Granted Patent B2

US 8,939,832 · App. 13/531,837 · Granted Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. An electronic gaming device comprising:

a plurality of reels, the plurality of reels including one or more areas;

a memory;

a processor configured to generate one or more symbols to be located in the one or more areas, the one or more symbols include a first expanding scatter symbol and a first dormant scatter symbol, the processor configured to modify the first dormant scatter symbol into an award value based on a first interaction determination;

wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to expand into the one or more areas in one or more directions and in one or more spatial lengths based on the first interaction determination, where the one or more directions includes at least a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, and where the one or more spatial lengths includes at least a one unit spatial length away, a two unit spatial length away, and a three unit spatial length away, wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to generate one or more payouts which are not dependent on one or more payout lines.

2. The electronic gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the award value is at least one of a credit amount, a free-spin number, and a multiplier value.

3. The electronic gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the first interaction determination is based on a first expanding scatter symbol location and a first dormant scatter symbol location.

4. The electronic gaming device of claim 3 , wherein the first interaction determination is that the first expanding scatter symbol location is one area away from the first dormant scatter symbol location.

5. The electronic gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to modify a first expanding scatter symbol characteristic based on a second interaction determination.

6. The electronic gaming device of claim 5 , wherein the second interaction determination is based on a first expanding scatter symbol location and a second expanding scatter symbol location.

7. The electronic gaming device of claim 6 , wherein the second interaction determination is that the first expanding scatter symbol location is one area away from the second expanding scatter symbol location.

8. The electronic gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to modify at least one of a first expanding scatter symbol characteristic, a first dormant scatter symbol characteristic, a non-expanding scatter characteristic, and a second expanding scatter symbol characteristic based on a third interaction determination.

9. The electronic gaming device of claim 8 , wherein the third interaction determination is based on at least one of a first expanding scatter symbol location and a first dormant scatter symbol location, a first expanding scatter symbol location and a second expanding scatter symbol location, the first dormant scatter symbol location and the second expanding scatter symbol location, the first expanding scatter symbol location and a non-expanding scatter symbol location, the first dormant scatter symbol location and the non-expanding scatter symbol location, and the non-expanding scatter symbol location and the second expanding scatter symbol location.

10. The electronic gaming device of claim 9 , wherein the third interaction determination is at least one of that the first expanding scatter symbol location is two areas away from the first dormant scatter symbol location, the first expanding scatter symbol location is two areas away from the second expanding scatter symbol location, the first expanding scatter symbol location is two areas away for the non-expanding scatter symbol location, the first dormant scatter symbol location is two areas away from the non-expanding scatter symbol location, the second expanding scatter symbol location is two areas away from the non-expanding scatter symbol location, and the first dormant scatter symbol location is two areas away from the second expanding scatter symbol location.

11. A method of providing gaming options via an electronic gaming device comprising:

displaying via one or more processors a first expanding scatter symbol;

displaying via the one or more processors a first dormant scatter symbol;

determining via the one or more processors a first interaction between the first expanding scatter symbol and the first dormant scatter symbol; and

modifying via the one or more processors the first dormant scatter symbol based on the first interaction;

wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to expand into the one or more areas in one or more directions and in one or more spatial lengths based on the first interaction determination, where the one or more directions includes at least a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, and where the one or more spatial lengths includes at least a one unit spatial length away, a two unit spatial length away, and a three unit spatial length away, wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to generate one or more payouts which are not dependent on one or more payout lines.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first interaction determination is based on a first expanding scatter symbol location and a first dormant scatter symbol location.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first interaction determination is that the first expanding scatter symbol location is one area away from the first dormant scatter symbol location.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising modifying a first expanding scatter symbol characteristic based on a second interaction determination.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second interaction determination is based on a first expanding scatter symbol location and a second expanding scatter symbol location.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second interaction determination is that the first expanding scatter symbol location is one area away from the second expanding scatter symbol location.

17. An electronic gaming system comprising:

a server including a server memory and a server processor, the server processor configured to display a plurality of reels which include one or more symbols, the one or more symbols include a first expanding scatter symbol and a first dormant scatter symbol; and

the server processor configured to modify the first dormant scatter symbol into an award value based on a first interaction determination;

wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to expand into the one or more areas in one or more directions and in one or more spatial lengths based on the first interaction determination, where the one or more directions includes at least a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, and where the one or more spatial lengths includes at least a one unit spatial length away, a two unit spatial length away, and a three unit spatial length away, wherein the first expanding scatter symbol is configured to generate one or more payouts which are not dependent on one or more payout lines.

18. The electronic gaming system of claim 17 , wherein the first interaction determination is based on a first expanding scatter symbol location and a first dormant scatter symbol location.

19. The electronic gaming system of claim 18 , wherein the first interaction determination is that the first expanding scatter symbol location is one area away from the first dormant scatter symbol location.

20. The electronic gaming system of claim 17 , wherein the server processor is further configured to modify a first expanding scatter symbol characteristic based on a second interaction determination.

Assignments (10)