# US 2013/0157744 A1 · Gaming device having a designated activator symbol therein and methods thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157744 A1 - Document ID: US20130157744A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/572,576 - Filed: 2012-08-10 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-10 - Assignees: Igt - Inventors: Philip B. Welty; Anthony Singer; Aaron Stuart Zoble - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157744A1 ## CPC - G07F 17/34: depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines - G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - G07F 17/326: {Game play aspects of gaming systems} - G07F 17/3288: {Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking} - 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 Embodiments of the present invention relate to a slot machine gaming device providing players additional opportunities to obtain awards in a game. In one embodiment, a game comprises: a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbol positions; a first plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on the reel, the first plurality of symbols comprising at least one predetermined activator symbol; a second plurality of symbols activated by the activator symbol, the second plurality of symbols replacing a subset of the first plurality of symbols, the second plurality of symbols comprising a plurality of replicator symbols, wherein each replicator symbol includes at least two of the same symbols at one of the symbol positions; at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations; and an award associated with the predetermined winning symbol combination. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A game device comprising: a display device; an input device; and a processor for accessing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: provide a game comprising: a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbol positions; a first plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on the reel, the first plurality of symbols comprising at least one predetermined activator symbol; a second plurality of symbols activated by the activator symbol, the second plurality of symbols replacing a subset of the first plurality of symbols, the second plurality of symbols comprising a plurality of replicator symbols, wherein each replicator symbol includes at least two of the same symbols at one of the symbol positions; at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations; and an award associated with the predetermined winning symbol combination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of symbols are located at symbol positions adjacent to the predetermined activator symbol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprises at least one replicator symbol positioned in a symbol position adjacent to an activator symbol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the replicator symbol of the first plurality of symbols is replaced with a wild symbol. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a payline associated with the reels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the symbol positions associated with the winning symbol combination are on the payline. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of paylines associated with the reels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The gaming device of claim 4, wherein multiple winning symbol combinations occur at a plurality of the symbol positions on the paylines. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the winning symbol combinations are determined by at least one of: a random determination, a pre-determination and a determination based on a wager made by the player. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the symbols include at least one bonus symbol. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gaming device of claim 10, further comprising at least one bonus award provided to the player when a winning symbol combination including the bonus symbol occurs on the reels. ### Claim 12 A game comprising: a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbol positions; a first plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on the reel, the first plurality of symbols comprising at least one predetermined activator symbol; a second plurality of symbols activated by the activator symbol, the second plurality of symbols replacing a subset of the first plurality of symbols, the second plurality of symbols comprising a plurality of replicator symbols, wherein each replicator symbol includes at least two of the same symbols at one of the symbol positions; at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations; and an award associated with the predetermined winning symbol combination. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The game of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of symbols are located at symbol positions adjacent to the predetermined activator symbol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The game of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprises at least one replicator symbol positioned in a symbol position adjacent to an activator symbol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The game of claim 14, wherein the replicator symbol of the first plurality of symbols is replaced with a wild symbol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The game of claim 12, further comprising a payline associated with the reels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The game of claim 16, wherein the symbol positions associated with the winning symbol combination are on the payline. ### Claim 18 A game device comprising: a display device; an input device; and a processor for accessing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: provide a game comprising: a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbol positions; a plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on the reel, the plurality of symbols comprising at least one bonus activator symbol; at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations, the predetermined winning symbol combination for activating a bonus round; and the bonus round comprising a plurality of free spins; wherein during one free spin a wild symbol appears in a symbol position, and wherein for the remaining free spins, the wild symbol remains locked in the symbol position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The game device of claim 18, wherein during a subsequent remaining free spin, the wild symbol becomes a replicated symbol, whereby the replicated symbol includes at least two wilds at the one symbol position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The game device of claim 19, wherein during a further subsequent remaining free spin, the replicated wild symbol becomes a triple wild symbol at the one symbol position.