US 2015/0087394 A1Published application

Gaming method and gaming apparatus with in-game player stimulation

AssigneeIgt

InventorsNicole Beaulieu, Steven G. LeMay, Jamal Benbrahim

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Abstract

A method for operating a gaming apparatus includes displaying a set of stopped reels in place of one or more spinning reels, each stopped reel having at least one symbol thereon and the total number of stopped reels being less than the total number of reels originally spinning The method also includes determining an in-game outcome associated with a configuration of the symbols on the set of stopped reels, and providing an in-game stimulation selected from the group consisting of a 3-dimensional aural stimulation, a visual stimulation, a value stimulation and a physical stimulation according to the in-game outcome. The method further includes displaying stopped reels in place of all of the spinning reels, determining a game outcome associated with the configuration of the symbols on all of the stopped reels, and determining a value payout based on the game outcome. The apparatus is also included.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A gaming machine comprising:

at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and at least one input device to:
(a) receive a wager for a play of a game associated with a set of a plurality of reels each associated with a plurality of symbols;
(b) display each of the reels of the set spinning;
(c) stop at least one, but fewer than all, of the spinning reels of the set from spinning such that, for each stopped reel, at least one of the symbols associated with said stopped reel is displayed;
(d) after at least one of the reels of the set stops spinning and before each of the reels of the set stops spinning:
(i) determine whether the symbols displayed in association with the one or more stopped reels form part of a designated symbol combination;
and
(ii) if the symbols displayed in association with the one or more stopped reels form part of the designated symbol combination, before each of the reels of the set stops spinning, display a border around at least one spinning reel;
and
(e) after each reel of the set has stopped spinning, determine whether any winning symbol combinations are displayed and display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

11 more elements

A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to receive a wager for a play of a game associated with a set of a plurality of reels each associated with a plurality of symbols;
(b) causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display each of the reels of the set spinning;
(c) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to stop at least one, but fewer than all, of the spinning reels of the set from spinning such that, for each stopped reel, at least one of the symbols associated with said stopped reel is displayed;
(d) after at least one of the reels of the set stops spinning and before each of the reels of the set stops spinning:
(i) causing the at least one processor to determine whether the symbols displayed in association with the one or more stopped reels form part of a designated symbol combination;
and
(ii) if the symbols displayed in association with the one or more stopped reels form part of the designated symbol combination, causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, before each of the reels of the set stops spinning, display a border around at least one spinning reel;
and
(e) after each reel of the set has stopped spinning, causing the at least one processor to determine whether any winning symbol combinations are displayed and operate with the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/537,515Filed 10 Nov 2014
Priority: 19 Jul 2001
Published: 26 Mar 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G07F 17/3213
Display means: details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
G07F 17/32
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
G07F 17/3209
Player-machine interfaces: input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
G07F 17/3216
Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof: construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing,…

Family

Application09/910,507Continuation · filed 19 Jul 2001
Application10/879,772Continuation · filed 29 Jun 2004
Application14/537,515Continuation
US 2003/0017865 A1Published application
US 2004/0235558 A1Published application
US 8,888,579 B2Related patent
US 9,460,583 B2Related patent
US 2015/0087394 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.