Gaming machine with carryover feature units associated with particular symbols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9576440-B2
Application number	US-201414246988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

In a gaming machine having virtual reels, certain symbols are modified to identify feature units associated with that particular symbol. The feature units carry over for multiple games until extinguished by being used. If a symbol having one or more feature units is involved in a winning combination, the function associated with its feature units, such as an award multiplier, is applied to the player's award. The symbols adjacent to a winning combination of symbols, or the symbols in the winning combination, may be augmented with a feature unit. A symbol accumulating a certain number of feature units may become a wild symbol. By continuing to accumulate feature units over many games, the symbols progressively become more valuable, and the player is incentivized to keep playing the machine. When the player cashes out, the feature units are extinguished.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by a gaming device, the method comprising:
providing a paytable memory identifying a winning symbol combination displayed by the gaming device;
receiving, by the gaming device, a monetary wager made by a player via a wager input device as part of the gaming device;
receiving a game initiation signal by the player controlling a game initiation device, as part of the gaming device, to initiate a game;
under control of a processing system that includes a processor and a memory that includes program code that causes the processor to execute operations, spinning and stopping virtual reels, having symbols, to generate an array of symbols, the symbols being displayed on a display screen;
under control of the processing system, granting awards to the player for the winning symbol combination;
under control of the processing system, augmenting first symbols with feature units in response to the winning symbol combination on stopped reels, the feature units having a function that is advantageous to the player, wherein augmenting the first symbols with the feature units does not change a likelihood that the first symbols will be part of the winning symbol combination identified in the paytable memory, and wherein the first symbols are not part of the winning symbol combination when augmented with the feature units;
under control of the processing system, maintaining the feature units associated with the first symbols over a plurality of games until the feature units are extinguished;
under control of the processing system, accumulating the feature units when the first symbols are again augmented with the feature units over the course of the plurality of games;
under control of the processing system, if the winning symbol combination comprises at least one of the first symbols having the associated feature units, and certain criteria regarding the feature units is met, applying the function of the feature units to the winning symbol combination;
under control of the processing system, granting an award to the player for the winning symbol combination while applying the function of the associated feature units; and
extinguishing the feature units associated with first symbols involved in the winning symbol combination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the augmenting the first symbols with the feature units in response to the winning symbol combination comprises augmenting symbols that are adjacent the winning symbol combination with the feature units.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying the function of the feature units to the winning symbol combination comprises enhancing the award for the winning symbols combination based on a number of feature units associated with symbols in the winning symbol combination.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing a function of any of the first symbols after a certain plurality of feature symbols has been accumulated by the any one of the first symbols.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein changing the function of any of the first symbols after a certain plurality of feature symbols has been accumulated comprises making the any one of the first symbols a wild symbol.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising extinguishing all feature units upon the player cashing out of the gaming device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the augmenting the first symbols with feature units in response to winning symbol combinations comprises modifying an appearance of the first symbols to indicate a number of feature units associated with each of the first symbols.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the video gaming device is a stand-alone gaming machine.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the video gaming device is a computing device connected to a server via the Internet.

10. A gaming device comprising:
a display screen;
a paytable memory that identifies a winning symbol combination displayed by the gaming device;
a wager input device, as part of the gaming device, that receives a monetary wager by a player;
a game initiation device, as part of the gaming device, that is controlled by the player to initiate a game;
a processing system programmed to carry out the following operation:
spinning and stopping virtual reels, having symbols, to generate an array of symbols, the symbols being displayed on a display screen;
granting an award to the player for the winning symbol combination;
augmenting first symbols with feature units in response to the winning symbol combination on stopped reels, the feature units having a function that is advantageous to the player, wherein the augmenting the first symbols with the feature units does not change a likelihood that the first symbols will be part of the winning symbol combination identified in the paytable memory, and wherein the first symbols are not part of the winning symbol combination when augmented with the feature units;
maintaining the feature units associated with the first symbols over a plurality of games until the feature units are extinguished;
accumulating the feature units when the first symbols are again augmented with the feature units over the course of the plurality of games;
if a winning symbol combination comprises at least one of the first symbols having the associated feature units, and certain criteria regarding the feature units is met, applying the function of the feature units to the winning symbol combination;
granting the award to the player for the winning symbol combination while applying the function of the associated feature units; and
extinguishing the feature units associated with the first symbols involved in the winning symbol combination.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the augmenting the first symbols with the feature units in response to the winning symbol combination comprises augmenting symbols that are adjacent the winning symbol combination with the feature units.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the applying the function of the feature units to the winning symbol combination comprises enhancing the award for the winning symbols combination based on a number of feature units associated with symbols in the winning symbol combination.

13. The device of claim 10 further comprising the processing system being programmed to change the function of any of the first symbols after a certain plurality of feature symbols has been accumulated by the any one of the first symbols.

14. The device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is further programmed to extinguish all feature units upon the player cashing out of the gaming device.

15. The device of claim 10 wherein the augmenting the first symbols with feature units in response to winning symbol combination comprises modifying an appearance of the first symbols to indicate a number of feature units associated with each of the first symbols.

16. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is a computing device connected to a server via the Internet.

Assignees

• Gtech Canada Ulc
• Igt Canada Solutions Ulc

Inventors

• Keilwert Stefan

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