Granted Patent B2

US 8,105,145 · App. 12/066,234 · Granted Jan 31, 2012

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A gaming system comprising: an input device for receiving a wager;

one or more displays for displaying a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol positions, the plurality of symbols including at least one expandable symbol, the array of symbol positions including at least one expandable position indicated by a displayed expandable position indicator which is not a payline and at least one non-expandable position; and

a controller including one or more processors, the controller operative to

(i) vary the symbols displayed in the array of symbol positions; and

(ii) if the at least one expandable symbol appears in the at least one expandable position, expand the at least one expandable symbol into at least one other symbol position in the array, outside of the at least one expandable position, to form and display at least one expanded symbol; and

(iii) if the at least one expandable symbol appears in the at least one non-expandable position, do not expand the at least one expandable symbol.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the expandable symbol is expanded to an adjacent symbol position.

3. The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the expanded symbol is a unified symbol occupying the expandable position and the adjacent symbol position.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the expanded symbol has the same functionality as the expandable symbol.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the expandable symbol is a wild symbol.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the expandable position is designated by an expandable position indicator that is independent of the symbol displayed in the expandable position.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each symbol position in the array comprises an individual reel.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the expanded symbol comprises a plurality of copies of the expandable symbol.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the copies are in symbol positions not adjacent to one another.

10. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player via an input device;

displaying, via one or more displays, a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol positions, the plurality of symbols including at least one expandable symbol, the array of symbol positions including one or more designated expandable regions, the one or more designated expandable regions comprising one or more expandable positions indicated by one or more displayed expandable position indicators that are independent of the symbols displayed in the one or more expandable symbol positions and a payline;

randomly varying the symbols displayed in the array of symbol positions, via one or more processors;

prior to completing the varying of the symbols, designating the one or more designated expandable regions; and

if the at least one expandable symbol appears in the one or more designated expandable regions, expanding the at least one expandable symbol into at least one other adjacent symbol position in the array, outside of the one or more designated expandable regions, to form and display at least one expanded symbol.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of symbols are arranged on a plurality of reels, and the varying step comprises spinning and stopping the reels.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one expanded symbol comprises a unified symbol occupying one of the one or more expandable positions within the one or more designated expandable regions and the at least one other adjacent symbol position outside of the one or more designated expandable regions.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein both the expandable symbol and the expanded symbol are wild symbols.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein each symbol position comprises an individual reel.

15. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player via an input device;

displaying, via one or more displays, a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol positions, the plurality of symbols including at least one expandable symbol, the array of symbol positions including a designated expandable region, the designated expandable region comprising a plurality of expandable positions indicated by one or more displayed expandable position indicators that are independent of the symbols displayed in the one or more expandable positions and a payline;

randomly varying the symbols displayed in the array of symbol positions, via one or more processors; and

if the at least one expandable symbol appears in one of the one or more expandable positions within the designated expandable region, expanding the at least one expandable symbol into at least one other adjacent symbol position in the array, outside of the designated expandable region, to form and display a unified expanded symbol.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expandable symbol and the expanded symbol are wild symbols.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, after randomly varying the symbols displayed in the array of symbol positions, evaluating the array for winning symbol combinations and expanding the at least one expandable symbol when there are no winning symbol combinations displayed in the array.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the designated expandable region comprises a row of the array.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one other adjacent symbol position is either in a row above or below the designated expandable region.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of symbols is arranged on a plurality of reels, and the varying step comprises spinning and stopping the reels.

Assignments (12)