Reel strip interaction

• US RE44,449 E1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Muir, Robert Linley, Fong, Colin, Bryant, Natalie
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US13/155,496
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 30- 34
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

A gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display. The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predetermined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. During the playing of a first game, symbols related to the at first game are displayed on the display. When a trigger condition occurs, a feature game is commenced in which an arrangement of at least some of the symbols of the first game are incorporated as part of a larger image which comprises an image of the feature game, the at least some symbols of the first game contributing to an outcome of the feature game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display, the game controller being arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, wherein the gaming machine, during the playing of a first game, displays a screen display of symbols related to that first game on the display and, when a trigger condition occurs, commences a feature game in which the screen display of the symbols related to the first game is incorporated as part of a larger screen display of the feature game displayed on the display, at least some of the symbols of the first game contributing to an outcome of the feature game, wherein when the trigger condition occurs, the screen display of the first game is incorporated into an image of the feature game and is used in the playing of the feature game, the screen display of the first game moving backwards to be surrounded by, and becoming part of, the larger screen display of the feature game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the trigger condition comprises an event in the first game.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the trigger condition occurs independently of the first game.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the first game is a spinning reel game and the screen display of the first game is a screen display of a plurality of spinning reels.

5. A gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display, the game controller being arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, wherein the gaming machine, during the playing of a first game, displays a screen display of symbols related to that first game on the display and, when a trigger condition occurs, commences a feature game in which the screen display of the symbols related to the first game is incorporated as part of a larger screen display of the feature game displayed on the display, at least some of the symbols of the first game contributing to an outcome of the feature game, wherein when the trigger condition occurs, the screen display of the first game is incorporated into an image of the feature game and is used in the playing of the feature game and wherein an effect is created by the game controller of zooming out from the screen display of the first game to show that the screen display of the first game is part of the larger screen display of the feature game.

6. A gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display, the game controller being arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, wherein the gaming machine, during the playing of a first game, displays a screen display of symbols related to that first game on the display and, when a trigger condition occurs, commences a feature game in which the screen display of the symbols related to the first game is incorporated as part of a larger screen display of the feature game displayed on the display, at least some of the symbols of the first game contributing to an outcome of the feature game, wherein when the trigger condition occurs, the screen display of the first game is incorporated into an image of the feature game and is used in the playing of the feature game and wherein an image of the feature game has a width greater than a width of the display and the game controller imparts a panning effect to display different parts of the image of the feature game.

7. A method for use with a gaming machine, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of symbols related to a first game on a screen display;

subsequent to a trigger condition occurring, reducing a size of the plurality of symbols to reveal that at least some of the plurality of symbols are incorporated into a larger image, wherein the larger image is representative of and facilitates play of a feature game; and

commencing the feature game in which at least some of the plurality of symbols contribute to an outcome of the feature game, and wherein the plurality of symbols are displayed on the screen as moving in order for at least some of plurality of symbols to be incorporated as part of the larger image.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said feature game includes all of the plurality of symbols related to the first game.