Gaming method and apparatus for portioning a play area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9418505-B2
Application number	US-201514875390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2009
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities, such as in a slot machine. A first grid comprising a plurality of elements overlayed a second grid comprising a plurality of elements is presented. At least some of the elements of the first grid and the second grid are marked. Marked elements of first grid are then used to form a subportion, the subportion boundary enclosing an area and having a correspondingly marked element of the first grid at each corner. Payouts are issued for marked elements and element combinations of the second grid within the subportion. The payouts may be administered according to a pay table.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wagering gaming device comprising:
a display device configured to display:
a first grid of a plurality of symbol display positions; and
a second grid of a plurality of boundary elements, the plurality of boundary elements positioned at least between some of the plurality of symbol display positions of the first grid;

a wager input device configured to receive currency or currency based tickets, the currency or currency based tickets establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
a memory device configured to store data related to a plurality of game reels, the data including arrangements of symbols associated with each of the game reels; and
game circuitry configured to:
receive a wager signal to initiate a game of chance in response to placement of a wager, the wager decreasing the credit balance;
mark one or more of the plurality of symbol display positions of a first grid by spinning the game reels and stopping the game reels to display symbols in the symbol display positions;
mark one or more of the plurality of boundary elements of the second grid, the boundary elements being marked independently of the symbols displayed in the first grid;
frame at least a portion of the first grid by using at least some of the marked boundary elements of the second grid to define a subportion frame, the subportion frame enclosing at least one symbol display position of the first grid;
evaluate any symbols displayed in the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame for a bonus;
evaluate symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid for awards, the awards modified by the bonus and increasing the credit balance; and
detect the input to cause the initiation of the payout, via the cashout device.

2. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the secondary grid includes one or more of the plurality of boundary elements positioned around a perimeter of the first grid.

3. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the second grid overlaps the first grid to position at least one of the plurality of boundary elements adjacent to at least one corner of at least one of the symbol display positions of the first grid.

4. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the bonus is an additional credit award that is added to the awards from the symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid.

5. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the bonus is a multiplier that is multiplies the awards from the symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid.

6. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the bonus includes remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame prior to evaluating the symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid for awards.

7. The wagering gaming device of claim 6 , wherein remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame includes randomly remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame.

8. The wagering gaming device of claim 6 , wherein remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame includes remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame with a wild symbol.

9. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the bonus includes remarking the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame, where the symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid are evaluated for awards both prior to and after the at least one symbol display position of the first grid enclosed by the subportion frame is remarked.

10. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein evaluating any symbols displayed in the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame for a bonus includes evaluating the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame according to a scatter pay method.

11. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein evaluating any symbols displayed in the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame for a bonus includes evaluating the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame for adjacent symbol combinations.

12. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of boundary elements of the second grid include light elements, the light elements appearing unlit in an unmarked state and appearing lit in a marked state.

13. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of boundary elements of the second grid include display elements, the display elements not appearing on the display device in an unmarked state and appearing on the display device in a marked state.

14. The wagering gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the game circuitry is further configured to:
mark one or more of the plurality of boundary elements of the second grid using a plurality of different markings types;
frame a plurality of different subportions of the first grid based on the marked different subportion marking types; and
evaluate symbols displayed in the symbol display positions of the first grid to identify winning combinations by independently evaluating each of the different framed subportions.

15. A wagering gaming device comprising:
a display device configured to display:
a first grid of a plurality of symbol display positions; and
a second grid of a plurality of boundary elements, the plurality of boundary elements positioned at least between some of the plurality of symbol display positions of the first grid;

a wager input device configured to receive currency or currency based tickets, the currency or currency based tickets establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
a memory device configured to store data related to a plurality of game reels, the data including arrangements of symbols associated with each of the game reels; and
game circuitry configured to:
receive a wager signal to initiate a game of chance in response to placement of a wager, the wager decreasing the credit balance;
mark one or more of the plurality of boundary elements of the second grid;
define a subportion frame on the display device based on the marked one or more boundary elements of the second grid, the subportion frame enclosing at least one symbol position of the first grid;
mark one or more of the plurality of symbol display positions of a first grid by spinning the game reels and stopping the game reels to display symbols in the symbol display positions, where the symbols in the at least one symbol position enclosed by the subportion frame is marked after the subportion framed is defined;
evaluate any symbols displayed in the at least one symbol display position enclosed by the subportion frame for a bonus;
evaluate symbol combinations formed from the symbols displayed in the symbol positions of the first grid for awards, th

Assignees

• King Show Games Inc

Inventors

• Berman Bradley
• Martin Adam
• Strand Ryan
• Shapiro Chad
• Norbie Nate

Classifications

• G07F17/3293

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• G07F17/3209

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

• G07F17/3244

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

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title

• G07F17/3213 Primary

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