Gaming method and apparatus for facilitating a game involving 2D and 3D play areas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569916-B2
Application number	US-201514754676-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2009
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed concerning games that use both 2D and 3D play areas. Various embodiments concern representing a 3D structure composed of a plurality of 3D shapes having a plurality of faces, presenting a plurality of elements, marking the plurality of faces and the elements, identifying a first set of one or more combinations of corresponding markings, moving the shapes of the three dimensional structure relative to the elements, and identifying a second set of one or more combinations of corresponding markings, each of the combinations of corresponding markings from the first set and the second set composed of markings from at least one of the elements and multiple faces of the shapes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a gaming apparatus having a display device configured to display a game of chance, a wager input device structured to receive currency or currency based tickets, a memory configured to store a credit amount, and a processor, the method comprising:
receiving a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of currency or a currency based ticket;
increasing the credit amount in memory based on the received signal from the wager input device;
receiving a wager to initiate the game of chance on the display device, the wager decreasing the credit amount in memory, the game of chance including displaying on the display device a first reel, a second reel, a third reel, a fourth reel, and a fifth reel, where the first reel and the fifth reel each respectively include a plurality of vertical symbol positions that are configured to display game symbols, where the second reel, third reel, and fourth reel each respectively include a plurality of three-dimensional game elements having six sides that collectively form a three-dimensional structure having six sides, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three layers of the game elements in a depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three adjacent game elements in vertical direction, at least three adjacent game elements in a horizontal direction, and at least three game elements in the depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and where sides of the plurality of game elements are configured to display game symbols;
selecting symbols to be displayed on the display device for the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel; and
evaluating symbol combinations formed from symbols displayed on the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure formed by the game elements of the second reel, third reel, and fourth reel is cube-shaped.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional structure formed by the game elements of the second reel, third reel, and fourth reel includes twenty seven of the six-sided game elements.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
rotating the three-dimensional structure after evaluating the symbols combinations to display different game symbols on the second reel, third reel, and fourth reel; and
re-evaluating symbol combinations formed from symbols displayed on the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising continuing to rotate the three-dimensional structure and evaluating symbols combinations until each of the six sides of the cubed-shaped three-dimensional structure has had associated symbols evaluated along with the symbols displayed on the first reel and fifth reel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure includes a first layer of game elements, a second layer of game elements positioned under the first layer of game elements in a depth direction, and a third layer of game elements positioned under the second layer of game elements in depth direction.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least some of the game elements in the second layer of game elements are at least partially visibly displayed on the display device.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the three-dimensional structure is displayed in a three-dimensional view so that at least some of the game symbols along sides of the three-dimensional structure are visibly displayed on the display device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the three-dimensional structure after evaluating the symbols combinations to display different game symbols on the second reel, third reel, and fourth reel; and
re-evaluating symbol combinations formed from symbols displayed on the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the three-dimensional structure is rotated and the symbol combinations are re-evaluated only when a predefined criterion is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 1 , where each side of each game element in the plurality of game elements in the three-dimensional structure is associated with selected game symbols.

12. The method of claim 1 , where only sides of game elements that are co-planar with sides of the three-dimensional structure are associated with selected game symbols.

13. The method of claim 1 , where each of the plurality of three-dimensional game elements are independently rotatable with respect to other ones of the plurality of three-dimensional game elements.

14. A method of operating a gaming apparatus having a display device including a video screen having a game play grid showing portions of a first reel, a second reel, a third reel, a fourth reel, and a fifth reel, where the first reel and the fifth reel each respectively include a plurality of vertical symbol positions that are configured to display game symbols, where the second reel, the third reel, and the fourth reel each respectively include a plurality of three-dimensional game elements having six sides that collectively form a three-dimensional structure having six sides, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three layers of the game elements in a depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three adjacent game elements in a vertical direction, at least three adjacent game elements in a horizontal direction, and at least three game elements in the depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and where sides of the plurality of game elements are configured to display game symbols, the gaming apparatus also including a processor, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to initiate the game of chance on the display device;
selecting symbols to be displayed on the display device for the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel; and
evaluating symbol combinations formed from symbols displayed on the first reel, the second reel, the third reel, the fourth reel, and the fifth reel.

15. A method of operating a gaming apparatus having a display device including a video screen having a game play grid showing portions of a first reel, a second reel, a third reel, a fourth reel, and a fifth reel, where the first reel and the fifth reel each respectively include a plurality of vertical symbol positions that are configured to display game symbols, where the second reel, the third reel, and the fourth reel each respectively include a plurality of three-dimensional game elements having six sides that collectively form a three-dimensional structure having six sides, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three layers of the game elements in a depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure includes at least three adjacent game elements in a vertical direction, at least three adjacent game elements in a horizontal direction, and at least three game elements in the depth direction, where the three-dimensional structure is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and where sides of the plurality of game elements are configured to display game symbols, the gaming apparatus also including a processor, the method comprising:
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Assignees

• King Show Games Inc

Inventors

• Berman Bradley
• Malkovich Jason
• Schuh Rebecca
• Shapiro Chad
• Martin Adam

Classifications

• 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

• G07F17/34

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