Gaming device with a user interface incorporating a feature indicator
View Patent ↗A gaming device is provided that includes a plurality of game windows, each game window having an identical array of symbol positions displayed therein. Symbols are selected for each column of symbol positions, and the columns are then each evaluated to determine if the selected symbols for a column meet a predetermined criterion, e.g., all symbols for the column being the same. If the selected symbols for a column meet the criterion, and the selected symbols of the corresponding column in the other display window do not, the corresponding column may be caused to change its selected symbols to match those in the column that has the selected symbols that meet the criterion. If all of the columns have selected symbols that meet the criterion after such evaluations and potential selected symbol changes are performed, then an award may be provided.
1. A gaming system comprising:
one or more displays;
one or more processors; and
at least one memory storing (a) a set of reel strips, and (b) instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
control the one or more displays to display two game windows, wherein:
each game window has an identical array of symbol positions,
each array includes a plurality of columns of symbol positions, and
for each game window, each column of symbol positions in that game window has a corresponding column of symbol positions in the other game window;
independently select symbols from the set of reel strips for each array of symbol positions;
for each individual column of the columns of symbol positions:
determine whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet a criterion,
determine whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column meet the criterion, and
cause, responsive to determining that the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet the criterion and that the symbols selected for symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column do not meet the criterion, the symbols selected for the symbol positions of the corresponding column to be changed to match the symbols selected for the symbol positions of that individual column that meet the criterion;
determine whether all of the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion; and
present, responsive to determining that all of the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion, an indication on the one or more displays that a designated award has been won.
2. The gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the designated award is a jackpot prize.
3. The gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores further instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the selected symbols meeting the criterion to act as wild symbols.
4. The gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the array of symbol positions in each game window is a five-column array, each column having five symbols.
5. The gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the criterion is that the symbols selected for the symbol positions are a predetermined pattern of symbols that fills each symbol position of the column.
6. The gaming system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined pattern is a predetermined pattern of identical symbols that fills each symbol position of the column.
7. The gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory stores further instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to control the one or more displays to represent the predetermined pattern of symbols as a single symbol that spans across all of the symbol positions for the column.
8. The gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory stores further instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to change the representation of the single symbol to show that it is acting as a wild symbol.
9. The gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores further instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
determine whether a winning pattern is formed by the selected symbols for a given arrangement of symbol positions, wherein:
the given arrangement of symbol positions includes one symbol position from each column of the array of symbol positions for one of the game windows, and
any symbol position that is indicated by a symbol indicating that it is acting as a wild symbol is treated as fulfilling a portion of the winning pattern corresponding with that symbol position; and
cause an indication of a won award to be presented on the one or more displays responsive to determining that the winning pattern is formed.
10. The gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory stores further instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to determine whether a winning pattern is formed by the selected symbols for a given arrangement of symbol positions for both display windows.
11. A method of operating a gaming system comprising one or more displays and at least one memory storing a set of reel strips, the method comprising:
controlling the one or more displays to display two game windows, wherein:
each game window has an identical array of symbol positions,
each array includes a plurality of columns of symbol positions, and
for each game window, each column of symbol positions in that game window has a corresponding column of symbol positions in the other game window;
independently selecting symbols from the set of reel strips for each array of symbol positions;
for each individual column of the columns of symbol positions:
determining whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet a criterion;
determining whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column meet the criterion;
causing, responsive to determining that the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet the criterion and that the symbols selected for symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column do not meet the criterion, the symbols selected for the symbol positions of the corresponding column to be changed to match the symbols selected for the symbol positions of that individual column that meet the criterion;
determining whether all of the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion; and
presenting, responsive to determining that all the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion, an indication on the one or more displays that a designated award has been won.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the designated award is a jackpot prize.
13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising causing the selected symbols meeting the criterion to act as wild symbols.
14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the array of symbol positions in each game window is a five-column array, each column having five symbols.
15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the criterion is that the symbols selected for the symbol positions are a predetermined pattern of symbols that fills each symbol position of the column.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the predetermined pattern is a predetermined pattern of identical symbols that fills each symbol position of the column.
17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising controlling the one or more displays to represent the predetermined pattern of symbols as a single symbol that spans across all of the symbol positions for the column.
18. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising changing the representation of the single symbol to show that it is acting as a wild symbol.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
determining whether a winning pattern is formed by the selected symbols for a given arrangement of symbol positions, wherein:
the given arrangement of symbol positions includes one symbol position from each column of the array of symbol positions for one of the game windows, and
any symbol position that is indicated by a symbol indicating that it is acting as a wild symbol is treated as fulfilling a portion of the winning pattern corresponding with that symbol position; and
causing an indication of a won award to be presented on the one or more displays responsive to determining that the winning pattern is formed.
20. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising determining whether a winning pattern is formed by the selected symbols for a given arrangement of symbol positions for both display windows.
21. A gaming system comprising:
one or more displays;
one or more processors; and
at least one memory storing (a) a set of reel strips, and (b) instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
control the one or more displays to display two game windows, wherein:
each game window has an identical array of symbol positions,
each array includes a plurality of columns of symbol positions, and
for each game window, each column of symbol positions in that game window has a corresponding column of symbol positions in the other game window;
independently select symbols from the set of reel strips for each array of symbol positions;
for each individual column of the columns of symbol positions:
determine whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet a criterion, wherein the criterion is met when the symbols selected for the symbol positions are a predetermined pattern of identical symbols that fills each symbol position of the column,
determine whether the symbols selected for the symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column meet the criterion, and
cause, responsive to determining that the symbols selected for the symbol positions in that individual column meet the criterion and that the symbols selected for symbol positions in the corresponding column for that individual column do not meet the criterion, the symbols selected for the symbol positions of the corresponding column to be changed to match the symbols selected for the symbol positions of that individual column that meet the criterion and to represent the predetermined pattern of symbols as a single symbol that spans across all of the symbol positions for the column;
determine whether all of the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion; and
present, responsive to determining that all of the columns of the game windows have selected symbols for their respective symbol positions that meet the criterion, an indication on the one or more displays that a designated award has been won.