Patent Application
20180089929
[Not applicable]
[Not Applicable]
[MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE]
[Not Applicable]
Gaming systems are known that employ stacks of symbols—i.e. groups of the same symbol arranged at contiguous symbol positions on a reel strip.
A need exists for alternative gaming systems.
The invention provides an electronic method of operating a gaming system comprising a game controller, the method comprising:
using a display having a rectangular display area formed of display positions of rows and columns, using a set of reels each having predefined symbols, at least one of said reels having a symbolled vertical stack;
using a vertical stack of one or more symbols, the stack having a length of at least two rows high;
selecting symbols, via a random number generator, from a set of the reels for display in a predefined active region of a rectangular array in the rectangular display area and for potential display in a non-active region on the rectangular array, including the vertical stack;
determining from said selecting whether said vertical stack overlaps both the active and non-active regions;
increasing the size of the active region of the rectangular array by a number of rows of the non-active region and forming a first increased size of the array so as to maintain said vertical stack within the active region of the rectangular array;
randomly increasing the first increased size of the active region of the rectangular array by a number of rows of the non-active region and forming a second increased size of the array;
displaying on the display in the second increased size of the active region of the rectangular array the corresponding selected symbols; and
making, via the game controller, an award if the selected symbols in the second increased size of the active region include a winning outcome.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to the drawings, there is shown a gaming system having a game controller having components that enable the implementation of a method of operating a gaming system where, in an embodiment, one or more reel strips (advantageously all of the reel strips) having a vertical stack formed of a stacked number of symbols or an oversized symbol. Symbols are selected for display in an active display area which has a height in symbol display positions of a number of rows high.
The embodiment, the height of display area is randomly determined dependent on the displayed location of the vertical stack. Two random selections are used to control the height of the symbol display area.
General Construction of the Gaming System
The gaming system can take a number of different forms. In a first form, a standalone gaming machine is provided wherein all or most components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine.
In a second form, a distributed architecture is provided wherein some of the components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine and some of the components required for implementing the game are located remotely relative to the gaming machine. For example, a “thick client” architecture may be used wherein part of the game is executed on a player operable gaming machine and part of the game is executed remotely, such as by a gaming server; or a “thin client” architecture may be used wherein most of the game is executed remotely such as by a gaming server and a player operable gaming machine is used only to display audible and/or visible gaming information to the player and receive gaming inputs from the player.
However, it will be understood that other arrangements are envisaged. For example, an architecture may be provided wherein a gaming machine is networked to a gaming server and the respective functions of the gaming machine and the gaming server are selectively modifiable. For example, the gaming system may operate in standalone gaming machine mode, “thick client” mode or “thin client” mode depending on the game being played, operating conditions, and so on. Other variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.
Irrespective of the form, the gaming system has several core components. At the broadest level, the core components are a player interface 50 and a game controller 60 as illustrated in
Components of the player interface may vary from embodiment to embodiment but will typically include a credit mechanism 52 to enable a player to input credits and receive payouts, one or more displays 54, a game play mechanism 56 including one or more input devices that enable a player to input game play instructions (e.g. to place a wager and to initiate the play of a game), and one or more speakers 58.
Game controller 60 is in data communication with player interface 50 and typically includes a processor 62 that processes game play instructions in accordance with game play rules and outputs game play outcomes to the display. Typically, the game play rules are stored as program code in a memory 64 but can also be hardwired. Herein the term “processor” is used to refer generically to any device that can process game play instructions in accordance with game play rules and may include: a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device or other computational device, a general purpose computer (e.g. a PC) or a server. That is, a processor may be provided by any suitable logic circuitry for receiving inputs, processing them in accordance with instructions stored in memory and generating outputs (for example on the display). Such processors are sometimes also referred to as central processing units (CPUs). Most processors are general purpose units, however, it is also know to provide a specific purpose processor using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA).
Referring to
A top box 26 may carry artwork 28, including for example pay tables and details of bonus awards and other information or images relating to the game. Further artwork and/or information may be provided on a front panel 29 of console 12. A coin tray 30 is mounted beneath front panel 29 for dispensing cash payouts from gaming machine 10.
Display 14 shown in
Referring now to
A gaming machine 100 includes a game controller 101 having a processor 102 mounted on a circuit board. Instructions and data to control operation of processor 102 are stored in a memory 103, which is in data communication with processor 102. Typically, gaming machine 100 will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by memory 103.
Gaming machine 100 has hardware meters 104 for purposes including ensuring regulatory compliance and monitoring player credit, an input/output (I/O) interface 105 for communicating with peripheral devices of gaming machine 100. Input/output interface 105 and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for storing associated instructions and data for use with input/output interface 105 or the peripheral devices. A random number generator module 113 generates random numbers for use by processor 102. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the reference to random numbers includes pseudo-random numbers.
In the example shown in
In addition, gaming machine 100 may include a communications interface, for example a network card 112. Network card 112 may, for example, send status information, accounting information or other information to a bonus controller, central controller, server or database and receive data or commands from the bonus controller, central controller, server or database. In embodiments employing a player marketing module, communications over a network may be via player marketing module—i.e. the player marketing module may be in data communication with one or more of the above devices and communicate with it on behalf of the gaming machine.
Referring to
It is also possible for the operative components of gaming machine 100 to be distributed, for example input/output devices 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, to be provided remotely from game controller 101.
Referring to
One or more displays 204 may also be connected to network 201. For example, displays 204 may be associated with one or more banks 203 of gaming machines. Displays 204 may be used to display representations associated with game play on gaming machines 202, and/or used to display other representations, for example promotional or informational material.
In a thick client embodiment, a game server 205 implements part of the game played by a player using a gaming machine 202 and gaming machine 202 implements part of the game. With this embodiment, as both the game server and the gaming device implement part of the game, they collectively provide a game controller. A database management server 206 may manage storage of game programs and associated data for downloading or access by the gaming machines 202 in a database 206A. Typically, if the gaming system enables players to participate in a Jackpot game, a Jackpot server 207 will be provided to perform accounting functions for the Jackpot game. A loyalty program server 212 may also be provided.
In a thin client embodiment, game server 205 implements most or all of the game played by a player using a gaming machine 202 and gaming machine 202 essentially provides only the player interface. With this embodiment, game server 205 provides the game controller. Gaming machine 202 will receive player instructions, pass these to the game server which will process them and return game play outcomes to the gaming machine for display. In a thin client embodiment, gaming machines 202 could be computer terminals, e.g. PCs running software that provides a player interface operable using standard computer input and output components. Other client/server configurations are possible, and further details of a client/server architecture can be found in WO 2006/052213 and PCT/SE2006/000559, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Servers are also typically provided to assist in the administration of gaming network 200, including for example a gaming floor management server 208, and a licensing server 209 to monitor the use of licenses relating to particular games. An administrator terminal 210 is provided to allow an administrator to run network 201 and the devices connected to the network.
Gaming system 200 may communicate with other gaming systems, other local networks, for example a corporate network, and/or a wide area network such as the Internet, for example through a firewall 211.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that in accordance with known techniques, functionality at the server side of the network may be distributed over a plurality of different computers. For example, elements may be run as a single “engine” on one server or a separate server may be provided. For example, game server 205 could run a random generator engine. Alternatively, a separate random number generator server could be provided. Further, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of game servers could be provided to run different games or a single game server may run a plurality of different games as required by the terminals.
Referring again to
Such win lines are typically formed by a combination of symbol display positions, one from each reel, the symbol display positions being located relative to one another such that they form a line.
In many games, the gaming machine may award winning outcomes which are not strictly limited to the lines they have selected, for example, “scatter” pays are awarded independently of a player's selection of pay lines.
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, the player may select a number of reels to play. Games of this type are marketed under the trade name “Reel Power” by Aristocrat Leisure Industries Pty Ltd and are also known as “ways” to win games. The selection of the reel means that each displayed symbol of the reel can be substituted for a symbol at one or more designated display positions. In other words, all symbols displayed at symbol display positions corresponding to a selected reel can be used to form symbol combinations with symbols displayed at a designated, symbol display positions of the other reels. For example, if there are five reels and three symbol display positions for each reel such that the symbol display positions comprise three rows of five symbol display positions, the symbols displayed in the center row are used for non-selected reels. As a result, the total number of ways to win is determined by multiplying the number of active display positions of each of the reels, the active display positions being all display positions of each selected reel and the designated display position of the non-selected reels. As a result for five reels and fifteen display positions there are 243 ways to win.
Referring to
An outcome generator 622 is configured to start spinning and then stop the reels during each play of the game. That is, each time a player places a fresh wager, the reels are spun and stopped. In this embodiment, the outcome generator 622 is also configured to begin at a predetermined height for the game play area that will be active in a feature game. In the embodiment, the height of the game area will be caused to grow (increase in game height) in the feature game depending on the display location of a vertical symbol stack. To this end, the outcome generator 622 includes a symbol selector 622A which selects the outcome of symbols for display on a 5×5 display area.
Referring to
Symbols 105 are selected for display using five (5) virtual reels 707, 709, 711, 713 and 715. The five reels are spun and then stopped to reveal symbols 705 in array 703. However, the symbols 705 are only shown in a portion 717 of array 701. Portion 717 is a 5×5 array of symbol positions located as the bottom five rows of array 701. It will be appreciated that if there are five rows, the height of the active game area is five symbol positions high.
Thus twenty-five (25) symbols in the bottom five rows provide an outcome of the game. The portion 717 is referred to as an “active portion” in that only the symbols 705 in portion 717 are seen by the player for play of the game and are evaluated for an award. The remaining 4×5 portion 719 is “non-active.” Non-active portion 719 is non-active in the sense that no symbols 705 are seen by the player in portion 719 and are not evaluated for awards.
Non-active portion 719 may be visually shaded dark or shown as a solid color.
As shown in
When the third reel 711 is randomly stopped and stack 721 of WILD symbols overlaps (occupies both) active area 717 and non-active area 719, active area 717 is expanded. As shown in
Thus, a height selector 622B (
If vertical stack 721 is randomly positioned entirely above the top row of active portion 717 so that it does not overlap both the active portion 717 and non-active portion 719, the active portion 717 will not grow to obtain the vertical stack 721. For example, where a 5×5 array is being played and the vertical stack is positioned in rows 6, 7 and 8 (although not seen by the player), the array will not grow so as to include the vertical stack.
In addition to the growth caused by a vertical stack overlapping the active and non-active area, the array is caused to grow further by a random selection of a height for the array. This second growth in height is shown in
That is, there are two growing actions. First, as shown in
As shown in
With these two growth actions, the game can be set such that higher growth occurs more often. In addition, more than one vertical stack may be carried by a reel. Also, the length of a vertical stack may be varied.
As will suggest itself, the game may allow growth only with respect to some reels. For example, where the game has five reels as shown in
Referring again to
Symbol selector 622A selects symbols for display using random number generator 621. The selected symbols are advised to the display controller 624 which causes them to be displayed on display 54 at a set of display positions.
One example of selecting symbol′s is for the symbol selector 622A to select symbols from respective ones of a plurality of spinning reels. The symbol selector 622A selects the symbols for display by selecting a stopping position in the sequence of symbols, for each reel. It is known to use a probability table stored in memory 64 to vary the odds of a particular stop position being selected. Other techniques can be used to control the odds of particular outcomes occurring to thereby control the return to player of the game.
Once symbols are selected, they are evaluated in order to determine whether they include any winning outcomes. These evaluations are made by outcome evaluator 623 based on the pay table 643 which defines the winning outcomes and associated awards.
It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, in particular it will be apparent that certain features of embodiments of the invention can be employed to form further embodiments.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.
