols as at least one magnetic symbol;

(i) select at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols,

(ii) designate each of the selected displayed symbols as magnetic symbols, and

(iii) if the displayed symbols include any designated magnetic symbols displayed in a predetermined relationship with any target symbols, for each of said displayed designated magnetic symbols;

(A) shift said designated magnetic symbol toward the related target symbol, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol position, and

(B) display one of the plurality of symbols at the displayed empty symbol position, and

(e) display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, wherein said credit balance is increasable based on any displayed awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, and

(f) 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 if the displayed symbols include at least one designated magnetic symbol not displayed in a predetermined relationship with any target symbols, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of said at least one designated magnetic symbol, not shift said designated magnetic symbol toward any target symbols.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each target symbol is predetermined independent of when the display of one of the plurality of symbols at each of the symbol positions occurs.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, if the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

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

(ii) display one of the plurality of symbols at each empty symbol position, and

(iii) repeat (d) to (e).

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of symbols is associated with a probability of being designated as a magnetic symbol and the determination to designate one of the displayed plurality of symbols as a magnetic symbol is based on the probability associated with said symbol.

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 transform any shifted designated magnetic symbol into another designated symbol following said shifting of said designated magnetic symbol.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the other designated symbol is a wild symbol.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, if determination is to designate at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols as at least one magnetic symbol, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly select said at least one symbol to designate as at least one magnetic symbol.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein any awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

10. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

(a) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of symbol positions,

(b) cause the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of symbols at each of the symbol positions,

(c) if a determination is to designate at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols as at least one magnetic symbol;

(i) select at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols,

(ii) designate each of the selected displayed symbols as magnetic symbols, and

(iii) if the displayed symbols include any designated magnetic symbols displayed in a predetermined relationship with any target symbols, for each of said displayed designated magnetic symbols;

(A) shift said designated magnetic symbol toward the related target symbol, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol position, and

(B) cause the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols at the displayed empty symbol position, and

(d) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any displayed awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device.

11. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the displayed symbols include at least one designated magnetic symbol not displayed in a predetermined relationship with any target symbols, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of said at least one designated magnetic symbol, not shift said designated magnetic symbol toward any target symbols.

12. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein each target symbol is predetermined independent of when the display of one of the plurality of symbols at each of the symbol positions occurs.

13. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, if the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

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

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols at each empty symbol position, and

(iii) repeat (c) to (d).

14. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of symbols is associated with a probability of being designated as a magnetic symbol and the determination to designate one of the displayed plurality of symbols as a magnetic symbol is based on the probability associated with said symbol.

15. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to transform any shifted designated magnetic symbol into another designated symbol following said shifting of said designated magnetic symbol.

16. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein the other designated symbol is a wild symbol.

17. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, if determination is to designate at least one of the displayed plurality of symbols as at least one magnetic symbol, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly select said at least one symbol to designate as at least one magnetic symbol.

18. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein any awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

19. The gaming system server of claim 10, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

20. The gaming system server of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.