Reel-based wagering games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10964156-B2
Application number	US-201815971197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2018
Priority date	May 4, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Reel-based wagering games and associated methods and gaming apparatuses are disclosed. Examples of reel-based wagering games comprise a number of reels and multiple paylines or a multi-way payout scheme associated with the number of reels. Evaluation of payouts associated with the multiple paylines or the multi-way payout scheme starts with a first reel to stop and resets at a subsequent reel to stop when the subsequent reel does not result in a payout with previously stopped reels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reel-based wagering game method implemented on a gaming apparatus comprising a game display, a user interface, and a controller, the reel-based wagering game method comprising:
(1) displaying, by the game display, changing reels, wherein the changing reels comprise at least a first reel, a second reel, and one or more additional reels;
(2) stopping, by the controller, the changing reels to display, by the game display, stopped reels, wherein the stopped reels comprise at least a stopped first reel, a stopped second reel, and one or more additional stopped reels, and wherein each stopped reel comprises displayed game symbols;
(3) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel and the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel correspond to a first predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to a payout condition;
(4) only responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel and the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel not corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
(4a) altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a first altered payout condition;
(4b) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of only the stopped second reel and the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to a second predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to the first altered payout condition;
(4c) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the second predetermined arrangement of game symbols, altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a second altered payout condition; and
(4d) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the second predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition;

(5) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the first stopped reel and the displayed game symbols of the second stopped reel corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
(5a) not altering, by the controller, the payout condition;
(5b) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols;
(5c) only responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols:
(5c1) altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a third altered payout condition;
(5c2) evaluating, by the controller, whether the displayed game symbols of only the stopped second reel and the one or more additional stopped reels correspond to a third predetermined arrangement of game symbols that lead to the third altered payout condition;
(5c3) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels not corresponding to the third predetermined arrangement of game symbols, altering, by the controller, the payout condition to a fourth altered payout condition or ending the game with no payout; and
(5c4) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the third predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition; and

(5d) responsive to the displayed game symbols of the stopped first reel, the displayed game symbols of the stopped second reel, and the displayed game symbols of the one or more additional stopped reels corresponding to the first predetermined arrangement of game symbols, not altering, by the controller, the payout condition.

2. The reel-based wagering game method of claim 1 , wherein the gaming apparatus further comprises a wager input device, and a cashout device, the reel-based wagering game method further comprising:
receiving, by the wager input device from a player, physical currency or currency based structure;
increasing, by the controller, a credit balance based on receipt of the physical currency or the currency based structure; and
receiving an input, by the user interface from the player, to cause initiation of a payout, by the cashout device, associated with the credit balance.

3. The reel-based wagering game method of claim 1 ,
wherein step (4a) further comprises alerting, by the gaming apparatus, a player that the payout condition is altered to the first altered payout condition;
wherein step (4c) further comprises alerting, by the gaming apparatus, the player that the payout condition is altered to the second altered payout condition; and
wherein step (5c1) further comprises alerting, by the gaming apparatus, the player that the payout condition is altered to the third altered payout condition.

4. The reel-based wagering game method of claim 3 , wherein the alertings each comprise visually alerting, and wherein the visual alerting comprises one or more of:
displaying, by the game display, a symbol;
changing, by the game display, a size of at least a subset of the stopped reels that led to the alerting;
visually separating, by the game display, at least a subset of the stopped reels that led to the alerting and adjacent game reels; and
visually changing, by the game display, at least a subset of the stopped reels that led to the alerting.

5. The reel-based wagering game method of claim 1 , wherein the evaluatings are based on the displayed game symbols of stopped reels corresponding to one or more paylines.

6. A gaming apparatus configured to implement a reel-based wagering game, the gaming apparatus comprising:
a game display configured to display at least a portion of game reels of the reel-based wagering game;
a user interface configured to receive user input for controlling and engaging with the reel-based wagering game;
a wager input device structured to receive physical currency or currency based structure, the currency or currency based structure establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity received from a player via the user interface;
a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and
a controller operably coupled to the game display, the user interface, the wager input device, and the cashout device, wherein the controller is operable to:
responsive at least to initiation of a play, cause the game display to display the game reels as spinning game reels or changing game reels;
cause the game display to display a first set of the game reels as stopped reels;
evaluate whether the first set of the game reels corresponds to a first payout condition;
only responsive to the first set of the game reels not corresponding to the first payout condition:
alert the player of a first subsequent opportunity for payout based on then spinning game reels or then changing game reels;
cause the game display to display a second set of the game reels as stopped reels; and
evaluate whether only the second set of the game reels corresponds to a second payout condition;

responsive to the first set of the game reels corresponding to the first payout condition:
cause the game display to display o

Assignees

• King Show Games Inc

Inventors

• Strand Ryan

Classifications

• G07F17/3209

  Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen · CPC title

• G07F17/3213 Primary

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

• G07F17/34

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

• G06Q50/34

  Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting · CPC title