The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 2010
Filed:
Feb. 26, 2004
Daniel P. Fiden, Chicago, IL (US);
Daniel P. Fiden, Chicago, IL (US);
WMS Gaming Inc., Waukegan, IL (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus of utilizing symbol markers that, when included in a winning outcome, present an additional award to the player during operation of a slot machine. A symbol marker may be varied in type, frequency, associated award, and quantity. A symbol marker may trigger different award types based on its visual appearance or frequency within a winning combination. Awards can be credits, multipliers, bonus game triggers, and free spins, among others. The order of placement of a symbol marker can be random or defined. The winning outcome that includes a symbol marker can be based on the game's winning outcome definition or on a predetermined location or locations.