# US 8,784,184 B2 · Gaming machine with win change symbol

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- Number: US 8,784,184 B2
- Document ID: US8784184B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/724,406
- Filed: 2012-12-21
- Published: 2013-07-25
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2000-05-22
- Assignees: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
- Applicants: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
- Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett; Natalie Bryant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784184B2

## CPC

- 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 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes}
- 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

A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display (14). The game controller is arranged to play a game (16) wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display (14). If a predefined winning event occurs, the machine (10) awards a prize. When a special symbol is carried by a symbol-carrying element into a display position on the display (14), the special symbol does at least one of altering the prize awarded for a winning result and altering a defined set of winning combinations.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of gaming in a gaming machine having an electronic controller and offering a spinning reel game on a plurality of paylines, the gaming machine having a first plurality of reels, each of the first plurality of reels having a plurality of standard symbols and at least one win-change symbol thereon, and a second distinct reel having only a plurality of said win-change symbols thereon, and a paytable, the method comprising:
spinning the first plurality of reels and stopping said first plurality of reels and displaying a random plurality of said symbols on the paylines;
spinning the second distinct reel and stopping said second distinct reel and displaying a random plurality of said win-change symbols;
determining via the electronic controller an outcome from a first of said paylines based on the displayed plurality of said symbols;
determining via the electronic controller that a win-change symbol appears on a second of said paylines;
in response to said determining that a win-change symbol appears on a second of said paylines, determining via the electronic controller a first winning event based on said win-change symbol and said outcome;
determining via the electronic controller a second winning event based on said outcome and said displayed win-change symbols on the distinct reel;
comparing the first and second winning events with respect to the pay-table; and
offering an award based on whether the first winning event pays higher than the second winning event according to said pay-table.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said determining that a win-change symbol appears on a second of said paylines includes determining whether the win-change symbol is of a particular type.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, and further comprising:
determining via the electronic controller that a win-change symbol appears on said first of said paylines;
in response to said determining that a win-change symbol appears on said first of said paylines, determining a third winning event based on said win-change symbol that appears on said first payline and said outcome;
and wherein said comparing includes comparing the first, second, and third winning events with respect to said pay-table; and
wherein said offering includes offering an award based on the highest paid of said first, second and third winning event according to said pay-table.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the win-change symbol is of a particular type includes selecting an award from the paytable pay.