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Gaming machineRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), In A Chance ApplicationGaming machine description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070021177, Gaming machine. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] The present application is based upon and claims priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-211789, filed on Jul. 21, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine, a Pachi-Slot machine, or a pachinko machine including a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, for displaying a result of the game play. BACKGROUND [0003] Hitherto, there is provided a gaming machine including display device, such as a liquid crystal display, for displaying the result of the game play and advancing game play using an image displayed on the display device. As examples of such gaming machine, for example, there is provided: a gaming machine for producing variable display as reels displayed as an image on a liquid crystal display (such type of reels will be hereinafter referred to as "video reels") are rotated or scrolled according to player's operation (video slot machine); and a gaming machine for displaying a card image representing playing cards and changing the card image display to advance the game according to operation input of the player (card gaming machine). In addition, a gaming machine, such as a slot machine, a pachinko machine and a Pachi-Slot machine, also includes display device that displays an image showing the progress of the game and a result of the game. [0004] In this kind of gaming machine, various effects such as image effect displayed on display device are produced for the reasons of heightening a sense of expectancy of the player and enhancing the game play desire until the result of the game (for example, in video slot machine, symbol combination when variable display stops; in pachinko machine, symbol stop display state in special symbol game) is displayed. For example, a document JP-A-2002-159687 discloses a pachinko machine for producing effect for enhancing the degree of expectation for a big bonus or flag completion of a bonus game. A document JP-A-2002-126171 discloses a Pachi-Slot machine wherein effects displayed on a display are roughly classified into effects that can be canceled and effects that cannot be canceled and the player can cancel any effect that can be canceled by operating an effect cancel button. [0005] In the gaming machines in the related arts, various effects such as image effect displayed on display device are produced, so that a sense of expectancy of the player can be heightened and the game play desire can be enhanced according to the effects. [0006] However, even if various effects such as image effect are produced, the effects mainly aim at only the visual effect on the player and are not sufficient for actually heightening a sense of expectancy of the player. Of course, finally the result of the game does not become a win (or a winning combination) (for example, the symbol combination does not become a specific symbol combination, the symbol stop display state does not become a specific stop display state, or the like). Thus, if the player plays a game with any gaming machine in the related arts, the player easily feels that a loss feeling or regret when the result of the game does not become a win (or a winning combination) is large on the rebound after a sense of expectancy is heightened by the effects. SUMMARY [0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a gaming machine including: an image display device; and a game processing unit that performs a process for providing a player a game by controlling the image display device to display a progress of the game. The game processing unit performing the process including: controlling the image display device to perform variable display for variably displaying a plurality of symbols on each of a plurality of symbol display section configured on a screen of the image display device; controlling the image display device to stop performing the variable display and to display symbols being stopped in each of the symbol display sections; determining that the game is won when a symbol combination, which is a combination of symbols being stopped in a determination area defined by a part of the symbol display sections, satisfies a winning combination; determining that a partial win of the game is satisfied when a specific symbol, which satisfies the winning combination when replaced with one of the symbols in the symbol combination, is displayed stopped in one of the symbol display sections excluding the determination area; controlling, when determined that the partial win is satisfied, the image display device to re-perform the variable display on one of the the symbol display sections in which the symbol to be replaced with the specific symbol is stopped; and controlling the image display device to display the specific symbol to be moved from the symbol display section, in which the specific symbol is displayed stopped, to the symbol display section on which the variable display is re-performed, while the variable display is re-performed on the symbol display section. [0008] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for providing a player a game with a gaming machine by controlling an image display device provided on the gaming machine to display a progress of the game. The method includes: controlling the image display device to perform variable display for variably displaying a plurality of symbols on each of a plurality of symbol display sections configured on a screen of the image display device; controlling the image display device to stop performing the variable display and to display symbols being stopped in each of the symbol display sections; determining that the game is won when a symbol combination, which is a combination of symbols being stopped in a determination area defined by a part of the symbol display sections, satisfies a winning combination; determining that a partial win of the game is satisfied when a specific symbol, which satisfies the winning combination when replaced with one of the symbols in the symbol combination, is displayed stopped in one of the symbol display sections excluding the determination area; controlling, when determined that the partial win is satisfied, the image display device to re-perform the variable display on one of the symbol display sections in which the symbol to be replaced with the specific symbol is stopped; and controlling the image display device to display the specific symbol to be moved from the symbol display section, in which the specific symbol is displayed stopped, to the symbol display section on which the variable display is re-performed, while the variable display is re-performed on the symbol display section. [0009] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable program product for causing a computer provided on a gaming machine for providing a player a game to control an image display device provided on the gaming machine to display a progress of the game. The program product causes the computer to perform a procedure including: controlling the image display device to perform variable display for variably displaying a plurality of symbols on each of a plurality of symbol display sections configured on a screen of the image display device; controlling the image display device to stop performing the variable display and to display symbols being stopped in each of the symbol display sections; determining that the game is won when a symbol combination, which is a combination of symbols being stopped in a determination area defined by a part of the symbol display sections, satisfies a winning combination; determining that a partial win of the game is satisfied when a specific symbol, which satisfies the winning combination when replaced with one of the symbols in the symbol combination, is displayed stopped in one of the symbol display sections excluding the determination area; controlling, when determined that the partial win is satisfied, the image display device to re-perform the variable display on one of the the symbol display sections in which the symbol to be replaced with the specific symbol is stopped; and controlling the image display device to display the specific symbol to be moved from the symbol display section, in which the specific symbol is displayed stopped, to the symbol display section on which the variable display is re-performed, while the variable display is re-performed on the symbol display section. [0010] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a gaming machine including: a variable display means for variably displaying a plurality of symbols on a plurality of rows; a winning combination determination means for determining whether or not a game is won by a player; a stop display control means for producing stop display of the symbols on the rows so that the symbols displayed stopped in a determination area, in which to determine whether or not a specific symbol combination is satisfy, form the specific symbol combination when the winning combination determination means determines the win; a partial winning combination condition determination means for determining whether or not a partial winning combination condition is satisfied for the symbol displayed stopped in the determination area to form a part of the specific symbol combination, and for displaying specific symbol capable of forming the specific symbol combination in any other area than the determination area; a re-variable display control means for re-performing the variably display of the plurality of symbols on anon-display row where the symbol forming a part of the specific symbol combination is not displayed when the partial winning combination condition determination means determines that the partial winning combination condition is satisfied; and a move display control means for causing the variable display means to perform a move display of the specific symbol to the non-display row when the re-variable display control means re-performs the variably display the plurality of symbols on the non-display row. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] In the accompanying drawings: [0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a general configuration of a slot machine of a gaming machine according an embodiment; [0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the slot machine; [0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram to show an example of the internal configuration of a video control circuit; [0015] FIG. 4 is a flowchart to show an operation procedure from the game start to the end; [0016] FIG. 5 is a flowchart to show the operation procedure of base game processing; [0017] FIG. 6 is a drawing to show an example of a stop table; [0018] FIG. 7 is a drawing to show an example of a slot game image displayed on the slot machine according the embodiment; [0019] FIG. 8 is a drawing to show an example of a slot game image displayed after the state shown in FIG. 7; Continue reading about Gaming machine... Full patent description for Gaming machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gaming machine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Gaming machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Gaming device including a game having a wild symbol related award Next Patent Application: Gaming machine Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Gaming machine patent info. 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