Patent Application
20110256918
This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 099112354, filed on Apr. 20, 2010.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming apparatus, more particularly to a gaming apparatus for playing a slot game associated with seven rotating reels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional slot machine is configured to generate a game symbol combination that consists of three rotating reels, and each of the rotating reels shows three independent game symbols. Generally, when all of the game symbols on a specified payout line of the game symbol combination belong to the same game symbol type, the game symbol combination is considered to conform with a winning condition, and the slot machine will grant an award to a player according to the game symbol combination. Since the game symbol combination includes only three rotating reels, the award granted to the player is limited to the game symbol combination, and the slot game implemented using the conventional slot machine lacks variety and innovation.
Recently, another conventional slot machine is configured to provide a modified slot game. In such modified slot game, when the game symbol combination includes a special game symbol, the slot machine is configured to implement a predetermined procedure, such as granting a bonus award, allowing the player to play the slot game again for free, etc. However, there are various rules associated with the special game symbol and the predetermined procedure, and thus it is usually difficult to recognize and understand those rules.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming method for playing a slot game with a changeable winning condition that may be easily recognized by a player.
Accordingly, a gaming method for playing a slot game of the present invention is adapted to be implemented using a gaming apparatus. The gaming apparatus comprises a display unit, a memory device storing program instructions for playing a slot game, and a processing unit coupled to the display unit and the memory device. The processing unit is operable to execute the program instructions to perform the gaming method for playing the slot game. The gaming method includes the steps of:
a) randomly generating a first game symbol combination, a second game symbol combination, and a middle game symbol combination, and showing the first, second and middle game symbol combination on the display unit;
b) determining whether at least one of the first and second game symbol combinations conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and
c) when it is determined that at least one of the first and second game symbol combinations conforms with the predetermined winning condition,
Preferably, the gaming apparatus further comprises an input unit coupled to the processing unit and adapted to allow a player to input a relevant command during the slot game. Preferably, the input unit and the display unit are integrated into a touch screen.
Preferably, the gaming apparatus further comprises a payment mechanism, and a payment sensor coupled to the processing unit and operable to send a payment signal thereto when a player makes a payment through the payment mechanism. The processing unit is operable to execute the gaming method only after receipt of the payment signal.
Preferably, the bonus game symbol is treated as a game symbol that would result in an extended combination associated with said one of the first and second game symbol combinations, and the processing unit is operable, in sub-step c2), to grant the bonus award according to the extended combination.
Preferably, the bonus game symbol indicates a particular multiple, and the processing unit is operable, in sub-step c2), to grant the bonus award that is equal to a product of the particular multiple and a basic award corresponding to the predetermined winning condition.
Preferably, step c) of the gaming method further includes the sub-steps of:
c3) determining whether the middle game symbol combination includes a special game symbol that indicates a predetermined procedure; and
c4) when it is determined that the middle game symbol combination includes the special game symbol, implementing the predetermined procedure.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a machine readable storage medium that comprises program instructions for configuring a computer to perform consecutive steps of the gaming method for playing the slot game of the present invention.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring to
The display unit and the input unit are integrated into a touch screen 1 disposed on the machine body and coupled to the processing unit 3. In this embodiment, the payment mechanism 2 is a coin slot, and is disposed on the machine body. The payment sensor 4 is disposed adjacent to the payment mechanism 2, and is coupled to the processing unit 3. When a player makes a payment through the payment mechanism 2, the payment sensor 4 is operable to send a payment signal to the processing unit 3. The memory device 5 may include a random-access memory (RAM) and stores program instructions for playing a slot game.
When the program instructions are executed, the processing unit 3 is operable to perform consecutive steps of a gaming method for playing the slot game. Details of the gaming method will be described in the following with reference to
The gaming apparatus 100 is configured to generate a gaming screen and to show the gaming screen on the touch screen 1 when in a standby state. In step S11, the processing unit 3 is operable to determine whether a payment signal from the payment sensor 4 has been received thereby.
In step S12, in response to the payment signal, the processing unit 3 is operable to configure the touch screen 1 to display a gaming screen as shown in
In particular, the middle rotating reel 62 includes three game symbol positions, each of which may randomly show a bonus game symbol, a special game symbol, or an empty position. In this embodiment, the bonus game symbol may be one of a universal game symbol and a multiple game symbol. The universal game symbol is treated as a game symbol that would result in an extend combination, and the multiple game symbol indicates a particular multiple, such as ×2, ×3, ×5 and ×10. The special game symbol indicates a predetermined procedure. Details of the bonus game symbol and the special game symbol will be described in the following.
In step S13, when the player presses the start button through the touch screen 1, the processing unit 3 will receive a start command from the input unit. Subsequently, the processing unit 3 is operable to simultaneously rotate the left and right rotating reel sets 61, 63 and the middle rotating reel 62 in step S14, and to respectively stop rotation of the left and right rotating reel sets 61, 63 and the middle rotating reel 62 in step S15 to thereby randomly generate a left game symbol combination, a right game symbol combination, and a middle game symbol combination. The left game symbol combination consists of the three rotating reels of the left rotating reel set 61, the right game symbol combination consists of the three rotating reels of the right rotating reel set 63, and the middle game symbol combination consists of the middle rotating reel 62. In this embodiment, the processing unit 3 is operable sequentially to stop the rotation of an outer one of the rotating reels of each of the left and right rotating reel sets 61, 63, to stop the rotation of a middle one of the rotating reels of each of the left and right rotating reel sets 61, 63, and to stop the rotation of an inner one of the rotating reels of each of the left and right rotating reel sets 61, 63. Finally, the processing unit 3 is operable to stop the rotation of the middle rotating reel 62.
In step S16, the processing unit 3 is operable to determine whether at least one of the left and right game symbol combinations conforms with a predetermined winning condition. Particularly, for each of the left and right game symbol combination, the predetermined winning condition is that all of the game symbols on an upper payout line, a middle payout line, a lower payout line or a diagonal payout line of the game symbol combination belong to the same game symbol type. Further, as the left game symbol combination shown in
In step S17, the processing unit 3 is operable to determine whether one of the left and right game symbol combinations that conforms with the predetermined winning condition is associated with the bonus game symbol in the middle game symbol combination.
As shown in
Another example is shown in
When said one of the left and right game symbol combinations that conforms with the predetermined winning condition is associated with the multiple game symbol indicating a particular multiple as shown in
In step S19, the processing unit 3 is operable to determine whether the middle game symbol combination includes a special game symbol that indicates a predetermined procedure. The processing unit 3 is operable to implement the predetermined procedure when the determination made in step S19 is affirmative, and to complete this round of the slot game when otherwise. As shown in
It should be noted that, in other embodiments, step S19 may be omitted, and the processing unit 3 is operable, in step S17, to further determine whether the middle game symbol combination includes a special game symbol. That is to say, the processing unit 3 is only operable to implement the predetermined procedure indicated by the special game symbol when the payout line having the game symbols belonging to the same game symbol type is aligned with the special game symbol.
In summary, by virtue of the gaming method, the left and right game symbol combinations may be extended through the universal game symbol such that the gaming apparatus 100 of this invention is configured to grant a bonus award to the player. Similarly, the left and right game symbol combinations may be aligned with the multiple game symbol such that the gaming apparatus 100 is configured to grant a bonus award according to the particular multiple. Moreover, the middle game symbol combination may also include a special game symbol that directly indicates a predetermined procedure such that the player may easily recognize the predetermined procedure. Therefore, the players may have greater interest to play the slot game and may have more probability to gain a bonus award.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 099112354 | Apr 2010 | TW | national |
