US20100056246A1

US20100056246A1 - Game system capable of increasing super symbol

Info

Publication number: US20100056246A1
Application number: US12/199,332
Authority: US
Inventors: Ying-Lan LAI; Tzu-Yang Hsieh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Jumbo Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-08-27
Filing date: 2008-08-27
Publication date: 2010-03-04

Abstract

The present invention is related to a game system and method including a game machine, a game judge unit and a symbol record and control unit, wherein the game machine has plural reels arranged in an array for constituting a symbol set, and each reel in the symbol set shows a symbol randomly. Moreover, the game judge unit judges if the symbols of the symbol set conform to a particular rule of a symbol set, and if the symbol set conforms to the particular rule of a symbol set, a particular amount of bonus game is provided for the game machine. Then, the game machine runs the bonus game, and during the bonus game, each reel in the symbol set is capable of showing the super symbol randomly. Furthermore, the symbol record and control unit records a position of the reel showing the super symbol and controls the reel with the super symbol to stay static at least one time as the game machine runs the next bonus game, so as to increase the amount of super symbol and increase the score, thereby improving the enjoyment of player.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a game machine, and more particularly to a game system and method for increasing the win possibility of game machine so as to improve enjoyment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reel type game machines, such as slot machine and fruit machine, have many reels arranged in an array for constituting a symbol set, and each reel can independently roll for changing the revealed symbol thereon. According to the randomly changed symbol on each reel, the machine can constitute different symbol sets. Besides, in one symbol set, if the adjacent symbols are identical, the payline is formed, and the more paylines the symbol set has or the rarer the produced payline is, the more score the player gains.
For improving the enjoyment so as to entertain the player, a universal symbol has already developed in the current reel slot machine which can be recognized as all kinds or most kinds of symbols so that the payline can be formed more easily. That is, the player can gain high score more easily and the interest in playing the game can be increased.
However, in the reel slot machine, if the possibility of showing the universal symbol becomes too high, it becomes too easy to gain the score and the score value reduces, but if the possibility of showing the universal symbol is too low, then the player might ignore the universal symbol, so that it might be hard to achieve the purpose of exciting the player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a game system and method for increasing super symbol, wherein in the bonus game, the reel with super symbol can remain static in the next roll, so that the next produced symbol set can include the last time appeared super symbol, thereby increasing the amount of super symbol in the symbol set and therefore improving the enjoyment of player.
For achieving the object described above, the present invention includes a game system and method. The game system includes a game machine, a game judge unit and a symbol record and control unit. The game machine has plural reels arranged in an array for constituting a symbol set, and each reel in the symbol set shows a symbol randomly. Moreover, the game judge unit judges if the symbols of the symbol set conform to a particular rule, and if the symbol set conforms to the particular rule, a particular amount of bonus game is provided for the game machine. Then, the game machine runs the bonus game, in which each reel in the symbol set is capable of showing the super symbol randomly. Furthermore, the symbol record and control unit records a position of the reel showing the super symbol and controls the reel with the super symbol showing last time to stay static at least one time as the game machine runs the next bonus game, so as to increase the amount of super symbol.
Accordingly, the present invention utilizes the double mechanisms of bonus game and stopping the SW reel rolling at least once, so that at the time of increasing the enjoyment of player, the score obtainment also can be properly limited, thereby avoiding the value of score from being reduced owing to the easy obtainment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a structural view showing the appearance of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the symbol set of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the bonus game with super symbol of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is schematic view showing the roll of reels after showing the super symbols according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the symbol set after re-rolling the reels according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the game machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is flow chart showing the procedure of bonus game according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the expansion of super symbol according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is schematic view showing the expansion of super symbol in another embodiment according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The embodiment of the present invention includes a game machine 10, a game judge unit 20 and a symbol record and control unit 30, wherein the game machine 10 has plural reels 40, which are arranged in an array so as to constitute a symbol set 50. The quantity of reels is preferably 25, as shown in this embodiment, so as to form a 5×5 array. In the symbol set 50, each reel 40 can randomly show different symbols 411.
The game judge unit 20 and the symbol record and control unit 30 are in the game machine 10. The game judge unit 20 can judge if the symbols 411 in the symbol set 50 conform to any particular rule, such as if the accumulated score reaches the threshold or if the symbol set 50 conforms to a particular combination of symbols 411, so that it can provide a particular amount of bonus games oil the game machine 10 for playing. Then, when the game machine 10 runs the bonus game, each reel 40 can randomly show a super symbol (SW), and the symbol record and control unit 30 can record the position(s) of reel(s) showing SW.
Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. For increasing the shown amount of SW, when running the following bonus game(s), the reel(s) which already showed SW will stay static at least one time, and only the remainder reels 40 which did not show SW will roll (as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4). In other words, there are following situations: 1. if the reel(s) 40 reveal(s) SW after the roll of whole reels, then the reel(s) with SW will stop rolling once, 2. if the reel(s) 40 remained static owing to the SW(s) appeared last time, then it (they) will return to roll this time, and 3. if the reels 40 do not show SW, then they will keep rolling. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5 (wherein the remained SWs are represented by sw), in the new produced symbol set 50, the quantity of SW can be increased so that the payline amount also can be increased since SW can represent any other symbol, and thus, the player can gain a higher score through achieving paylines 60, 61.
Please refer to FIG. 6 showing the flow chart of the present invention. In step 6A, the user gambles money and starts the game machine 10, and then, the game machine 10 randomly produces a symbol set 50. In step 6B, it judges that if the symbols 411 of the symbol set 50 conform to any particular rule. The game judge unit 20 judges if conforming to the particular rule, for example, the accumulated score reaches the threshold or a particular combination of symbols 411 in the symbol set 50 conforms to the particular rule, then the flow goes to step 6D and particular amount of bonus games (as shown in FIG. 7) are provided. Oppositely, if not, the flow is followed by step 6C for scoring the payline. Finally, in step 6E, the final score is calculated. Then, the user can start another round of game.
Please refer to FIG. 7, which shows the flow chart of the bonus game in the present invention. First, in step 7A, in the bonus game, each reel 40 in the symbol set 50 can randomly show a super symbol (SW). In step 7B, the score is calculated. In step 7C, it detects that is there any amount of bonus game remained. If yes, then the flow goes to step 7D, in which the symbol record and control unit 30 records the position(s) of SW(s), followed by step 7E. In step 7E, the reels 40 of the game machine 10 run the next bonus game, and according to the record of the symbol record and control unit 30, the reel(s) 40 with SW will be controlled to stop rolling at least one time. Then, the flow goes back to step 7A. Since the SW(s) is remained, the quantity of SW can be increased and, of course, the total amount of payline also can be increased. This flow is repeated until the amount of bonus game is used up. After end of the bonus game, the detection in step 7C will lead the flow to step 7E for calculating the total score gained in the bonus game(s).
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, the plural reels 41 in the present invention also can have plural symbols 411 arranged in a vertical direction, and the plural reels 41 can be arranged side by side and the plural symbols 411 can form an array arrangement, so as to produce the symbol set 50.
Furthermore, for increasing the appearing amount of SW, the SW reel can influence the near reel(s) to become SW. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the SW let all reels 40 above and under thereof become SW (which are shown in small letters) automatically, so that the score can be increased, and of course, this column of reels 40 can stay static at least one time in the next roll.
Identically, for the reels 41 with plural symbols 411 arranged vertically as shown in FIG. 10, all symbols 411 in one reel 41 also can become sw when one of them appears SW for increasing the amount of super symbol.
In the aforesaid, the present invention utilizes the double mechanisms of bonus game and SW reel, on one hand, the SW reel(s) can stop rolling at least one time for increasing the SW amount, and on the other hand, the bonus game can provide the user the opportunity to gain more score but still can properly limit the game times, so that not only the enjoyment of player can be increased, it also can control the obtainment of the score for maintaining the score value.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A game system capable of increasing a super symbol, comprising:

a game machine, having plural reels arranged in an array for constituting a symbol set, wherein each reel in the symbol set shows a symbol randomly;

a game judge unit, for judging if the symbols of the symbol set conform to a particular rule, so as to provide a particular amount of bonus game for the game machine playing, wherein when the game machine runs the bonus game, each reel in the symbol set is capable of showing the super symbol randomly; and

a symbol record and control unit, for recording a position of the reel showing the super symbol and controlling the reel with super symbol showing last time to stay static at least one time as the game machine runs the next bonus game.

2. The game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of the reels is 25 so as to form a 5×5 array.

3. The game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plural reels has plural symbols arranged in a vertical direction and the plural reels are arranged side by side, so that all the symbols of the plural reels are arranged in an array for forming the symbol set.

4. The game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the super symbol in the symbol set makes the reels above and under thereof to change to show the super symbol automatically.

5. A game method for increasing a super symbol, comprising steps of:

choosing the amount for gambling to start a game machine to run, wherein the game machine has plural reels arranged in an array for constituting a symbol set, and each reel in the symbol set shows a symbol randomly;

judging if the symbols of the symbol set conform to a particular rule by a game judge unit, and if the symbol set conforms to the particular rule, providing a particular amount of bonus game for the game machine, and if not, calculating payline and accumulating score so as to proceed a next round of game;

running the bonus game by the game machine, wherein each reel in the symbol set is capable of showing the super symbol randomly; and

accumulating score, detecting if any bonus game remains, and if yes, a symbol record and control unit records a position of the reel showing the super symbol and controls the reel with the super symbol showing last time to stay static at least one time as the game machine runs the next bonus game, and repeating the bonus game until the amount of bonus game is used up.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the quantity of the reels is 25 so as to form a 5×5 array.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the plural reels has plural symbols arranged in a vertical direction and the plural reels are arranged side by side, so that all the symbols of the plural reels are arranged in an array for forming the symbol set.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the super symbol in the symbol set makes the reels above and under thereof to change to show the super symbol automatically and calculating score.