Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-26
2003-08-12
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
C273S14300R, C463S013000, C463S016000, C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604740
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to payout methods in a mechanical, an electro-mechanical and/or computer-based slot machine-like games-of-chance.
2. Background Description
To play a slot machine a player deposits money in the form of coins, gaming tokens or paper currency either into a coin head or bill acceptor. The coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir inside the gaming machine while the paper currency is collected in the bill acceptor inside the gaming machine. If the coins, gaming tokens or paper currency are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing credits on a credit meter. For example, a twenty-five cent gaming machine will accrue four credits for each dollar deposited into the gaming machine.
After accruing credits on the credit meter, the player determines how many credits he wishes to wager on the next spin of the slot reels. After setting the wager, the player spins the reels by pressing the spin button or by pulling a handle. When the reels stop spinning, symbols are displayed on the slot reels (“symbol matrix”). The player then collects credits for predetermined symbol combinations (“winning combinations”), if any, according to a pre-determined schedule (“pay table”). More specifically, the standard slot machine operates as follows:
Symbol Matrix. Slot symbols are displayed on 3 or more slot reels (also called “columns”) placed adjacent to each other. Each column contains at least 3 rows, with a symbol in each row. The resulting matrix of symbols (“symbol matrix”) typically ranges from 3 columns by 3 rows with 9 total symbols to 5 columns by 3 rows with 15 total symbols. Within the symbol matrix, positions on the slot reels may be referred to according to column, from left to right, and row, from the top to bottom (“symbol positions”). For example: symbol position ½ is located in column 1 (i.e., left-most column) and row 2 (i.e., middle row).
Winning Combinations. Players collect credits for predetermined winning symbol combinations that appear in specific locations (“pay lines”) on the slot reels. Winning combinations typically require that three or more of the same symbols appear adjacent to each other starting from the leftmost position of a pay line (“line pays”). For example: a player may collect a line pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1. Alternatively, players may also collect credits for predetermined winning combinations that appear anywhere on a pay line (“line scatter pays”) or anywhere on the slot reels (“reel scatter pays”). For example, a player may collect a line scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared in symbol positions 1/1, 3/1, 5/1 on a pay line using symbol positions 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1; and collect a reel scatter pay if 3 Banana symbols appeared anywhere on the slot reels.
Pay Table. Credits are awarded to the player for each winning symbol combination based on a predetermined schedule (“pay table”). For line pays and line scatter pays, the number of credits wagered on the winning pay line multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager two credits each on five pay lines, spin the reels, and collect twice the amount indicated on the pay table for a line pay or line scatter pay appearing on any of the five played pay lines. For reel scatter pays, the total number of credits wagered multiplies the number of credits indicated by the pay table. For example, a player may wager ten total credits, spin the reels, and collect ten times the amount indicated on the pay table for a reel scatter pay appearing on anywhere on the slot reels.
Following any type of pay (e.g., line pays, line scatter pays and reel scatter pays), the credits won are added to the player's balance of credits shown in the credit meter. As long as the player has credits on the credit meter, the player may continue to play the gaming machine or the player may collect the remaining balance of credits by pressing a Cash Out button the gaming machine. In addition, the player may view the rules of the game by pressing the Help button before any spin.
A conventional slot machine issues awards according to the methods described above and exemplified by
FIGS. 1
,
2
, and
3
.
FIG. 1
, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053 to Crouch, entitled Multi-Line Gaming Machine, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a gaming machine
50
that has a display
51
on which an array of symbols is displayed. The array is typically 3 rows×5 columns. During a game the symbols displayed on the array are caused to change with a random result being obtained. The player of the machine makes a wager on the result and is paid a prize if one of a number of predetermined combinations of symbols are displayed on a line of the display
51
at the end of the game. The player may make multiple wagers on each game with each wager being assigned to a different one of a plurality of possible result lines. Typically, the number of possible result lines is greater than or equal to 9, and the lines to be employed in each game are selected by switches
54
, prior to a game being initiated.
FIG. 2
, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3×5 display
51
having 12 paylines, indicated by numerals
1
to
12
i
.
FIG. 3
, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,053, shows a 3×5 display
51
having 27 paylines, indicated by numerals
1
to
27
on the Figure.
A conventional slot machine, therefore, limits players, casinos and manufacturers, as follows:
Players suffer from the boredom of playing “new” games with different graphics, but really use same “old” awards;
Casinos suffer from the players' dissatisfaction with the casino's game selection as they cannot distinguish their game offerings from other casinos; and
Game manufacturers suffer declining orders as they cannot distinguish their product line from the other manufacturers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to address the limitations associated with conventional slot machines by creating additional and/or enhanced awards.
It is one feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a game that provides an award based upon the player's selection of, for example, one or more symbols as wild symbols (“Select-A-Wild”). The Select-A-Wild concept creates a slot game with a wider variety of awards which benefits all parties: the game manufacturer adds a unique product to their sales line; the casino attracts and retain players interested in playing an innovative slot game; and the player enjoys a new method of receiving an award. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are described below.
The present invention includes a variety of methods of play that can be programmed on an electronic video slot machine to enable the player to select one or more symbols as wild symbols (“Select-A-Wild”) for one or more spins using one or more spin buttons for at least one game or set of games.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the Select-A-Wild concept allows the player to select the wild symbol every spin, as follows:
The game displays three spin buttons (other number of spin buttons may alternatively be used).
Each spin button is permanently associated with a symbol:
All of the associated symbols have matching symbols on the reel strips.
Each of the associated symbols have the same probability of appearing on the reel strips.
The player selects a wild symbol by pressing a spin button.
The symbol associated with the pressed spin button acts as a wild symbol for that spin:
Symbols on the reel strips matching the selected symbol replace any or all other symbols in determining winning outcomes.
Symbols on the reel strips matching the non-selected symbols are not wild, but do award line pays.
After each spin, the player receives awards for all winning combinations, including pays using the selected wild symbol.
For example
Marks Daniel M.
Marks Howard M.
Masci Joseph D.
Singer Anthony M.
Collins Dolores R.
Donner Irah H.
Hale and Dorr LLP
Layno Benjamin H.
PTT LLC
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