# US 10,311,676 B2 · Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,311,676 B2 - Document ID: US10311676B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/670,393 - Filed: 2017-08-07 - Published: 2017-11-23 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-25 - Assignees: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited - Applicants: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited - Inventors: Rex Carlson; Scott Monroe Stewart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311676B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/3265: {Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding} - G07F 17/34: depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract This is disclosed an electronic method of gaming. The method comprises selecting a symbol for display at each display position of a plurality of sets of display positions (710), modifying the displayed symbols by interchanging a first set of symbols displayed at a first set of display positions with a second set of symbols displayed at a second set of display positions (740), and determining whether to make an award based on the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions as modified 750. There is also disclosed a gaming system, a game controller and a gaming machine corresponding to the electronic method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic method of playing of a game using a gaming machine, the method comprising: establishing a credit balance in response to a credit input of the gaming machine receiving a physical item associated with a monetary value; increasing and decreasing the credit balance based at least on a wagering activity; in accord with the wagering activity, selecting, via a game controller of the gaming machine, a plurality of symbols; displaying, via a display of the gaming machine, each symbol of the plurality of symbols at a display position of a plurality of sets of display positions; selecting, via the game controller, at least one modification condition from a plurality of modification conditions; in response to the plurality of symbols forming a winning outcome, determining, via the game controller, whether the at least one modification condition has been met; in response to said determining that the at least one modification condition has been met, selecting, via the game controller, a symbol set modification from a plurality of symbol set modifications, and modifying, via said game controller, the plurality of the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions, including interchanging the symbols displayed at a first set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols displayed at a second set of the plurality of sets of display positions based on the symbol set modification selected from the plurality of symbol set modifications; awarding a first award based on the winning outcome; and determining whether to make a second award based on the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of the display positions as modified. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each set of the plurality of sets of display positions comprises a column of the display positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting the symbol set modification from the plurality of symbol set modifications includes selecting the symbol set modification based on the winning outcome. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said modifying the plurality of symbols further comprises interchanging the symbols displayed at a third set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols displayed at a fourth set of the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: modifying, via the game controller, the symbols displayed at two different sets of the plurality of sets of display positions; and determining, via the game controller, whether to make a third award based on the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions as twice modified. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising randomly selecting, via the game controller, the second set from the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modifying further includes at least one of: displaying on said display a swapping of the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols of the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions; displaying the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions hopping to the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions; displaying the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions sliding to the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions; and displaying a symbol from the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of the display positions flipping to another symbol from the symbols of the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of modification conditions includes whether an ante bet has been made. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating the interchanging until all combinations of interchanging are exhausted. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising randomly determining an order for interchanging sets of the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 11 A gaming machine comprising: a credit input configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance; a credit meter configured to monitor the credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on a wagering activity; a display including a plurality of sets of display positions; a game controller configured to: select, in accord with the wagering activity, a plurality of symbols; display, via the display, each symbol of the plurality of symbols at a display position of the plurality of sets of display positions; select at least one modification condition from a plurality of modification conditions; in response to the plurality of symbols forming a winning outcome, determine whether the least one modification condition has been met; in response to determining that the modification condition has been met, select a symbol set modification from a plurality of symbol set modifications, and modify the plurality of symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions, including interchanging the symbols displayed at a first set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols displayed at a second set of the plurality of sets of display positions based on the symbol set modification selected from the plurality of symbol set modifications; award a first award based on the winning outcome; and award a second award based on the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions as modified. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein each set of the plurality of sets of display positions is displayed as a column of display positions on the display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is further configured to randomly select the second set from the plurality of sets of display positions based on the winning outcome. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is configured to further modify the plurality of symbols by interchanging the symbols displayed at a third set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols displayed at a fourth set of the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is configured to: modify the symbols displayed at two different sets of the plurality of sets of display positions; and determine whether to make a third award based on the symbols displayed at the plurality of sets of display positions as twice modified. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is further configured to randomly select the second set from the plurality of sets of display positions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is further configured to display, at least one of: swapping of the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions with the symbols of said second set of the plurality of sets of display positions on the display; hopping the symbols from the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions to the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions on the display; sliding the symbols from the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions to the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions on the display; and flipping a symbol from the symbols of the first set of the plurality of sets of display positions to another symbol from the symbols of the second set of the plurality of sets of display positions on the display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of modification conditions includes whether an ante bet has been made. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is further configured to repeatedly interchange sets of the plurality of sets of display positions until all combinations of interchanging are exhausted. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The gaming machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the game controller is further configured to randomly determine an order for interchanging sets of the plurality of sets of display positions.