Granted Patent B2

US 9,558,634 · App. 13/960,913 · Granted Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A method of gaming in a gaming system having a credit input mechanism configured to accept physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, an output mechanism configured to cause a payout associated with the credit balance, a game controller, the method comprising:

establishing a credit balance including receiving the physical item via said credit accepting mechanism;

in response to having established the credit balance via the credit accepting mechanism, decreasing the credit balance, and selecting, via the controller, a plurality of symbols for display on a display of the gaming system at a plurality of display positions, each display position comprising a plurality of borders, each border being defined by an edge of the display position, at least one of the borders being a common border between two display positions;

determining, via the controller, whether a first display position displays a designated symbol;

determining, via the controller, in response to determining that the first display position displays a designated symbol, whether each of a plurality of second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position also displays the designated symbol;

in response to determining that both the first display position and at least one of the second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position display the designated symbols,

further determining, via the controller, whether each of a plurality of third display positions surrounding the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions and sharing common borders with at least one of the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions also displays the designated symbol;

in response to determining that a group formed from the first display position, the second display positions, and the third display positions displays at least three designated symbols, increasing via the game controller the credit balance; and

making a payout via the payout mechanism in accord with the credit balance.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are a plurality of different numbers of the designated symbol in respective ones of a plurality of winning combinations.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of different designated symbols which correspond to winning symbol combinations.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one award comprises a prize.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one award comprises additional game play from which at least one additional award may be made.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are winning combinations for between 3 and 3+N symbols, wherein 3+N corresponds to a maximum number of designated symbols in a winning combination.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one display position has at least three common borders with respective ones of at least three other display positions and wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least three other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one display position has at least four common borders with respective ones of at least four other display positions wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least four other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein symbols are selected independently for each display position.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each symbol display position corresponds to a reel of symbols from which the symbol is selected for display at the respective display position.

11. A game controller for a gaming system having a credit input mechanism configured to accept physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, an output mechanism configured to cause a payout associated with the credit balance, a game controller, the game controller configured to:

establish a credit balance including receiving the physical item via said credit accepting mechanism;

in response to having established the credit balance via the credit accepting mechanism, decrease the credit balance, and select a plurality of symbols for display on a display of the gaming system at a plurality of display positions, each display position comprising a plurality of borders, each border being defined by an edge of the display position, at least one of the borders being a common border between two display positions;

determine whether a first display position displays a designated symbol;

determine, via the controller, in response to determining that the first display position displays a designated symbol, whether each of a plurality of second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position also displays the designated symbol;

in response to determining that both the first display position and at least one of the second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position display the designated symbols,

further determining, via the controller, whether each of a plurality of third display positions surrounding the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions and sharing common borders with at least one of the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions also displays the designated symbol;

in response to determining that a group formed from the first display position, the second display positions, and the third display positions displays at least three designated symbols, increase the credit balance; and

make via the payout mechanism in accord with the credit balance.

12. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are a plurality of different numbers of the designated symbol in respective ones of a plurality of winning combinations.

13. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein there are a plurality of different designated symbols which correspond to winning symbol combinations.

14. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one award comprises a prize.

15. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one award comprises additional game play from which at least one additional award may be made.

16. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are winning combinations for between 3 and 3+N symbols, wherein 3+N corresponds to a maximum number of designated symbols in a winning combination.

17. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein there is at least one display position has at least three common borders with respective ones of at least three other display positions and wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least three other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

18. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one display position has at least four common borders with respective ones of at least four other display positions and wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least four other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

19. A game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein symbols are selected independently for each display position.

20. A game controller as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each symbol display position corresponds to a reel of symbols from which the symbol is selected for display at the respective display position.

21. A gaming system comprising:

a credit input mechanism configured to accept physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;

a game play mechanism operable by a player to initiate a play of a game, in response to having established the credit balance via the credit accepting mechanism receiving the physical item;

a display;

a symbol selector responsive to initiation of a play of the game and configured to select a plurality of symbols for display on the display at a plurality of display positions, each display position comprising a plurality of borders, each border being defined by an edge of the display position, at least one of the borders being a common border between two display positions;

a symbol group determiner configured to determine whether a first display position displays a designated winning symbol, determine, via the controller, in response to determining that the first display position displays a designated winning symbol, whether each of a plurality of second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position also displays the designated winning symbol, and

in response to determining that both the first display position and at least one of the second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position display the designated winning symbols,

further determining, via the controller, whether each of a plurality of third display positions surrounding the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions and sharing common borders with at least one of the first display position and the at least one of the second display positions also displays the designated winning symbol; and

a prize awarder configured to, in response to determining that a group formed from the first display position, the second display positions, and the third display positions displays at least three designated winning symbols, increase the credit balance, and to make in accord with the credit balance.

22. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are a plurality of different numbers of the designated symbol in respective ones of a plurality of winning combinations.

23. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein there are a plurality of different designated symbols which correspond to winning symbol combinations.

24. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein at least one award comprises a prize.

25. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein at least one award comprises additional game play from which at least one additional award may be made.

26. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein for at least one designated symbol there are winning combinations for between 3 and 3+N symbols, wherein 3+N corresponds to a maximum number of designated symbols in a winning combination.

27. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein at least one display position that has at least three common borders with respective ones of at least three other display positions and wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least three other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

28. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein at least one display position that has at least four common borders with respective ones of at least four other display positions and wherein a group of designated symbols is at least partly formed by symbols disposed at the at least one display position and the at least four other display positions with which the at least one display position shares a common border.

29. A gaming system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein symbols are selected independently for each display position.

30. A gaming system as claimed in claim 29 , wherein each symbol display position corresponds to a reel of symbols from which the symbol is selected for display at the respective display position.

31. An electronic gaming machine comprising

a credit input mechanism configured to accept physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;

a game play mechanism operable by a player to initiate a play of a game, in response to having established the credit balance via the credit accepting mechanism receiving the physical item;

a display mounted within a cabinet, and

a game controller mounted within the cabinet having a processor for executing game program code in response to a player operating at least one input device to initiate a play of the game, in response to having established the credit balance via the credit accepting mechanism receiving the physical item, to implement a game in which the game controller selects a plurality of symbols for display on a display at a plurality of display positions, each display position comprising a plurality of borders, each border being defined by an edge of the display position, each display position having at least one common border between two display positions, determines whether a first display position displays a designated winning symbol, determines, in response to determining that the first display position displays a designated winning symbol, whether each of a plurality of second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position also displays the designated winning symbol, and in response to determining that both the first display position and at least one of the second display positions surrounding the first display position and sharing common borders with the first display position display the designated winning symbols, further determining, via the controller, whether each of a plurality of third display positions surrounding the first display position and the least one of the second display positions and sharing common borders with at least one of the first display position and the least one of the second display positions also displays the designated winning symbol, in response to determining that a group formed from the first display position, the second display positions, and the third display positions displays at least three designated winning symbols, increase the credit balance, and makes a payout in accord with the credit balance.

Assignments (6)