US 12,002,329 B2
Gaming machine and method with persistence feature
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 Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/850,506.
Application 17/850,506 is a continuation of application No. 17/184,891, filed on Feb. 25, 2021, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/027,417, filed on May 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0327894 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G06Q 50/34 (2012.01)
CPC G07F 17/3267 (2013.01) [G06Q 50/34 (2013.01); G07F 17/3211 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:
displaying, on an electronic display device, a plurality of symbol-bearing reels and an array of symbol positions;
conducting a first spin including:
spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array; and
animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land; and
conducting a second spin subsequent to the first spin, the second spin including:
again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land (i) a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions, (ii) a third value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in another one of the tagged symbol positions that is in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions, and (iii) a fourth value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in a symbol position other than any of the tagged symbol positions;
animating the array to display (i) a first value borne by the second value-bearing symbol in the one of the tagged symbol positions, (ii) a second value borne by the third value-bearing symbol in the another one of the tagged symbol positions, and (iii) a third value derived from the first and second values in any other ones of the tagged symbol positions in the cluster;
awarding an award based on the first, second, and third values;
animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in the cluster; and
animating the array to tag the symbol position in which the fourth value-bearing symbol landed.