Gaming device having symbols with transformation probabilities
AssigneeIgt
InventorsPaulina Rodgers, Joseph E. Kaminkow, Shawn Van Asdale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming device which includes symbols having a transformation probability. The gaming device in one embodiment includes an activator symbol. When the activator symbol is displayed, a processor of the gaming device determines the transformation probability of each of the displayed symbols and randomly determines which, if any, symbols are to be transformed into wild symbols or other functional symbols based on the transformation probability of the symbols.
Claims89
A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:
- a display device controlled by the processor;
- a plurality of symbols displayable by the display device, wherein said plurality of symbols includes a designated group of symbols including a plurality of designated symbols;
- a transformation probability associated with the designated group of symbols, wherein said transformation probability is associated with said designated group of symbols regardless of the positions at which the symbols of said designated group of symbols are displayed by the display device;
- and
- at least one activator symbol, wherein the processor is operable with the display device to:
- (a) display a plurality of symbols;
- (b) determine if the activator symbol is displayed;
- (c) if the activator symbol is displayed and at least one of the designated symbols is displayed, determine if the displayed designated symbols of said designated group of symbols are transformed into functional symbols;
- and
- (d) if said designated symbols are determined to be transformed into functional symbols, transform the displayed designated symbols into functional symbols prior to an evaluation of the symbols for determining any awards.
A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:
- a display device controlled by the processor;
- a plurality of symbols including a designated group of symbols including a plurality of designated symbols;
- at least one activator symbol;
- and
- a transformation probability associated with each said activator symbol, wherein for each said activator symbol said transformation probability is associated with said activator symbol regardless of the position at which said activator symbol is displayed, and wherein upon a triggering event including said activator symbol being displayed by the display device, the processor is operable with the display device to determine if at least one of the designated symbols is displayed and determine if the displayed designated symbols of said designated group of symbols are transformed into functional symbols based on the transformation probability associated with said activator symbol and display any transformation determined to occur prior to an evaluation of the symbols for determining any awards.
A gaming device operated under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:
- a plurality of symbols;
- a transformation probability greater than zero percent and less than one hundred percent which is associated with a designated one of the plurality of symbols;
- and
- a display device controlled by the processor and operable to display said symbols, wherein said processor and said display device are operable to:
- (a) display a plurality of the symbols;
- (b) after the display of the designated symbol associated with the transformation probability, determine whether said designated symbol will be transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with said designated symbol, wherein said transformation probability is associated with said designated symbol regardless of the position at which said designated symbol is displayed by the display device;
- and
- (c) display any said transformation determined to occur.
A gaming device operated under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising:
- a plurality of symbols, including a plurality of designated symbols and at least one activator symbol;
- a display device in communication with the at least one processor and configured to display said symbols, wherein said processor is further configured to:
- (a) cause the display device to display a plurality of said symbols;
- (b) determine if at least one of the designated symbols and at least one of the activator symbols are simultaneously displayed by the display device;
- (c) if at least one of the designated symbols and at least one of the activator symbols are simultaneously displayed by the display device, cause the simultaneous transformation of each of the displayed designated symbols into a functional symbol regardless of what positions said designated symbols are in;
- and
- (d) evaluate the displayed symbols, including any functional symbols, and determine an outcome.
A method of operating a gaming device, said gaming device including a plurality of symbols including a designated group of symbols including a plurality of designated symbols, a transformation probability associated with the designated group of symbols, wherein said transformation probability is associated with said designated group of symbols regardless of the positions at which the designated symbols are displayed, and at least one activator symbol, said method comprising:
- (a) displaying a plurality of symbols;
- (b) if the activator symbol is displayed and at least one of the designated symbols is displayed, determining if the displayed designated symbols of said designated group of symbols are transformed into functional symbols;
- and
- (c) if said designated symbols are determined to be transformed into functional symbols, transforming the displayed designated symbols into functional symbols prior to an evaluation of the symbols for determining any awards.
A method of operating a gaming device, said gaming device including a plurality of symbols including a designated group of symbols including a plurality of designated symbols, at least one activator symbol, and a transformation probability associated with each said activator symbol, wherein for each said activator symbol said transformation probability is associated with said activator symbol regardless of the position at which said activator symbol is displayed, said method comprising:
- (a) displaying a plurality of the symbols;
- (b) upon a triggering event including said activator symbol being displayed, determining if the displayed designated symbols of said designated group of symbols are transformed into functional symbols based on the transformation probability associated with said activator symbol;
- and
- (c) prior to an evaluation of the symbols for determining any awards, displaying any transformation determined to occur.
A method of operating a gaming device, said gaming device including a plurality of symbols and a transformation probability greater than zero percent and less than one hundred percent which is associated with a designated one of the plurality of symbols, said method comprising:
- (a) displaying a plurality of the symbols,
- (b) upon the display of the designated symbol associated with the transformation probability, determining whether said designated symbol will be transformed into a functional symbol based on the transformation probability associated with said designated symbol, wherein said transformation probability is associated with said designated symbol regardless of the position at which said designated symbol is displayed;
- and
- (c) displaying any said transformation determined to occur.
A method of operating a gaming device which includes a plurality of symbols, including a plurality of designated symbols and at least one activator symbol, said method comprising:
- (a) displaying a plurality of said symbols;
- (b) determining if at least one of the designated symbols and at least one of the activator symbols are simultaneously displayed;
- (c) if at least one of the designated symbols and at least one of the activator symbols are simultaneously displayed, causing the simultaneous transformation of each of the displayed designated symbols into a functional symbol regardless of what positions said designated symbols are in;
- and
- (d) evaluating the displayed symbols, including any functional symbols, to determine an outcome.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.