US-12620292-B2 - Determining awards for plays of different games using mechanical reels

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods that employ a plurality of mechanical reels for a plurality of plays of a plurality of different games, wherein the different games are associated with different attributes conveyed via a video transmissive display device.

Inventors

• Anthony Baerlocher
• Cullen O'Day
• Jason R. Mead

Assignees

• IGT

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240227

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, the method comprising: responsive to a play of a first game associated with a first quantity of activated paylines displayed by a video transmissive display device supported by a housing of the electronic gaming machine and comprising a controllable transparent portion arranged relative to a plurality of mechanical reels supported by the housing of the electronic gaming machine such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the video transmissive display device to a portion of each of the mechanical reels: selecting, by a processor and based on the first quantity of activated paylines, a first paytable, for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determining, by the processor and based on the selected first paytable, a symbol of a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of reel display positions of that mechanical reel, and when an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine is detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: disabling, by the processor, any movement of any of the mechanical reels, storing data associated with a display state of the video transmissive display device, and following at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: loading, by the processor, the stored data to reconstitute the display state of the video transmissive display device, enabling, by the processor, movement of the mechanical reels, and for each of the mechanical reels, causing, by the processor, that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device, and responsive to a play of a second game associated with a second, different quantity of activated paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device: selecting, by the processor and based on the second, different quantity of activated paylines, a second, different paytable, for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determining, by the processor and based on the selected second, different paytable, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel, wherein for at least one of the mechanical reels, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is available to be randomly determined based on the selected second, different paytable and that symbol of that mechanical reel is unavailable to be randomly determined based on the selected first paytable, and for each of the mechanical reels, causing, by the processor, that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a probability of at least one of the symbols of at least one of the mechanical reels being randomly determined in association with the first paytable is different than a probability of that at least one symbol being randomly determined in association with the second, different paytable.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first symbol combination displayed along a first activated payline is associated with a first award in association with the first paytable and the first symbol combination displayed along the first activated payline is associated with a second, different award in association with the second, different paytable.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device to display at least part of each activated payline.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of activated paylines comprises a first quantity of wagered on paylines.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to an occurrence of a symbol modification event, causing the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device to display a modification of at least one of the symbols of at least one of the mechanical reels.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the modification occurs in association with a spinning of the mechanical reels.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to the play of the second game associated with the second, different quantity of activated paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device following the play of the first game associated with the first quantity of activated paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device, causing the video transmissive display device to display the second, different paytable replacing the first paytable.
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the play of the first game is associated with a first bonus game at least partially displayed by the video transmissive display device and the play of the second game is associated with a second, different bonus game at least partially displayed by the video transmissive display device.
10. 10 . A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, the method comprising: receiving an input, via an input device, of a quantity of paylines for a play of a game, for each of the quantity of paylines for the play of the game: activating, by a processor, that payline, and causing a video transmissive display device supported by a housing of the electronic gaming machine to display that payline, wherein the video transmissive display device comprises a controllable transparent portion arranged relative to a plurality of mechanical reels supported by the housing of the electronic gaming machine such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the video transmissive display device to a portion of the mechanical reels, and the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device displays at least part of each activated payline, determining, by the processor and based on the activated paylines, a paytable for the play of the game, wherein different paytables are associated with different activated paylines, for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determining, by the processor and based on the determined paytable for the play of the game, a symbol of a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of reel display positions of that mechanical reel, wherein for at least one of the mechanical reels, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reels is available to be randomly determined based on the determined paytable for the play of the game, and that symbol of that mechanical reel is unavailable to be randomly determined based on a selection of a different paytable for the play of the game, when an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine is detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: disabling, by the processor, any movement of any of the mechanical reels, storing data associated with a display state of the video transmissive display device, and following at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: loading, by the processor, the stored data to reconstitute the display state of the video transmissive display device, enabling, by the processor, movement of the mechanical reels, and for each of the mechanical reels, causing, by the processor, that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device, and determining, by the processor and based on the activated paylines and the symbols of the mechanical reels viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device, an award for the play of the game.
11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein different paytables are associated with different probabilities of the same symbol of the same mechanical reel being randomly determined.
12. 12 . A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, the method comprising: responsive to a play of a first game associated with a first quantity of wagered on paylines displayed by a video transmissive display device supported by a housing of the electronic gaming machine and comprising a controllable transparent portion arranged relative to a plurality of mechanical reels supported by the housing of the electronic gaming machine such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the video transmissive display device to a portion of the mechanical reels: selecting, by a processor and based on the first quantity of wagered on paylines, a first paytable, for each of a first quantity of the mechanical reels associated with the play of the first game, randomly determining, by the processor and based on the selected first paytable, a symbol of a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of reel display positions of that mechanical reel, and when an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine is detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: disabling, by the processor, any movement of any of the plurality of mechanical reels, storing data associated with a display state of the video transmissive display device, and following at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine: loading, by the processor, the stored data to reconstitute the display state of the video transmissive display device, enabling, by the processor, movement of the plurality of mechanical reels, and for each of the first quantity of mechanical reels, causing, by the processor, that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device, and responsive to a play of a second game associated with a second, different quantity of wagered on paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device: selecting, by the processor and based on the second, different quantity of wagered on paylines, a second, different paytable, for each of a second, different quantity of the mechanical reels associated with the play of the second game, randomly determining, by the processor and based on the selected second, different paytable, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel, wherein for at least one of the second, different quantity of the mechanical reels, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is available to be randomly determined based on the selected second, different paytable and that symbol of that mechanical reel is unavailable to be randomly determined based on the selected first paytable, and for each of the second, different quantity of the mechanical reels, causing, by the processor, that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a probability of at least one of the symbols of at least one of the mechanical reels being randomly determined in association with the first paytable is different than a probability of that at least one symbol being randomly determined in association with the second, different paytable.
14. 14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a first symbol combination displayed along a first wagered on payline is associated with a first award in association with the first paytable and the first symbol combination displayed along the first wagered on payline is associated with a second, different award in association with the second, different paytable.
15. 15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising causing the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device to display at least part of each wagered on payline.
16. 16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first quantity of the mechanical reels is based on a first total wager amount placed and the second, different quantity of the mechanical reels is based on the second, different total wager amount placed.
17. 17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising, responsive to an occurrence of a symbol modification event, causing the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device to display a modification of at least one of the symbols of at least one of the mechanical reels.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the modification occurs in association with a spinning of at least one of the mechanical reels.
19. 19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising, responsive to the play of the second game associated with the second, different quantity of wagered on paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device following the play of the first game associated with the first quantity of wagered on paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device, causing the video transmissive display device to display the second, different paytable replacing the first paytable.
20. 20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the play of the first game is associated with a first bonus game at least partially displayed by the video transmissive display device and the play of the second game is associated with a second, different bonus game at least partially displayed by the video transmissive display device.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM This application is a continuation of, claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/487,853, filed on Sep. 28, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND In various embodiments, the systems and methods of the present disclosure employ a plurality of mechanical reels for a plurality of plays of a plurality of different games, wherein the different games are associated with different attributes conveyed via a video transmissive display device. Gaming machines may provide players awards in primary games. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. The award may be based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager. BRIEF SUMMARY In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an electronic gaming machine including a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel comprising a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of reel display positions. The electronic gaming machine also includes a video transmissive display device comprising a controllable transparent portion arranged relative to the mechanical reels such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the video transmissive display device to a portion of each of the mechanical reels. The electronic gaming machine further includes a processor, and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions. When executed by the processor responsive to a play of a first game associated with a first quantity of activated paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device, the instructions cause the processor to select, based on the first quantity of activated paylines, a first paytable, for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determine, based on the selected first paytable, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel, and for each of the mechanical reels, cause that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device. When executed by the processor responsive to a play of a second game associated with a second, different quantity of activated paylines displayed by the video transmissive display device, the instructions cause the processor to select, based on the second, different quantity of activated paylines, a second, different paytable, for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determine, based on the selected second, different paytable, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel, and for each of the mechanical reels, cause that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an electronic gaming machine including a plurality of mechanical reels, each mechanical reel comprising a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of reel display positions. The electronic gaming machine also includes a video transmissive display device comprising a controllable transparent portion arranged relative to the mechanical reels such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the video transmissive display device to a portion of the mechanical reels. The electronic gaming machine further includes a processor, and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to receive an input, via an input device, of a quantity of paylines for a play of a game, and for each of the quantity of paylines for the play of the game: activate that payline, and cause the video transmissive display device to display that payline, wherein the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device displays at least part of each activated payline. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to determine, based on the activated paylines, a paytable for the play of the game, wherein different paytables are associated with different activated paylines, and for each of the mechanical reels, randomly determine, based on the determined paytable for the play of the game, a symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel. When executed by the processor for each of the mechanical reels, the instructions cause the processor to cause that mechanical reel to move such that the reel display position associated with the randomly determined symbol of the symbols of that mechanical reel is viewable through the controllable transparent portion of the video transmissive display device. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to determine, based on the activated paylines a