Aristocrat Leisure has been granted a patent for a gaming machine and method that includes a symbol selector, display, outcome evaluator, and game area expander. The system allows for the expansion of the game area when certain triggering criteria are met, displaying additional symbols and potentially affecting the game outcome. GlobalData’s report on Aristocrat Leisure gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Aristocrat Leisure, Cashless payment settlement was a key innovation area identified from patents. Aristocrat Leisure's grant share as of September 2023 was 48%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A gaming machine with expanding game area and symbols
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11776356B2) describes a gaming system that includes a display device and a game server. The display device presents an arrangement of symbol positions, with some designated as active symbol positions. The game server populates the symbol positions with randomly selected symbols and determines if any of the randomly selected symbols in the active symbol positions match an adjacent randomly selected symbol not in the active symbol positions. If a match is found, the subset of active symbol positions is expanded to include additional symbol positions. The game outcome is determined based on the symbols displayed in the expanded active symbol positions.
The gaming system includes two reels, displayed on the display device, with at least one symbol position from each reel being active and viewable in the game area, while at least one symbol position from each reel is non-active and not viewable in the game area. The game server can expand the subset of active symbol positions to include non-active symbol positions from each reel, making them active and viewable in the game area.
The expansion of the subset of active symbol positions continues until a predefined ending criterion is satisfied. This criterion can be when no symbol in the active symbol positions is adjacent to a matching symbol not in the active symbol positions or when a predefined expansion limit has been reached.
The patent also mentions that the randomly selected symbols in the active symbol positions that match adjacent symbols can be predetermined symbols, such as function symbols.
The symbol positions in the gaming system are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, providing a structured layout for the game.
In addition to the gaming system, the patent also describes a method of playing a game on the gaming system and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program that executes the steps of the method.
Overall, this granted patent introduces a gaming system that incorporates expanding symbol positions based on matching symbols, providing an engaging and potentially rewarding gaming experience.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Aristocrat Leisure, buy the report here.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
