1. A method of gaming comprising:
conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions;
determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game;
determining upon triggering of the community game, whether the player has an active eligibility in respect of a conducted game portion; and
determining, upon the player having an active eligibility, an award to apply in respect of at least one winning outcome of the community game based on at least the identity of the game portion in relation to which the player has an active eligibility.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the different game portions is a base game portion which is conducted in each play of the game.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the different game portions is a feature game portion conducted in addition to the base game portion in response to a feature trigger event occurring.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of different feature game portions.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the different game portions is a feature game choice portion.
6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a feature game portion comprises generating a plurality of game outcomes.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein eligibility is defined by a timer defining a time within which the community trigger must occur.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the timer is adjusted based on time rules associated with respective ones of the game portions.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein eligibility is defined by a time window defining a time within which the community trigger must occur.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the time window is an active time window of one of a plurality of time windows associated with respective ones of the game portions.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein respective time windows are activated based on time rules associated with respective ones of the game portions.
12. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the award a player is eligible for is derived for each active wager from a fixed prize multiplied by a bet multiplier determined from a wager made in the base game portion, a multiplier dependent on size of an ante bet wagered in the base game portion.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein upon the eligibility being associated with a feature game portion, the fixed prize is also multiplied by a multiplier associated with the feature game portion
14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of players and the method comprises conducting an instance of the game for each player and determining eligibility for an award in the community game for each player based on the player’s game instance.
15. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising conducting the community game and determining whether to make an award to each eligible player.
16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a player is entitled to have more than one active eligibility and the award is determined from each eligibility.
17. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a game controller arranged to conduct a play of a game for a player when the gaming device is active, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions; and
a community game controller arranged to determine independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game;
the gaming system arranged to:
determine upon triggering of the community game, whether each player has an active eligibility in respect of a conducted game portion; and
determine, for each player having an active eligibility, an award to apply in respect of at least one winning outcome of the community game based on at least the identity of the game portion in relation to which the player has an active eligibility.
18. A gaming system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the community game controller controls the community game.
19. A gaming system comprising:
means for conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions;
means for determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game;
means for determining upon triggering of the community game, whether the player has an active eligibility in respect of a conducted game portion; and
means for determining, upon the player having an active eligibility, an award to apply in respect of at least one winning outcome of the community game based on at least the identity of the game portion in relation to which the player has an active eligibility.
20. A method of gaming comprising:
conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions having associated time windows and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions;
activating at least one time window in respect of each conducted game portion;
determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game; and
determining that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the triggering occurs.
21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein one of the different game portions is a base game portion which is conducted in each play of the game.
22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein one of the different game portions is a feature game portion conducted in addition to the base game portion in response to a feature trigger event occurring.
23. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein a condition of activating the time window is that the player has placed a qualifying wager for the play of the game.
24. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a game controller arranged to conduct a play of a game for a player when the gaming device is active, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions having associated time windows and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions, each gaming device arranged to activate at least one time window in respect of each conducted game portion provided the player has placed a qualifying wager in respect of a base game portion of the game; and
a community game controller arranged to determine independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game;
the gaming system arranged to determine that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the triggering occurs.
25. A gaming system comprising:
means for conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions having associated time windows and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions;
means for activating at least one time window in respect of each conducted game portion provided the player has placed a qualifying wager in respect of a base game portion of the game;
means for determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game; and
means for determining that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the triggering occurs.
26. A method of gaming comprising:
conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions by generating at least one game outcome having an associated time window activated by generation of each game outcome;
determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game; and
determining that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the community game is triggered.
27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein one of the different game portions is a base game portion which is conducted in each play of the game.
28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein one of the different game portions is a feature game portion conducted in addition to the base game portion in response to a feature trigger event occurring.
29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein there are a plurality of different feature game portions.
30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein different numbers of game outcomes are generated in respect of different ones of the feature game portions.
31. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a game controller arranged to conduct a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions by generating at least one game outcome having an associated time window activated by generation of each game outcome; and
a community game controller arranged to determine independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game;
the gaming system arranged to determine that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the triggering occurs.
32. A gaming system comprising:
means for conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions by generating at least one game outcome having an associated time window activated by generation of each game outcome;
means for determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game; and
means for determining that a player is eligible to win an award from the community game upon an activated time window being open when the triggering occurs.
33. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising executing computer program code.
34. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising storing said computer program code in a computer readable medium.
35. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising transmitting the computer program code.
36. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising generating data signal comprising the computer program code.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A machine for packaging a mattress in a sheet which is unwound continuously from a feeder roll, the machine comprising: a horizontal supporting surface for said mattress; a horizontal receiving surface; guiding means for guiding said sheet in a substantially vertical direction which passes between said supporting surface and said receiving surface, so that by moving said mattress in an advancement direction from said supporting surface toward said receiving surface said sheet is arranged over and under said mattress; joining and cutting means for joining and cutting said sheet, upstream of said mattress, along said advancement direction, and for forming a bag which wraps around said mattress in a loop; unwinding assemblies for unwinding said sheet from said feeder roll, which comprise two rollers movable along said receiving surface, said rollers being actuatable with an outgoing stroke, in said advancement direction, and with a return stroke, said rollers being articulated about vertical axes to rotate to rotate between an alignment position, in which the rollers are perpendicular to the advancement direction and a position in which the rollers are parallel to said advancement direction and to the sides of said mattress; and actuation means for actuating said rollers to reach said alignment position, upstream of said sheet while said mattress is arranged on the supporting surface and to maintain said position during said outgoing stroke and transfer of the mattress from the supporting surface onto the receiving surface, in order to allow said rollers to engage and stretch said sheet over and under the mattress, and to return to said position in which they are parallel to the advancement direction after the mattress has been transferred onto said receiving surface, in order to allow said rollers to disengage from said sheet and return to said position for engaging said sheet.
2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said unwinding assemblies comprise:
two guides which are arranged at sides of said receiving surface and are parallel to said advancement direction; respective sliders each of which is slideable on a respective one of said guides; respective horizontal rollers each of which being articulated along a respective vertical axis to a respective one of said sliders; and respective jacks for actuation of said rollers between said alignment and parallel positions, said jacks being each supported on a respective one of said sliders.
3. The machine of claim 2, comprising: a driving pulley; a driven pulley; a reversible motor and a horizontal portion of a belt which is closed in a loop on said driving and driven pulleys, said driving pulley being actuated by said motor in order to make said sliders, which are fixed on said belt, perform said outgoing and return strokes.
4. The machine of claim 3, wherein said rollers are rotatable about respective vertical axes thereof on horizontal planes, which lie above the upper face of the mattresses.
5. The machine of claim 1, in combination with an apparatus for automatic roll changing.
6. The machine of claim 2, further comprising sealing elements for lateral heat-sealing of said bag, said unwinding assemblies and said sealing elements being adjustable transversely to the advancement direction of the mattress.
7. The machine of claim 6, comprising: rails arranged transversely to said advancement direction, carriages which are slideable on said rails, said unwinding assemblies and said sealing elements being mounted on said carriages; and adjusting means for adjusting a position of said unwinding assemblies and of said sealing elements on said rails.