Gaming device having multiple identical sets of simultaneously activated reels

• US 7,594,851 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Falconer, Neil D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro; Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/015,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463 25- 26
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present invention involves a gaming device that provides a primary game which utilizes multiple sets of identical reels. The sets of reels simultaneously spin. A player is able to wager on paylines on one or more of said sets of reels. The gaming device also allows a player to wager on predetermined combinations of gaming symbols which occur over the plurality of sets of reels. The method of the present invention enables a player to simultaneously play multiple paylines on a plurality of identical sets of reels. The method enables a player to easily see different paylines by reducing the complexity of such paylines and duplicating paylines on sets of reels. The method provides novel arrangements of wagering combinations between the sets of reels which provide additional excitement to players. The method also reduces the complexity of software needed to evaluate multiple paylines.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor and having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor and having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) one of;

(i) both an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the first set of reels and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination not occurring on the second set of reels, and

(ii) both an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the second set of reels and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination not occurring on the first set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels.

2. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor, said first set of reels having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor, said second set of reels having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) one of;

(i) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on one of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels, wherein said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination is determined prior to the single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels, and

(ii) said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on one of the paylines associated with said second set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (c)(i) above and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination associated with the first set of reels occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels, no award is provided to the player for said wager on (c)(i) above, and

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination associated with the second set of reels occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the second set of reels, no award is provided to the player for said wager on (c)(ii) above.

3. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first set of reels controlled by the processor, said first set of reels having a first plurality of reels;

a second set of reels controlled by the processor, said second set of reels having a second plurality of reels;

a plurality of symbols on each of said sets of reels;

a first set of paylines associated with said first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline;

a second set of paylines associated with said second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) at least one of the paylines associated with the first set of reels,

(b) at least one of the paylines associated with the second set of reels, and

(c) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels and said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination also occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination is determined prior to the single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (c) above and any winning symbol or symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels and the second set of reels, no award is provided to the player for said wager on (c) above.

4. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single play of both the first game and the second game, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) one of;

(i) both any winning result occurring in the first game and any winning result not occurring in the second game, and

(ii) both any winning result occurring in the second game and any winning result not occurring in the first game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, and a winning result occurs in the first game and no winning result occurs in the second game, and

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, and a winning result occurs in the second game and no winning result occurs in the first game.

5. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single play of both the first game and the second game, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) one of;

(i) a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game and said particular predetermined result not occurring in the second game, wherein said particular predetermined result is determined prior to the single play of both the first game and the second game, and

(ii) the particular predetermined result occurring in the second game and said particular predetermined result not occurring in the first game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games,

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(i) above, and the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game and said particular predetermined result does not occur in the second game, and

(c) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c)(ii) above, and the particular predetermined result occurs in the second game and said particular predetermined result does not occur in the first game.

6. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a first game controlled by the processor;

a second game controlled by the processor;

at least one display device operable with the processor and adapted to display said first game and said second game;

at least one wager input device in communication with the processor and which enables a player, for a single play of both the first game and the second game, to place separate individual wagers on each of;

(a) the first game,

(b) the second game, and

(c) a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game and said particular predetermined result also occurring in the second game, wherein said particular predetermined result is determined prior to the single play of both the first game and the second game; and

a plurality of awards including;

(a) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games, and

(b) at least one of said awards adapted to be provided to the player if the player wagered on (c) above and the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game and the particular predetermined result also occurs in the second game, wherein if the player wagered on (c) above and any result occurs other than the particular predetermined result in the first game and the second game, no award is provided to the player for said wager on (c) above.

7. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single activation of both a first set of reels having a first plurality of reels and a second set of reels having a second plurality of reels, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) at least one of a first set of paylines associated with the first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline,

(ii) at least one of a second set of paylines associated with the second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline, and

(iii) one of;

(A) both an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the first set of reels and the non-occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the second set of reels, and

(B) both an occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the second set of reels and the non-occurrence of any winning symbol or winning symbol combination on the first set of reels;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(A) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels; and

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(B) above, a winning symbol or winning symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and a winning symbol or winning symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels.

8. The method of claim 7, which is operated through a data network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data network is an internet.

10. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single activation of both a first set of reels having a first plurality of reels and a second set of reels having a second plurality of reels, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) at least one of a first set of paylines associated with the first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline,

(ii) at least one of a second set of paylines associated with the second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline, and

(iii) one of;

(A) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on one of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels, wherein said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination is determined prior to the single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels, and

(B) said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on one of the paylines associated with said second set of reels,

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(A) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (a)(iii)(A) above and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination associated with the first set of reels occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels, no award is provided for said wager on (a)(iii)(A) above; and

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(B) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on one of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination does not occur on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (a)(iii)(B) above and any winning symbol or winning symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination associated with the second set of reels occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the second set of reels, no award is provided for said wager on (a)(iii)(A) above.

11. The method of claim 10, which is operated through a data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data network is an internet.

13. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single activation of both a first set of reels having a first plurality of reels and a second set of reels having a second plurality of reels, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) at least one of a first set of paylines associated with the first set of reels, said first set of paylines including at least one payline,

(ii) at least one of a second set of paylines associated with the second set of reels, said second set of paylines including at least one payline, and

(iii) a particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels and said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination also occurring on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein said particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination is determined prior to the single activation of both the first set of reels and the second set of reels;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning symbol or winning symbol combination that occurs on each wagered on payline; and

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii) above, the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said first set of reels, and the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with said second set of reels, wherein if the player wagered on (a)(iii) above and any winning symbol or symbol combination other than the particular predetermined symbol or symbol combination occurs on any of the wagered on paylines associated with the first set of reels and the second set of reels, no award is provided for said wager on (a)(iii) above.

14. The method of claim 13, which is operated through a data network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data network is an internet.

16. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single play of both a first game and a second game, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) the first game,

(ii) the second game, and

(iii) one of;

(A) both any winning result occurring in the first game and any winning result not occurring in the second game, and

(B) both any winning result occurring in the second game and any winning result not occurring in the first game;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(A) above, a winning result occurs in the first game, and no winning result occurs in the second game; and

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(B) above, a winning result occurs in the second game, and no winning result occurs in the first game.

17. The method of claim 16, which is operated through a data network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data network is an internet.

19. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single play of both a first game and a second game, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) the first game,

(ii) the second game, and

(iii) one of;

(A) both a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game and said particular predetermined result not occurring in the second game, wherein said particular predetermined result is determined prior to the single play of both the first game and the second game, and

(B) both the particular predetermined result occurring in the second game and said particular predetermined result not occurring in the first game;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(A) above and the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game and said particular predetermined result does not occur in the second game; and

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii)(B) above and the particular predetermined result occurs in the second game and said particular predetermined result does not occur in the first game.

20. The method of claim 19, which is operated through a data network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data network is an internet.

22. A method of operating a gaming device including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) for a single play of both a first game and a second game, causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one wager input device to enable separate individual wagers to be placed on each of;

(i) the first game,

(ii) the second game, and

(iii) a particular predetermined result occurring in the first game and said particular predetermined result also occurring in the second game wherein said particular predetermined result is determined prior to the single play of both the first game and the second game;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided for each winning result that occurs in the first and second games; and

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one award to be provided if any wager was placed on (a)(iii) above, the particular predetermined result occurs in the first game, and the particular predetermined result also occurs in the second game, wherein if the player wagered on (a)(iii) above and any result occurs other than the particular predetermined result in the first game and the second game, no award is provided for said wager on (a)(iii) above.

23. The method of claim 22, which is operated through a data network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.