Gaming system and a method of gaming

• US 9,734,656 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Fong, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US15/200,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system comprises a player interface (50) comprising a display on which a plurality of selectable symbol display positions are displayed to a player, the player interface (50) allowing a player to select one or more windows (700-703) defining respective ones of one or more subsets of the symbol display positions (600), and a game controller (60) arranged to select symbols for display at all symbol display positions (600), and to evaluate selected symbols within each selected window based on a win entitlement applying to the selected window to determine a game outcome.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance;

hardware meters configured to monitor the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism;

a player interface comprising a display on which a plurality of selectable symbol display positions are displayed to a player, the player interface configured to, in accord with said hardware meters having monitored the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism, allow a player to select a number of intersectable windows defining subsets of the symbol display positions; and

a game controller configured to select symbols for display at the symbol display positions, to select a win entitlement based on a size of the selected subsets of the symbol display positions, and to evaluate the selected symbols within the selected window based on the selected win entitlement.

2. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the size and number of selected windows depends on at least one selection criterion.

3. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one selection criterion comprises an amount of the wager placed by the player.

4. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one selection criterion comprises a minimum window size.

5. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one selection criterion comprises the number of selectable display positions.

6. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the player interface is operable such that the player can position a window relative to the symbol display positions to select the subset of display positions.

7. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon a plurality of windows being selected, one of the selected windows can be positioned at least one of adjacent to, spaced from, intersecting with, or wholly within another one of the selected windows.

8. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game controller is configured to determine the game outcome based on the win entitlement selected for each window.

9. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to select different win entitlements for different windows and the game controller is further to determine the game outcome based on the win entitlement selected for each window.

10. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to select the same win entitlement is applied to each window.

11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the win entitlement comprises a number of win lines of an available number of win lines to be used in evaluation of the game outcome with respect to each window, each win line extending through a plurality of symbol display positions.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the player interface comprises a touch screen and the player can move, select or re-size the one or more windows via interaction with the touch screen.

19. A method as claimed in claim 11, comprising, upon a plurality of windows being selected, applying the same win entitlement to different windows.

13. An electronic method of gaming in a gaming system having a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, hardware meters configured to monitor the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism, a player interface comprising a display on which a plurality of selectable symbol display positions are displayed, and a game controller, the method comprising:

establishing a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving the credit input;

in accord with said hardware meters having monitored the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism, presenting a plurality of selectable symbol display positions on the display;

receiving via the player interface a selection of a number of intersectable windows defining subsets of the symbol display positions;

selecting via the game controller symbols for display at the symbol display positions;

selecting via the game controller a win entitlement based on a size of the selected subsets of the symbol display positions; and

evaluating via the game controller the selected symbols within the selected window based on the selected win entitlement.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the size and the number of selected windows depends on an amount of the wager placed by the player.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, comprising changing the size of a window in response to a player input.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising moving a window relative to the symbol display positions in response to a player input.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein upon a plurality of windows being selected, one of the selected windows can be positioned at least one of adjacent to, spaced from, intersecting with, or wholly within another one of the selected windows in response to a player input.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising, upon a plurality of windows being selected, applying different win entitlements to different windows.

20. A game controller for a gaming system having a display having a plurality of selectable symbol display positions, each of the symbol display positions being configured to display a symbol, a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, hardware meters configured to monitor the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism, the game controller configured to:

establish a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving the credit input;

in accord with said hardware meters having monitored the credit input having been provided by the credit input mechanism, presenting a plurality of selectable symbol display positions on the display;

receive via the player interface a selection of a number of intersectable windows defining subsets of the symbol display positions;

select symbols for display at the symbol display positions;

select a win entitlement based on a size of the selected subsets of the symbol display positions; and

evaluate the selected symbols within the selected window based on the selected win entitlement.