IP Library Granted Patent US 8,157,639
Granted Patent B2
US 8,157,639 · App. 12/479,526 · Granted Apr 17, 2012

Gaming machine and gaming system accumulating betted game media and method for controlling the gaming machine

Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,157,639
App. No.
12/479,526
Granted
Apr 17, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to a gaming system of the present invention, the control device cumulatively counts a part of the number of game media betted in each of the slot machines, as a cumulative value, and transmits cumulative-value information based on the cumulative value obtained by the counting to the slot machines. The slot machine determines the number of special symbols that can be displayed to the symbol display, based on the received cumulative-value information.

Claims (64)

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of slot machines each including a symbol display capable of variably displaying symbols including a special symbol, and a controller;

a control device including a processor; and

a network enabling communication between said plurality of slot machines and said control device,

wherein

said controller is programmed to execute the processing of

(a) accepting a bet of a game medium, and

(b) transmitting number-of-game-media information about the number of game media betted as the bet accepted in said processing (a), to said control device,

said processor is programmed to execute the processing of

(A) cumulatively counting a part of the number of betted game media, as a cumulative value, based on said number-of-game-media information received from a slot machine, and

(B) transmitting cumulative-value information based on said cumulative value, to said plurality of slot machines, and said controller is programmed to execute the processing of

(c) determining the number of special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative-value information received from said control device, and

(d) variably displaying and thereafter stop-displaying, to said symbol display, said symbols including said special symbol in number equal to or less than the number of said special symbols determined in said processing (c).

2. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of slot machines each including a symbol display capable of variably displaying symbols including a special symbol, and a controller;

a control device including a processor; and

a network enabling communication between said plurality of slot machines and said control device,

wherein

said controller is programmed to execute the processing of

(a) accepting a bet of a game medium, and

(b) transmitting number-of-game-media information about the number of game media betted as the bet accepted in said processing (a), to said control device,

said processor is programmed to execute the processing of

(A) cumulatively counting a part of the number of betted game media, as a cumulative value, based on said number-of-game-media information received from a slot machine,

(B) determining the number of special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative value, and

(C) transmitting number-of-special-symbols information indicative of the number of said special symbols determined in said processing (B), to said plurality of slot machines, and

said controller is programmed to execute the processing of

(c) variably displaying and thereafter stop-displaying, to said symbol display, said symbols including said special symbol in number equal to or less than the number of said special symbols indicated by said number-of-special-symbols information received from said control device.

3. The gaming system according to claim 1 , wherein

said processor is further programmed to execute the processing of (C) determining whether or not said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value set in advance, and

said processing (B) is the processing of transmitting said cumulative-value information based on said cumulative value, to said plurality of slot machines, when determined in said processing (C) that said cumulative value has reached said predetermined value.

4. The gaming system according to claim 1 ,

wherein

said processing (c) is the processing of

(c′) increasing the number of said special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative-value information received from said control device, and

said processing (d) is the processing of

variably displaying and thereafter stop-displaying, to said symbol display, said symbols including said special symbol in number equal to or less than the number of said special symbols increased in said processing (c′).

5. The gaming system according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of said predetermined values exist.

6. The gaming system according to claim 4 ,

wherein

said processor is further programmed to execute the processing of

(C′) determining whether or not said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value set in advance, and

said processing (B) is the processing of

transmitting said cumulative-value information based on said cumulative value, to said plurality of slot machines, when determined in said processing (C′) that said cumulative value has reached said predetermined value.

7. The gaming system according to claim 6 , wherein a plurality of said predetermined values exist.

8. The gaming system according to claim 2 ,

wherein

said processor is further programmed to execute the processing of

(D) determining whether or not said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value set in advance, and

said processing (B) is the processing of

determining the number of said special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative value, when determined in said processing (D) that said cumulative value has reached said predetermined value.

9. The gaming system according to claim 2 ,

wherein

said processing (B) is the processing of

(B′) increasing the number of said special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative value, and

said processing (C) is the processing of

transmitting number-of-special-symbols information indicative of the number of said special symbols increased in said processing (B′), to said plurality of slot machines.

10. The gaming system according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of said predetermined values exist.

11. The gaming system according to claim 9 ,

wherein

said processor is further programmed to execute the processing of

(D′) determining whether or not said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value set in advance, and

said processing (B′) is the processing of

increasing the number of said special symbols that can be displayed to said symbol display, based on said cumulative value, when determined in said processing (D′) that said cumulative value has reached said predetermined value.

12. The gaming system according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of said predetermined values exist.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 13, 2012
From: ARUZE CORP.
To: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027692/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2010
From: OOMORI, TOMOAKI
To: ARUZE CORP.
Reel/Frame 023835/0094 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 61077797 · Jul 2, 2008
Provisional Application 61077783 · Jul 2, 2008
Provisional Application 61076438 · Jun 27, 2008
Related Publication 20100120509A1 · May 13, 2010