US 12,333,902 B2
Gaming machine, control method for machine, and program for operating gaming machines to display computer animated reel games
Masaya Matsuda, Zama (JP)
Assigned to Konami Gaming, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed by Konami Gaming, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed on Jan. 30, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/427,513.
Application 18/427,513 is a continuation of application No. 17/087,084, filed on Nov. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,922,763.
Application 17/087,084 is a continuation of application No. 16/152,764, filed on Oct. 5, 2018, granted, now 10,861,283, issued on Dec. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0312305 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G07F 17/32 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 17/3244 (2013.01) [G07F 17/3209 (2013.01); G07F 17/3213 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gaming machine for displaying computer-animated images, comprising:
a cabinet;
a display device mounted to the cabinet and including a graphical user interface (GUI) display screen displaying computer-generated images thereon; and
a control unit operably coupled to the display device, the control unit including a memory device storing image data, a random number generator, and one or more processors programmed to execute an algorithm to render a computer-animated sequence of computer-generated images of a game on the display device GUI including the steps of:
accessing the image data stored in the memory device and rendering a primary game area on the display device GUI including a plurality of virtual reels;
rendering a bonus feature event area on the display device GUI above the primary game area and including a plurality of credit prize symbols arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
displaying each of the plurality of credit prize symbols with an associated credit value by:
establishing a same credit value based on a bet denomination value associated with the game; and
displaying each credit prize symbol with the same credit value; and
displaying computer-animated images of an instance of the game by:
randomly selecting stop positions of the plurality of virtual reels using the random number generator;
spinning and stopping the plurality of virtual reels based on the randomly selected stop positions to display a special symbol;
selecting credit prize symbols associated with the displayed special symbol;
animating the selected credit prize symbols to remove the selected credit prize symbols from the bonus feature event area; and
animating remaining credit prize symbols to cascade downward to fill emptied positions in the bonus feature event area.