Patent Application
20070281777
The accompanying figures illustrate various stages of a preferred embodiment of the present invention:
To play a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the player initializes credits, sets the wager, spins the reels, and collects awards for line pays and scatter pays, as detailed below with reference to
Initialize Credits. The player initializes credits by depositing money in the form of coins, gaming tokens or paper currency into a coin head (not shown) or bill acceptor (not shown). Coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir (not shown) inside the gaming machine; paper currency is collected in the bill acceptor (not shown) inside the gaming machine.
If the coins, gaming tokens or paper currency are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing credits on the Credit meter 116. More credits may be initialized, if necessary, by additional deposits. Alternatively, any method of initializing credits may be used including debit cards, credit cards, smart cards, or other form of electronic funds transfer.
Set the Wager. The player sets the wager by selecting pay lines and setting the bet per pay line. The wager is calculated by multiplying the number of selected pay lines by the bet per pay line. For example, the player places a 5-credit wager on each of the nine available pay lines for a 45-credit total bet. The total bet amount is displayed on the Total Bet meter 122.
To select pay lines, the player uses the Select Pay Lines button 108 and views the number of selected pay lines on the Select Pay Lines meter 118. The player uses the Select Pay Lines button to select pay lines in a predetermined order. For example, the first pay line selected is always pay line 1, second pay line selected is always pay line 2, etc. Alternatively, fewer or greater than nine pay lines may be used with any order of pay line activation.
To set the bet per pay line, the player uses the Bet Per Pay Line button 110 and views the amount bet per pay line on the Bet Per Pay Line meter 120. The same amount is wagered on each pay line. For example, the player may place up to 5-credit wagers on each pay line. Alternatively, wagers of any amount may be placed on a pay line, with the same or different amount wagered on each pay line.
In addition, the player may use the Bet Max button 112 to place the maximum bet per pay line on all pay lines. Alternatively, any wager may be assigned a button.
Spin the Reels. The player uses the Spin button 114 to randomly rearrange the symbols displayed in the symbol matrix 190. The symbol matrix 190 contains three symbol positions for each of the five slot reels 156-164 for a total of fifteen symbol positions 126-154. Alternatively, any number of reels with any number of symbol positions may be used.
The slot reels 156-164 spin and randomly stop one reel at-a-time, from left to right, until all five reels have stopped and all fifteen symbol positions 126-154 of the symbol matrix 190 are revealed. Alternatively, any size symbol matrix may be used and any method may be used to rearrange symbols in the symbol matrix.
Line Pay Awards. The player collects line pay awards based upon the appearance of three or more same symbols in adjacent positions of a payline, starting from the leftmost position of a pay line. The value of all line pay awards are defined in the pay schedule (not shown), with a predetermined award value assigned to each listed line pay.
Alternatively, line pays may be comprised of any number of same or different symbols appearing in any positions of a payline. Further, the pay schedule may define any number of line pays, with any award type and/or amount assigned to each line pay. The player may view the pay schedule by using the Pays button 104.
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Scatter Pay Awards. The player also collects awards based upon the appearance of one or more predetermined symbols “scattered” anywhere in the symbol matrix 190 (“scatter symbols”), with the award value dependent upon the row in which the scatter symbols appear. The value of a scatter symbol award in each of the rows—top 126-134, middle 136-144, and bottom 146-154—is defined in the pay schedule (not shown).
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Thus, the location of the scatter symbol in the symbol matrix 190 controls the value of the scatter symbol award, with award increasing from the top row to the middle row and again from the middle row to the bottom row:
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Following the calculation of the scatter pay and/or line pay awards, the credit values are added to the player's balance of credits. As long as the player has credits on the Credit meter 116, the player may continue to play the gaming machine or the player may also collect the balance of credits by pressing the Cash Out button 102. In addition, the player may press the Help button 106 to view the rules of the game.
The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the descriptions of the preferred and alternative embodiments. The present invention, however, is not limited to these particular embodiments, as the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. For example, new features may be added to an existing embodiment or features from two or more embodiments may be combined to produce a new embodiment. Further, features mentioned in any embodiment may be interchanged with similar features not mentioned that perform the same or similar functions. And, finally, the phraseology and terminology used to explain the embodiments are only descriptive and should not be regarded as limiting. The claims, therefore, seek to cover all features and advantages that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application is a non-provisional patent application that claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/801,665, filed May 19, 2006, incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60801665 | May 2006 | US |
