Granted Patent B2

US 12,738,124 · App. 17/846,099 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Richard Milosevich (Las Vegas, NV); Kenneth Shawn Soong (Henderson, NV); George Bouvier (Henderson, NV)

Assignee: LNW Gaming, Inc.

G07F17/3213G07F17/3258G07F17/3267

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a gaming cabinet and game-logic circuitry secured within a locked box inside the gaming cabinet, the game-logic circuitry including memory storing programming for a random number generator (RNG) and a wagering game, the method comprising the operations of:

prior to executing the wagering game, executing an authentication program on the gaming machine to authenticate the programming;

presenting, by a presentation assembly under control of the game-logic-circuitry, an array comprising a plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising standard symbols and value-bearing symbols; and

conducting, by the game-logic circuitry, a spin of the plurality of reels, the spin including animating, on the presentation assembly, spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array in accordance with a first outcome randomly determined using the RNG;

presenting, on the presentation assembly, an award for any winning combinations of standard symbols according to a pay table;

in response to a triggering event based on a predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols appearing on a pay line, initiating a bonus game comprising:

initializing a spin counter, via the game-logic circuitry, to a predetermined value;

holding all value-bearing symbols in their positions in the array;

determining, by the game-logic circuitry, a set of linked symbols comprising any value-bearing symbols forming the triggering eve it and any other value-bearing symbols that are linked via adjacency to any value-bearing symbols forming the triggering event, and displaying graphical connectors between symbols in the set of linked symbols on the presentation assembly, the graphical connectors visually identifying which value-bearing symbols in the set of linked symbols have their borne values included in a determination of a bonus game award;

animating, on the presentation assembly, spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to newly land symbols from the plurality of symbols in all unheld positions of the array in accordance with a second outcome randomly determined using the RNG;

decrementing the spin counter via the game-logic circuitry;

adding, by the game-logic circuitry, to the set of linked symbols, any newly landed value-bearing symbols adjacent to the position of any of the symbols in the set of linked symbols, updating the displayed graphical connectors on the presentation assembly to include the newly added symbols, thereby visually updating which value-bearing symbols have their borne values included in the determination of the bonus game award, reinitializing the spin counter, via the game-logic circuitry, to the predetermined value;

repeating the spinning and stopping, decrementing and adding steps until no spins remain on the spin counter; and

presenting, on the presentation assembly, the bonus game award based on a sum of the values borne by all value-bearing symbols in the set of linked symbols as visually identified by the graphical connectors, the value-bearing symbols comprising the value-bearing symbols forming the triggering event and any value-bearing symbols connected, directly or via adjacency to another value-bearing symbol in the set of linked symbols, to the triggering event, wherein the bonus game award is determined by the game-logic circuitry without reference to a pay table.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting, on the presentation assembly, an award based on the values borne by the adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line when the number of adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line are fewer than the predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols required to form the triggering event.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting, on the presentation assembly, an award based on the values borne by all value-bearing symbols in the array when the number of adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line are fewer than the predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols required to form the triggering event.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one value borne by the value-bearing symbols comprises a multiplier.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one value borne by the value-bearing symbols indirectly indicates a jackpot value.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two columns of the array comprise a different number of symbols.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the array comprises five columns and the first column comprises three symbols, the second column comprises four symbols, the third column comprises five symbols, the fourth column comprises six symbols and the fifth column comprises seven symbols.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, via a value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a cash out input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a wager input that initiates the spin.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the award based on the values borne by all symbols in the set of linked symbols is modified based on an amount of the wager input.

11 . A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including a gaming cabinet and game-logic circuitry secured within a locked box inside the gaming cabinet, the game-logic circuitry including memory storing programming for a random number generator (RNG) and a wagering game, the gaming machine further including a presentation assembly configured to present a plurality of reels and an array, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising standard symbols and value-bearing symbols;

wherein the game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operations of:

animating, on the presentation assembly, spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array in accordance with a first outcome randomly determined using the RNG;

presenting, on the presentation assembly, any winning combinations of standard symbols according to a pay table;

in response to a triggering event based on a predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols appearing on a pay line, initiating a bonus game comprising:

initializing a spin counter to a predetermined value;

holding all value-bearing g symbols in their positions in the array;

determining a set of linked symbols comprising any value-bearing symbols forming the triggering event and any other value-bearing symbol that is linked via adjacency to any value-bearing symbols forming the triggering event and displaying graphical connectors between symbols in the set of linked symbols on the presentation assembly, the graphical connectors visually identifying which value-bearing symbols in the set of linked symbols have their borne values included in a determination of a bonus game award;

animating, on the presentation assembly, spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to newly land symbols from the plurality of symbols in all unheld positions of the array in accordance with a second outcome randomly determined using the RNG;

decrementing the spin counter via the game-logic circuitry;

adding, to the set of linked symbols, any newly landed value-bearing symbols adjacent to the position of any of the symbols in the set of linked symbols, updating the displayed graphical connectors on the presentation assembly to include the newly added symbols, thereby visually updating which value-bearing symbols have their borne values included in the determination of the bonus game award, and reinitializing the spin counter, via the game-logic circuitry, to the predetermined value;

repeating the spinning and stopping, decrementing and adding operations until no spins remain on the spin counter; and

presenting, on the presentation assembly, the bonus game award based on a sum of the values borne by all value-bearing symbols in the set of linked symbols as visually identified by the graphical connectors, the value-bearing symbols comprising the value-bearing symbols forming the triggering event and any value-bearing symbols connected, directly or via adjacency to another value-bearing symbol in the set of linked symbols, to the triggering event, wherein the bonus game award is determined by the game-logic circuitry without reference to a pay table.

12 . The gaming system of claim 11 , further comprising the operation of presenting, on the presentation assembly, an award based on the values borne by the adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line when the number of adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line are fewer than the predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols required to form the triggering event.

13 . The gaming system of claim 11 , further comprising the operation of presenting, on the presentation assembly, an award based on the values borne by all value-bearing symbols in the array when the number of adjacent value-bearing symbols on the pay line are fewer than the predetermined number of adjacent value-bearing symbols required to form the triggering event.

14 . The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein at least one value borne by the value-bearing symbols comprises a multiplier.

15 . The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein at least one value borne by the value-bearing symbols indirectly indicates a jackpot value.

16 . The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein at least two columns of the array comprise a different number of symbols.

17 . The gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the array comprises five columns and the first column comprises three symbols, the second column comprises four symbols, the third column comprises five symbols, the fourth column comprises six symbols and the fifth column comprises seven symbols.

18 . The gaming system of claim 11 , further comprising the operations of:

detecting, via a value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a cash out input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

19 . The gaming system of claim 11 , further comprising the operation of:

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a wager input that initiates the spin.

20 . The gaming system of claim 19 , wherein the award payment based on the values borne by all symbols in the set of linked symbols is modified based on an amount of the wager input.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (348)