US 11,928,933 B2
Iterative re-spin process for electronic gaming machine
Eric Satterlie, Reno, NV (US)
Assigned to Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited, North Ryde (AU)
Filed by Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited, North Ryde (AU)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/462,373.
Application 17/462,373 is a continuation of application No. 16/118,152, filed on Aug. 30, 2018, granted, now 11,127,253.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/554,299, filed on Sep. 5, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0398392 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G06Q 50/34 (2012.01); G07F 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 17/3267 (2013.01) [G06Q 50/34 (2013.01); G07F 17/3209 (2013.01); G07F 17/3211 (2013.01); G07F 17/34 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing one or more processors, when programmed thereby, to perform operations to manage return to player for an iterative re-spin process of an electronic gaming device, the operations comprising:
starting an iterative re-spin process that uses reels and a reel area on a display screen of the electronic gaming device, each of the reels of the iterative re-spin process having an associated reel strip that is movable through the reel area on the display screen up on a spin of the reel, wherein the reel area spans m reels in a first dimension and spans n symbols in a second dimension different than the first dimension;
storing, in a memory device, current state information of the electronic gaming device;
storing, in the memory device, a determined control level, wherein the control level is determined based at least in part on the stored current state information;
retrieving, from the memory device, a likelihood of a special symbol type, wherein the retrieved likelihood of the special symbol is based at least in part on the stored control level and a first returned value of a random number generator;
based at least in part on the retrieved likelihood of the special symbol type, selectively populating the reel strips of the reels of the iterative re-spin process with symbols of the special symbol type and symbols of one or more other symbol types, thereby affecting return to player by adjusting likelihoods of reaching different outcomes of the iterative re-spin process depending on the determined control level; and
for each given iteration of one or more iterations of the iterative re-spin process:
storing, in the memory device, information identifying, based on a lock state stored in the memory device for each reel, any locked reels, among the reels of the iterative re-spin process, for the given iteration,
wherein, for each of the identified locked reels for the given iteration, the reel area is caused to be displayed on the display screen as enclosing a special symbol stack;
causing each special symbol stack to remain displayed on the display screen during the given iteration;
determining, based on at least a second returned value of the random number generator, results for spinning any unlocked reels, among the reels of the iterative re-spin process, for the given iteration, wherein the unlocked reels are reels that were not identified as being locked reels among the reels of the iterative re-spin process, for the given iteration;
displaying, on the display screen, a spinning and stopping of the unlocked reels, wherein the spinning and stopping of the unlocked reels causes the determined results to be displayed on the display screen;
modifying, in the memory device, the lock state of any unlocked reel that displays the special symbol stack as part of the displayed results from an unlocked state to a locked state;
determining, based on a comparison of the displayed determined results with a continuation condition stored in the memory device, whether the continuation condition is satisfied for the given iteration;
if the continuation condition is satisfied, causing the display of a next iterative re-spin process of the one or more iterations; and
if the continuation condition is not satisfied, exiting the iterative re-spin process.