# US 12,008,870 B2 · Electronic gaming machine having a reel assembly and method of making reel strips > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,870 B2 - Document ID: US12008870B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/454,135 - Filed: 2021-11-09 - Published: 2022-02-24 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-27 - Assignees: Igt - Applicants: Igt - Inventors: Lauren Hillstrom; Gary Sanchez; Anton Walker; Kyle Rothchild - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008870B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/34: depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines - B41M 5/0088: {by ink-jet printing} - G07F 17/3216: {Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects} - 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}) - B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P) ## Abstract A gaming system including a housing and a reel assembly supported by the housing, the reel assembly including reel having a reel strip manufactured using an inkjet printing process and having one or move designated symbols that can be revealed or hidden depending on the lighting of the reel strip. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic gaming machine comprising: a housing; a reel assembly supported by the housing, the reel assembly comprising a physical reel comprising a reel strip, the reel strip comprising: an elongated strip comprising a front side and a back side, a first layer comprising a coat of a first color on the back side of the elongated strip, a second layer comprising a coat of a second color on a back side of the first layer and at an area of a hidden symbol of the reel strip, and a third layer comprising a coat of the first color on a back side of the second layer at the area of the hidden symbol; and back lighting supported by the housing and configured to selectively illuminate the hidden symbol to make the hidden symbol visible to a player at a first time and to make the hidden symbol not visible to the player at a subsequent second time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first color is white. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the second layer comprises multiple coats of the second color. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the third layer comprises multiple coats of the first color. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, which comprises front lighting configured to selectively illuminate the reel strip at a first intensity level and to lower the first intensity level to co-act with the back lighting to make the hidden symbol visible to the player. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic gaming machine of claim 5, which comprises front lighting configured to selectively illuminate the reel strip at the first intensity level to make a non-hidden symbol on the reel strip visible to the player and to make the hidden symbol not visible to the player. ### Claim 7 An electronic gaming machine comprising: a housing; and a reel assembly supported by the housing, the reel assembly comprising a physical reel comprising a reel strip, the reel strip comprising: an elongated strip comprising a front side and a back side, a first layer comprising a coat of a first color on the back side of the elongated strip, a second layer comprising a coat of a second color on a back side of the first layer in an area where a hidden symbol is formed in an integrated manner with a non-hidden symbol, a third layer comprising a coat of a third color on a back side of the second layer except at the area of the hidden symbol, and a fourth layer comprising a coat of a fourth color on a back side of the third layer except at the area of the hidden symbol and the non-hidden symbol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the first color is white. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the fourth color is black. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The electronic gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the first color and the third color are a same color. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The electronic gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the third layer is also on the first layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the fourth layer is also on the third layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The electronic gaming machine of claim 7, which comprises back lighting configured to selectively illuminate the hidden symbol to make the hidden symbol visible to a player. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic gaming machine of claim 13, which comprises front lighting configured to selectively illuminate the reel strip at a first intensity level to make a non-hidden symbol on the reel strip visible to a plyer and to make the hidden symbol not visible to the player. ### Claim 15 An electronic gaming machine comprising: a housing; and a reel assembly supported by the housing, the reel assembly comprising a physical reel comprising a reel strip, the reel strip comprising: an elongated strip comprising a front side and a back side, a first layer comprising a coat of a first color on the back side of the elongated strip with an opening for a non-hidden symbol of the reel strip, a second layer comprising a coat of a second color on the back side of the elongated strip in the opening, a third layer comprising a coat of a third color on a back side of the first layer and a back side of the second layer except in an area of a hidden symbol of the reel strip, wherein the hidden symbol has no color, and a fourth layer comprising a coat of a fourth color except in the area of the hidden symbol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electronic gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the first color is white. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronic gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the second layer does not comprise any opposing color to the first color. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electronic gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the fourth color is black. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The electronic gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the first color and the third color are a same color. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The electronic gaming machine of claim 15, which comprises back lighting configured to selectively illuminate the hidden symbol to make the hidden symbol visible to a player.