System and method for providing a game with unfolding symbols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096211-B2
Application number	US-201414497940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a plurality of reels associated with the game of chance. Each of the plurality of reels includes a plurality of reel positions to generate a symbol thereon. The gaming machine also includes a display including a defined plurality of positions to present a symbol thereon. The gaming machine also includes a processor programmed to generate a spin of the plurality of reels. The spin results in a play area including one or more symbols generated from each of the plurality of reels. The processor is also programmed to identify a first unfolding symbol in a first position on the play area, determine a second position on the play area adjacent to the first position, and display a second unfolding symbol in the second position on based at least in part on the determining, thereby unfolding the first unfolding symbol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming machine for providing a game of chance operable upon a wager by a player, said gaming machine comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player, wherein the credit input mechanism comprises at least one of a bill acceptor, a coin acceptor, and a card reader;
a plurality of reels having respective pluralities of symbol positions with symbols displayed thereon for conducting the game of chance;
a display configured to display a portion of the plurality of reels, thereby defining a viewable matrix of the respective symbol positions; and
a processor coupled to the credit input mechanism, the plurality of reels, and the display, the processor programmed to:
establish a credit balance based on the received credit input;
receive a wager from the player, wherein the wager decreases the credit balance;
in response to the wager, carry out a spin of the plurality of reels, the spin resulting, upon stopping the plurality of reels, in the viewable matrix displaying a set of symbols;
identify a first instance of an unfolding symbol in a first position in the viewable matrix;
determine a first unfolding of the first instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a first probability;
identify a first potential unfolding position set including at least one adjacent position with respect to the first position;
randomly select a second position in the viewable matrix from the first potential unfolding position set;
display a second instance of the unfolding symbol in the second position, thereby unfolding the unfolding symbol;
determine a second unfolding of the second instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a second probability;
identify a second potential unfolding position set including at least one adjacent position with respect to the second position;
randomly select a third position in the viewable matrix from the second potential unfolding position set; and
display a third instance of the unfolding symbol in the third position.

2. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
determine whether a third unfolding of the third instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a third probability different than the first probability and the second probability.

3. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the third instance of the unfolding symbol based in part on a random number.

4. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the unfolding symbol is pre-designated as a wild symbol.

5. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the unfolding symbol during play based at least in part on the appearance of the unfolding symbol in a pre-determined position in the viewable matrix.

6. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to expand the viewable matrix based at least in part on where the second instance of the unfolding symbol is displayed in the viewable matrix.

7. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first probability is greater than the second probability.

8. A method for providing a game of chance on a gaming machine comprising a processor, a display and a plurality of reels having respective symbol positions with symbols displayed thereon for conducting the game of chance, the method comprising:
establishing a credit balance based on a credit input received by a credit input mechanism of the gaming machine from a player, wherein the credit input mechanism comprises at least one of a bill acceptor, a coin acceptor, and a card reader;
receiving a wager from the player, wherein the wager decreases the credit balance;
in response to receipt of the wager, carrying out a spin of the plurality of reels, the spin resulting, upon stopping the plurality of reels, in a viewable matrix displaying a set of symbols on respective portions of the plurality of reels;
identifying a first instance of an unfolding symbol in a first position in the viewable matrix;
determining, by the processor, a first unfolding of the first instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a first probability;
identifying a first potential unfolding position set including at least one adjacent position with respect to the first position;
randomly selecting, by the processor, a second position in the viewable matrix from the first potential unfolding position set;
displaying a second instance of the unfolding symbol in the second position, thereby unfolding the unfolding symbol;
determining, by the processor, a second unfolding of the second instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a second probability;
identifying a second potential unfolding position set including at least one adjacent position with respect to the second position;
randomly selecting, by the processor, a third position in the viewable matrix from the second potential unfolding position set; and
displaying a third instance of the unfolding symbol in the third position.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising:
determining a third unfolding of the third instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a third probability different than the first probability and the second probability.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising displaying the third instance of the unfolding symbol based in part on a random number.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the unfolding symbol is pre-designated as a wild symbol.

12. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising determining the unfolding symbol during play based at least in part on the appearance of the unfolding symbol in a pre-determined position in the viewable matrix.

13. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising expanding the viewable matrix based at least in part on where the second instance of the unfolding symbol is displayed in the viewable matrix.

14. The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the first probability is greater than the second probability.

15. A gaming system comprising:
a gaming machine comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player, wherein the credit input mechanism comprises at least one of a bill acceptor, a coin acceptor, and a card reader;
a plurality of reels having respective symbol positions with symbols displayed thereon for conducting a game of chance; and
a display configured to display a portion of the plurality of reels, thereby defining a viewable matrix of the respective symbol positions; and

a server coupled to the gaming machine, the server comprising a processor, the processor programmed to:
establish a credit balance based on the received credit input;
receive a wager from the player, wherein the wager decreases the credit balance;
in response to the wager, carry out a spin of the plurality of reels, the spin resulting, upon stopping the plurality of reels, in the viewable matrix displaying a set of symbols;
identify a first instance of an unfolding symbol in a first position in the viewable matrix;
determine a first unfolding of the first instance of the unfolding symbol should occur based on a first probability;
identify a first potential unfolding position set including at least one adjacent position with respect to the first position;
randomly select a second position in the viewable matrix from the first potential unfolding position set;
display a second

Assignees

• Video Gaming Tech Inc

Inventors

• Nelson Lyndsay
• Cuddy Ryan
• Schmid Zachary

Classifications

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title

• G07F17/34 Primary

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title