Gaming system and method providing indication of notable symbols
First Claim
Patent Images
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 and including an acceptor;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, 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) establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value of currency after the acceptor receives the currency;
(b) place a wager after an actuation of a wager button is received, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager;
(c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol;
(d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least a first region configured to reveal one of the symbols and a second region adjacent to the first region;
(e) while the reel is spinning, determine whether the designated symbol will appear at the first region;
(f) if the designated symbol will appear at the first region, change the reel from spinning at the first speed to spinning at a second speed different from the first speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first region;
(g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first region toward the second region and when the designated symbol is no longer displayed in the symbol display region, display the reel spinning at the first speed;
(h) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs;
(i) determine any awards based on one or more of the displayed symbols, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and
(j) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The gaming device and method disclosed herein produces an indication of an appearance of a notable or designated symbol in a symbol display region while at least one reel is spinning. The indication continues while the notable symbol appears in the symbol display region and while the at least one reel is spinning. Different indications are produced for the different notable symbols when appearing in the symbol display region while the at least one reel is spinning.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing; a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, 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) establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value of currency after the acceptor receives the currency; (b) place a wager after an actuation of a wager button is received, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least a first region configured to reveal one of the symbols and a second region adjacent to the first region; (e) while the reel is spinning, determine whether the designated symbol will appear at the first region; (f) if the designated symbol will appear at the first region, change the reel from spinning at the first speed to spinning at a second speed different from the first speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first region; (g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first region toward the second region and when the designated symbol is no longer displayed in the symbol display region, display the reel spinning at the first speed; (h) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) determine any awards based on one or more of the displayed symbols, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and (j) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A gaming system comprising:
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a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing; a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, 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) establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value of currency after the acceptor receives the currency; (b) place a wager after an actuation of a wager button is received, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) display a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) display part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having a plurality of sub-regions, each one of the sub-regions being one of;
(1) an evaluation sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols, and (2) a non-evaluation sub-region adjacent to the evaluation sub-region;(e) while the reel is spinning, determine when the designated symbol will initially appear at a first one of the sub-regions; (f) based on said determination, change the reel from spinning at the first speed to spinning at a second speed different from the first speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first one of the sub-regions; (g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves from the first one of the sub-regions toward another sub-region and when the designated symbol is no longer displayed in the symbol display region, display the reel spinning at the first speed; (h) display the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) determine any awards based on one or more of the displayed symbols, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and (j) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) establishing, by at least one processor, a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value of currency after an acceptor of the gaming system receives the currency; (b) placing, by the at least one processor, a wager after an actuation of a wager button is received, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) displaying, by at least one display device, a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) displaying, by the at least one display device, part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having at least a first region configured to reveal one of the symbols and a second region adjacent to the first region; (e) while the reel is spinning, determining, by the at least one processor, whether the designated symbol will appear at the first region; (f) if the designated symbol will appear at the first region, changing, by the at least one processor, the reel from spinning at the first speed to spinning at a second speed different from the first speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first region; (g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves in a direction from the first region toward the second region and when the designated symbol is no longer displayed in the symbol display region, displaying, by the at least one display device, the reel spinning at the first speed; (h) displaying, by the at least one display device, the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) determining, by the at least one processor, any awards based on one or more of the displayed symbols, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and (j) initiating, by the at least one processor, a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) establishing, by at least one processor, a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value of currency after an acceptor of the gaming system receives the currency; (b) placing, by the at least one processor, a wager after an actuation of a wager button is received, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager; (c) displaying, by at least one display device, a reel spinning at a first speed, the reel having a plurality of symbols including a designated symbol; (d) displaying, by the at least one display device, part of the reel within a symbol display region, the symbol display region having a plurality of sub-regions, each one of the sub-regions being one of;
(1) an evaluation sub-region configured to reveal one of the symbols, and (2) a non-evaluation sub-region adjacent to the evaluation sub-region;(e) while the reel is spinning, determining, by the at least one processor, when the designated symbol will initially appear at a first one of the sub-regions; (f) based on said determination, changing, by the at least one processor, the reel from spinning at the first speed to spinning at a second speed different from the first speed when any part of the designated symbol appears at the first one of the sub-regions; (g) continue spinning the reel at the second speed while the designated symbol moves from the first one of the sub-regions toward another sub-region and when the designated symbol is no longer displayed in the symbol display region, displaying, by the at least one display device, the reel spinning at the first speed; (h) displaying, by the at least one display device, the reel stopped after a reel stop event occurs; (i) determining, by the at least one processor, any awards based on one or more of the displayed symbols, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and (j) initiating, by the at least one processor, a payout associated with the credit balance after an actuation of a cashout button is received. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification