Patent ID: 11915544
Assignee: IGT
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
following a triggering of a reel activation sequence:
for a first activation of the reel activation sequence:
displaying, by a display device, a primary reel set sized to accommodate the display device,
displaying, by the display device, a first plurality of randomly determined symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set, and
displaying, by the display device, any award values associated with the displayed first plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set, and
independent of any determination of any award values associated with any displayed symbols at any symbol display positions associated with any reel sets, and responsive to an additional reel set triggering event randomly occurring in association with the primary reel set for the first activation of the reel activation sequence, for a second activation of the reel activation sequence:
displaying, by the display device, the primary reel set and a first additional reel set sized to accommodate the display device,
displaying, by the display device, a second plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set,
displaying, by the display device, a third plurality of randomly determined symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions associated with the first additional reel set,
displaying, by the display device, any award values associated with the displayed second plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set,
displaying, by the display device, any award values associated with the displayed third plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the first additional reel set, and
independent of any determination of any award values associated with any displayed symbols at any symbol display positions associated with any reel sets, independent of any determination of any additional reel set triggering event randomly occurring in association with the primary reel set for the second activation of the reel activation sequence and responsive to an additional reel set triggering event not randomly occurring in association with the first additional reel set for the second activation of the reel activation sequence:
ceasing displaying, by the display device, the first additional reel set while continuing displaying, by the display device, the primary reel set resized to accommodate the display device without the first additional reel set, and
thereafter and for a third activation of the reel activation sequence:
displaying, by the display device, a fourth plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set, and
displaying, by the display device, any award values associated with the displayed fourth plurality of randomly determined symbols at the plurality of symbol display positions associated with the primary reel set.