US 9,805,555 B2Granted

Gaming device and method providing slot game having virtual map driven reel stop position determinations

AssigneeIgt

InventorsAnthony J. Baerlocher, Bryan D. Wolf

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Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed gaming device include a housing which supports a plurality of mechanical reels and a plurality of stop input devices which are configured to provide a Pachisuro-style slot game. Each of the plurality of reels is associated with a different one of the plurality of stop input devices. Each stop input device enables a player to stop the respective reel when the reel is spinning by activating the stop input device. Each reel includes a plurality of stop positions and each stop position includes a symbol. The gaming device also includes a processor and a memory device. For each reel, the processor randomly determines the stop position at which the reel ultimately stops based on a virtual map stored in the memory device for an initiating stop position of that reel which is selected by the player's activation of the stop input device for that reel.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
and
at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
(a) cause the at least one display device to display a plurality of reels, wherein, for each reel:
(i) said reel includes a plurality of stop positions, each stop position including one of a plurality of different symbols;
and
(ii) for each stop position of said reel, said stop position is associated with a virtual map including one of a plurality of different sets of the stop positions of said reel, each stop position of said set being associated with one of a plurality of different weights;
and
(b) for a play of a game:
(i) cause the at least one display device to display each reel spinning;
(ii) for one of the reels, while said reel is spinning:
(A) cause an indication at a point in time at which a player should provide, via the at least one input device, a stop input such that a probability of a designated winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized;
(B) determine an initiating stop position for said reel responsive to receiving, via the at least one input device, the stop input, the initiating stop position based on said received stop input;
(C) using the weights associated with the stop positions of the virtual map associated with said initiating stop position, determine an actual stop position for said reel;
and
(D) cause the at least one display device to stop said reel from spinning at said actual stop position;
(iii) determine whether any of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations are displayed;
and
(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

18 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing, by at least one processor, at least one display device to display a plurality of reels, wherein, for each reel:
(i) said reel includes a plurality of stop positions, each stop position including one of a plurality of different symbols;
and
(ii) for each stop position of said reel, said stop position is associated with a virtual map including one of a plurality of different sets of the stop positions of said reel, each stop position of said set being associated with one of a plurality of different weights;
and
(b) for a play of a game:
(i) causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display each reel spinning;
(ii) for one of the reels, while said reel is spinning:
(A) causing, by the at least one processor, an indication at a point in time at which a player should provide, via at least one input device, a stop input such that a probability of a designated winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized;
(B) determining, by the at least one processor, an initiating stop position for said reel responsive to receiving, via the at least one input device, the stop input, the initiating stop position based on said received stop input;
(C) determining, by the at least one processor and using the weights associated with the stop positions of the virtual map associated with said initiating stop position, an actual stop position for said reel;
and
(D) causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to stop said reel from spinning at said actual stop position;
(iii) determining, by the at least one processor, whether any of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations are displayed;
and
(iv) causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

13 more elements

A gaming system including:

at least one processor;
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel including a plurality of stop positions, each stop position including one of a plurality of different symbols;
and
at least one memory device that stores:
(a) for each reel, for each stop position of said reel, a virtual map including one of a plurality of different sets of the stop positions of said reel, each stop position of said set being associated with one of a plurality of different weights;
and
(b) a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
(i) cause each mechanical reel to spin;
(ii) for one of the mechanical reels, while said mechanical reel is spinning:
(A) cause an indication at a point in time at which a player should provide, via the at least one input device, a stop input such that a probability of a designated winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized;
(B) determine an initiating stop position for said mechanical reel responsive to receiving, via the at least one input device, the stop input, the initiating stop position based on said received stop input;
(C) using the weights associated with the stop positions of the virtual map associated with said initiating stop position, determine an actual stop position for said mechanical reel;
and
(D) stop said mechanical reel from spinning at said actual stop position;
(iii) determine whether any of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations are displayed;
and
(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

16 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
(a) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of reels, wherein, for each reel:
(i) said reel includes a plurality of stop positions, each stop position including one of a plurality of different symbols;
and
(ii) for each stop position of said reel, said stop position is associated with a virtual map including one of a plurality of different sets of the stop positions of said reel, each stop position of said set being associated with one of a plurality of different weights;
and
(b) for a play of a game:
(i) cause the at least one display device to display each reel spinning;
(ii) for one of the reels, while said reel is spinning:
(A) cause an indication at a point in time at which a player should provide a stop input such that a probability of a designated winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized;
(B) determine an initiating stop position for said reel responsive to receiving the stop input, the initiating stop position based on said received stop input;
(C) using the weights associated with the stop positions of the virtual map associated with said initiating stop position, determine an actual stop position for said reel;
and
(D) cause the at least one display device to stop said reel from spinning at said actual stop position;
(iii) determine whether any of a plurality of different winning symbol combinations are displayed;
and
(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/218,351Filed 18 Mar 2014 · continuation
Priority: 16 Mar 2009
Published: US 2014/0206429 A124 Jul 2014
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G07F 17/34
For games, toys, sports, or amusements: depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
G07F
Coin-freed or like apparatus

Family

Application12/404,810Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Mar 2009
Application12/617,385Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Nov 2009
US 2014/0206429 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Jul 2014
US 8,702,496 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,911,288 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/617,385Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2010/0234089 A1Published application
US 2010/0234091 A1Published application
US 9,805,555 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.