Patent Publication Number: US-2009221354-A1

Title: Gaming machine that changes a displayed view of symbols

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of priority to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2008900683, filed on Feb. 13, 2008, entitled “A Gaming Machine That Changes A Displayed View Of Symbols”, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to gaming machines and methods of gaming. A particular embodiment of the present invention relates to gaming machines that provide a spinning reel game. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the increase of gambling at gaming venues has come increased competition between gaming venues to obtain a larger share of the total gambling spend. Gaming venue operators have therefore continuously looked for new variations and types of games in order to attract both new and return customers to their venues. 
     In response to this need, suppliers of gaming devices and systems have attempted to provide the sought-after variety, while still developing games that comply with the relevant regulations in the jurisdiction of the gaming venue operator. Suppliers of gaming devices therefore are faced with restrictions on the types of games and gaming machines that are allowable, both in terms of the prevailing regulations and in terms of providing a return on investment to the gaming venue operators. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for use with a gaming machine that is arranged to provide a spinning reel game in which symbols are spun up on a plurality of reels, each reel having an associated sequence of symbols, and an award is awarded if a winning combination occurs, the method including: 
     spinning the reels to provide a resultant reel configuration; 
     displaying a symbol array from the resultant reel position in a reel display portion of a display, wherein the award is awarded if the winning combination occurs in the reel display portion; and 
     replacing the displayed symbol array in the reel display portion with a further symbol array from the resultant reel configuration. 
     The method may include checking whether one or more eligibility criteria are satisfied, wherein said replacing of the symbol array is contingent on the satisfaction of the eligibility criteria. 
     The method may include simulating shattering of the symbol array currently displayed in the reel display portion. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images of symbols displayed on the display, the game controller being arranged to provide a spinning reel game in which symbols are spun up on a plurality of reels, each reel having an associated sequence of symbols, and to award an award if a winning combination occurs, the game controller arranged to: 
     spin the reels to provide a resultant reel configuration; 
     display a symbol array from the resultant reel position in a reel display portion of the display, wherein the award is awarded if the winning combination occurs in the reel display portion; and 
     replace the displayed symbol array in the reel display portion with a further symbol array from the resultant reel configuration. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program product including machine-readable program code recorded on a machine-readable recording medium, for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus on which the program code executes to perform a method for use with a gaming machine that is arranged to provide a spinning reel game in which symbols are spun up on a plurality of reels, each reel having an associated sequence of symbols, and an award is awarded if a winning combination occurs, the method including: 
     spinning the reels to provide a resultant reel configuration; 
     displaying a symbol array from the resultant reel position in a reel display portion of a display, wherein the award is awarded if the winning combination occurs in the reel display portion; and 
     replacing the displayed symbol array in the reel display portion with a further symbol array from the resultant reel configuration. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program including machine-readable program code for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus on which the program code executes to perform a method for use with a gaming machine that is arranged to provide a spinning reel game in which symbols are spun up on a plurality of reels, each reel having an associated sequence of symbols, and an award is awarded if a winning combination occurs, the method including: 
     spinning the reels to provide a resultant reel configuration; 
     displaying a symbol array from the resultant reel position in a reel display portion of a display, wherein the award is awarded if the winning combination occurs in the reel display portion; and 
     replacing the displayed symbol array in the reel display portion with a further symbol array from the resultant reel configuration. 
     Further aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Also, various embodiments of the aspects described in the preceding paragraphs will be apparent from the appended claims, the following description and/or the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 : shows schematically a view of a gaming console suitable for implementing certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2 : shows a block diagram of a gaming machine suitable for implementing certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3 : shows a block diagram of components of the memory of the gaming machine represented in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4 : shows schematically a network gaming system suitable for implementing certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5 : shows a flow diagram of a method in which a symbol array displayed in a spinning reel game is replaced by a further symbol array. 
         FIG. 6 : shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the method of  FIG. 5  in which a reel window appears to shatter when replacing the symbol array. 
         FIG. 7 : shows a schematic representation of a symbol array shattering in a spinning reel game. 
         FIG. 8 : shows a schematic representation of the replacement symbol array moving into position. 
         FIG. 9 : shows a schematic representation of a further symbol array displayed on the gaming machine after a previously-displayed symbol array has been shattered. 
     
    
    
     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings, one example of a gaming console that is suitable to implement the present invention is generally referenced by arrow  114 . 
     The gaming console  114  includes two displays  106 A,  106 B on one or both of which is displayed representations of a game that can be played by a player and a bank of buttons  107 A and/or a touch screen  107 B to enable a player to play the game. The displays  106  may be video display units, such as a cathode ray tube screen device, a liquid crystal display, plasma screen, any other suitable video display unit, or the visible portion of an electromechanical device. The display  106 B may display artwork, including for example, pay tables and details of bonus awards and other information or images relating to the game. In alternative gaming consoles the display  106 B may be omitted, optionally replaced by a static display. 
     A credit input including a coin input  110 A and/or bill collector  110 B allows a player to provide credit for wagering and a coin output  111  is provided for cash payouts from the gaming console  114 . A card and/or ticket reader  108  and a printer  109  may be provided to provide player tracking, cashless game play or other gaming and non-gaming related functions. 
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a gaming machine, generally referenced by arrow  100 , suitable for implementing the present invention. The gaming machine  100  may include the gaming console  114  shown in  FIG. 1  and accordingly like reference numerals have been used to describe like components in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The gaming machine  100  includes a game controller  101 , which in the illustrated example includes a computational device  102 , which may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device or some other suitable device. Instructions and data to control operation of the computational device  102  are stored in a memory  103 , which is in data communication with, or forms part of, the computational device  102 . Typically, the gaming machine  100  will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by the memory  103 . The instructions to cause the game controller  101  to implement the present invention will be stored in the memory  103 . The instructions and data for controlling operation of the computational device  102  may be stored on a computer readable medium from which they are loaded into the gaming machine memory  103 . The instructions and data may be conveyed to the gaming machine by means of a data signal in a transmission channel. Examples of such transmission channels include network connections, the Internet or an intranet and wireless communication channels. 
     The game controller  101  may include hardware credit meters  104  for the purposes of regulatory compliance and also include an input/output (I/O) interface  105  for communicating with the peripheral devices of the gaming machine  100 . The input/output interface  105  and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for instructions and data. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the peripheral devices that communicate with the controller are the displays  106 , bank of buttons/touch screen  107 , the card and/or ticket reader  108 , the printer  109 , a bill acceptor and/or coin input  110  and a coin output  111 . Additional devices may be included as part of the gaming machine  100 , or devices omitted based on the specific implementation. 
     The bank of buttons  107 A and/or touch screen  107 B together with one or both of the displays  106  may provide a user interface  115  through which the gaming machine  100  and player communicate. If a card/ticket reader  108  is provided, this may also form part of the user interface  115 . 
     In addition, the gaming machine  100  may include a communications interface, for example a network card  112 . The network card  112 , 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. The network card  112  may also enable communication with a central player account, allowing cashless gaming. One or more of the peripheral devices, for example the card/ticket reader  108  may be able to communicate directly with the network card  112 . The network card  112  and the I/O interface  105  may be suitably implemented as a single machine communications interface. 
     The game controller  101  may also include a random number generator  113 , which generates a series of random numbers that are used by the computational device  102  to determine the outcomes of games played on the gaming machine  100 . 
     The game controller  101  may have distributed hardware and software components that communicate with each other directly or through a network or other communication channel. The game controller  101  may also be located in part or in its entirety remote from the user interface  115 . Also, the computational device  102  may include a plurality of devices, which may be local or remote from each other. Instructions and data for controlling the operation of the user interface  115  may be conveyed to the user interface  115  by means of a data signal in a transmission channel. The user interface  115  may be a computational device, for example a personal computer, used by a person to play a game provided from a remote game controller  101 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an exemplary block diagram of the main components of the memory  103 . The RAM  103 A typically temporarily holds instructions and data related to the execution of game programs and communication functions performed by the computational controller  102 . The EPROM  103 B may be a boot ROM device and/or may contain system and game related code. The mass storage device  103 C may be used to store game programs, the integrity of which may be verified and/or authenticated by the computational controller  102  using protected code from the EPROM  103 B or elsewhere. 
       FIG. 4  shows a gaming system  200  in the form of a network of devices. The gaming system  200  includes a network infrastructure  201 , which for example may be in the form of an Ethernet network. Alternatively, a wireless network and/or direct communication channels, or a different type of network may be used to link the gaming machines to a server, each other and/or other devices. Gaming consoles  114 , shown arranged in three banks  203  of two gaming consoles  114  in  FIG. 4 , are connected to the network infrastructure  201 . The gaming consoles  114  may form part or all of a gaming machine  100 . Single gaming consoles  114  and banks  203  containing three or more gaming devices  202  may also be connected to the network infrastructure  201 , which may also include bank controllers, hubs, routers, bridges to other networks and other devices (not shown). 
     One or more displays  204  may also be connected to the network  201 . The displays  204  may, for example, be associated with a bank  203  of gaming consoles  114 . The displays  204  may be used to display representations associated with game play on the gaming devices  114 , and/or used to display other representations, for example promotional or informational material. 
     Servers may also be connected to the network  201 . For example, a game server  205  may generate game outcomes for games played on one or more of the gaming consoles  114 , a database management server  206  may manage the storage of game programs and associated data in a database  206 A so that they are available for downloading to, or access by, game controllers  101 , and a jackpot server  207  may control one or more jackpots for the gaming system  200 . 
     Further servers may be provided to assist in the administration of the gaming system  200 , including for example a gaming floor management server  208 , and a licensing server  209  to monitor the use of licenses to particular games. An administrator terminal  210  is provided to allow an administrator to manage the network  201  and the devices connected to the network. The different servers depicted can be distinct physical servers or logically distinct server processes running on a single physical server. 
     The gaming system  200  may communicate with other gaming systems, or other local networks, for example a corporate network and/or a wide area network such as the Internet through a firewall  211 . 
     The game described herein relates to a spinning reel game in which a plurality of spinning reels are spun on a gaming machine such as gaming machine  100 . In earlier gaming machines it was typical for the spinning reels to be mechanical reels bearing a sequence of symbols. However, in recent years it has been common for the reels to be graphic objects that are rendered to a display such as display  106  and animated to simulate the rotation of a mechanical reel. In the embodiment described below, the spinning reels are graphic objects that are rendered to a display  106 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a process flow diagram of a process performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The process may be performed by the gaming system  200  or on individual gaming machines  114 . Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that the process may also be implemented by other gaming systems. 
     For game play to commence, the game controller  101  monitors the bill acceptor and/or coin input  110  and/or information received by the card/ticket reader  108  or network card  112  for a deposit of credit and in response causes the hardware meters  104  to increment according to the denomination of the game. The game controller  101  then monitors the user interface  107  for the input of a wager. 
     If there are sufficient credits in the meters  104  to support the wager, a spinning reel game is commenced by the game controller  101 . 
     In method  300  shown in  FIG. 5  the plurality of spinning reels are spun in step  302  to define a resultant reel configuration. Each of the spinning reels has an associated sequence of symbols. In one arrangement the reels all have the same number of symbols. In other arrangements different reels may have different numbers of symbols in their associated sequences. 
     The resultant reel configuration at the end of step  302  determines the relative positions of the symbols on the plurality of reels throughout the associated sequences. 
     In step  304  a subset of the resultant reel configuration is displayed in a reel display window which is an area of a display  106 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , the spinning reel game uses  5  reels. The symbol array displayed in the reel display window shows  3  symbols from each of the reels. Thus, in the example the displayed symbol array has  5  columns and  3  rows. The displayed symbol array is a subset of the resultant reel configuration obtained by spinning the reels in step  302 . 
     In step  306  the controlling software running on the gaming machine  100  determines whether a winning outcome has occurred in the symbol array displayed in the reel display window. If there is a winning outcome, an award may be made. 
     In step  308  the controlling software checks whether the player is eligible to replace the symbol array displayed in the reel display window. Various eligibility criteria may be specified for an implementation of the described game. For example, the player may be required to place an ante-bet before the reels are spun in step  302  in order to become eligible to replace the displayed symbol array. Alternatively, the player may be offered the option of purchasing the rights to replace the symbol array. Thus, for example, if there has been no winning outcome in an initial symbol display, the player may opt to replace the displayed symbol array. 
     Another eligibility criterion for replacing the symbol array may be the occurrence of a triggering combination of symbols in the displayed symbol array. If the triggering combination occurs, then the displayed symbol array may be automatically replaced. Alternatively, if the triggering combination has occurred, the player may be given an option to replace the displayed symbol array. 
     In a further alternative, the right to replace the symbol array may be a randomly-triggered entitlement, determined, for example by the random number generator  113 . A message may be displayed on display  106  informing the player that he or she is eligible to replace the current symbol array. This listing of eligibility criteria is not exhaustive and other criteria may be also be used in method  300 . 
     If the player is not eligible to replace the symbol array (the No option of step  308 ) then ordinary game play continues at step  310 . For example, process flow may return to step  302  to initiate a further spin of one or more of the reels. The player may be required to make a further wager in order to continue the spinning reel game. 
     If, however, the player is eligible to replace the symbol array (the Yes option of step  308 ) then process flow proceeds to step  3   12 . 
     In step  312 , the controlling software removes the symbol array currently displayed in the reel display window and displays a further symbol array drawn from the reel configuration that resulted from the reel spin in step  302 . Note that the reels have not been re-spun. Instead, a portion of the reel configuration that was not previously visible in the reel display window is moved into view in step  312 . 
     Process flow in method  300  then returns to step  306 , which is a check to see whether a winning outcome has occurred in the further symbol array. 
     Depending on the eligibility criteria that had been specified, the process of replacing the displayed symbol array may continue. The iterated process of replacing the symbol array may, for example, continue until there are no further symbol arrays that may be drawn from the resultant reel configuration of step  302 . 
     It will be understood that various criteria may be specified to determine whether a winning outcome has occurred. For example, the game may specify one or more pay lines that traverse the displayed symbol array in the reel display window. If a specified combination of symbols occurs on one of the specified pay lines, a winning outcome may occur. 
     There are many ways in which the currently-displayed symbol array may be removed from the reel display window and replaced with the next symbol array from the reel configuration. In one embodiment a shattering effect is used. This is illustrated in the flow diagram of  FIG. 6 . In step  350  the controlling software animates the display of the symbol array to give the effect of a glass pane shattering. Pieces of glass may fall away from the shattered pane, thereby removing the displayed symbol array. In step  352  the adjacent symbol array from the resultant reel configuration is moved into the reel display window to take the place of the original array. 
     In one arrangement a moving graphic object may be rendered to display  106  such that the graphic object appears to be thrown at or projected towards the reel display window. The graphic object, which may, for example, be a ball or a stone, appears to strike the reel display window and shatter the window as if it were made of glass. The object may be thrown by an animated character or projected from another graphic object such as a catapult or cannon. 
     In one arrangement of the game, a player may need to accumulate graphic objects such as stones or balls in order to be eligible to replace the displayed symbol array. Thus, for example, the player may purchase one or more stones that the player may then choose to activate in order to shatter a reel display window and reveal a further symbol array. Alternatively or additionally, the player may win graphic objects such as balls or stones in the course of play. The player may thus accumulate an armoury of objects to use in shattering displayed symbol arrays. 
     It will be appreciated that other animation sequences may be used to delete a currently displayed symbol array in order to create room for the display of a further symbol array on the resultant reel configuration. For example, the existing symbol array may be erased using an eraser. The symbols may also appear to be set alight and, once they have been incinerated, the next symbol array may move into position. 
     The embodiment in which the reel display window is shattered is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a symbol array  700  made up of  3  symbols on each of  5  reels. In the example, the player is eligible to replace the displayed symbol array and  FIG. 7  illustrates the effect of a graphic object  705  having been thrown at the reel display window. Arrow  704  depicts the apparent trajectory of the object  705  across the display. Cracks  702  appear in the reel display window and pieces of glass fall away until the shattered symbol array disappears. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic representation  800  of the adjacent symbol array from the resultant reel configuration moving downwards to appear in the reel display window on display  106 . 
       FIG. 9  shows the resultant symbol array  900 . In the example the middle row of the symbol array consists of 5 queens, which is a winning combination. 
     While the foregoing description has been provided by way of example of the preferred embodiments of the present invention as presently contemplated, which utilise gaming machines of the type found in casinos, those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that the present invention also may have application to internet gaming and/or have application to gaming over a telecommunications network, where handsets are used to display game outcomes and receive player inputs. 
     Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers having known equivalents, then those equivalents are hereby incorporated herein as if individually set forth. 
     Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that modifications and additions to the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. 
     It will also be understood that the term “comprises” (or its grammatical variants) as used in this specification is equivalent to the term “includes” and should not be taken as excluding the presence of other elements or features. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments and/or aspects without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments and aspects are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Several embodiments are described above with reference to the drawings. These drawings illustrate certain details of specific embodiments that implement the systems and methods and programs of the present invention. However, describing the invention with drawings should not be construed as imposing on the invention any limitations associated with features shown in the drawings. The present invention contemplates methods, systems and program products on any electronic device and/or machine-readable media suitable for accomplishing its operations. Certain embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using an existing computer processor and/or by a special purpose computer processor incorporated for this or another purpose or by a hardwired system, for example. 
     Embodiments within the scope of the present invention include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such a connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.