Slot machine game with symbol lock-in

• US 9,520,031 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Games Global Operations Limited
• Original Assignee: Etasse Limited
• Inventors: Brito, Melisa
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weatherford, Syvila
• Application Number:
  US12/168,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,081 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding

Abstract

A slot machine game that allows a player to lock in particular symbol(s) after playing a game. If the player prefers one or more particular symbols to remain in position after a spin, the player can indicate to the slot machine the desire to lock in the particular symbols, wherein the player will have to pay a price for the ability to have those symbols locked in for a next spin. Then, the player places another wager and spins the reels while the particular symbols remain unchanged.

Claims

1. A method to play a slot machine game, the method comprising:

receiving an initial wager at an electronic gaming machine that comprises a processing unit, an input device, an output device, a dispenser, and a financial apparatus;

determining, by the processing unit, symbols randomly for displaying a first result in a grid;

displaying, by the output device, the first result in the grid, wherein the grid comprises multiple symbol positions including at least a first symbol position and a second symbol position at different locations in the grid, and wherein displaying the first result includes displaying a symbol at each respective symbol position in the grid;

paying, via the dispenser, any award earned on the initial wager based on the first result;

receiving, by the input device, a user-selection of a first symbol, displayed at the first symbol position for the first result, to be a first lock-in symbol maintained within the grid as part of a second result in the grid, and a user-selection of the second symbol position at which the first symbol will be displayed as the first lock-in symbol maintained within the grid as part of the second result;

receiving, at the financial apparatus, a second wager and a lock-in price based on positioning the first lock-in symbol at the second symbol position;

determining, by the processing unit, symbols randomly for displaying the second result in the grid, but maintaining the first lock-in symbol as part of the second result;

displaying, by the output device, the second result in the grid, wherein displaying the second result includes displaying the first lock-in symbol in the grid at the second symbol position and displaying the symbols randomly determined for displaying the second result in the grid at the other symbol positions in the grid; and

paying, via the dispenser, any award earned on the second wager based on the second result,

wherein a number of symbols displayed in the grid when the first result is displayed equals a number of symbols displayed in the grid when the second result is displayed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

after determining symbols randomly for displaying the first result in the grid, displaying respective lock-in prices for symbols on the grid.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the user-selection of the first symbol, displayed at the first symbol position for the first result, updating respective lock-in prices for symbols on the grid for another lock-in symbol, reflecting that the first lock-in symbol is already locked in.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the first lock-in symbol as a lock-in symbol after determining symbols randomly for displaying the second result in the grid.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein all symbols in the grid spin on their own independent reel.

6. The method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the grid includes multiple columns, and

wherein each column in the grid is an independently spinnable reel.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving, by the processing unit, the user-selection of the first symbol, displayed at the first symbol position for the first result, receiving, by the processing unit, a selection of a second symbol from the first result to change a status of the second symbol from a non-locked-in symbol status to a locked-in symbol status, displaying a lock-in price associated with the second symbol, and changing the status of the second symbol back to the non-locked-in symbol status.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing unit, a user-selection of a second symbol from the first result to be a second lock-in symbol, wherein the lock-in price accounts for respective lock-in prices associated with the first lock-in symbol and the second lock-in symbol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processing unit, that a combination of selected lock-in symbols formed a winning combination for the first result displayed in the grid and preventing payment of an award for that same winning combination appearing in the second result in the grid.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a respective lock-in price at each symbol position in the grid while the grid displays the first result before the user-selection of the first symbol is received; and

displaying a respective updated lock-in price at one or more symbol positions in the grid while the grid displays the first result after the user-selection of the first position and the user-selection of the second symbol position are received,

wherein each updated lock-in price is greater than the lock-in price displayed at a respective symbol position while the grid displays the first result before the user-selection of the first symbol is received.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing unit, a user-selection of a third symbol, displayed at a third symbol position in the grid for the first result, to be a second lock-in symbol to be maintained within the grid as part of the second result in the grid,

wherein displaying the second result in the grid further includes displaying the second lock-in symbol at the third symbol position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial apparatus accepts payments at least in the form of currency.

19. The method as recited in claim 6,

wherein the first lock-in symbol is at a particular position within a particular column of the grid, and

wherein displaying the second result in the grid includes superimposing the first lock-in symbol over another symbol on a reel, that includes the first lock-in symbol and the other symbol, when the other symbol is positioned at the particular position within the particular column of the grid after that reel stops spinning.

13. An electronic gaming machine to play a slot machine game, the electronic gaming machine comprising:

a financial apparatus;

a dispenser;

a processing unit;

an input device;

an output device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable program, that when executed by the processing unit, cause a set of functions to be performed by the electronic gaming machine, the set of functions comprising;

receiving an initial wager;

determining symbols randomly for displaying a first result in a grid;

displaying, by the output device, the first result in the grid, wherein the grid comprises multiple symbol positions including at least a first symbol position and a second symbol position at different locations in the grid, and wherein displaying the first result includes displaying a symbol at each respective symbol position in the grid;

paying, via the dispenser, any award earned on the initial wager based on the first result;

receiving, by the input device, a user-selection of a first symbol, displayed at the first symbol position for the first result, to be a first lock-in symbol maintained within the grid as part of a second result in the grid, and a user-selection of the second symbol position at which the first symbol will be displayed as the first lock-in symbol maintained within the grid as part of the second result;

receiving, at the financial apparatus, a second wager and a lock-in price based on positioning the first lock-in symbol at the second symbol position;

determining symbols randomly for displaying the second result in the grid, but maintaining the first lock-in symbol as part of the second result;

displaying, by the output device, the second result in the grid, wherein displaying the second result includes displaying the first lock-in symbol in the grid at the second symbol position and displaying the symbols randomly determined for displaying the second result in the grid at the other symbol positions in the grid; and

paying, via the dispenser, any award earned on the second wager based on the second result; and

wherein a number of symbols displayed in the grid when the first result is displayed equals a number of symbols displayed in the grid when the second result is displayed.

14. The electronic gaming machine as recited in claim 13,

wherein the set of functions further comprises, after determining symbols randomly for displaying the first result in the grid, providing lock-in prices to the output device for displaying respective lock-in prices for the symbols on the grid.

15. The electronic gaming machine as recited in claim 13,

wherein the set of functions further comprises, after receiving the user-selection of the first symbol, displayed at the first symbol position for the first result, updating respective lock-in prices for symbols on the grid reflecting that the first lock-in symbol is already locked in.

16. The electronic gaming machine as recited in claim 13,

wherein the set of functions further comprises maintaining the first lock-in symbol as a lock-in symbol after determining symbols randomly for displaying the second result in the grid.

17. The electronic gaming machine as recited in claim 13, wherein all symbols in the grid spin on their own independent reel.

18. The electronic gaming machine as recited in claim 13,

wherein the grid includes multiple columns, and

wherein each column in the grid is an independently spinnable reel.

20. The electronic gaming machine of claim 13,

wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a user-selection of a third symbol, displayed at a third symbol position in the grid for the first result, to be a second lock-in symbol to be maintained within the grid as part of the second result in the grid,

wherein displaying the second result in the grid further includes displaying the second lock-in symbol at the third symbol position.

21. The electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein determining symbols randomly for displaying the second result in the grid includes determining a symbol for each symbol position of the multiple symbol positions except any symbol position at which a lock-in symbol was selected to be displayed for the second result.

22. The electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the financial apparatus accepts payments at least in the form of currency, and wherein the dispenser provides payments at least in the form of coins.