# US 9,520,016 B2 · System and method of allowing a player to play gaming machines having reel overlays

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- Number: US 9,520,016 B2
- Document ID: US9520016B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/456,902
- Filed: 2014-08-11
- Published: 2015-04-16
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-11
- Assignees: Konami Gaming, Inc.
- Applicants: Konami Gaming, Inc.
- Inventors: Scott Delekta; Keith Rucker; Satoshi Suda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520016B2

## CPC

- G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members}
- G07F 17/3227: {Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters}
- G07F 17/3246: {involving coins and/or banknotes}
- 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 game machine is provided. The machine comprises a display and a controller. The display is configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid. The controller is configured to: establish a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions; randomly shift the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout; combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout; and assign the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A game machine, comprising:
a bill acceptor that accepts a physical item associated with a monetary value;
an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player;
a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance;
a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance;
a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and
a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller and configured to:
initiate a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;
establish a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;
randomly shift the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;
combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;
assign the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;
award a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;
increase the credit balance based on the awarded prize; and
reduce the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the game machine further includes a plurality of second reel layouts and the controller further configured to select one second reel layout from the plurality of second reel layouts.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The game machine, as in claim 2, wherein each second reel layout has a different identical symbol.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The game machine, as in claim 2, wherein each second reel layout has a different number of consecutive symbol positions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein each blank symbol is configured to cover the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein each blank symbol is configured to show the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the at least one identical symbol within the second reel layout is selected from a subset of available symbols.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The game machine, as in claim 7, wherein each available symbol within the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The game machine, as in claim 2, wherein each second reel layout is assigned a probability of selection and the controller is configured to select a second reel layout as a function of the probability.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the grid is comprised of five columns and three rows of cells.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the left-most reel strip includes a first reel layout.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the other reel strips includes a first reel layout.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect a trigger condition and combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout in response to the trigger condition.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The game machine, as in claim 13, wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on the left most reel strip.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The game machine, as in claim 13, wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on at least one other reel strip.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as claim 1, wherein the controller selects at least one potential win symbol from each column within the grid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The game machine, as in claim 16, wherein a prize is awarded to a player of a game on the game machine if a predetermined arrangement of potential win symbols is displayed on a pre-defined payline on the grid at the end of a game.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The game machine, as in claim 13, wherein the trigger condition for a particular reel is based on the reel layout of the leftwardly preceding reel in the grid.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The game machine, as in claim 13, wherein the combination of reel layouts within a reel strip constitutes a trigger condition for the subsequent reel strip.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the game machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines linked to a progressive jackpot controller.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein the game machine is a single display stand-alone gaming machine.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The game machine, as in claim 21, wherein the game machine further includes an upper secondary display.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The game machine, as in claim 1, wherein each symbol is an N-sided symbol; where N is a variable and values of N include N=1.

### Claim 24

A method of implementing a game machine including a bill acceptor configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player, a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance, a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller, the method including the steps of:
accepting a physical item associated with a monetary value by the bill acceptor;
receiving an input representative of a wager from a player using the input device;
initiating a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;
establishing a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;
randomly shifting the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;
combining the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;
assigning the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;
awarding a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;
increasing the credit balance based on the awarded prize;
initiating a payout of the credit balance in response to an input of the player using the payout device; and
reducing the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein the game machine further includes a plurality of second reel layouts and further includes the step of selecting one second reel layout from the plurality of second reel layouts.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method, as in claim 25, wherein each second reel layout has a different identical symbol.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The method, as in claim 25, wherein each second reel layout has a different number of consecutive symbol positions.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein each blank symbol is configured to cover the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein each blank symbol is configured to show the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein the at least one identical symbol within the second reel layout is selected from a subset of available symbols.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method, as in claim 30, wherein each available symbol within the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

### Claim 32 (depends on 25)

The method, as in claim 25, wherein each second reel layout is assigned a probability of selection and further including the step of selecting a second reel layout as a function of the probability.

### Claim 33 (depends on 25)

The method, as in claim 25, wherein the grid is comprised of five columns and three rows of cells.

### Claim 34 (depends on 25)

The method, as in claim 25, wherein the left-most reel strip includes a first reel layout.

### Claim 35 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein at least one of the other reel strips includes a first reel layout.

### Claim 36 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, further including the steps of:
detecting a trigger condition, and
combining the second reel layout with the first reel layout in response to the trigger condition.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method, as in claim 36, wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on the left most reel strip.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

The method, as in claim 36, wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on at least one other reel strip.

### Claim 39 (depends on 24)

The method, as claim 24, further including the step of selecting at least one potential win symbol from each column within the grid.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method, as in claim 39, wherein a prize is awarded to a player of a game on the game machine if a predetermined arrangement of potential win symbols is displayed on a pre-defined payline on the grid at the end of a game.

### Claim 41 (depends on 37)

The method, as in claim 37, wherein the trigger condition for a particular reel is based on the reel layout of the leftwardly preceding reel strip.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The method, as in claim 41, wherein the combination of reel layouts within a reel strip constitutes a trigger condition for the subsequent reel strip.

### Claim 43 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein the game machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines linked to a progressive jackpot controller.

### Claim 44 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein the game machine is a single display stand-alone gaming machine.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The method, as in claim 44, wherein the game machine further includes an upper secondary display.

### Claim 46 (depends on 24)

The method, as in claim 24, wherein each symbol is an N-sided symbol;
where N is a variable and values of N include N=1.

### Claim 47

A non-transitory information recording medium on which a computer readable program is recorded that causes a computer to function as a game machine, comprising:
a bill acceptor that accepts a physical item associated with a monetary value;
an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player;
a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance;
a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance;
a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and
a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller and configured to:
initiate a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;
establish a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;
randomly shift the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;
combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;
assign the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;
award a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;
increase the credit balance based on the awarded prize; and
reduce the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.