Gaming machine and method for displaying an expanded plurality of active symbols on a mechanical reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735011-B2
Application number	US-202117190211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

An electronic gaming machine may include a plurality of mechanical reels, each of which may include a plurality of symbols. The electronic gaming machine may also include a processor configured execute instructions stored on a memory. When the processor executes the instructions, the processor may control a first mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels to spin and stop on a first stop position relative to a centerline, such that the first mechanical reel displays a first plurality of active symbols. In addition, the processor may execute the instructions to control a second mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels to spin and stop on a second stop position relative to the centerline. In at least one embodiment, the second stop position may be vertically offset from the first stop position, such that the second mechanical reel displays a second plurality of active symbols greater than the first plurality of active symbols displayed by the first mechanical reel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels including a plurality of symbols, the electronic gaming machine presenting a visible portion of each of the mechanical reels of the plurality of mechanical reels after a spin;
one or more stepper motors configured to spin and stop the plurality of mechanical reels during game play; and
a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
access a stepper motor stop position table that defines a plurality of stop positions, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions includes (1) at least one random number generator (RNG) value and (2) an associated step position for the one or more stepper motors, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions aligns a symbol with a centerline when a particular stepper motor turns to the associated step position;
determine to activate a reel expansion feature involving a first mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels;
generate a first RNG outcome for the first mechanical reel; and
control the first mechanical reel, during a first spin and in response to the determining to activate the reel expansion feature, to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table identified based on the first RNG outcome, the half step position causes symbols of the first mechanical reel to be offset by a half position relative to the centerline and causes the presentation of at least one additional complete symbol position to be visible within the visible portion of the first mechanical reel when stopped at the half step position.

2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to control at least one other mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels to stop at a stop position that is aligned with the centerline and offset by a half step position with the first mechanical reel.

3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein controlling the first mechanical reel to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table includes determining a step value halfway between a step position of the first stop position and a step position of the second stop position.

4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein controlling the first mechanical reel to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table causes the centerline to pass between two adjacent symbols on the first mechanical reel.

5. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to define a first number of pay-lines for evaluation against a paytable based upon the at least one additional complete symbol position being presented within the visible portion during the first spin.

6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to define a second number of pay-lines for evaluation against the paytable based upon the at least one additional complete symbol position, and wherein the second number of pay-lines is greater than the first number of pay-lines.

7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein determining to activate a reel expansion feature is performed upon activation of a feature game, wherein the first spin is conducted during the feature game.

8. A method for presenting a wagering game on an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine comprising a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanically reels including a plurality of symbols, the plurality of mechanical reels being controlled by one or more stepper motors configured to spin and stop the plurality of mechanical reels during game play, and a processor, the electronic gaming machine presenting a visible portion of each of the mechanical reels of the plurality of mechanical reels after a spin, the method comprising:
accessing a stepper motor stop position table that defines a plurality of stop positions, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions includes (1) one of a random number generator (RNG) value and an RNG range and (2) an associated step position for the one or more stepper motors, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions aligns a symbol with a centerline when a particular stepper motor turns to the associated step position;
determining to activate a reel expansion feature involving a first mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels;
generating a first RNG outcome; and
controlling the first mechanical reel, during a first spin and in response to the determining to activate the reel expansion feature, to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table identified based on the first RNG outcome, the half step position causes symbols of the first mechanical reel to be offset by a half position relative to the centerline and causes the presentation of at least one additional complete symbol position to be visible within the visible portion of the first mechanical reel when stopped at the half step position.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising controlling at least one other mechanical reel of the plurality of mechanical reels to stop at a stop position that is aligned with the centerline and offset by a half step position with the first mechanical reel.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the first mechanical reel to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table includes determining a step value halfway between a step position of the first stop position and a step position of the second stop position.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the first mechanical reel to stop at a half step position between a first stop position and a second stop position of the stepper motor stop position table causes the centerline to pass between two adjacent symbols on the first mechanical reel.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising defining a first number of pay-lines for evaluation against a paytable based upon the at least one additional complete symbol position being presented within the visible portion during the first spin.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising defining a second number of pay-lines for evaluation against the paytable based upon the at least one additional complete symbol position, and wherein the second number of pay lines is greater than the first-number of pay-lines.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining to activate a reel expansion feature is performed upon activation of a feature game, wherein the first spin is conducted during the feature game.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to at least:
access a stepper motor stop position table that defines a plurality of stop positions, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions identifies a step position for the one or more stepper motors, each stop position of the plurality of stop positions aligns a symbol with a centerline when a particular stepper motor turns to the associated step position;

Assignees

• Aristocrat Technologies Au

Inventors

• Cuddy Ryan
• Berger Lyndsay Nelson

Classifications

• G07F17/34 Primary

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

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title

• G07F17/3244 Primary

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

• G07F17/3213

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