Patent Application Number: 2008229983
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Prior Art Detail
Summary / Description
| Summary / Description | Abstract: Payout methods in a mechanical, an electro-mechanical and/or computer-based slot machine-like games-of-chance enable a series of awards based upon: appearance of predetermined symbol combinations in the symbol matrix; issuance of awards for the predetermined combination of symbols; removal of the winning symbol combinations from the symbol matrix; replacement of removed symbols with other symbols; issuance of awards for predetermined combination of symbols in the symbol matrix; and recurring cycles of award, removal and replacement until no winning symbol combinations appear in the symbol matrix. |
Basic Information
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | 6910962 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | Marks, Daniel; Singer, Anthony; Marks, Howard |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | Abstract; Column 1 Lines 14-20 |
| URL | http://www.freepatentsonline.co... |
| Filing Date | August 27, 2002 |
| Additional Information | |
Notes / To Do
| Notes | |
Excerpt
Excerpt FIELD OF THE INVENTION (Col. 1 Lines 14-20):The present invention relates to an electronic novelty and wagering game having an electronic display, a controlling processor presenting a game symbol matrix where matching symbol combinations result in an award and the symbols are removed and replaced. Awards are issued based upon the initial wager and type of symbol combinations until there are no matching symbol combinations. |
Relevance
Claims
1
A method of gaming comprising: (a) displaying a plurality of first symbols; (b) displaying a plurality of second symbols; (c) matching at least one of the first symbols to at least one of the second symbols; (d) removing each first symbol which is matched with the second symbols; and (e) replacing each removed first symbol with an additional first symbol to thereby display a modified plurality of first symbols.
| Relevance | See Field of the Invention (Col. 1 Lines 14-20) in the Excerpt. Disclosed is 'matching symbol combinations' and symbols which are 'removed and replaced'. Column 3 Lines 4-8: '(iv) remove the symbols of each winning outcome set from the display, (v) select, assign and display symbols to replace the removed symbols to reconstitute the game matrix and (vi) repeat steps (i) through (v) until there are no winning outcome sets. ' |
Claim Chart
All
2
A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) until there are no further matches.
| Relevance | Column 3 Lines 4-8: '(iv) remove the symbols of each winning outcome set from the display, (v) select, assign and display symbols to replace the removed symbols to reconstitute the game matrix and (vi) repeat steps (i) through (v) until there are no winning outcome sets. ' |
Claim Chart
All
3
A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: (f) displaying a further plurality of second symbols; and (g) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) in respect of the further plurality of second symbols with the modified plurality of first symbols.
| Relevance | Column 2 Line 60 - Column 3 Line 8: 'The processor is configured to, in response to prompting of play, (i) select, assign and control the display to display a selected game symbol into each coordinate of a game matrix having columns C and rows R, where C and R are at least 3, (ii) compare the symbols of the coordinates to determine whether a predetermined number of like symbols are disposed in at least one predetermined winning pattern defining a winning outcome set, e.g. vertically, horizontally or L-shaped adjacent sets of three like symbol types (iii) if the wagered upon symbol type is arranged in a predetermined winning pattern to issue the predetermined award, (iv) remove the symbols of each winning outcome set from the display, (v) select, assign and display symbols to replace the removed symbols to reconstitute the game matrix and (vi) repeat steps (i) through (v) until there are no winning outcome sets. ' |
Claim Chart
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4
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first symbols are randomly generated.
| Relevance | Column 6 Lines 25-32: ' In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the symbol set includes seven symbols. For each spin, the machine randomly displays three symbols from the symbol set on each reel (column C). Each of the symbols is related to the theme of the game which may be a mining and precious stones theme (i.e. rubies, diamonds, emeralds, etc.) as suggested in FIG. 2. ' |
Claim Chart
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50
Computer program code which, when executed implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 15.
| Relevance | Column 3 Line 65 - Column 4 Lines 1-11: 'Turning to FIG. 1, there is shown a game apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purpose or it may comprise a general purpose computer as selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The procedures presented herein are not inherently related to a particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose machines may be used with programs written in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove more convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these machines will appear from the description given. ' |
Claim Chart
All
United States