METHOD FOR A GAMING SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a computer implemented method performed by a gaming system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a scheme for further improving an attraction power of a game provided in relation to the gaming system. The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding gaming system and a computer program product.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method performed by a gaming system adapted to execute a series of consecutive games, the gaming system comprising a server arranged in communication with an electronic user device using a network connection, the electronic user device comprising a display screen, wherein the method comprises the steps of: forming, at the server, a table having a predetermined dimension and comprising a plurality of cells, generating, at the server, a first set of elements arranged to completely populate all of the plurality of cells of the table, each generated element being one of a plurality of predefined element types, wherein the first set of elements comprises at least one extended element arranged to populate a first predefined number of cells of the table, the predefined number of cells being two or more and preferably at least four cells, populating, at the server, the plurality of cells of the table with the first set of elements, controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the table at the display screen, identifying, at the server, a cluster of cells of the table being populated with matching elements, forming, at the server, a first gaming outcome based on a successful matching of the identified cluster of cells with a plurality of predefined cluster formations, controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the gaming outcome at the display screen, wherein: the extended element influences the first gaming outcome based on its size, a number assigned to the extended element, a multiplication factor assigned to the extended elements or a combination thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiplication factor and the predefined number of cells decreases in a subsequent iteration of the series of consecutive games if the extended element forms part of a successfully matched identified cluster of cells.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extended element is subdivided into separate portions arranged to populate the first predefined number of cells of the table only if the extended element forms part of the identified cluster of cells and a first gaming outcome has been formed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the extended element is subdivided into a second predetermined number of cells being less than the first predetermined number of cells.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the multiplication factor is assigned to the separate portions of the extended element when being subdivided.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the multiplication factor is divided depending on the number of cells the extended element is subdivided into.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiplication factor has a predefined range.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the range is between 1-10.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: receiving, at the server, a bet from the electronic device, wherein the determination of the gaming outcome is further dependent on the bet.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic user device is adapted to present a graphical user interface (GUI) at the display unit, and the method further comprises the steps of: forming, at the server, a graphical representation of at least one of the table or the gaming outcome, and distributing, from the server to the electronic user device, the graphical representation.

11. A gaming system comprising a server arranged in communication with an electronic user device using a network connection, the electronic user device comprising a display screen, wherein the server is adapted to: form a table having a predetermined dimension and comprising a plurality of cells, generate a first set of elements arranged to completely populate all of the plurality of cells of the table, each generated element being one of a plurality of predefined element types, wherein the first set of elements comprises at least one extended element arranged to populate a first predefined number of cells of the table, the predefined number of cells being two or more, preferably at least four cells, populate, the plurality of cells of the table with the first set of elements, control the electronic user device to display the table at the display screen, identify a cluster of cells of the table being populated with matching elements, form a first gaming outcome based on a successful matching of the identified cluster of cells with a plurality of predefined cluster formations, control using the server, the electronic user device to display the gaming outcome at the display screen, wherein: the extended element influences the first gaming outcome based on its size, a number assigned to the extended element, a multiplication factor assigned to the extended elements or a combination thereof.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the extended element is subdivided into separate portions arranged to populate the first predefined number of cells of the table only if the extended element forms part of the identified cluster of cells and a first gaming outcome has been formed.

13. The gaming system according to claim 12, wherein the server is further adapted to subdivide the extended element into a second predetermined number of cells being less than the first predetermined number of cells.

14. The gaming system according to claim 13, wherein the multiplication factor is assigned to the separate portions of the extended element when being subdivided.

15. The gaming system according to claim 14, wherein the multiplication factor is divided depending on the number of cells the extended element is subdivided into.

16. The gaming system according to claim 11, wherein the multiplication factor has a predefined range.

17. The gaming system according to claim 16, wherein the range is between 1-10.

18. The gaming system according to claim 11, wherein the server is further adapted to: receive a bet from the electronic user device, wherein the determination of the gaming outcome is further dependent on the bet.

19. The gaming system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic user device is adapted to present a graphical user interface (GUI) at the display screen, and the server is further adapted to: form a graphical representation of at least one of the table or the gaming outcome, and distribute the graphical representation to the electronic user device.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for operating a gaming system, the gaming system comprising a server arranged in communication with an electronic user device using a network connection, the electronic user device comprising a display screen, wherein the computer program product comprises: code for forming, at the server, a table having a predetermined dimension and comprising a plurality of cells, code for generating, at the server, a first set of elements arranged to completely populate all of the plurality of cells of the table, each generated element being one of a plurality of predefined element types, wherein the first set of elements comprises at least one extended element arranged to populate a first predefined number of cells of the table, the predefined number of cells being two or more, preferably at least four cells, code for populating, at the server, the plurality of cells of the table with the first set of elements, code for controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the table at the display screen, code for identifying, at the server, a cluster of cells of the table being populated with matching elements, code for forming, at the server, a first gaming outcome based on a successful matching of the identified cluster of cells with a plurality of predefined cluster formations, code for controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the gaming outcome at the display screen, wherein: the extended element influences the first gaming outcome based on its size, a number assigned to the extended element, a multiplication factor assigned to the extended elements or a combination thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The various aspects of the present disclosure, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary gaming system according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0041] FIG. 2 provides an exemplary illustration of a typical graphical user interface (GUI) for use in playing a game,

[0042] FIGS. 3A and 3B present exemplary illustrations of operations of different tables according to different embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0043] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the exemplary steps for operating the gaming system as shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. This present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the skilled addressee. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout.

[0045] Referring now to the drawings and FIG. 1 in particular, there is depicted a gaming system 100 in which an online game, such as a slot game, may be played according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. The system architecture illustrated in FIG. 1 depicts a system environment in which systems, methods, apparatus, computer-readable mediums and data structures consistent with the principles of some embodiments of the present disclosure may be included. It may be appreciated that the components of system 100 may be implemented through any suitable combinations of hardware, software, and/or firmware.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 includes at least one server 102 and/or at least one gaming database 104. Server 102 and gaming database 104 may be communicably linked to a plurality of electronic user devices in the form of electronic user devices, such as client devices 106, 108, 110, etc. through network 112. The network 112 may be wired or wireless, including for example wired connections like a building LAN, a WAN, an Ethernet network, an IP network, etc., and wireless connections like WLAN, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, 3G mobile communications, 4G mobile communications, Bluetooth, infrared, or similar. As such, the network 112 may be locally and/or globally provided.

[0047] The gaming database 104 may be any type of physical unit on which games reside, such as a machine in a gaming venue, a lottery machine, an electronic game system, etc. Network 112 may be implemented as the Internet, or any local or wide area network, either public or private. Network 112 may also be a hardware system physically connecting some or all of the server 102 and client devices 106, 108, 110. Client devices 106, 108, 110, typically each operated by a player, may be implemented as any computing devices such as a personal computing device, a server, a server network, handheld computing device, slot machine, other gaming machine in a gaming venue such as a betting terminal, a gaming console, lottery machine, an interface in a virtual environment, etc.

[0048] It may be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that while only one server, one gaming database, one network and two client devices are depicted, more or fewer servers, more or fewer gaming databases, more networks and more or fewer client devices and/or other devices may reside within system 100.

[0049] The elements inside system 100 may include one or more (micro) processors, purpose-built hardware such as, for example, FPGA, ASIC, etc., software systems and applications, software packages, mechanical and electrical parts, etc. Software packages that may be part of server 102, gaming database 104, client devices 106, 108, 110 and network 112 may be recorded on a computer readable medium such as a memory device, RAM, CD/DVD/USB drives, handheld memory device, etc., and/or may be part of a physical device such as one or more (microprocessors or electro-mechanical systems. Any of server 102, gaming database 104, client devices 106, 108, 110, network 112 and further electronic user device 114 may be fixed systems, mobile systems, portable systems, or cloud systems (as discussed above). FIG. 1 shows only three electronic user devices 106, 108, 110, however it should be understood that a general implementation of the present disclosure comprises a large plurality of electronic user devices, possibly greatly above three, such as 100, 1000, 10000, etc.

[0050] Although the various components of FIG. 1 are illustrated as discrete elements, it should be recognized that certain operations of some of the various components may be performed by the same physical device, e.g., by one or more microprocessors or other type of devices.

[0051] Turning now to FIG. 2 illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) 202 to be displayed at a client device, such as any of the client devices 106, 108, 110, in the illustrated embodiment provided as an application (“app”) or within e.g. a web browser of the portable client device 106 being a tablet. The game to be played at the client device 106 is here shown as an online game of chance in the form of a slot game, visualized within the GUI 202 as comprising a table comprising six individual reels 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230 arranged in columns and provided with a plurality of different symbols. The table also comprises five rows 240, 242, 244, 246, 248. As such, the predefined dimension of the table as shown in FIG. 2 is six times five, thus comprising 30 cells in total.

[0052] The GUI also comprises a “button” 206 to start the game, here provided with the description “SPIN” for initiating a turn of the game. In addition, the GUI 202 comprises an indicator of the current bet 208 (i.e. payment for each turn of the game) and an indicator of the total payment to the player 210. It should in any case be understood that other types of games may be played within the scope of the present disclosure, for example being skill based as compared to a game of chance.

[0053] Turning now to FIGS. 3A and 3B in conjunction with FIG. 4, illustrating different tables according to different embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIG. 3A there is first shown an initial table 300 comprising a plurality of cells 302 arranged in rows and columns, corresponding to the table as shown in FIG. 2, e.g. displayable at a display screen of any of the client devices 106, 108, 110.

[0054] As is exemplified in FIG. 3A, the server 102 has formed, S1, and then generated, S2, a first set of elements which have been arranged to populate, S3, the initial table 300. The server has then controlled, S4, the client device 106, for example, to display the populate table 300. In the case of a game of chance the elements may be at least semi-randomly generated and similarly the positioning of the elements within the table 300 may be semi-randomly selected. The set of elements comprises a plurality of predefined elements types, in FIG. 3A, a cherry 304, a diamond, the number seven, a heart etc. and an extended element 306, also being of the element type cherry. As is illustrated in FIG. 3A, the extended element 306 populates four cells.

[0055] The server 102 will then identify, S5, a number of cells of the table being populated with matching elements. In the example as presented in FIG. 3A, it is necessary that the table 300 comprises at least five matching elements. In FIG. 3A, the table 300 comprises four “cherries” 304 of a regular size (i.e. populating a single cell), i.e. matching elements. However, in FIG. 3A, the table also comprises the extended element 306, where the extended element 306 as mentioned above also is a “cherry”. Five “cherries” are thus being identified as a cluster. In the specific embodiment as is shown in FIG. 3A, the cluster is here exemplified as adjacently arranged cells.

[0056] In the example as shown in FIG. 3A, the extended element 306 will only be “counted” as a single matching element. However, the extended element 306 will influence the first gaming outcome in that it will be counted as more than one element in the determination of the outcome. This can be dependent on the size of the extended element or on a number assigned to the extended element. In this case a number 2 has been assigned to the extended element 306 and therefore the extended element will count as two symbols in the determination of the score such that a cluster of six cherries will be considered for the final score.

[0057] Alternatively, as is presented in FIG. 3A, the extended element 306 can be provided with a multiplication factor (here four). The multiplication factor will influence the cluster, meaning that the server 102 when forming, S6, the first gaming outcome. The formation of the first gaming outcome is in turn performed by the server 102 by matching of the identified cluster of cells with a plurality of predefined cluster formations. The first gaming outcome is also preferably dependent on the bet 208 placed by player, as mentioned above.

[0058] Once the first gaming outcome has been formed, the server 102 will subsequently control the client device 106 to display the gaming outcome at the display screen.

[0059] Following the presentation of the first gaming outcome at the client device 106, the next game in the series of consecutive games is executed, as is exemplified in FIG. 3B. The general operation follows the flow as is presented in relation to FIG. 3A, with the difference that the extended element 306 is subdivided. In FIG. 3B the extended element 306 is subdivided into two separate and equally sized portions, where each portion now populate two cells. Accordingly, the initial extended element 306 was a 2×2 cell element and is now subdivided into two 2×1 cell element 308 and 310. This subdivision will however only take place in case the extended element 306 forms part of the identified cluster of cells.

[0060] In line with the discussion above, the multiplication factor follows with the subdivision. In the example as is shown in FIG. 3B, the multiplication factor will also be subdivided into “two” (as with the extended element 306). Accordingly, each subdivided extended element 308, 310 is assigned a multiplication factor of two. The subdivided extended element 308, 310 are again subdivided (if being part of an identified cluster of cells) into further portions (not shown) and the multiplication factor may correspondingly follow. As such, the extended elements will eventually “disappear”, once the extended element has been subdivided such that it only populates a single cell.

[0061] It should however be understood that the multiplication factor as an alternative may “stay” the same also when following with the subdivided extended elements. Accordingly, even if the extended element is divided into smaller portions, each of these portions (e.g. the subdivided extended element 308, 310) may be assigned the “original” multiplication factor.

[0062] It should be understood that the examples above are just for provided for explaining the general concept of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples are in no way limiting to the general scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] In summary, the present disclosure relates to a computer implemented method performed by a gaming system adapted to execute a series of consecutive games, the gaming system comprising a server arranged in communication with an electronic user device using a network connection, the electronic user device comprising a display screen, wherein the method comprises the steps of forming, at the server, a table having a predetermined dimension and comprising a plurality of cells, generating, at the server, a first set of elements arranged to completely populate all of the plurality of cells of the table, each generated element being one of a plurality of predefined element types, wherein the first set of elements comprises at least one extended element arranged to populate a first predefined number of cells of the table, the predefined number of cells being at least four cells, populating, at the server, the plurality of cells of the table with the first set of elements, controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the table at the display screen, identifying, at the server, a cluster of cells of the table being populated with matching elements, forming, at the server, a first gaming outcome based on a successful matching of the identified cluster of cells with a plurality of predefined cluster formations, controlling, using the server, the electronic user device to display the gaming outcome at the display screen, wherein the extended element is subdivided into separate portions arranged to populate the first predefined number of cells of the table only if the extended element forms part of the identified cluster of cells and a first gaming outcome has been formed.

[0064] An advantage following such a possibility is an improved attraction power to the game, thus potentially allowing for the player to remain playing the game for an increased duration as compared to previously known similar operational schemes. This could potentially be beneficial to both the player participating in the game and the gaming operator providing the game.

[0065] In addition, the control functionality of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0066] Although the figures may show a sequence the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps. Additionally, even though the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments thereof, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art. Further, a single unit may perform the functions of several means recited in the claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting to the claim. Furthermore, in the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.

[0067] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed present disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. The person skilled in the art realizes that the present disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments.