# US 9,039,512 B2 · Gaming system and method for providing a game which populates symbols along a path > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,512 B2 - Document ID: US9039512B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/628,893 - Filed: 2012-09-27 - Published: 2014-03-27 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-27 - Assignees: Igt - Applicants: Igt - Inventors: Scott A. Caputo; Leandro Basallo; Rachael A. Bristol; Thomas Uster; Jodi Manela; Dacotah Petermann-Turner; Amity Wang; Benjamin J. Zoltewicz; Prashant Arora; David Hernandez-Diaz; Stephen J. Edwards; Matthew Falzone; Sean Mountain; Alexander Present; Todd Wong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039512B2 ## CPC - 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 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - G07F 17/3251: {involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens} - G07F 17/326: {Game play aspects of gaming systems} - 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 In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a game including a path of different symbol display positions. The gaming system generates one or more symbols (and/or one or more awards) at one or more of the symbol display positions of a matrix or grid. The gaming system then randomly forms a path including a plurality of the symbol display positions and determines an award for the player based on which symbol display positions are included in the formed path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gaming system comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; and a controller configured to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) display a plurality of symbol display positions including a predetermined starting symbol display position, (b) randomly generate one of a plurality of symbols at at least one of the symbol display positions, (c) randomly form a path of the symbol display positions, said randomly formed path including at least the starting symbol display position and at least one of the plurality of symbol display positions adjacent to said starting symbol display position, (d) display said formed path of symbol display positions, (e) determine, via the controller, whether to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path, and (f) if the determination is to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path: (i) accumulate at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path, (ii) determine, via the controller, any awards associated with the at least one accumulated symbol, and (iii) display any determined awards. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to randomly generate one of the plurality of symbols at at least one of the symbol display positions in association with the formation of the path of symbol display positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to generate a blocking symbol at at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path based on any generated blocking symbols. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein for a first play of a game, the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to form a first path including a first quantity of the symbol display positions and for a second, different play of the game, the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to form a second path including a second, different quantity of the symbol display positions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a first probability of displaying any determined awards associated with the accumulated symbols and the second play of the game is associated with a second, different probability of displaying any determined awards associated with the accumulated symbols. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a different wager amount than the second play of the game. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display at least one collector moving from the starting symbol display position to at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display a distinct collector associated with each of a plurality of players. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to operate with the at least one display device to display at least two collectors moving along the symbol display positions of the path in different directions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least two collectors have different attributes. ### Claim 12 A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: (a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of symbol display positions including a predetermined starting symbol display position, (b) causing a controller to randomly generate one of a plurality of symbols at at least one of the symbol display positions, (c) causing the controller to randomly form a path of the symbol display positions, said randomly formed path including at least the starting symbol display position and at least one of the plurality of symbol display positions adjacent to said starting symbol display position, (d) causing the at least one display device to display said formed path of symbol display positions, (e) causing the controller to determine whether to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path, and (f) if the determination is to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path: (i) causing the controller to accumulate at least one of the symbols generated at at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path, (ii) causing the controller to determine any awards associated with the at least one accumulated symbol, and (iii) causing the at least one display device to display any determined awards. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which includes causing the controller to randomly generate one of the plurality of symbols at at least one of the symbol display positions in association with the formation of the path of symbol display positions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which includes causing the controller to generate a blocking symbol at at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, which includes causing the controller to determine whether to accumulate any of the symbols generated at any of the symbol display positions of the formed path based on any generated blocking symbols. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which includes: for a first play of a game, causing the controller to form a first path including a first quantity of the symbol display positions, and for a second, different play of the game, causing the controller to form a second path including a second, different quantity of the symbol display positions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a first probability of displaying any determined awards associated with the accumulated symbols and the second play of the game is associated with a second, different probability of displaying any determined awards associated with the accumulated symbols. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a different wager amount than the second play of the game. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which includes causing the at least one display device to display at least one collector moving from the starting symbol display position to at least one of the symbol display positions of the formed path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, which includes causing the at least one display device to display a distinct collector associated with each of a plurality of players. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, which includes causing the at least one display device to display at least two collectors moving along the symbol display positions of the path in different directions. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the at least two collectors have different attributes. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, which is provided through a data network. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an Internet.