U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,356

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a gaming system having a game controller arranged to implement a spinning reel game having a feature game round wherein an optimal winning combination is derived from symbols of a set of display positions greater than the number of reels.

The gaming system may take a number of different forms. In a first form, a stand alone gaming machine is provided wherein all or most components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine.

In a second form, a distributed architecture is provided wherein some of the components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine and some of the components required for implementing the game are located remotely relative to the gaming machine. For example, a “thick client” architecture may be used wherein part of the game is executed on a player operable gaming machine and part of the game is executed remotely, such as by a gaming server; or a “thin client” architecture may be used wherein most of the game is executed remotely such as by a gaming server and a player operable gaming machine is used only to display audible and/or visible gaming information to the player and receive gaming inputs from the player.

However, it will be understood that other arrangements are envisaged. For example, an architecture may be provided wherein a gaming machine is networked to a gaming server and the respective functions of the gaming machine and the gaming server are selectively modifiable. For example, the gaming system may operate in stand alone gaming machine mode, “thick client” mode or “thin client” mode depending on the game being played, operating conditions, and so on. Other variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Irrespective of the form, the gaming system comprises several core components. At the broadest level, the core components are a player interface50and a game controller60as illustrated inFIG. 1. The player interface is arranged to enable manual interaction between a player and the gaming system and for this purpose includes the input/output components required for the player to enter instructions and play the game.

Components of the player interface may vary from embodiment to embodiment but will typically include a credit mechanism52to enable a player to input credits and receive payouts, one or more displays54, a game play mechanism56comprising one or more input devices that enable a player to input game play instructions (e.g. to place bets), and one or more speakers58.

The game controller60is in data communication with the player interface and typically includes a processor62that processes the game play instructions in accordance with game play rules and outputs game play outcomes to the display. Typically, the game play instructions are stored as program code in a memory64but can also be hardwired. Herein the term “processor” is used to refer generically to any device that can process game play instructions in accordance with game play rules and may include: a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device or other computational device, a general purpose computer (e.g. a PC) or a server.

A gaming system in the form of a stand alone gaming machine10is illustrated inFIG. 2. The gaming machine10includes a console12having a display14on which are displayed representations of a game16that can be played by a player. A mid-trim20of the gaming machine10houses a bank of buttons22for enabling a player to interact with the gaming machine, in particular during game play. The mid-trim20also houses a credit input mechanism24which in this example includes a coin input chute24A and a bill collector24B. Other credit input mechanisms may also be employed, for example, a card reader for reading a smart card, debit card or credit card. A player marketing module (not shown) having a reading device may also be provided for the purpose of reading a player tracking device, for example as part of a loyalty program. The player tracking device may be in the form of a card, flash drive or any other portable storage medium capable of being read by the reading device.

A top box26may carry artwork28, including for example pay tables and details of bonus awards and other information or images relating to the game. Further artwork and/or information may be provided on a front panel29of the console12. A coin tray30is mounted beneath the front panel29for dispensing cash payouts from the gaming machine10.

The display14shown inFIG. 2is in the form of a video display unit, particularly a cathode ray tube screen device. Alternatively, the display14may be a liquid crystal display, plasma screen, any other suitable video display unit, or the visible portion of an electromechanical device. The top box26may also include a display, for example a video display unit, which may be of the same type as the display14, or of a different type.

FIG. 3shows a block diagram of operative components of a typical gaming machine which may be the same as or different to the gaming machine ofFIG. 2.

The gaming machine100includes a game controller101having a processor102. Instructions and data to control operation of the processor102are stored in a memory103, which is in data communication with the processor102. Typically, the gaming machine100will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by the memory103.

The gaming machine has hardware meters104for purposes including ensuring regulatory compliance and monitoring player credit, an input/output (I/O) interface105for communicating with peripheral devices of the gaming machine100. The input/output interface105and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for storing associated instructions and data for use with the input/output interface or the peripheral devices. A random number generator module113generates random numbers for use by the processor102. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the reference to random numbers includes pseudo-random numbers.

In the example shown inFIG. 3, a player interface120includes peripheral devices that communicate with the game controller101comprise one or more displays106, a touch screen and/or buttons107, a card and/or ticket reader108, a printer109, a bill acceptor and/or coin input mechanism110and a coin output mechanism111. Additional hardware may be included as part of the gaming machine100, or hardware may be omitted as required for the specific implementation. For example, while a touch screen and/or buttons are common input devices for gaming machines, other input devices can be employed to interact with the game—e.g. a mechanical arm can be used to start a play of the machine.

In addition, the gaming machine100may include a communications interface, for example a network card112. The network card may, for example, send status information, accounting information or other information to a central controller, server or database and receive data or commands from the central controller, server or database.

FIG. 4shows a block diagram of the main components of an exemplary memory103. The memory103includes RAM103A, EPROM103B and a mass storage device103C. The RAM103A typically temporarily holds program files for execution by the processor102and related data. The EPROM103B may be a boot ROM device and/or may contain some system or game related code. The mass storage device103C is typically used to store game programs, the integrity of which may be verified and/or authenticated by the processor102using protected code from the EPROM103B or elsewhere.

It is also possible for the operative components of the gaming machine100to be distributed, for example input/output devices106,107,108,109,110,111to be provided remotely from the game controller101.

FIG. 5shows a gaming system200in accordance with an alternative embodiment. The gaming system200includes a network201, which for example may be an Ethernet network. Gaming machines202, shown arranged in three banks203of two gaming machines202inFIG. 5, are connected to the network201. The gaming machines202provide a player operable interface and may be the same as the gaming machines10,100shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, or may have simplified functionality depending on the requirements for implementing game play. While banks203of two gaming machines are illustrated inFIG. 5, banks of one, three or more gaming machines are also envisaged.

One or more displays204may also be connected to the network201. For example, the displays204may be associated with one or more banks203of gaming machines. The displays204may be used to display representations associated with game play on the gaming machines202, and/or used to display other representations, for example promotional or informational material.

In a thick client embodiment, game server205implements part of the game played by a player using a gaming machine202and the gaming machine202implements part of the game. With this embodiment, as both the game server and the gaming device implement part of the game, they collectively provide a game controller. A database management server206may manage storage of game programs and associated data for downloading or access by the gaming devices202in a database206A. Typically, if the gaming system enables players to participate in a Jackpot game, a Jackpot server207will be provided to perform accounting functions for the Jackpot game. A loyalty program server212may also be provided.

In a thin client embodiment, game server205implements most or all of the game played by a player using a gaming machine202and the gaming machine202essentially provides only the player interface. With this embodiment, the game server205provides the game controller. The gaming machine will receive player instructions, pass these to the game server which will process them and return game play outcomes to the gaming machine for display. In a thin client embodiment, the gaming machines could be computer terminals, e.g. PCs running software that provides a player interface operable using standard computer input and output components.

Servers are also typically provided to assist in the administration of the gaming network200, including for example a gaming floor management server208, and a licensing server209to monitor the use of licenses relating to particular games. An administrator terminal210is provided to allow an administrator to run the network201and the devices connected to the network.

The gaming system200may communicate with other gaming systems, other local networks, for example a corporate network, and/or a wide area network such as the Internet, for example through a firewall211.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that in accordance with known techniques, functionality at the server side of the network may be distributed over a plurality of different computers. For example, elements may be run as a single “engine” on one server or a separate server may be provided. For example, the game server205could run a random generator engine. Alternatively, a separate random number generator server could be provided. Further, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of games servers could be provided to run different games or a single game server may run a plurality of different games as required by the terminals.

Embodiments of the invention relate to gaming systems for implementing games that involve a display of spinning reels as part of the display of the outcome of the game.

The game controllers of such gaming systems have a stop determining function that determines the stop position for each reel. For example, if there are five reels, each having twenty symbols, the stop determining function might determine that the stop positions are positions: 3, 13, 7, 9 and 17. The spinning of the reels is then controlled so that each symbol comes to a stop in the same row, typically a predetermined row in a “window” of display positions corresponding to a “single win line” game. When a reel stops, the symbols will be in one of a plurality of possible symbol positions for that reel relative to the stop position. The display positions are those positions which are used in evaluation of the game outcome.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to gaming systems that allow a player to select, in non-feature games, how many win lines of a plurality of win lines they will play in each game—i.e. a minimum of one win line up to the maximum number of win lines allowed by the game. Each win line is formed by a set of symbol positions consisting of one symbol display position from each reel. That is, a predetermined symbol position of each reel is assigned to a win line. The symbol positions that constitute each of the win lines are usually advertised to the player by markings on the display or diagrams showing the symbol display positions that correspond to each win line.

The game controller of one embodiment is shown in more detail inFIG. 6. The game controller60incorporates a processor62which implements a symbol selector610, random number generator650, feature game controller620game round outcome determiner630and a feature game round outcome determiner631based on program code stored in memory64. Memory64comprises game instructions644, symbol sets641, prize data645, which contains the prize data for both the game round and the feature game round, and meter data646. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of these components could be provided in other ways, for example by a dedicated circuit.

In an example of a game to which the embodiment is applied, in response to placement of a wager and initiation of the game with the game play mechanism, symbol selector610selects symbols for display in the set of display positions to be used in evaluating the game outcome using random number generator650a stop determining function as described above. The symbols are selected from symbol sets641which define the symbols for each reel, and updates selected symbol set data642with the selected set of symbols and displays the set of symbols in their assigned display positions on the display54. In a game round, game round outcome determiner630determines a game round outcome based on the manner of evaluation (e.g. based on the win lines specified as part of the wager) using prize data645and then updates meter data646. In response to feature game round controller620determining that a feature game round should occur, which could be on the basis of a random event, feature game controller620selects a feature subset of the symbols for display (as stored as selected symbol set data), larger in size than the number of reels. The subset may be non-adjustable and may, in one embodiment, be the entire set of symbols for display (such that it doesn't require selection). Feature game round outcome determiner630then identifies the optimal winning combination of symbols that can be formed from the feature subset from prize data645, which may or may not be the same for the feature game round and game round. Restrictions may be placed on the formation of the optimal winning combination, such as requiring one symbol from each reel.

The feature game round outcome determiner631then updates meter data645, and displays any win on display54on the player interface50. Part of the step of displaying the win may be to display the symbols with highlights, to move them to a win line in a new part of the screen or to rearrange the symbols for display so that the winning combination appears on a win line appropriate to a non-feature game round outcome.

Now referring toFIG. 7, a flow diagram for an embodiment of the invention is shown. At the start of a game round, in step1201symbol selector610selects the symbols for display in the display positions for a game round. Game round outcome determiner630in step1202processes the symbols lying on the win lines in step to calculate a game round outcome from prize data645, then updates meter data646.

In step1203feature game round controller620determines whether a feature game round should now occur. If the answer in step1202is “yes”, feature game round outcome determiner631selects in step1204a feature subset of the selected symbol set, which may be non-adjustable, such as all of the selected symbol set, or may be adjustable such as by player choice or random event or based on an amount bet. The feature subset is unlike a win line, having more elements than the number of reels. From among the feature subset of symbols, in step1205feature game round outcome determiner631determines an optimal winning combination using prize data645, and updates meter data646by paying the prize. Accordingly, the optimal winning combination is determined irrespective of the initial position of the symbols relative to win lines.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the method of the embodiment could be embodied in program code. The program code could be supplied in a number of ways, for example on a computer readable medium, such as a disc or a memory (for example, that could replace part of memory103) or as a data signal (for example, by downloading it from a server).

EXAMPLE 1

Now referring toFIGS. 8A and 8B, an example of one embodiment of the method of the invention is shown.

FIG. 8Ashows the set of symbols for display in their respective display positions after selection for a game round. The display positions are arranged as a set of reels820ato820eshowing three reel positions on each reel in the “top”810a, “centre”810band “bottom”810cpositions. A game round outcome has been determined by game round outcome determiner630from the set of symbols for display using a win line as the centre reel position line810bprize data645as no win, the centre combination “J K 9 K 10” having no winning combinations.

In this embodiment a random event, in the form of a random trial with probability of 1 in 100, now causes feature game round controller620to determine that a feature game round shall occur. Feature game round outcome generate631processes the feature subset, which in this embodiment is always the whole set of symbols for display. Feature game outcome determiner931now determines whether there are any winning combinations from the feature subset of fifteen symbols, and identifies the optimal winning combination as the most valuable winning combination using prize data645as 5 Kings in a row. Feature game round outcome determiner determines the prize for 5 Kings from prize data645, which in this embodiment is the same prize for 5 Kings as in a game round, and updates meter data646.

FIG. 8Bshows the optimal winning combination displayed to the player by a rearrangement of the set of symbols for display so that the five Kings occupy the non-feature game round win-line, the centre line810b. The optimal winning combination can of course be displayed in any of a number of alternative ways.

EXAMPLE 2

Now referring toFIGS. 9A and 9B, an example of another embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the same non-feature game round display as in example 1 is shown, and like example 1 a random event has caused feature game round controller620to determine that a feature game round shall occur. Feature game round outcome determiner631then selects the feature subset, which unlike the embodiment of example 1 is based on a player choice and is selected by the player as the centre and bottom rows810band810c. This is shown as the hatched region inFIG. 9A. Feature game round outcome determiner931now determines whether there are any winning combinations from the feature subset of ten symbols, and identifies the optimal winning combination using prize data645as four Kings.

FIG. 9Bshows the optimal winning combination displayed to the player again in this embodiment by a rearrangement of the set of symbols for display similar to that of example 1 so that the four Kings occupy the non-feature game round win-line, the centre line810b.

Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that many variations may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention including by forming further embodiments from the features described herein.

In one variation, alternative trigger events known in the art may be used to determine that a feature game round should occur, such as a particular symbol or symbol combination or an external trigger from a connected controller. In other embodiments, entitlement to the feature may be purchased and/or eligibility criteria might be applied for there to be an evaluation of whether the feature game should occur.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.