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:
Nov. 06, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 11, 2010
Hayato Mizue, Tokyo, JP;
Hayato Mizue, Tokyo, JP;
Konami Gaming, Incorporated, Las Vegas, NV (US);
Abstract
A gaming machine includes a lottery region defined such that cell columns are arranged to be parallel with each other. Symbols in each symbol column are moved along the cell column at a predetermined game opportunity and are stopped in one cell unit. A determination is performed as to whether a combination of symbols stopped in a determination target cell group forms a prize winning pattern. Reduced cells are defined by equally dividing a cell in a cell column when a predetermined reduction condition is satisfied, reduces symbols corresponding to the reduced cells, recognizes that at least one normal cell and the reduced cells are included in the target cell group, selects the reduced cells included in the target cell group, and determines that a combination of a symbol stopped in the selected reduced cell and the normal cell included in the target cell group forms the prize winning pattern.