1. A gaming system comprising:
a housing;
at least one display device supported by the housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, 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 plurality of input devices to:
(a) establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the acceptor receives the physical item, the physical item being a ticket associated with the monetary value or currency;
(b) place a wager on a play of a wagering game in response to receipt of an actuation of a wager button, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;
(c) randomly determine and display an outcome of the play of the wagering game;
(d) determine and display any award associated with the randomly determined outcome, the credit balance increasable by any determined award;
(e) in response to an occurrence of a triggering event:
(1) for a first symbol generator activation:
(i) display a first plurality of symbol generators in association with a plurality of symbol display areas, the first plurality of symbol generators including a designated symbol generator displayed in association with one or more first symbol display areas;
(ii) for each of the first plurality of symbol generators, randomly generate and display one or more symbols at each of said one or more associated symbol display areas; and
(iii) determine and display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards; and
(2) in response to an occurrence of a symbol generator modification event, for a second subsequent symbol generator activation:
(i) display a second plurality of symbol generators in association with the plurality of symbol display areas, the second plurality of symbol generators including the designated symbol generator displayed in association with one or more second symbol display areas different from the one or more first symbol display areas such that an average expected payback percentage of the second symbol generator activation is greater than an average expected payback percentage of the first symbol generator activation;
(ii) for each of the second plurality of symbol generators, randomly generate and display one or more symbols at each of said one or more associated symbol display areas; and
(iii) determine and display any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards; and
(f) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance in response to receipt of an actuation of a cashout button.
2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of symbol generators and the second plurality of symbol generators are the same.
3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein for the first symbol generator activation, a second designated symbol generator is associated with the one or more second symbol display areas.
4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein for the second symbol generator activation, the second designated symbol generator is associated with the one or more first symbol display areas.
5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the designated symbol generator includes more designated symbols than the second designated symbol generator.
6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the designated symbols are Wild symbols.
7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated symbol generator includes more designated symbols than at least one other symbol generator.
8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the designated symbols are Wild symbols.
9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein:
(1) the symbol generators are reels;
(2) the plurality of symbol display areas are arranged into a plurality of adjacent columns;
(3) for the first symbol generator activation, the designated reel is displayed in association with a first column of symbol display areas; and
(4) for the second symbol generator activation, the designated reel is displayed in association with a second column of symbol display areas to the left of the first column of symbol display areas.
10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
(a) receiving, by an acceptor, a physical item associated with a monetary value, the physical item being a ticket associated with the monetary value or currency;
(b) establishing, by at least one processor, a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received physical item;
(c) receiving an actuation of a wager button;
(d) placing, by the at least one processor, a wager on a play of a wagering game in response to receiving the actuation of the wager button, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;
(e) randomly determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by at least one display device, an outcome of the play of the wagering game;
(f) determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, any award associated with the randomly determined outcome, the credit balance increasable by any determined award;
(g) in response to an occurrence of a triggering event:
(1) for a first symbol generator activation:
(i) displaying, by the at least one display device, a first plurality of symbol generators in association with a plurality of symbol display areas, the first plurality of symbol generators including a designated symbol generator displayed in association with one or more first symbol display areas;
(ii) for each of the first plurality of symbol generators, randomly generating, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, one or more symbols at each of said one or more associated symbol display areas; and
(iii) determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards; and
(2) in response to an occurrence of a symbol generator modification event, for a second subsequent symbol generator activation:
(i) displaying, by the at least one display device, a second plurality of symbol generators in association with the plurality of symbol display areas, the second plurality of symbol generators including the designated symbol generator displayed in association with one or more second symbol display areas different from the one or more first symbol display areas such that an average expected payback percentage of the second symbol generator activation is greater than an average expected payback percentage of the first symbol generator activation;
(ii) for each of the second plurality of symbol generators, randomly generating, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, one or more symbols at each of said one or more associated symbol display areas; and
(iii) determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, any awards associated with any displayed winning symbol combinations, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards;
(h) receiving an actuation of a cashout button; and
(i) initiating, by the at least one processor, a payout associated with the credit balance in response receiving the actuation of the cashout button.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of symbol generators and the second plurality of symbol generators are the same.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein for the first symbol generator activation, a second designated symbol generator is associated with the one or more second symbol display areas.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein for the second symbol generator activation, the second designated symbol generator is associated with the one or more first symbol display areas.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the designated symbol generator includes more designated symbols than the second designated symbol generator.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the designated symbols are Wild symbols.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the designated symbol generator includes more designated symbols than at least one other symbol generator.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the designated symbols are Wild symbols.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein:
(1) the symbol generators are reels;
(2) the plurality of symbol display areas are arranged into a plurality of adjacent columns;
(3) for the first symbol generator activation, the designated reel is displayed in association with a first column of symbol display areas; and
(4) for the second symbol generator activation, the designated reel is displayed in association with a second column of symbol display areas to the left of the first column of symbol display areas.
19. The method of claim 10, which is at least partially provided through a data network.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.
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 control apparatus which is configured to communicate with an external apparatus, to control a display section and a printing section, and to execute a plurality of processing in parallel, the control apparatus comprising:
a storage section which is configured to store image data to be supplied to the display section and first data transmitted from the external apparatus,
a first processing executing section which is configured to execute a first processing in which the image data is supplied to the display section;
a second processing executing section which is configured to execute a second processing, which is to be executed in parallel with the first processing, and in which predetermined image processing is applied to the first data to generate second data to be stored in the storage section; and
an identifying section which is configured to identify the number of the second data stored in the storage section,
wherein in a first case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying section is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing such that a proportion of time for the first processing to unit time is a first proportion, and
in a second case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying section is the predetermined threshold value or larger, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing such that the proportion of the time for the first processing to the unit time is a second proportion which is greater than the first proportion.
2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a judging section which is configured to make a judgment as to whether or not the first data is stored in the storage section,
wherein the second processing is executed under a condition that the judging section judges that the first data is stored in the storage section, and
in a third case, in which the judging section judges that the first data is not stored in the storage section, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the second proportion per unit time irrespective of the number of second data which has been stored in the storage section.
3. The control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the image data is stored as a plurality of image data, and
the first processing executing section is configured to supply the plurality of image data to the display section sequentially.
4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the first proportion by elongating a period from completion of display of a first image data among the plurality of image data until completion of display of a second image data which is supplied to the display section next to the first image data.
5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the first proportion by reducing a data size of the image data to be displayed on the display section.
6. The control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein in the first case, the image data is displayed on the display section by a single color, and
in the second case, the image data is displayed on the display section by a plurality of colors.
7. The control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein in the first case, the image data is displayed on the display section with a first resolution, and
in the second case, the image data is displayed on the display section with a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution.
8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third processing executing section which is configured to control the printing section to execute a third processing in which the second data is printed on a recording medium,
wherein the third processing executing section is configured to wait to execute the third processing in a case that the second data is not stored in the storage section, the third processing executing section is configured to execute the third processing in a ease that the second data is stored in the storage section, and
the number of second data which is stored in the storage section is decreased by the third processing being executed.
9. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing is a Raster Image Processer processing.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which a control program is stored, the control program being usable for a printer which is configured to communicate with an external apparatus and to include a printing section, a display section, and a storage section which is configured to store image data to be supplied to the display section and first data transmitted from the external apparatus, and the control program making the printer execute a plurality of processing comprising:
a first processing in which the image data is supplied to the display section;
a second processing which is to be executed in parallel with the first processing, and in which a predetermined image processing is applied to the first data to generate second data to be stored in the storage section; and
an identifying processing in which the number of the second data stored in the storage section,
wherein in a first case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying processing is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the control program makes the printer execute the first processing such that a proportion of time for the first processing to unit time is a first proportion, and
in a second case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying processing is the predetermined threshold value or larger, the control program makes the printer execute the first processing such that the proportion of the time for the first processing to the unit time is a second proportion which is greater than the first proportion.
11. A printer which is configured to communicate with an external apparatus, comprising:
a printing section;
a display section; and
a control section which is configured to control the printing section and the display section, to include one central processing unit and a storage section which is configured to store image data to be supplied to the display section and first data transmitted from the external apparatus,
wherein the central processing unit is configured to function as:
a first processing executing section which is configured to execute a first processing in which the image data is supplied to the display section;
a second processing executing section which is configured to execute a second processing, which is to be executed in parallel with the first processing, and in which a Raster Image Processer processing is applied to the first data to generate second data to be stored in the storage section;
a third processing executing section which is configured to control the printing section to execute a third processing, which is to be executed in parallel with the second processing, and in which the second data stored in the storage section is printed on a recording medium; and
an identifying section which is configured to identify the number of the second data stored in the storage section,
wherein in a first case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying section is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing such that a proportion of time for the first processing to unit time is a first proportion, and
in a second case, in which the number of the second data identified by the identifying section is the predetermined threshold value or larger, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing such that the proportion of the time for the first processing to the unit time is a second proportion which is greater than the first proportion, and
wherein the third processing executing section is configured to wait to execute the third processing in a case that the second data is not stored in the storage section, the third processing executing section is configured to execute the third processing in a case that the second data is stored in the storage section, and
the number of second data which is stored in the storage section is decreased by the third processing being executed.
12. The printer according to claim 11,
wherein the central processing unit is configured to further function as a judging section which is configured to make a judgment as to whether or not the first data is stored in the storage section,
wherein the second processing is executed under a condition that the judging section judges that the first data is stored in the storage section, and
in a third case, in which the judging section judges that the first data is not stored in the storage section, the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the second proportion per unit time irrespective of the number of second data which has been stored in the storage section.
13. The printer according to claim 11,
wherein the image data is stored as a plurality of image data, and
the first processing executing section is configured to supply the plurality of image data to the display section sequentially.
14. The printer according to claim 13, wherein the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the first proportion by elongating a period from completion of display of a first image data among the plurality of image data until completion of display of a second image data which is supplied to the display section next to the first image data.
15. The printer according to claim 11, wherein the first processing executing section is configured to execute the first processing with the first proportion by reducing a data size of the image data to be displayed on the display section.
16. The printer according to claim 11,
wherein in the first case, the image data is displayed on the display section by a single color, and
in the second case, the image data is displayed on the display section by a plurality of colors.
17. The printer according to claim 11,
wherein in the first case, the image data is displayed on the display section with a first resolution, and
in the second case, the image data is displayed on the display section with a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution.
18. The printer according to claim 11,
wherein the third processing is executed for each of the second data stored in the storage section continuously, and
the predetermined threshold value is the number of the second data stored in the storage section by which the third processing are executed most effectively.