Granted Patent B2

US 12,548,408 · App. 18/052,357 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Inventors: David Shane (Reno, NV); Michael DeBrabander (Reno, NV)

Assignee: IGT

G07F17/3267G07F17/3213G07F17/3258

Abstract

Claims (70)

1 . A gaming system comprising:

a housing comprising an openable access door;

a security monitoring circuit within the housing and configured to monitor the access door, and that causes a signal to be sent to a remote server when the access door is opened;

a power distribution component within the housing;

a plurality of output devices comprising a display device supported by the housing and a speaker supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices comprising a touch screen coupled to the display device, a bill acceptor supported by the housing, a validator supported by the housing, and a cash-out button supported by the housing;

a sound card within the housing and operable with the speaker;

a processor within the housing; and

a trusted memory device within the housing and configured to provide a gaming regulatory authority a root trusted authority that can be tracked and verified as original, the trusted memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause a display, via the display device, of a credit balance after the acceptor receives a physical currency or a physical ticket and after the validator validates the physical currency or the physical ticket;

wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, for a symbol accumulation sequence, cause the processor to:

cause a display, by a display device, of randomly determined accumulated award symbols at symbol display positions, the symbol display positions arranged in rows and columns, each of the accumulated award symbols indicating an award amount associated with that accumulated award symbol;

cause a display, by the display device, for each of the columns, of a plurality of the accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions of the column;

cause a display, by the display device, of a randomly determined compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, for each of the columns, of a new accumulated award symbol at one of the symbol display positions of the column, wherein the displayed new accumulated award symbol indicates an award amount that is at least a sum of the award amounts indicated by the plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions of the column prior to the display of the compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, for each of the columns, of a removal the first plurality of accumulated award symbols from the symbol display positions of the column;

cause a display, by the display device, of an award based on the plurality of new accumulated award symbols;

cause an increase in the credit balance by an amount based on the award; and

in response to detecting a cashout input, via one of the plurality of input devices, initiate a payout associated with the credit.

2 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, after the display of the compression triggering event, of the plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions of each of the columns compressing to form the new accumulated award symbol for that column.

3 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the symbol display position of each of the columns that the new accumulated award symbol for that column is displayed at is a bottommost symbol display position of the first one of the columns.

4 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of randomly determined compression symbols.

5 . The gaming system of claim 4 , wherein the compression symbols are different than the accumulated award symbols.

6 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of compression symbols in a compression symbol accumulation area.

7 . A gaming system comprising:

a housing comprising an openable access door;

a security monitoring circuit within the housing and configured to monitor the access door, and that causes a signal to be sent to a remote server when the access door is opened;

a power distribution component within the housing;

a plurality of output devices comprising a display device supported by the housing and a speaker supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices comprising a touch screen coupled to the display device, a bill acceptor supported by the housing, a validator supported by the housing, and a cash-out button supported by the housing;

a sound card within the housing and operable with the speaker;

a processor within the housing; and

a trusted memory device within the housing and configured to provide a gaming regulatory authority a root trusted authority that can be tracked and verified as original, the trusted memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause a display, via the display device, of a credit balance after the acceptor receives a physical currency or a physical ticket and after the validator validates the physical currency or the physical ticket;

wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, for a symbol accumulation sequence, cause the processor to:

cause a display, by a display device, of randomly determined accumulated award symbols at symbol display positions, the symbol display positions arranged in rows and columns, each of the accumulated award symbols indicating an award amount associated with that accumulated award symbol;

cause a display, by the display device, for each of the rows, of a plurality of the accumulated award symbols at symbol display positions of the row before the display of the compression triggering event;

cause a display, by the display device, of a randomly determined compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, for each of the rows, of a new accumulated award symbol at one of the symbol display positions of the row, wherein the displayed new accumulated award symbol indicates an award amount that is at least a sum of the award amounts indicated by the plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions of the row prior to the display of the compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, for each of the rows, of a removal the first plurality of accumulated award symbols from the symbol display positions of the row;

cause a display, by the display device, of an award based on the plurality of new accumulated award symbols;

cause an increase in the credit balance by an amount based on the award; and

in response to detecting a cashout input, via one of the plurality of input devices, initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

8 . The gaming system of claim 7 , wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, after the display of the compression triggering event, of the plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions of each one of the rows compressing to form the new accumulated award symbol for that row.

9 . The gaming system of claim 7 , wherein the symbol display position of each one of the rows that the new accumulated award symbol for that row is displayed at an end most symbol display position of the rows.

10 . The gaming system of claim 7 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of randomly determined compression symbols.

11 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the compression symbols are different than the accumulated award symbols.

12 . The gaming system of claim 7 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of compression symbols in a compression symbol accumulation area.

13 . A gaming system comprising:

a housing comprising an openable access door;

a security monitoring circuit within the housing and configured to monitor the access door, and that causes a signal to be sent to a remote server when the access door is opened;

a power distribution component within the housing;

a plurality of output devices comprising a display device supported by the housing and a speaker supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices comprising a touch screen coupled to the display device, a bill acceptor supported by the housing, a validator supported by the housing, and a cash-out button supported by the housing;

a sound card within the housing and operable with the speaker;

a processor within the housing; and

a trusted memory device within the housing and configured to provide a gaming regulatory authority a root trusted authority that can be tracked and verified as original, the trusted memory device storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause a display, via the display device, of a credit balance after the acceptor receives a physical currency or a physical ticket and after the validator validates the physical currency or the physical ticket;

wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, for a symbol accumulation sequence, cause the processor to:

cause a display, by a display device, of randomly determined accumulated award symbols at symbol display positions, each of the accumulated award symbols indicating an award amount associated with that accumulated award symbol;

cause a display, by the display device, of a randomly determined compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, of a plurality of new accumulated award symbols at a plurality of the symbol display positions, wherein each displayed new accumulated award symbol indicates an award amount that is at least a sum of the award amounts indicated by a different plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions prior to the display of the compression triggering event;

after the display of the compression triggering event, cause a display, by the display device, of a removal all of the plurality of accumulated award symbols from the symbol display positions except for the plurality of new accumulated award symbols;

cause a display, by the display device, of an award based on the plurality of new accumulated award symbols;

cause an increase in the credit balance by an amount based on the award; and

in response to detecting a cashout input, via one of the plurality of input devices, initiate a payout associated with the credit.

14 . The gaming system of claim 13 , wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, after the display of the compression triggering event, of the plurality of accumulated award symbols at the symbol display positions compressing to form the new accumulated award symbol.

15 . The gaming system of claim 13 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of randomly determined compression symbols.

16 . The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the compression symbols are different than the accumulated award symbols.

17 . The gaming system of claim 13 , wherein the display of the compression triggering event comprises a display of a plurality of compression symbols in a compression symbol accumulation area.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (279)