THREE DIMENSIONAL ENHANCEMENTS TO GAME COMPONENTS IN GAMING SYSTEMS

• US 20150348359A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Igt Canada Solutions Ulc (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Canada ULC
• Inventors: Leger, Francois Romeo, Comeau, Brian, Trainor, Bethany
• Granted Patent: US 9,824,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

An electronic gaming machine, an electronic gaming system, and a computer-implemented method are disclosed. The electronic gaming machine comprises: at least one processor; at least one persistent data store; at least one receiver to receive game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store; and a display device configured with a user interface to display a portion of the game data as a first matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto, and at least a second matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each game components having an original symbol associated thereto.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming machine for providing three dimensional enhancements to game components comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one persistent data store;

at least one receiver to receive game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store; and

a display device configured with a user interface to display a portion of the game data as a first matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto, and at least a second matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each game components having an original symbol associated thereto;

wherein the processor is configured to;

identify at least one game component of the first matrix as a trigger game component;

detect activation of the trigger game component;

trigger an action event associated with the second matrix;

integrate at least one game component of the second matrix into the given game; and

determine a winning outcome using the first matrix and the second matrix;

wherein the first matrix is layered on top of the second matrix.

2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one game component of the second matrix lights up on the user interface when integrated into the given game.

3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein:

the display device is further configured to display a portion of the game data as a third matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto; and

the processor is further configured to;

identify at least one game component of the second matrix as a second trigger game component;

detect activation of the second trigger game component;

trigger an action event associated with the third matrix;

integrate at least one game component of the third matrix into the given game; and

determine a winning outcome using the first matrix, the second matrix, and the third matrix;

and wherein the second matrix is layered on top of the third matrix.

4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first matrix is a first reel, and wherein the second matrix is a second reel embedded within the first reel.

5. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the third matrix is a third reel embedded within the second reel.

6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the first reel and the second reel are arranged asymmetrically such that the first reel and the second reel each has a different center of gravity on the user display.

7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein one or more game components are caused by the display device to light up when a winning, a payline or a trigger is activated or triggered.

8. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein at least one wild card is transferred from one game component to another game component within the same matrix, or from a game component in a matrix to a different game component in another matrix.

9. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein all the game components in a matrix constitute a single symbol that is an expanding wild card.

10. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the action event is a spin of the second reel.

11. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one game component of the second matrix is associated with a prize value used for the winning outcome.

12. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one game component of the second matrix triggers a progressive jackpot prize used for the winning outcome.

13. The electronic gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the at least one game component of the third matrix triggers a progressive jackpot or a bonus game prize used for the winning outcome.

14. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one game component of the second matrix triggers a secondary prize used for the winning outcome.

15. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the trigger game component of the first matrix is a transparent game component that reveals the at least one game component of the second matrix.

16. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one game component of the second matrix is associated with at least one additional symbol used for the winning outcome by forming a winning outcome with a symbol of the at least one gaming component of the first matrix.

17. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display device is configured with the user interface to display at least one stack of game components, wherein the at least one stack of game components comprises the trigger game component from the first matrix and the at least one game component from the second matrix.

18. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display device is configured with the user interface to display the first matrix and the second matrix in a three-dimensional layered configuration.

19. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the display device is further configured to display the trigger game component of the first matrix as a transparent area such that the at least one additional game component of the second matrix behind and visible through the transparent area to integrate the at least one additional symbol into the given game.

21. The electronic gaming system of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is an electronic gaming terminal and wherein the system further comprises:

a mobile gaming device operated by a player coupled via a communications link to the electronic gaming terminal, the mobile gaming device running a remote gaming program to play the given game, the electronic gaming terminal programmed to carry out at least the game functions of pseudo-randomly determining a game outcome and determining an award to a player, receiving player control signals by the first gaming terminal from the mobile gaming device to initiate the first game;

wherein the electronic gaming terminal is configured to carry out the game by the first gaming terminal, including determining a final outcome of the game and any award for the winning outcome and transmit electronic data signals to the mobile gaming device identifying the winning outcome of the game and the award.

20. An electronic gaming system for providing three dimensional enhancements to game components comprising:

a server comprising a transmitter for transmitting electronic data signals representing game data; and

an electronic device comprising;

at least one processor;

at least one persistent data store;

at least one receiver to receive the electronic data signals representing game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store;

a display device configured with a user interface to display a portion of the game data as a first matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto, and at least a second matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each game components having an original symbol associated thereto;

wherein the processor is configured to;

identify at least one game component of the first matrix as a trigger game component;

detect activation of the trigger game component;

trigger an action event associated with the second matrix;

integrate at least one game component of the second matrix into the given game; and

determine a winning outcome using the first matrix and the second matrix; and

a network configured to provide a communication link to couple the server and the electronic device.

27. The electronic gaming system of claim 20, wherein:

the display device is further configured to display a portion of the game data as a third matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto; and

the processor is further configured to;

identify at least one game component of the second matrix as a second trigger game component;

detect activation of the second trigger game component;

trigger an action event associated with the third matrix;

integrate at least one game component of the third matrix into the given game; and

determine a winning outcome using the first matrix, the second matrix, and the third matrix;

wherein the second matrix is layered on top of the third matrix.

22. A computer implemented method for providing three dimensional enhancements to game components comprising:

receiving, via at least one receiver, game data for storage in at least one persistent data store;

displaying, using a display device, a portion of the game data as a first matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto, and at least a second matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each game components having an original symbol associated thereto;

identifying, using a processor, at least one game component of the first matrix as a trigger game component;

detecting, using the processor, activation of the at least one trigger game component;

triggering, using the processor, an action event associated with the second matrix;

integrating, using the processor, at least one game component of the second matrix into the given game; and

determining, using the processor, a winning outcome using the first matrix and the second matrix.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying, using a display device, the first matrix and the second matrix in a three-dimensional layered configuration.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the trigger game component of the first matrix is a transparent game component, wherein the method further comprises:

revealing, using the display device, the at least one game component of the second matrix through the transparent game component of the first matrix.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying, using a display device, the first matrix as a first reel;

displaying, using a display device, the second matrix as a second reel embedded within the first reel; and

spinning, using the processor, the second reel as the action.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying, using the display device, a portion of the game data as a third matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto;

identifying, using the processor, at least one game component in the second matrix as a second trigger game component;

detecting, using the processor, activation of the second trigger game component of the second matrix;

triggering, using the processor, an action event associated with the third matrix;

integrating, using the processor, the at least one game component of the third matrix into the given game; and

determining, using the processor, the winning outcome using the first matrix, the second matrix, and the third matrix.