IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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| 출원번호 |
US-0556927
(2006-11-06)
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| 등록번호 |
US-8241104
(2012-08-14)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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| 출원인 / 주소 |
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| 대리인 / 주소 |
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
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| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
226 |
초록
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A gaming device includes a game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of symbol positions associated with the reels. The gaming device activates a number of the symbol positions based on a wager by a player. The gaming generates and displays a symbol in each of the active symbol positions. In
A gaming device includes a game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of symbol positions associated with the reels. The gaming device activates a number of the symbol positions based on a wager by a player. The gaming generates and displays a symbol in each of the active symbol positions. In one embodiment, the gaming device analyzes the generated symbols to determine whether any of the generated symbols are related. If the gaming device determines that any of the generated symbols are related, the gaming device determines whether any of the related symbols form a string of related symbols according to one or more designated rules employed in the game. If one or more strings of related symbols are formed in the game, the gaming device determines if any of the strings of related symbols are associated with any awards and provides such awards to the player.
대표청구항
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1. A gaming device comprising: at least one display device;at least one input device;at least one processor; anda memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display devic
1. A gaming device comprising: at least one display device;at least one input device;at least one processor; anda memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to control each play of a game by: (a) receiving a wager associated with a number of a plurality of symbol positions associated with a plurality of reels, said number of symbol positions being greater than one and each of the plurality of reels associated with at least three symbol positions;(b) activating said number of symbol positions;(c) generating and displaying one of a plurality of symbols in each active symbol position;(d) identifying each of the symbols in active symbol positions for a first of said plurality of reels and a second of said plurality of reels;(e) determining if any of said identified symbols for the first reel are related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel;(f) for any of said identified symbols for the first reel which are not related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel, not forming a string of related symbols;(g) for each occurrence of determined related symbols: (i) determining if said related symbols correspond to at least one designated string formation rule, said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three symbol positions of the first reel in which one of said related symbols is displayed and said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three symbol positions of the second reel in which another one of said related symbols is displayed,(ii) if the related symbols correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, forming a string of related symbols, and(iii) if the related symbols do not correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, not forming a string of related symbols;(h) for each string of related symbols formed: (i) determining if any symbols displayed in active symbol positions in an adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule,(ii) if any one of said symbols in the adjacent reel is related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and corresponds to said at least one designated string formation rule, adding said related symbol to said string of related symbols,(iii) if any other of said symbols in the adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, forming an additional string of related symbols for each of the other related symbols, and(iv) if none of said symbols in the adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols or do not correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, designating said string of related symbols as complete;(i) repeating (h) until either each of the strings of related symbols is complete or there are no additional reels adjacent to the last reel which includes one of the related symbols;(j) providing to a player any awards based on any strings of related symbols which correspond with at least one winning combination of said symbols; and(k) if no strings of related symbols are formed, not providing any awards based on any formed strings of related symbols. 2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each different wager corresponds to a different number of active symbol positions. 3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein symbols are related if they form part or all of at least one winning combination of said symbols. 4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the symbol positions are arranged in a plurality of rows. 5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein said designated rule requires that related symbols on adjacent reels must be in active symbol positions that are on the same row or adjacent rows to form a string of related symbols. 6. A gaming device comprising: at least one display device;at least one input device;at least one processor; anda memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to control each play of a game by: (a) receiving a wager associated with a number of active symbol positions of a plurality of symbol positions associated with a plurality of reels, said number of active symbol positions being greater than one, wherein said plurality of symbol positions are arranged in at least three rows;(b) generating and displaying one of a plurality of symbols in each of said number of active symbol positions;(c) identifying each of the symbols in active symbol positions for a first of said plurality of reels and a second of said plurality of reels;(d) determining if any of said identified symbols for the first reel are related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel;(e) for each occurrence of determined related symbols: (i) determining if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are in the same row or in adjacent rows, said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three rows of symbol positions of the first reel in which one of said related symbols is displayed and said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three rows of symbol positions of the second reel in which another one of said related symbols is displayed,(ii) if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are in the same row or in adjacent rows, forming a string of related symbols, and(iii) if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are not in the same row or in adjacent rows, not forming a string of related symbols;(f) for each string of related symbols formed: (i) determining if any symbols in active symbol positions associated with an adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols,(ii) for each symbol in one of the active symbol positions associated with the adjacent reel that is related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols, determining whether said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions which is in the same row or any row adjacent to the string of related symbols, and: (1) if said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions which is in the same row or any row adjacent to the string of related symbols, adding said related symbol on said adjacent reel to the string of related symbols, and(2) if said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions that is not in the same row or one of the adjacent rows to the string of related symbols, designating the string of related symbols as complete, and(iii) if none of the symbols in the active symbol positions associated with the adjacent reel are related to the string of related symbols, designating the string of related symbols as complete; and(g) providing any awards based on any strings of related symbols which correspond to at least one winning combination of said symbols. 7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each different wager corresponds to a different number of active symbol positions. 8. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive a wager associated with a number of reels, wherein each of the symbol positions associated with said number of reels are active symbol positions. 9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each different wager corresponds to a different number of reels. 10. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein symbols are related if they form part or all of at least one winning combination of said symbols. 11. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising: (a) providing a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said reels associated with a plurality of symbol positions and each of the plurality of reels associated with at least three symbol positions; and(b) for each play of a game: (i) receiving a wager associated with a number of said symbol positions greater than one;(ii) activating said number of symbol positions;(iii) generating one of said symbols for each active symbol position;(iv) causing at least one display device to display one of the generated symbols in each active symbol position;(v) identifying each of the symbols in active symbol positions for a first of said reels and a second of said reels;(vi) determining if any of said identified symbols for the first reel are related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel;(vii) for any of said identified symbols for the first reel which are not related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel, not forming a string of related symbols;(viii) for each occurrence of determined related symbols: (A) determining if said related symbols correspond to at least one designated string formation rule associated with the game, said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three symbol positions of the first reel in which one of said related symbols is displayed and said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three symbol positions of the second reel in which another one of said related symbols is displayed,(B) if the related symbols correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, forming a string of related symbols, and(C) if the related symbols do not correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, not forming a string of related symbols;(ix) for each string of related symbols formed: (A) determining if any symbols displayed in active symbol positions in an adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule,(B) if one of said symbols in the adjacent reel is related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and corresponds to said at least one designated string formation rule, adding said related symbol to said string of related symbols,(C) if any other of said symbols in the adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols and correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, forming an additional string of related symbols for each of the other related symbols, and(D) if none of said symbols in the adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols or do not correspond to said at least one designated string formation rule, designating said string of related symbols as complete;(x) repeating (ix) until either each of the strings of related symbols is complete or there are no additional reels adjacent to the last reel which includes one of the related symbols;(xi) providing any awards based on any strings of related symbols which correspond with at least one winning combination of said symbols; and(xii) if no strings of related symbols are formed, not providing any awards based on any formed strings of related symbols. 12. The method of claim 11, which includes receiving one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each different wager corresponds to a different number of active symbol positions. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein symbols are related if they form part or all of any winning combination of symbols. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the symbol positions associated with said reels are arranged in a plurality of rows. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one designated string formation rule requires that related symbols on adjacent reels must be in active symbol positions that are on the same row or adjacent rows to form a string of related symbols. 16. The method of claim 11, which is provided through a data network. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet. 18. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising: (a) providing a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, said reels associated with a plurality of symbol positions arranged in at least three rows;(b) for each play of a game: (i) receiving a wager associated with a number of active symbol positions;(ii) generating one of said symbols for each of said number of active symbol positions;(iii) causing at least one display device to display one of said generated symbols in each of said number of active symbol positions;(iv) identifying each of the symbols in active symbol positions for a first one of said reels and a second one of said reels;(v) determining if any of said identified symbols for the first reel are related to any of said identified symbols for the second reel,(vi) for each occurrence of determined related symbols: (A) determining if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are in the same row or in adjacent rows, said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three rows of symbol positions of the first reel in which one of said related symbols is displayed and said determination occurring regardless of which of the at least three rows of symbol positions of the second reel in which another one of said related symbols is displayed,(B) if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are in the same row or in adjacent rows, forming a string of related symbols, and(C) if the related symbols are in active symbol positions that are not in the same row or in adjacent rows, not forming a string of related symbols;(vii) for each string of related symbols formed: (A) determining if any symbols in active symbol positions associated with an adjacent reel are related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols,(B) for each symbol in one of the active symbol positions associated with the adjacent reel that is related to the symbols which form said string of related symbols, determining whether said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions which is in the same row or any row adjacent to the string of related symbols, and: (1) if said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions which is in the same row or any row adjacent to the string of related symbols, adding said related symbol on said adjacent reel to the string of related symbols, and(2) if said related symbol on said adjacent reel is in one of the active symbol positions that is not in the same row or one of the adjacent rows to the string of related symbols, designating the string of related symbols as complete, and(C) if none of the symbols in the active symbol positions associated with the adjacent reel are related to the string of related symbols, designating the string of related symbols as complete; and(viii) providing any awards based on any strings of related symbols which correspond to at least one winning combination of said symbols. 19. The method of claim 18, which includes receiving one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each different wager corresponds to a different number of active symbol positions. 20. The method of claim 18, which includes receiving a wager associated with a number of reels, wherein each of the symbol positions associated with said number of reels are active symbol positions. 21. The method of claim 20, which includes receiving one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein each of said different wagers corresponds to a different number of reels. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein symbols are related if they form part or all of any winning combination of symbols. 23. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.
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