1. An apparatus for inputting a character in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:
a combination character determination unit for receiving character data selected on a character input screen comprising a plurality of pieces of character data, and then determining character data that can be combined with the selected character data; and
a controller for outputting a combination character obtained by combining characters determined by the combination character determination unit.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination character determination unit determines the character data that can be combined with the selected character data after receiving the selected character data or after detecting a combination character determination request from a user.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination character determination unit determines the character data that can be combined with the selected character data by detecting a touch movement from a position of the selected character data.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the touch movement is to right, displaying a plurality of vowel characters can be combined with the selected character data.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the touch movement is to downward, displaying a plurality of final consonant characters can be combined with the selected character data.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the touch movement is to upward, displaying a plurality of double consonant characters of the selected character for further selection.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the touch movement is at an angle, displaying a plurality of all possible characters that can be combined with the selected character data.
8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the combination character determination unit determines character data that can be combined with the selected character data by determining whether a touch movement occurs from the selected character, by determining a combination character request corresponding to a touch movement direction, and by determining character data corresponding to the determined combination character request.
9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the combination character request corresponding to the touch movement direction comprises at least one of a request for combining the selected character with a vowel character, a request for combining the selected character with a final consonant character, a request for outputting a double consonant character of the selected character, and a request for combining the selected character and a combination character in a direction corresponding to the touch movement direction.
10. A method of inputting a character in a portable terminal, the method comprising:
receiving character data selected on a character input screen comprising a plurality of pieces of character data, and then determining character data that can be combined with the selected character data; and
outputting a combination character obtained by combining the character data.
11. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the character data that can be combined with the selected character data is performed after receiving the selected character data or after detecting a combination character determination request from a user.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the character data that can be combined with the selected character data is performed by detecting a touch movement from a position of the selected character data.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein if the touch movement is to right, displaying a plurality of vowel characters can be combined with the selected character data.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein if the touch movement is to downward, displaying a plurality of final consonant characters can be combined with the selected character data.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein if the touch movement is to upward, displaying a plurality of double consonant characters of the selected character for further selection.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein if the touch movement is at an angle, displaying a plurality of all possible characters that can be combined with the selected character data.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the character data that can be combined with the selected character data comprises:
determining whether a touch movement occurs from the selected character;
determining a combination character request corresponding to a touch movement direction; and
determining character data corresponding to the determined combination character request.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the combination character request corresponding to the touch movement direction comprises at least one of a request for combining the selected character with a vowel character, a request for combining the selected character with a final consonant character, a request for outputting a double consonant character of the selected character, and a request for combining the selected character and a combination character in a direction corresponding to the touch movement direction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) provide a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols,
(ii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations,
(iii) a plurality of designated winning symbol combination awards associated with said designated winning symbol combinations,
(iv) a payline associated with the reels,
(v) each of the symbol combinations having a probability of being indicated on the payline; and
(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event associated with the base game, initiate an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player and, in said award mode, modify the probabilities of each of the symbol combinations being indicated on the payline including increasing a probability of at least one of said designated winning symbol combination awards being provided to the player in said award mode, by:
(i) effectively decreasing the number of the plurality of reels which are activated in the award mode, and
(ii) for each symbol associated with one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing a probability of said symbol being indicated on the payline in said award mode.
2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of reels which are activated in the award mode is one.
3. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) provide a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols,
(ii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, each of said symbol combinations formed by a number of said symbols,
(iii) a plurality of awards associated with said designated winning symbol combinations,
(iv) a payline associated with the reels, and
(v) each of the symbol combinations having a probability of being indicated on the payline; and
(b) without requiring any additional wager by the player, provide an award mode associated with the base game and, in said award mode, for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increase the probability of designated winning symbol combination being indicated on the payline by effectively decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated on the reels in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination.
4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the number of symbols of said at least one designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated on the reels in the award mode is one symbol.
5. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device configured to display a base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a plurality of predefined award symbols, a trigger symbol and at least one wild symbol; and
(ii) a payline associated with the reels, each of the symbols having a probability of being indicated on the payline;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) upon a wager by a player, activate the reels and cause the reels to display a randomly generated set of symbols from the plurality of symbols on said reels, said random generation based on the probabilities of being indicated on the payline associated with each of the symbols, and
(b) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiate an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player which includes:
(i) modifying the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with a plurality of the symbols, which includes increasing the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with each of said plurality of predefined award symbols,
(ii) activating a decreased number of the plurality of reels to indicate a randomly generated one of said plurality of predefined award symbols on said payline, said random generation based on the probabilities of being indicated on the payline associated with the plurality of predefined award symbols, and
(iii) providing any award associated with the indicated predefined award symbol to the player.
6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the award mode includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols by re-activating the activated reels when one or more designated symbols are indicated on the payline.
7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the award mode includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols by re-activating the activated reels when the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline.
8. A gaming device comprising:
at least one display device configured to display a base game including:
(i) a plurality of reels;
(ii) a plurality of symbols on said reels, said symbols including a plurality of award symbols, null symbols, and at least one trigger symbol;
(iii) a plurality of symbol combinations including a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, each of said symbol combinations formed by a number of said symbols, each said plurality of designated winning symbol combination associated with one of a plurality of awards;
(iv) a payline associated with said reels; and
(v) a probability of being indicated on the payline associated with each of the symbol combinations;
at least one input device;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) upon a wager by a player, generate a set of symbols from the plurality of symbols on the reels, and
(b) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiate, an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing the probability of said designated winning symbol combination being indicated on the payline by decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination,
(ii) indicating at least one symbol in the award mode, and
(iii) if the at least one indicated symbol provides one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, providing to the player the award associated with said one of the plurality of designated winning symbol combinations.
9. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising:
(a) providing a base game having a plurality of reels, said reels including a plurality of symbols including a plurality of predefined award symbols, a trigger symbol and at least one wild symbol, and wherein each of the symbols is associated with a probability of being indicated on a payline associated with said reels;
(b) upon a wager by a player, activating said plurality of reels to randomly generate a plurality of said symbols on said reels; and
(c) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiating an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) modifying the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with a plurality of the symbols in the award mode, which includes increasing the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with each of said plurality of predefined award symbols,
(ii) activating a decreased number of said plurality of the reels to indicate one of the predefined award symbols in the award mode based on the probabilities, and
(iii) providing an award associated with the indicated predefined award symbol to a player.
10. The method of claim 9, which includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols in the award mode by re-activating the activated reels when one or more designated symbols are indicated on the payline.
11. The method of claim 9, which includes increasing the probabilities associated with the predefined award symbols in the award mode by re-activating the activated reels when the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline.
12. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.
14. A method for operating a gaming device, said method comprising:
(a) providing a base game having a plurality of reels, said reels including a plurality of symbols including a plurality of award symbols, null, symbols, and at least one trigger symbol, and wherein each of a plurality of designated winning symbol combinations is formed by a number of said symbols, each of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations associated with a probability of being indicated on a payline associated with said reels;
(b) upon a wager by a player, randomly generating a set of symbols from a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels; and
(c) if the trigger symbol is indicated on the payline, initiating an award mode without requiring any additional wager by the player, wherein the award mode includes:
(i) for at least one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, increasing the probability of being indicated on the payline associated with said designated winning symbol combination by decreasing the number of symbols of said designated winning symbol combination which must be indicated in the award mode to provide said designated winning symbol combination,
(ii) indicating at least one symbol in the award mode, and
(iii) if the at least one indicated symbol provides one of said plurality of designated winning symbol combinations, providing to the player an award associated with said one of the winning symbol combinations.
15. The method of claim 14, which is provided through a data network.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data network is an internet.