	US 12,277,840 B2
	Gaming machine and method with persistence feature
George Bouvier, Henderson, NV (US); Richard Milosevich, Las Vegas, NV (US); and Kenneth Shawn Soong, Henderson, NV (US)
Assigned to LNW Gaming, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed by LNW Gaming, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/895,222.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/279,501, filed on Nov. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0154287 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G07F 17/34 (2006.01)

CPC G07F 17/3267 (2013.01) [G07F 17/3211 (2013.01); G07F 17/34 (2013.01)]

21 Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a display device configured to present a symbol array including a plurality of symbol positions; and

game-logic circuitry configured to:

cause the display device to present a first cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of randomly selected symbols;

in response to the first cycle outcome including at least one trigger symbol, cause the display device to lock the at least one trigger symbol in a first position subset of the symbol array;

initiate a subset counter associated with the first position subset to an initial count in response to the first cycle outcome and cause the display device to present the subset counter;

with the at least one trigger symbol locked in the first position subset, cause the display device to present at least one subsequent cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols for each of the at least one subsequent cycle outcome;

in response to the at least one subsequent cycle outcome including any additional trigger symbols in the first position subset, cause the display device to lock the additional trigger symbols in the first position subset;

in response to a modifier event associated with a first trigger symbol locked within the first position subset, cause the display device to present a first award value associated with the first trigger symbol, the modifier event including a number of trigger symbols within the first position subset meeting a trigger amount;

in response to the number of trigger symbols within the first position subset meeting the trigger amount, cause the display device to provide an award at least partially as a function of the first award value and respective award values associated with other trigger symbols in the first position subset; and

in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, cause the display device to remove any locked trigger symbols from the first position subset.