# US 2013/0281182 A1 · Electronic System for Playing of Reel-Type Games > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0281182 A1 - Document ID: US20130281182A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/921,848 - Filed: 2013-06-19 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-26 - Assignees: Lightning Box Games Pty Limited - Applicants: Lightning Box Games Pty Limited - Inventors: David Little - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130281182A1 ## CPC - G07F 17/3211: {Display means} - A63F 9/24: Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for - G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - G07F 17/3225: {Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users} - G07F 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes} - G07F 17/3262: {Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played} - 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 - A63F 2009/2438: {Multiple input devices} - A63F 2009/2457: {Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays} - 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}) - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract There is disclosed an electronic gaming system (100) comprising one or more player interfaces (6, 7, 17), and a main video display screen (1). The system enables players to simultaneously play a plurality of reel-type games and to place bets on lines of the games. The system displays a plurality of display windows on the main display screen, each window being associated with a respective one of the simultaneously played games and displaying the reels of that game, each reel displaying reel indicia. The system is configured for any one of the games to enter a feature phase when a feature-triggering event occurs. At the start of the feature phase, all the display windows on the main screen, except the particular display window associated with the feature phase, reduce in size or disappear, while the size of the feature game's display window increases, and the other games are also suspended, until the feature phase is completed. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-19. (canceled) ### Claim 20 An electronic gaming system comprising: at least one player interface for enabling a player to interact with the system; a display screen; and a random number generator; wherein the gaming system is configured so as to enable the player to simultaneously play a plurality of reel-type games; wherein the display screen is configured so as to have a plurality of display windows appear simultaneously on corresponding portions of the display screen, each display window being associated with a respective one of the games and being adapted to display a plurality of reels pertaining to the respective game, each reel having a plurality of reel indicia arranged thereon; wherein the random number generator is configured so as to determine a particular outcome for each play of each given game, that particular outcome being one of a plurality of possible outcomes, and being constituted by a particular arrangement of reel indicia pertaining to the given game; wherein the gaming system is configured so as to enter a feature phase based upon the outcome of a particular game constituting a predetermined feature-triggering event; wherein the display screen is configured so as the feature phase is automatically displayed on the display screen in a display window larger in size than the display window of the particular game; and wherein the gaming system is configured so as to suspend play of a number of games during the feature phase. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: a proportion of the display screen that visually depicts the feature phase is larger than a proportion of the display screen that visually depicts the particular game; and a proportion of the display screen that visually depicts the number of games suspended during the feature phase is less than a proportion of the display screen that visually depicts said number of games prior to the feature phase. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An electronic gaming system according to claim 21, wherein: the proportion of the display screen that visually depicts the feature phase is 100 percent of the display screen; and the proportion of the display screen that visually depicts the number of games suspended during the feature phase is 0 percent. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the display windows visually depicting the number of games suspended during the feature phase automatically reduce in size or disappear during the feature phase. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the number of games suspended during the feature phase include games other than said particular game. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the number of games are suspended during the feature phase until the feature phase is completed. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the display screen is configured so as to display a number of pay lines for each game; and the gaming system is further configured so as to enable a user to define parameters of said games, said parameters representing at least one of player-selected pay lines and an amount that is bet per player-selected pay line. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the display window of the feature phase occupies substantially the whole of the display screen. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the gaming system is further configured so as to resume play of suspended games after the feature phase is completed. ### Claim 29 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the gaming system is further configured so as to enter a plurality of feature phases associated with a plurality of games based upon outcomes of the plurality of games constituting predetermined feature-triggering events, and wherein the plurality of feature phases are played in a sequential manner one after the other. ### Claim 30 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, which comprises a slot machine or a computer or a networked computer. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, further comprising: a plurality of player interfaces for enabling a plurality of players to simultaneously play at least one of said plurality of reel-type games on the gaming system. ### Claim 32 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the display screen is configured to display an indication of aggregate bets, aggregate wins and available credits for the games played by the player on the gaming system, and the indication of aggregate bets, aggregate wins and available credits is updated during the play of the feature phase. ### Claim 33 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the gaming system is further configured so as the probability of a given game entering a feature phase is lower when that given game is being played simultaneously with at least another one other game, than when only that given game is being played on the gaming system. ### Claim 34 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the gaming system is further configured so as to award a prize to a player when a given game that that player is playing has a predetermined winning outcome, wherein the value of the prize is smaller when that given game is being played simultaneously with at least one other game, than when only that given game is being played on the gaming system. ### Claim 35 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the gaming system is further configured such that a portion of the amounts that are bet by the player is contributed to a jackpot pool or a jackpot payout is awarded based upon predetermined criteria of the games played by players on the gaming system. ### Claim 36 (depends on 20) An electronic gaming system according to claim 20, wherein: the feature phase comprises bonus rounds of the particular game or a bonus game or employs a special set of reel indicia. ### Claim 37 A method of operating an electronic gaming system including at least one player interface for enabling a player to interact with the system, and a display screen, wherein the gaming system is configured so as to enable the player to simultaneously play a plurality of reel-type games, the method comprising: simultaneously displaying a plurality of display windows on corresponding portions of the display screen, each display window being associated with a respective one of the games and being adapted to display a plurality of reels pertaining to the respective game, each reel having a plurality of reel indicia arranged thereon; generating a random number to determine a particular outcome for each play of each given game, that outcome being one of a plurality of possible outcomes, and being constituted by a particular arrangement of reel indicia pertaining to the given game; entering a feature phase based upon the outcome of a particular game constituting a predetermined feature-triggering event; configuring the display screen so that the feature phase is automatically displayed on the display screen in a display window that is larger in size than the display window of the particular game; and suspending play of a number of games during the feature phase. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) A method according to claim 37, wherein: the display screen is configured so that the display windows visually depicting the number of games suspended during the feature phase automatically reduce in size or disappear during the feature phase. ### Claim 39 An electronic gaming system comprising: at least one player interface for enabling a player to interact with the system; a display screen; and means for generating a random number; wherein the gaming system is configured so as to enable the player to simultaneously play a plurality of reel-type games; wherein the display screen is configured so as to have a plurality of display windows appear simultaneously on corresponding portions of the display screen, each display window being associated with a respective one of the games and being adapted to display a plurality of reels pertaining to the respective game, each reel having a plurality of reel indicia arranged thereon; wherein a particular outcome for each play of each given game is determined based upon a random number generated by the means for generating a random number, that particular outcome being one of a plurality of possible outcomes, and being constituted by a particular arrangement of reel indicia pertaining to the given game; wherein the gaming system is configured so as to enter a feature phase based upon the outcome of a particular game constituting a predetermined feature-triggering event; wherein the display screen is configured so as the feature phase is automatically displayed on the display screen in a display window larger in size than the display window of the particular game; and wherein the gaming system is configured so as to suspend play of a number of games during the feature phase.