Gaming machine with runs of symbols populated with identical symbols during spinning of reels

• US 8,616,955 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshimi, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/685,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20130084944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/29, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• 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 machine comprising a processor configured to execute a game displaying a matrix of symbol containing elements having a plurality of rows and a plurality columns; at least one column of said matrix comprising a portion of a simulated rotatable reel of a plurality of said symbol containing elements; said simulated rotatable reel comprising sections of symbol containing elements displaying a plurality of symbols; said simulated rotatable reel including at least one section in which a consecutive run of two or more of said symbol containing elements is populated by a first identical symbol so that, said first identical symbol being used for a first play of said game, a second identical symbol being randomly selected, the first identical symbol being replaced by the second identical symbol in said consecutive run of two or more of said symbol containing elements, said second identical symbol being used for a second play of said game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine for providing a game to a player, comprising:

a memory device configured to store data representing a reel having a predetermined number of symbol positions, wherein each symbol position has an associated symbol from a set of symbols, the reel having a run of consecutive symbol positions, wherein each of the symbol positions of the run of consecutive symbol positions is initially populated, prior to initiation of an instance of a game, by one of (i) a symbol from the set of symbols, wherein at least one of the symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions is populated with a symbol that is different than a symbol in one of the other symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions or (ii) each symbol position being populated with an identical symbol from the set of symbols;

a display device configured to display a matrix having a plurality of display elements arranged in a column, a number of the display elements in the column being less than the predetermined number of symbol positions in the reel, the display device being further configured to display a portion of the reel such that the symbols associated with some of the symbol positions of the reel are displayed in the matrix when the reel is in a stop position; and

a game controller configured to initiate the instance of the game using the reel during which the reel is spun at a game speed, and the game controller being further configured to replace each of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with an identical replacement symbol during spinning of the reel;

wherein the display device is configured to indicate to the player that the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions are being replaced with the identical replacement symbol, while the reel is spinning.

2. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reel is spun at a speed slower than the game speed, and wherein the replacement of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with the identical replacement symbol is performed while the reel is spinning at the speed slower than the game speed.

3. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reel is initially spun at a first speed and the first speed is ramped up to the game speed, and wherein the replacement of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with the identical replacement symbol is performed while speed of the reel is being ramped up to the game speed from the first speed.

4. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identical replacement symbol is selected by the game controller from a subset of the set of symbols.

5. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identical replacement symbol is randomly selected from a subset of the set of symbols.

6. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 4, wherein each symbol of the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

7. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reel is a first reel, the gaming machine further comprising second, third, fourth and fifth reels, wherein the matrix of elements is comprised of five columns and three rows of elements, the five columns being associated with a respective one of the reels.

8. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first reel is a left-most reel.

9. The gaming machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reel is a virtual reel.

10. A method of comprising:

storing data, in a memory device, representing a reel, the reel having a predetermined number of symbol positions, wherein each symbol position has an associated symbol from a set of symbols, the reel having a run of consecutive symbol positions, wherein each of the symbol positions of the run of consecutive symbol positions is initially populated, prior to initiation of an instance of a game, by one of (i) a symbol from the set of symbols, wherein at least one of the symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions is populated with a symbol that is different than a symbol in one of the other symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions, or (ii) each symbol position being populated with an identical symbol from the set of symbols;

display, via a display device, a matrix having a plurality of display elements arranged in a column, the number of display elements in the column being less than the predetermined number of symbol positions in the reel, and displaying a portion of the reel such that the symbols associated with some of the symbol positions of the reel are displayed in the matrix when the reel is in a stop position;

initiating, via a game controller, play of the instance of the game using the reel during which the reel is spun at a game speed;

replacing each of the symbols associated with of the run of consecutive symbol positions with an identical replacement symbol; and

displaying, via the display the device, an indication to the player that the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions are being replaced with the identical replacement symbol, while the reel is spinning.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the reel is spun at a speed slower than the game speed, and wherein the replacement of the symbols associated with of the run of consecutive symbol positions with the identical replacement symbol is performed while the reel is spinning at the speed slower than the game speed.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the reel is initially spun at a first speed and the first speed is ramped up to the game speed, and wherein the replacement of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with the identical replacement symbol is performed while speed of the reel is being ramped up to the game speed from the first speed.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the identical replacement symbol is selected by the game controller from a subset of the set of symbols.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the identical replacement symbol is randomly selected from a subset of the set of symbols.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein each symbol of the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the reel is a first reel, the game further comprising second, third, fourth and fifth reels, wherein the matrix of elements is comprised of five columns and three rows of elements, the five columns being associated with a respective one of the reels.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the first reel is a left-most reel.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the reel is a virtual reel.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium recording a program for controlling a computer to function as a:

a memory device configured to store data representing a reel having a predetermined number of symbol positions, wherein each element has an associated symbol from a set of symbols, the reel having a run of consecutive symbol positions, wherein each of the symbol positions of the run of consecutive symbol positions is initially populated, prior to initiation of an instance of a game, by one of (i) a symbol from the set of symbols, wherein at least one of the symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions is populated with a symbol that is different than a symbol in one of the other symbol positions in the run of consecutive symbol positions, or (ii) each symbol position being associated with an identical symbol from the set of symbols;

a display device configured to display a matrix having a plurality of display elements arranged in a column, a number of the display elements in the column being less than the predetermined number of symbol positions in the reel, the display device being further configured to display a portion of the reel such that the symbols associated with some of the symbol positions of the reel are displayed in the matrix when the reel is in a stop position; and

a game controller configured to initiate the instance of the game using the reel during which the reel is spun at a game speed, and the game controller being further configured to replace each of the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions with an identical replacement symbol during spinning of the reel;

wherein the display device is configured to indicate to the player that the symbols associated with the run of consecutive symbol positions are being replaced with the identical replacement symbol, while the reel is spinning.