# US 2019/0378377 A1 · Systems and methods for providing a feature game > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0378377 A1 - Document ID: US20190378377A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/547,154 - Filed: 2019-08-21 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-12 - Assignees: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited - Applicants: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited - Inventors: James Kroon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378377A1 ## CPC - G07F 17/3258: {Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots} - 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 17/34: 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 An electronic gaming machine includes a display in the form of a matrix of rows and columns and a controller configured to conduct a game instance upon receiving a wager via a player input. In conducting each game instance, the controller activates a number of columns on the display based on the wager and controls a display to indicate which columns in the display have been activated. The controller determines if any of the activated columns meets a triggering condition and controls the display to display the activated columns which meet the triggering condition with a modified background. The controller then determines an outcome of the game instance based on whether a predetermined number of activated columns which meet the triggering condition are adjacent one another and makes an award to the player based on the outcome of the instance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: displaying a wager outcome as a column of symbols on each of a plurality of reels on a display device of an electronic gaming machine; and awarding a first prize in response to the wager outcome comprising a first predetermined quantity of reels that present their column of symbols with a first background color. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a second prize in response to the wager outcome comprising a winning combination of symbols. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a second prize in response to the wager outcome comprising a second predetermined quantity of reels that present their column of symbols with a second background color. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein awarding the first prize comprises awarding the first prize after determining that the first predetermined quantity of reels are adjacent reels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to awarding the first prize: selecting a reel of the plurality of reels in response to determining that the wager outcome does not include the first predetermined quantity of reels that present their column of symbols with the first background color; and modifying the selected reel to present its column of symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the reel comprises select the reel from one or more of the plurality of reels which do not present their column of symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to awarding the first prize: selecting a reel of the plurality of reels in response to determining that: the wager outcome includes a second predetermined quantity of reels that present their column of symbols with the first background color; and the second predetermined quantity is less than the first predetermined quantity; and modifying the selected reel to present its column of symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 8 A gaming machine, comprising a credit input device; a display device; a player interface; and a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to at least: establish a credit balance based on a physical item received by the credit input device; initiate play of a game based on input received via the player interface; present, via the display device, an outcome of the game that includes columns of symbols; and award a first prize to the credit balance in response to the outcome comprising a first predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with a first background color. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to award a second prize to the credit balance in response to the outcome comprising a winning combination of symbols. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to award a second prize to the credit balance in response to the outcome comprising a second predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with a second background color. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to award the first prize after determining that the first predetermined quantity of columns are adjacent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to: select a column from the columns of symbols in response to determining that the outcome does not include the first predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with the first background color; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to: select a column from one or more of the columns of symbols that do not present their symbols with the first background color; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to: select a column from the columns of symbols in response to determining that: the outcome includes a second predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with the first background color; and the second predetermined quantity is less than the first predetermined quantity; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 15 A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, that in response to being executed, cause a gaming machine to: initiate play of a game based on input received via a player interface of the gaming machine; present, via a display device of the gaming machine, an outcome of the game that includes columns of symbols; award a first prize in response to the outcome comprising a first predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with a first background color; and award a second prize in response to the outcome comprising a winning combination of symbols. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to award a third prize in response to the outcome comprising a second predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with a second background color. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to award the first prize after determining that the first predetermined quantity of columns are adjacent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to: select a column of the columns of symbols in response to determining that the outcome does not include the first predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with the first background color; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to: select a column from one or more of the columns of symbols that do not present their symbols with the first background color; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to: select a column from the columns of symbols in response to determining that: the outcome includes a second predetermined quantity of columns that present their symbols with the first background color; and the second predetermined quantity is less than the first predetermined quantity; and modify the selected column to present its symbols with the first background color.