Gaming system and method for providing a cascading symbol game with shifting symbols in different directions between multiple symbol display position matrices

• US 9,460,587 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Saunders, Brian F., Nicely, Mark C., Zoltewicz, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US14/028,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20150080089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 including a cascading symbol game which utilizes a plurality of symbol display position matrices and a plurality of different directions of symbol movement. Each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions. At least one of the symbol display position matrices includes one or more symbol display positions linked to or otherwise associated with one or more symbol display positions of at least another of the symbol display position matrices. If the gaming system determines that one or more symbols will be repositioned from one or more symbol display positions of one symbol display position matrix to one or more linked symbol display positions of another symbol display position matrix, the gaming system determines a direction of movement of such symbols.

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,

(b) display one of a plurality of symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions of each of a plurality of symbol display position matrices, wherein;

(i) at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position matrices is linked to at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position matrices, and

(ii) the display of each of the symbols for each symbol display position matrix is independent from the display of any of the symbols for any of the other symbol display position matrices,

(c) for each symbol display position matrix;

(i) determine if any of the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions of said symbol display position matrix form any winning symbol combinations, and

(ii) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination,

(d) determine whether each displayed symbol qualifies to be removed,

(e) if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed;

(i) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, remove said symbol,

(ii) determine a repositioning direction from a plurality of different repositioning directions, said determination being based on at least one of any remaining displayed symbols, any created empty symbol display positions, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions, and an average expected payout associated with any of said plurality of different reposition directions,

(iii) reposition a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols in the determined repositioning direction, wherein;

(A) a first one of the repositioning directions is associated with repositioning any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices toward at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, and

(B) a second, different one of the repositioning directions is associated with repositioning any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices toward at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices,

(iv) for each created empty symbol display position, display one of the plurality of symbols, and

(v) repeat (c) to (e) at least once, 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 the repositioned quantity of any remaining displayed symbols is zero.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to repeat (c) to (e) until no symbols qualify to be removed.

4. 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 determine the repositioning direction based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one of any remaining displayed symbols from at least one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one of any remaining displayed symbols from at least one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one created empty symbol display position of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one created empty symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, an average expected payout associated with the first one of the repositioning directions, and an average expected payout associated with the second one of the repositioning directions.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if at least the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is empty and at least the first one of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices is empty, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices if the first one of the repositioning directions is determined, and

(ii) reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices if the second one of the repositioning directions is determined.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if at least the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is empty, and none of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices are empty, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to any empty symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices if the first one of the repositioning directions is determined, and

(ii) reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices if the second one of the repositioning directions is determined.

7. 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 enable a player to wager on a play of a game associated with each of the plurality of symbol display position matrices.

8. 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 enable a player to individually wager on a play of each of a plurality of games, each game being individually associated with one of the plurality of symbol display position matrices.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of 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, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display one of a plurality of symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions of each of a plurality of symbol display position matrices, wherein;

(i) at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position matrices is linked to at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position matrices, and

(ii) the display of each of the symbols for each symbol display position matrix is independent from the display of any of the symbols for any of the other symbol display position matrices,

(b) for each symbol display position matrix;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if any of the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions of said symbol display position matrix form any winning symbol combinations, and

(ii) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, causing the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any award displayed for any displayed winning symbol combination, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device,

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether each displayed symbol qualifies to be removed, and

(d) if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed;

(i) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove said symbol,

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a repositioning direction from a plurality of different repositioning directions, said determination being based on at least one of any remaining displayed symbols, any created empty symbol display positions, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions, and an average expected payout associated with any of said plurality of different reposition directions,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols in the determined repositioning direction, wherein;

(A) a first one of the repositioning directions is associated with repositioning any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices toward at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, and

(B) a second, different one of the repositioning directions is associated with repositioning any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices toward at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices,

(iv) for each created empty symbol display position, causing the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols, and

(v) repeating (b) to (d) at least once.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the repositioned quantity of any remaining displayed symbols is zero.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes, if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed, repeating (b) to (d) until no symbols qualify to be removed.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the repositioning direction based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one of any remaining displayed symbols from at least one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one of any remaining displayed symbols from at least one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one created empty symbol display position of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, at least one created empty symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices, a quantity of any created empty symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices, an average expected payout associated with the first one of the repositioning directions, and an average expected payout associated with the second one of the repositioning directions.

14. The method of claim 10, which includes, if at least the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is empty and at least the first one of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices is empty:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices if the first one of the repositioning directions is determined, and

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices if the second one of the repositioning directions is determined.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes if at least the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is empty, and none of the linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices are empty:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to any empty symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices if the first one of the repositioning directions is determined, and

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices to at least the first empty one of the linked symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices if the second one of the repositioning directions is determined.

16. The method of claim 10, which includes enabling a player to wager on a play of a game associated with each of the plurality of symbol display position matrices.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes enabling a player to individually wager on a play of each of a plurality of games, each game being individually associated with one of the plurality of symbol display position matrices.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of 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, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

19. The method of claim 10, which is executed through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.