Patent Application
20100004059
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to gaming machines, and methods for playing wagering games, and more particularly, to a method and system for changing an exterior color of such gaming machines.
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players depends on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Gaming machine operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “base” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the base game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the base game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the base game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines.
Another concept that has been successfully employed to enhance player entertainment value is the use of an attractive exterior on the gaming machines. In particular, gaming machines with bright and colorful exteriors can significantly improve a player's attitude and outlook. An attractive exterior is also more effective in drawing the attention of passersby, resulting in increased interest in the gaming machine. To further enhance player entertainment value, the colors as well as any artwork on the exterior of the gaming machine may be made to match the themes of the wagering games. Examples of such themes include Monopoly™, Powerball™, Top Gun™, Star Trek™, and the like. Where the themes include certain highly recognizable colors and/or images, these colors and/or images may be presented more prominently on the gaming machines.
In existing gaming machines, however, the appearance of the gaming machines is usually fixed once the gaming machine is placed on the casino floor. That is, the “look and feel” of the gaming machine typically stays the same regardless of any events or activities taking place around the gaming machine or occurring in the wagering game. One reason for this lack of variation is the difficulty involved in altering the appearance of an already assembled gaming machines. For example, to apply new artwork or change the color of the gaming machine, typically one or more panels, plates, or other parts have to be removed and replaced. And operators are reluctant to shut down an otherwise operational gaming machine due to the significant decrease in revenue that would result. Therefore, in general, once a gaming machine is put out on the casino floor, the exterior of that gaming machine is set for the duration of its operation.
But because the exterior appearance of a gaming machine can impact player enjoyment and excitement, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with enhanced exterior appearances. In particular, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines where the exterior appearance or “look and feel” of the gaming machines may be altered without having to physically alter the gaming machines.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a gaming machine for conducting a wagering game comprises a wager input device for receiving a wager input from a player for playing a wagering game and at least one display operable to display an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes. The gaming machine further comprises a gaming machine cabinet for housing the at least one display, the gaming machine cabinet having at least one color-changeable exterior section, the at least one color-changeable exterior section providing mechanical support for the at least one display. A lighting assembly is operable to direct light having a predetermined color, the light causing the at least one color-changeable exterior section to project the predetermined color.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine comprises receiving a wager input from a player for playing the wagering game, and displaying an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes. The method further comprises directing light having a predetermined color, the light causing at least one visually dominant exterior section of the gaming machine to project the predetermined color.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a gaming machine comprises a wager input device for receiving a wager input from a player for playing a wagering game, and at least one display operable to display an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes. The gaming machine further comprises a gaming machine cabinet for housing the at least one display, the gaming machine cabinet having at least one color-changeable exterior section. A multi-color lighting assembly within the gaming machine cabinet is operable to direct light having a first color, the light causing the at least one color-changeable exterior section to project the first color. The lighting assembly is further operable to direct light having a second color, the light causing the at least one color-changeable exterior section to project the second color.
Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
a-3b are a front view and a side view of a gaming machine having a color-changeable exterior according to embodiments of the invention;
a-4b is an exemplary implementation of the gaming machine having a color-changeable exterior according to embodiments of the invention;
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
Referring to
The gaming machine 10 comprises a housing 12 and includes input devices, including a value input device 18 and a player input device 24. For output the gaming machine 10 includes a primary display 14 for displaying information about the base wagering game. The primary display 14 can also display information about a bonus wagering game and a progressive wagering game. The gaming machine 10 may also include a secondary display 16 for displaying game events, game outcomes, and/or signage information. While these typical components found in the gaming machine 10 are described below, it should be understood that numerous other elements may exist and may be used in any number of combinations to create various forms of a gaming machine 10.
The value input device 18 may be provided in many forms, individually or in combination, and is preferably located on the front of the housing 12. The value input device 18 receives currency and/or credits which are inserted by a player. The value input device 18 may include a coin acceptor 20 for receiving coin currency (see
The player input device 24 comprises a plurality of push buttons 26 on a button panel for operating the gaming machine 10. In addition, or alternatively, the player input device 24 may comprise a touch screen 28 mounted by adhesive, tape, or the like over the primary display 14 and/or secondary display 16. The touch screen 28 contains soft touch keys 30 denoted by graphics on the underlying primary display 14 and used to operate the gaming machine 10. The touch screen 28 provides players with an option on how to make their game selections. A player enables a desired function either by touching the touch screen 28 at an appropriate touch key 30 or by pressing an appropriate push button 26 on the button panel. The touch keys 30 may be used to implement the same functions as push buttons 26. Alternatively, the push buttons 26 may provide inputs for one aspect of the operating the game, while the touch keys 30 may allow for input needed for another aspect of the game.
The various components of the gaming machine 10 may be connected directly to, or contained within, the housing 12, as seen in
The operation of the base wagering game is displayed to the player on the primary display 14. The primary display 14 can also display the bonus game associated with the base wagering game. The primary display 14 may take the form of a cathode ray tube (CRT), a high resolution LCD, a plasma display, an LED, or any other type of display suitable for use in the gaming machine 10. As shown, the primary display 14 includes the touch screen 28 overlaying the entire display (or a portion thereof) to allow players to make game-related selections. Alternatively, the primary display 14 of the gaming machine 10 may include a number of mechanical reels to display the outcome in visual association with at least one payline 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is an “upright” version in which the primary display 14 is oriented vertically relative to the player. Alternatively, the gaming machine may be a “slant-top” version in which the primary display 14 is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player of the gaming machine 10.
A player begins play of the base wagering game by making a wager via the value input device 18 of the gaming machine 10. A player can select play by using the player input device 24, via the buttons 26 or the touch screen keys 30. The base game consists of a plurality of symbols arranged in an array, and includes at least one payline 32 that indicates one or more outcomes of the base game. Such outcomes are randomly selected in response to the wagering input by the player. At least one of the plurality of randomly-selected outcomes may be a start-bonus outcome, which can include any variations of symbols or symbol combinations triggering a bonus game.
In some embodiments, the gaming machine 10 may also include a player information reader 52 that allows for identification of a player by reading a card with information indicating his or her true identity. The player information reader 52 is shown in
Turning now to
The controller 34 is also coupled to the system memory 36 and a money/credit detector 38. The system memory 36 may comprise a volatile memory (e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and a non-volatile memory (e.g., an EEPROM). The system memory 36 may include multiple RAM and multiple program memories. The money/credit detector 38 signals the processor that money and/or credits have been input via the value input device 18. Preferably, these components are located within the housing 12 of the gaming machine 10. However, as explained above, these components may be located outboard of the housing 12 and connected to the remainder of the components of the gaming machine 10 via a variety of different wired or wireless connection methods.
As seen in
Communications between the controller 34 and both the peripheral components of the gaming machine 10 and external systems 50 occur through input/output (I/O) circuits 46, 48. More specifically, the controller 34 controls and receives inputs from the peripheral components of the gaming machine 10 through the input/output circuits 46. Further, the controller 34 communicates with the external systems 50 via the I/O circuits 48 and a communication path (e.g., serial, parallel, IR, RC, 10 bT, etc.). The external systems 50 may include a gaming network, other gaming machines, a gaming server, communications hardware, or a variety of other interfaced systems or components. Although the I/O circuits 46, 48 may be shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that each of the I/O circuits 46, 48 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits.
Controller 34, as used herein, comprises any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware that may be disposed or resident inside and/or outside of the gaming machine 10 that may communicate with and/or control the transfer of data between the gaming machine 10 and a bus, another computer, processor, or device and/or a service and/or a network. The controller 34 may comprise one or more controllers or processors. In
As mentioned above, in existing gaming machines, the exterior appearance of the gaming machines is generally set regardless of events or activities that may be taking place around the gaming machine or occurring in the wagering games. Embodiments of the invention provide a gaming machine where the exterior appearance or “look and feel” of the gaming machine may be altered as needed. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a gaming machine where the colors of one or more exterior sections of the gaming machine may be changed as needed. The change may occur both in real time and without requiring the gaming machine to be shut down or physically altered. The timing of the change may be random, or it may follow some regular or irregular schedule. Similarly, the colors used may be randomly selected, or they may be selected from a plurality of colors according to some predefined color scheme. In some embodiments, the color and/or timing of the color change may also be coordinated to reflect events or activities taking place on the casino floor or occurring in the wagering games.
Turning now to
Preferably, the exterior sections of the cabinet 12 that are colorable or color-changeable are those that, in addition to providing mechanical support, are highly visible or visually dominant to casino patrons and passersby. Either the exterior sections themselves (i.e., the actual plates, panels, or other parts that form the exterior sections) may change color, or there may be a cover or laminate over the exterior sections, and it is the cover or laminate that changes color. In any event, these visually dominant exterior sections establish the overall “look and feel” of the gaming machine in the eyes of casino patrons and passersby. Examples of such visually dominant exterior sections include the top box 56 (specifically the front and sides of the top box 56), any marquees that may be mounted on the top box 56, the main body 54 (specifically the front and sides of the main body 54), and other highly visible areas of the cabinet 12. In contrast, the button panel, bill acceptor, ticket reader, and the like, are more visually obscure. These features, along with features that only appear or are only activated during a wagering game, tend not to be part of the overall “look and feel” of the gaming machine in the eyes of casino patrons and passersby.
To render the various exterior sections of the cabinet 12 color-changeable, in some embodiments, these exterior sections may be made of a translucent material. As is well known in the art, a translucent material causes light impinging the material to diffuse as it passes through the material. This diffusion causes the material to glow, shine, or otherwise project the color of the impinging light. Examples of translucent materials include frosted glass, amber, certain kinds of plastics, and the like. In contrast, a transparent material (e.g., glass) allows all or almost all of the light to pass through unimpeded and is therefore essentially colorless. By using a translucent material, the color of one or more exterior sections of the cabinet 12 may be changed simply by changing the color of the impinging light. In some instances, a portion of the translucent material may have an inherent color or may be coated with a colored layer (e.g., tinted). In that case, the color of the impinging light may combine with the color of the translucent material to produce a third color (i.e., a two-tone cabinet).
Referring still to
Lights of different colors may then be directed onto the translucent material to alter the color of those exterior sections of the cabinet 12 composed of the translucent material. In accordance with embodiments of invention, the light may be provided by a lighting assembly disposed within the cabinet 12. The lighting assembly is preferably a multi-color lighting assembly capable of producing multiple colors of lights. Such a lighting assembly and the components thereof may be mounted to the cabinet 12 using any suitable mounting means (e.g., bolts, brackets, braces, etc.) known to those having ordinary skill in the art. Preferably, the lighting assembly is mounted within the top box 56, but may also be mounted within the main body 54 or some other convenient location. Such a multi-color lighting assembly may then be operated to direct light onto the translucent material, causing the various exterior sections of the cabinet 12 to glow with or project the color of the directed light when viewed from outside the cabinet 12.
In some embodiments, the lighting assembly may also be disposed outside the cabinet 12, for example, on top of the cabinet 12 or on the walls or the ceiling of the casino. Such an external lighting assembly may then be used to direct light onto multiple gaming machine cabinets in the vicinity of the lighting assembly.
An exemplary implementation of an internal lighting assembly can be seen in
The timing and color of the light sources 66a-b and 68a-d is controlled by the light controller 64. In one embodiment, a single centralized light controller 64 controls all the light sources 66a-b and 68a-d (as shown here). In other embodiments, however, separate light controllers 64 may be used to control predefined sets of light sources 66a-b and 68a-d in order to provide a higher degree of specificity. For example, one light controller 64 may be used to control the light sources 66a-b for the left and/or right side panel 60a-b of the top box 56, and another light controller 64 may be used to control the light sources 68a-d for the bezel 58. Where the light sources 66a-b or 68a-d are grouped into predefined sets, a light controller 64 and its respective set of light sources 66a-b or 68a-d may be combined on a single multi-color light board. Such light boards are commercially available from, for example, Nichia Corp. of Detroit, Mich. and Cree Inc. of Durham, N.C. Other suitable multi-color light boards may be also used without departing from the scope of the invention.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the marquee 70 is also color-changeable (i.e., made of a translucent material) along with the bezel 58 and the two side panels 60a-b of the top box 56. A marquee light source 72 may then be provided on top of the top box 56 to illuminate the marquee 70. As with the other light sources 66a-b and 68a-d, the marquee light source 72 may be any suitable light source capable of directing lights of different colors onto the marquee 70, including an LED-based light source and more traditional light sources. In some embodiments, an enclosure 74 may be provided on top of the top box 56 for housing the marquee light source 72. Preferably, the enclosure 74 is lockable and tamper-resistant in order to prevent inadvertent or deliberate contact by casino patrons and passersby.
Although not expressly shown, in the foregoing embodiments, the light controller 64 (or multiple light controllers 64) may be connected to or otherwise in communication with the controller of the gaming machine (e.g., controller 34 in
An example of the above coordination can be seen in
One or more wagering games may be played on the gaming machine 80, including a base wagering game and a bonus wagering game. Any suitable base and/or bonus wagering game may be used, but the particular bonus wagering game here is an episodic wagering game having a Star Trek theme. Episodic wagering games, as is known to those having ordinary skill in the art, are games involving a series of stages or levels where each stage or level produces a progressively higher award. Players must complete lower stages or levels (or at least a portion thereof) before advancing to higher stages or levels. Typically, game assets or attributes accumulated by the players in the lower stages or levels are retained across multiple gameplay sessions and/or gaming machines for use in the higher stages or levels.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the color-changeable top box 82 and/or marquee 84 of the gaming machine 80 may be made a certain color based on the particular stage or level of the wagering game attained by the player. In some embodiments, each stage or level may have a dominant color, as displayed on the primary display 14 (or the secondary display), and the color of the top box 82 and/or marquee 84 may be made to match that dominant color. This allows casino patrons and passersby to know exactly which particular stage or level the player is currently playing (or at least recognize that the player is making progress). As the player advances to higher and higher levels, these patrons and passersby naturally become more interested and may gather around the gaming machine 80 in order to better observe the gameplay in progress. This increased attention creates greater interest in the gaming machine 80 (thus, benefiting the casino) and may also enhance the enjoyment and excitement felt by the player.
In some embodiments, in addition to the top box and/or marquee, other exterior sections of the gaming machine may also be color-changeable. Indeed, in some embodiments, the entire cabinet or almost the entire cabinet of the gaming machine may be color-changeable. An example of the above is shown in
In some embodiments, instead of a single solid sheet of translucent material, the translucent material may be formed from a plurality of translucent pipes.
An advantage of the pipe-based translucent material 96 is that the translucent pipes 98 act as an optical guide, thus allowing light to be directed into either edge, as demonstrated by the light source 100. Such edge lighting requires little (if any) 3-dimensional spacing for mounting the light source 100 when using techniques known to those having ordinary skill in the art, thus allowing the pipe-based translucent material 96 to act as a laminate over existing structures (e.g., panels, plates, and other parts). Indeed, in some cases, a light source may be mounted within the opening at one end of each translucent pipe in the pipe-based translucent material 96. In any event, the laminate may then be used to retrofit older gaming machines with one or more color-changeable exterior sections according to embodiments of the invention. As a result, both new gaming machines and gaming machines that are already deployed on the casino floor may benefit from the color coordination described above.
While the invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2007/005215 | 2/28/2007 | WO | 00 | 2/26/2009 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60842064 | Sep 2006 | US |
