Gaming system and a method of gaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403086-B2
Application number	US-201715812782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Nov 28, 2007
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A method of gaming comprising: generating a game outcome by selecting a plurality of symbols, and displaying the selected symbols on a display at respective ones of a plurality of display positions arranged in a three-dimensional array; and determining whether the game outcome includes one or more winning outcomes. The method may include expanding the size of the three-dimensional array in response to occurrence of at least one trigger condition. The method may also include migrating symbols from one position to another within the three-dimensional array prior to determining whether the game outcome includes any winning outcomes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of playing a game on a gaming machine, the gaming machine comprising a controller, a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, a wagering input mechanism configured to allow a player to place one or more wagers using the credit balance, and a display having a plurality of display positions arranged in a three-dimensional array having a plurality of subarrays displayed as stacked planar two-dimensional matrices of display positions, the method comprising:
initiating, via the controller, a casino wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from the wager input mechanism, the wager input indicative of a wager amount that is deducted from the credit balance;
determining, via the controller, whether a predefined triggering criterion is satisfied;
in response to said predefined triggering criterion being satisfied, expanding a size of the three-dimensional array that is displayed on the display to provide an expanded three-dimensional array;
selecting, via the controller, a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for positioning in display positions of the expanded three-dimensional array;
displaying the selected symbols at respective display positions of the expanded three-dimensional array;
forming a game outcome based on the symbols displayed on the expanded three-dimensional array;
determining, via the controller, whether the game outcome includes a winning outcome; and
in response to determining that the game outcome includes the winning outcome, increasing the credit balance via the controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of expanding comprises adding at least one additional subarray to the three-dimensional array to provide the expanded three-dimensional array.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined triggering criterion comprises an occurrence of at least one of the wager amount, a game turnover, and a particular symbol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of subarrays includes a primary subarray and a secondary subarray and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
following the displaying step, determining if any functional symbols are displayed at any display positions of the secondary subarray;
controlling the display to display said functional symbols as migrating from secondary subarray to the primary subarray; and
determining the game outcome based on the symbols displayed in the primary subarray, including any functional symbols that were migrated from the secondary subarray.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the functional symbols comprise Wild symbols.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the functional symbols comprise multipliers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wager input mechanism is configured to allow the player to select at least one of a plurality of paylines, each pay line comprising a different set of the plurality of display positions, and wherein determining whether there is the winning outcome comprises determining whether to make an award based on each player selected pay line and the displayed symbols.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of paylines include paylines in respective ones of a plurality of different parallel planes.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least two of the plurality of paylines are in respective ones of a pair of transverse planes.

10. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based on wagering activity;
a wagering input mechanism configured to allow a player to place one or more wagers using the credit balance;
a video display having a plurality of display positions arranged in a three-dimensional array having a plurality of subarrays displayed as stacked planar two-dimensional matrices of display positions;
a game controller configured to:
initiate a casino wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from the wager input mechanism, the wager input indicative of a wager amount that is deducted from the credit balance;
determine whether a predefined triggering criterion is satisfied;
in response to said predefined triggering criterion being satisfied, cause at least one additional subarray to be added to the three-dimensional array to provide an expanded three-dimensional array;
select plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for positioning in display positions of the expanded three-dimensional array;
control the display to display the selected symbols at respective display positions of the expanded three-dimensional array;
form a game outcome based on the symbols displayed on the expanded three-dimensional array; and
determine whether the game outcome includes a winning outcome; and
increase the credit balance in response to determining that the game outcome includes the winning outcome.

11. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the predefined triggering criterion comprises an occurrence of at least one of the wager amount, a game turnover, and a particular symbol.

12. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of subarrays includes a primary subarray and a secondary subarray and wherein the game controller is further configured to:
determine if any functional symbols are displayed at any display positions of the secondary subarray;
control the display to display the functional symbols as migrating from the secondary subarray to the primary subarray; and
determine the game outcome based on the symbols displayed in the primary subarray, including any functional symbols that were migrated from the secondary subarray.

13. The electronic gaming machine of claim 12 , wherein the functional symbols comprise Wild symbols.

14. The electronic gaming machine of claim 12 , wherein the functional symbols comprise multipliers.

15. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the wager input mechanism is configured to allow the player to select at least one of a plurality of paylines, each payline comprising a different set of the plurality of display positions, and wherein the game controller is configured to determine whether there is the winning outcome based on each player selected payline and the displayed symbols.

16. The electronic gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of paylines include paylines in respective ones of a plurality of different parallel planes.

17. The electronic gaming machine of claim 16 , wherein at least two of the plurality of paylines are in respective ones of a pair of transverse planes.

18. A gaming system for play of a game, comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a physical item for credit input associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
a payout mechanism configured to cause a payout associated with the credit balance;
a memory storing symbol data representing a set of symbols including a plurality of functional symbols;
a display having a plurality of display positions arranged in a three-dimensional array having a plurality of subarrays displayed as a plurality of stacked planar, two-dimensional matrices of display po

Assignees

• Aristocrat Technologies Au

Inventors

• Mckay Linn Anthony
• Stone Jay

Classifications

• G07F17/34

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

• G07F17/3213 Primary

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title

• G07F17/3202

  Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof · CPC title

• G07F17/3244

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title