# US 10,769,882 B2 · Triggering an event based on accumulating symbols over multiple reels in a gaming environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,882 B2 - Document ID: US10769882B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/115,125 - Filed: 2018-08-28 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28 - Assignees: Igt - Applicants: Igt - Inventors: Jeffrey Uss; Kimberly Rogers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769882B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - G07F 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes} - G07F 17/3258: {Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots} - 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} - 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 A gaming system may trigger one or more events based on the accumulation of a designated quantity of triggering symbols displayed in association with a designated quantity of reels over a designated quantity of one or more plays of a game. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: for a first play of a game: cause a display, by a display device, of a first plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions associated with a plurality of reels, responsive to the first plurality of symbols comprising a designated quantity of triggering symbols, trigger a secondary award sequence, and responsive to the first plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols, accumulate any triggering symbols of the first plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, and a first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a first reel of the plurality of reels is accumulated until expiration in association with that first reel of the plurality of reels, and for a second, subsequent play of the game: cause a display, by the display device, of a second plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the plurality of reels, responsive to the second plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols, accumulate any triggering symbols of the second plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, and responsive to the designated quantity of triggering symbols being simultaneously accumulated, trigger the secondary award sequence, wherein the designated quantity of simultaneously accumulated triggering symbols comprises an unexpired triggering symbol accumulated for the first play of the game and a triggering symbol accumulated for the second play of the game. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the duration associated with an accumulated triggering symbol comprises a quantity of plays of the game. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor for the second, subsequent play of the game and responsive to a determination that the duration associated with an accumulated triggering symbol has expired, the instructions cause the processor to discard that accumulated triggering symbol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary award sequence comprises a play of a secondary game for a progressive award. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor for the first play of the game, the instructions cause the processor to accumulate the first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a second reel of the plurality of reels in association with that second reel of the plurality of reels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor for the second play of the game, the instructions cause the processor to reset the duration associated with the first triggering symbol responsive to another triggering symbol being displayed at any of the symbol display positions associated with the first reel of the plurality of reels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor for the second play of the game, the instructions cause the processor to trigger the secondary award sequence responsive to the second plurality of symbols comprising the designated quantity of triggering symbols. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor responsive to the triggering of the secondary award sequence, the instructions cause the processor to discard any accumulated triggering symbols after a conclusion of the secondary award sequence. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor for a third play of the game subsequent to the second play of the game, the instructions cause the processor to: cause a display, by the display device, of a third plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions of associated with the plurality of reels, responsive to the third plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols, accumulate any triggering symbols of the third plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, and responsive to the designated quantity of triggering symbols being simultaneously accumulated, trigger the secondary award sequence, wherein the designated quantity of simultaneously accumulated triggering symbols comprises any unexpired triggering symbols accumulated for the first play of the game, any unexpired triggering symbols accumulated for the second play of the game and a triggering symbol accumulated for the third play of the game. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device in communication with the processor via a wireless network. ### Claim 12 A gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor for a play of a game, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device, of a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions associated with a plurality of reels, responsive to the plurality of symbols comprising a designated quantity of triggering symbols, trigger a secondary award sequence, and responsive to the plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols: accumulate any triggering symbols of the plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, a first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a first reel of the plurality of reels is accumulated in association with that first reel of the plurality of reels, and the first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a second reel of the plurality of reels is accumulated in association with that second reel of the plurality of reels, and responsive to the designated quantity of triggering symbols being simultaneously accumulated, trigger the secondary award sequence, wherein the designated quantity of simultaneously accumulated triggering symbols comprises an unexpired triggering symbol accumulated for a prior play of the game and a triggering symbol accumulated for the play of the game. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising: for a first play of a game: displaying, by a display device, a first plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions associated with a plurality of reels, responsive to the first plurality of symbols comprising a designated quantity of triggering symbols, triggering, by a processor, a secondary award sequence, and responsive to the first plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols, accumulating, by the processor, any triggering symbols of the first plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, and for a second, subsequent play of the game: displaying, by the display device, a second plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the plurality of reels, responsive to the second plurality of symbols not comprising the designated quantity of trigging symbols, accumulating, by the processor, any triggering symbols of the second plurality of symbols that are displayed at any of the symbol display positions, wherein each accumulated triggering symbol is associated with a duration until that accumulated triggering symbol expires, and a first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a first reel of the plurality of reels is accumulated until expiration in association with that first reel of the plurality of reels, and responsive to the designated quantity of triggering symbols being simultaneously accumulated, triggering, by the processor, the secondary award sequence, wherein the designated quantity of simultaneously accumulated triggering symbols comprises an unexpired triggering symbol accumulated for the first play of the game and a triggering symbol accumulated for the second play of the game. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the duration associated with an accumulated triggering symbol comprises a quantity of plays of the game. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, for the second, subsequent play of the game and responsive to a determination that the duration associated with an accumulated triggering symbol has expired, discarding, by the processor, that accumulated triggering symbol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the secondary award sequence comprises a play of a secondary game for a progressive award. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, for the first play of the game, accumulating, by the processor, the first triggering symbol displayed at a symbol display position associated with a second reel of the plurality of reels in association with that second reel of the plurality of reels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, for the second play of the game, resetting, by the processor, the duration associated with the first triggering symbol responsive to another triggering symbol being displayed at any of the symbol display positions associated with the first reel of the plurality of reels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, for the second play of the game, triggering, by the processor, the secondary award sequence responsive to the second plurality of symbols comprising the designated quantity of triggering symbols. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, responsive to the triggering of the secondary award sequence, discarding, by the processor, any accumulated triggering symbols after a conclusion of the secondary award sequence.