Patent Grant
11704961
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. Copyright 2020, SG Gaming, Inc.
The present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems, apparatus, and methods and, more particularly, to display and lighting configurations of gaming systems for reducing flicker from display light strobing.
Many modern display devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), employ a sample-and-hold technique to display video content. That is, the display devices retrieve a frame of video content (a “sample”) and maintain the frame for a period of time before retrieving a subsequent frame. This is due in part to the underlying mechanisms used to display content, which may require some time to transition to a different state. For example, in LCDs, the liquid crystals may require time to transition between states. This maintaining of a particular frame may result in a phenomenon known as “motion blur”. That is, for moving objects displayed on a sample-and-hold display device, humans may perceive moving objects according to a path of natural movement, yet the display device maintains discrete samples without providing an interpolated path between two adjacent discrete samples. This discrepancy may cause viewers of the display devices to observe the moving object as blurry. In an industry such as the gaming industry that employs a variety of moving display content, motion blur is typically undesirable.
At least some known sample-and-hold displays employ techniques and/or mechanisms to combat or otherwise eliminate motion blur. For example, some display devices reduce the time between frames through an increased refresh rate (i.e., how often the display device is updated). However, increasing refresh rate may be costly in monetary value, content development (i.e., display content may require optimization for different refresh rates), and/or computational resources. Other known display devices do not increase refresh rate, but rather display each frame for a limited amount of time. For example, some display devices use a backlight assembly to emit light to present display content. The backlight may be configured to selectively emit light such that a “black frame” (i.e., the backlight stops emitting light for a period of time) is inserted between two frames of the display content, thereby reducing the duration of each frame. This may also be referred to herein as “backlight strobing”.
However, this black frame insertion technique may cause other visual inconsistencies. For example, at lower refresh rates, the display devices may emit a noticeable “flicker” from the black frames, which may be undesirable to viewers. For the gaming industry, the irritation of the flicker effect may cause potential players to leave or avoid gaming machines. Accordingly, there is a need for a display system that accounts for both motion blur and flicker to produce a substantially smooth presentation of display content.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gaming machine includes a cabinet, an auxiliary lighting assembly coupled to the cabinet and including at least one light-emitting device, a display device coupled to the cabinet, and a display controller in communication with the display device and the auxiliary lighting assembly. The display controller transmits a display pulse signal and display data to the display device to cause the display device to present display content associated with one or more casino wagering games by selectively emitting light based on the display pulse signal that defines an active period of light emission and an inactive period without light emission, generates an auxiliary lighting pulse signal based at least partially on one or more signal characteristics of the display pulse signal, synchronizes the auxiliary lighting pulse signal with the display pulse signal, the synchronized lighting pulse signal being phase offset from the display pulse signal, and transmits the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the auxiliary lighting assembly to cause the auxiliary lighting assembly to selectively emit light based on the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The phase offset between the display pulse signal and the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal causes the auxiliary lighting assembly to emit light during at least a portion of the inactive period of the display device.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method for reducing flicker caused by display devices using a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a cabinet, an auxiliary lighting assembly coupled to the cabinet and including at least one light-emitting device, a display device coupled to the cabinet, and a display controller in communication with the display device and the auxiliary lighting assembly. The method includes transmitting, by the display controller, a display pulse signal and display data to the display device to cause the display device to present display content associated with one or more casino wagering games by selectively emitting light based on the display pulse signal that defines an active period of light emission and an inactive period without light emission, generating, by the display controller, an auxiliary lighting pulse signal based at least partially on one or more signal characteristics of the display pulse signal, synchronizing, by the display controller, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal with the display pulse signal, the synchronized lighting pulse signal being phase offset from the display pulse signal, and transmitting, by the display controller, the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the auxiliary lighting assembly to cause the auxiliary lighting assembly to selectively emit light based on the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The phase offset between the display pulse signal and the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal causes the auxiliary lighting assembly to emit light during at least a portion of the inactive period of the display device.
According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a gaming system includes a gaming machine and a display controller. The gaming machine includes a cabinet, a display device, and an auxiliary lighting assembly including at least one light-emitting device. The display controller is in communication with the display device and the auxiliary lighting assembly. The display controller transmits a display pulse signal and display data to the display device to cause the display device to present display content associated with one or more casino wagering games by selectively emitting light based on the display pulse signal that defines an active period of light emission and an inactive period without light emission, generates an auxiliary lighting pulse signal based at least partially on one or more signal characteristics of the display pulse signal, synchronizes the auxiliary lighting pulse signal with the display pulse signal, the synchronized lighting pulse signal being phase offset from the display pulse signal, and transmits the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the auxiliary lighting assembly to cause the auxiliary lighting assembly to selectively emit light based on the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The phase offset between the display pulse signal and the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal causes the auxiliary lighting assembly to emit light during at least a portion of the inactive period of the display device. The gaming system may be incorporated into a single, freestanding gaming machine.
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.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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. For purposes of the present detailed description, the singular includes the plural and vice versa (unless specifically disclaimed); the words “and” and “or” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the word “all” means “any and all”; the word “any” means “any and all”; and the word “including” means “including without limitation.”
For purposes of the present detailed description, the terms “wagering game,” “casino wagering game,” “gambling,” “slot game,” “casino game,” and the like include games in which a player places at risk a sum of money or other representation of value, whether or not redeemable for cash, on an event with an uncertain outcome, including without limitation those having some element of skill. In some embodiments, the wagering game involves wagers of real money, as found with typical land-based or online casino games. In other embodiments, the wagering game additionally, or alternatively, involves wagers of non-cash values, such as virtual currency, and therefore may be considered a social or casual game, such as would be typically available on a social networking web site, other web sites, across computer networks, or applications on mobile devices (e.g., phones, tablets, etc.). When provided in a social or casual game format, the wagering game may closely resemble a traditional casino game, or it may take another form that more closely resembles other types of social/casual games.
As used herein in relation to light emission, the terms “active” and “inactive” refer to two states of light emission. The active state or period is a duration in which a light-emitting device emits light. Some light-emitting devices are capable of emitting light during the active period but do not emit light. For example, if the corresponding pixel is to be black, the light-emitting device may not emit light within the active period. In contrast, during the inactive state or period, the light-emitting device may be prevented from emitting light. In other embodiments, the light-emitting device continues emit light irrespective of the active or inactive state, but rather another mechanism of the display device (e.g., polarizing filters, shutters, etc.) may prevent light from being emitted during the inactive period. The current state of the display device may be determined based on one or more signals. In the example embodiment described herein, a pulse signal is used to determine which state the display device is currently in. For example, the display device may recognize a high value as representing the active period while a low or base value represents the inactive period (i.e., an “active high” signal). In another example, the low value represents the active period while the high value represents the inactive period (i.e., an “active low” signal). The pulse signal may have a fixed period and/or duty cycle, which may be based on the refresh rate of the display device. In other embodiments, other suitable signals having distinctive and identifiable characteristics for both the active and inactive periods may be used in place of the pulse signals described herein.
Referring to
The gaming machine 10 illustrated in
The input devices, output devices, and input/output devices are disposed on, and securely coupled to, the cabinet 12. By way of example, the output devices include a primary display 18, a secondary display 20, and one or more audio speakers 22. The primary display 18 or the secondary display 20 may be a mechanical-reel display device, a video display device, or a combination thereof in which a transmissive video display is disposed in front of the mechanical-reel display to portray a video image superimposed upon the mechanical-reel display. The displays variously display information associated with wagering games, non-wagering games, community games, progressives, advertisements, services, premium entertainment, text messaging, emails, alerts, announcements, broadcast information, subscription information, etc. appropriate to the particular mode(s) of operation of the gaming machine 10. In the embodiments described herein, the displays 18, 20 may be associated with one or more auxiliary lighting assemblies (not shown in
The player input devices, such as the touch screen 24, buttons 26, a mouse, a joystick, a gesture-sensing device, a voice-recognition device, and a virtual-input device, accept player inputs and transform the player inputs to electronic data signals indicative of the player inputs, which correspond to an enabled feature for such inputs at a time of activation (e.g., pressing a “Max Bet” button or soft key to indicate a player's desire to place a maximum wager to play the wagering game). The inputs, once transformed into electronic data signals, are output to game-logic circuitry for processing. The electronic data signals are selected from a group consisting essentially of an electrical current, an electrical voltage, an electrical charge, an optical signal, an optical element, a magnetic signal, and a magnetic element.
The gaming machine 10 includes one or more value input/payment devices and value output/payout devices. In order to deposit cash or credits onto the gaming machine 10, the value input devices are configured to detect a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance on a credit meter such as the “credits” meter 84 (see
Turning now to
The game-logic circuitry 40 is also connected to an input/output (I/O) bus 48, which can include any suitable bus technologies, such as an AGTL+ frontside bus and a PCI backside bus. The I/O bus 48 is connected to various input devices 50, output devices 52, and input/output devices 54 such as those discussed above in connection with
The external system 60 includes, in various aspects, a gaming network, other gaming machines or terminals, a gaming server, a remote controller, communications hardware, or a variety of other interfaced systems or components, in any combination. In yet other aspects, the external system 60 comprises a player's portable electronic device (e.g., cellular phone, electronic wallet, etc.) and the external-system interface 58 is configured to facilitate wireless communication and data transfer between the portable electronic device and the gaming machine 10, such as by a near-field communication path operating via magnetic-field induction or a frequency-hopping spread spectrum RF signals (e.g., Bluetooth, etc.).
The gaming machine 10 optionally communicates with the external system 60 such that the gaming machine 10 operates as a thin, thick, or intermediate client. The game-logic circuitry 40—whether located within (“thick client”), external to (“thin client”), or distributed both within and external to (“intermediate client”) the gaming machine 10—is utilized to provide a wagering game on the gaming machine 10. In general, the main memory 44 stores programming for a random number generator (RNG), game-outcome logic, and game assets (e.g., art, sound, etc.)—all of which obtained regulatory approval from a gaming control board or commission and are verified by a trusted authentication program in the main memory 44 prior to game execution. The authentication program generates a live authentication code (e.g., digital signature or hash) from the memory contents and compare it to a trusted code stored in the main memory 44. If the codes match, authentication is deemed a success and the game is permitted to execute. If, however, the codes do not match, authentication is deemed a failure that must be corrected prior to game execution. Without this predictable and repeatable authentication, the gaming machine 10, external system 60, or both are not allowed to perform or execute the RNG programming or game-outcome logic in a regulatory-approved manner and are therefore unacceptable for commercial use. In other words, through the use of the authentication program, the game-logic circuitry facilitates operation of the game in a way that a person making calculations or computations could not.
When a wagering-game instance is executed, the CPU 42 (comprising one or more processors or controllers) executes the RNG programming to generate one or more pseudo-random numbers. The pseudo-random numbers are divided into different ranges, and each range is associated with a respective game outcome. Accordingly, the pseudo-random numbers are utilized by the CPU 42 when executing the game-outcome logic to determine a resultant outcome for that instance of the wagering game. The resultant outcome is then presented to a player of the gaming machine 10 by accessing the associated game assets, required for the resultant outcome, from the main memory 44. The CPU 42 causes the game assets to be presented to the player as outputs from the gaming machine 10 (e.g., audio and video presentations). Instead of a pseudo-RNG, the game outcome may be derived from random numbers generated by a physical RNG that measures some physical phenomenon that is expected to be random and then compensates for possible biases in the measurement process. Whether the RNG is a pseudo-RNG or physical RNG, the RNG uses a seeding process that relies upon an unpredictable factor (e.g., human interaction of turning a key) and cycles continuously in the background between games and during game play at a speed that cannot be timed by the player, for example, at a minimum of 100 Hz (100 calls per second) as set forth in Nevada's New Gaming Device Submission Package. Accordingly, the RNG cannot be carried out manually by a human and is integral to operating the game.
The gaming machine 10 may be used to play central determination games, such as electronic pull-tab and bingo games. In an electronic pull-tab game, the RNG is used to randomize the distribution of outcomes in a pool and/or to select which outcome is drawn from the pool of outcomes when the player requests to play the game. In an electronic bingo game, the RNG is used to randomly draw numbers that players match against numbers printed on their electronic bingo card.
The gaming machine 10 may include additional peripheral devices or more than one of each component shown in
Referring now to
In response to receiving an input indicative of a wager covered by or deducted from the credit balance on the “credits” meter 84, the reels 82 are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with paylines such as paylines 88. The wagering game evaluates the displayed array of symbols on the stopped reels and provides immediate awards and bonus features in accordance with a pay table. The pay table may, for example, include “line pays” or “scatter pays.” Line pays occur when a predetermined type and number of symbols appear along an activated payline, typically in a particular order such as left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, etc. Scatter pays occur when a predetermined type and number of symbols appear anywhere in the displayed array without regard to position or paylines. Similarly, the wagering game may trigger bonus features based on one or more bonus triggering symbols appearing along an activated payline (i.e., “line trigger”) or anywhere in the displayed array (i.e., “scatter trigger”). The wagering game may also provide mystery awards and features independent of the symbols appearing in the displayed array.
In accord with various methods of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system in accord with the present concepts, the wagering game includes a game sequence in which a player makes a wager and a wagering-game outcome is provided or displayed in response to the wager being received or detected. The wagering-game outcome, for that particular wagering-game instance, is then revealed to the player in due course following initiation of the wagering game. The method comprises the acts of conducting the wagering game using a gaming apparatus, such as the gaming machine 10 depicted in
In the aforementioned method, for each data signal, the game-logic circuitry 40 is configured to process the electronic data signal, to interpret the data signal (e.g., data signals corresponding to a wager input), and to cause further actions associated with the interpretation of the signal in accord with stored instructions relating to such further actions executed by the controller. As one example, the CPU 42 causes the recording of a digital representation of the wager in one or more storage media (e.g., storage unit 56), the CPU 42, in accord with associated stored instructions, causes the changing of a state of the storage media from a first state to a second state. This change in state is, for example, effected by changing a magnetization pattern on a magnetically coated surface of a magnetic storage media or changing a magnetic state of a ferromagnetic surface of a magneto-optical disc storage media, a change in state of transistors or capacitors in a volatile or a non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., DRAM, etc.). The noted second state of the data storage media comprises storage in the storage media of data representing the electronic data signal from the CPU 42 (e.g., the wager in the present example). As another example, the CPU 42 further, in accord with the execution of the stored instructions relating to the wagering game, causes the primary display 18, other display device, or other output device (e.g., speakers, lights, communication device, etc.) to change from a first state to at least a second state, wherein the second state of the primary display comprises a visual representation of the physical player input (e.g., an acknowledgement to a player), information relating to the physical player input (e.g., an indication of the wager amount), a game sequence, an outcome of the game sequence, or any combination thereof, wherein the game sequence in accord with the present concepts comprises acts described herein. The aforementioned executing of the stored instructions relating to the wagering game is further conducted in accord with a random outcome (e.g., determined by the RNG) that is used by the game-logic circuitry 40 to determine the outcome of the wagering-game instance. In at least some aspects, the game-logic circuitry 40 is configured to determine an outcome of the wagering-game instance at least partially in response to the random parameter.
In one embodiment, the gaming machine 10 and, additionally or alternatively, the external system 60 (e.g., a gaming server), means gaming equipment that meets the hardware and software requirements for fairness, security, and predictability as established by at least one state's gaming control board or commission. Prior to commercial deployment, the gaming machine 10, the external system 60, or both and the casino wagering game played thereon may need to satisfy minimum technical standards and require regulatory approval from a gaming control board or commission (e.g., the Nevada Gaming Commission, Alderney Gambling Control Commission, National Indian Gaming Commission, etc.) charged with regulating casino and other types of gaming in a defined geographical area, such as a state. By way of non-limiting example, a gaming machine in Nevada means a device as set forth in NRS 463.0155, 463.0191, and all other relevant provisions of the Nevada Gaming Control Act, and the gaming machine cannot be deployed for play in Nevada unless it meets the minimum standards set forth in, for example, Technical Standards 1 and 2 and Regulations 5 and 14 issued pursuant to the Nevada Gaming Control Act. Additionally, the gaming machine and the casino wagering game must be approved by the commission pursuant to various provisions in Regulation 14. Comparable statutes, regulations, and technical standards exist in other gaming jurisdictions. As can be seen from the description herein, the gaming machine 10 may be implemented with hardware and software architectures, circuitry, and other special features that differentiate it from general-purpose computers (e.g., desktop PCs, laptops, and tablets).
The display device 104 is coupled to the cabinet 102 and is configured to present display content associated with one or more casino wagering games. The display device 104 may be any suitable type of sample-and-hold display, such as, and without limitation, LCD, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, plasma displays, quantum dot (QLED) displays, and the like. In certain embodiments, the display device 104 may be a projector having a suitable sample-and-hold image technique. In such embodiments, the project may not be coupled to the cabinet 102, but rather a surface for receiving a project image (e.g., a screen) may be coupled to the cabinet 102 and the projector may be positioned remote from the cabinet 102 to project the image on the surface. The display device 104 may include one or more light-emitting devices that selectively emit light to present the display content to a viewer. The emitted light may have certain characteristics (e.g., wavelength) and/or configured to be changed by an additional component of the display device 104, such as polarizing filters, to facilitate various pixel characteristics (e.g., colors, intensity, etc.). In the example embodiment, several example display light-emitting devices 106 are shown, though it is to be understood that the configuration and number of light-emitting devices 106 is for exemplary purposes only. That is, the display light-emitting devices 106 may be configured to operate as a backlight array (i.e., an array of lights positioned behind a screen), edge lighting, and/or other suitable lighting configurations that enable the emitted light to facilitate presentation of the display content.
In the example embodiment, the display device 104 is in communication with the display controller 108 to receive display data, and the display device 104 is configured to present display content based on the display data. The display data may include, for example, video frames that, when presented in sequence, form a video stream. The display content may be, for example, game symbols (e.g., the symbols shown in
In the example embodiment, to present the display content, the display device 104 is configured to selectively emit light from the display light-emitting devices 106. To reduce or otherwise eliminate motion blur between frames displayed by the display device 104, the display controller may stop light emission by the display light-emitting devices 106 between frames, which may also be described as “black frame insertion”. To regulate between active and inactive periods of light emission, the display controller 108 may use a display pulse signal or another suitable control signal that defines the frequency and duration of the black frame insertion between frames of display content. As used herein, the display pulse signal defines an “active period” and an “inactive period” for the display device 104. The display pulse signal may be transmitted directly to the display device 104 to cause the display device to control the display light-emitting devices 106 accordingly, or the display controller 108 may adjust the display data based on the display pulse signal prior to transmitting the display data to the display device 104. The display pulse signal may be generated by the display device 104, the display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140. In embodiments in which the display device 104 generates the display pulse signal, the display controller 108 may be configured to receive the display pulse signal from the display device 104. The display pulse signal may be generated based on one or more predefined parameters or signal characteristics. For example, the duty cycle and phase of the display pulse signal may be predefined based on the refresh rate of the display device 104 and/or the frame rate of the display content. In other embodiments, the signal may not be a pulse signal, but rather is another suitable type of signal that has at least two states (i.e., sets of distinctive signal characteristics). The display pulse signal may be used to reduce the complexity and/or resource commitment of the system 100 in relation to discerning which state the signal is currently exhibiting.
In some embodiments, the display pulse signal may not be uniformly applied to the display light-emitting devices 106. That is, the signal may be applied serially, and the light-emitting devices 106 that receive the display pulse signal last may selectively emit light at a delay relative to the light-emitting devices 106 that receive the display pulse signal first. However, in at least some embodiments, the delay may be substantially short enough that visible perception of the delay is relatively low.
As described above, black frame insertion may result in display flicker that is visible to a viewer. To reduce or eliminate this effect, the system 100 includes the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. The auxiliary lighting assembly 110 is configured to emit light at a phase offset from the light emitted by the display device 104 as described herein. If a viewer is located in a position to observe the emitted light from both the display device 104 and the auxiliary lighting assembly 110, the light from the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may reduce the flicker effect caused by the black frame insertion. For example, if the phase offset is approximately 180° from the display pulse signal, the light from the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may cause the display device 104 to appear to an observer as having an increased refresh rate, which may reduce the flicker effect of the display device 104 to the point of being imperceptible. The auxiliary lighting assembly 110 and its corresponding functionality described herein may enable the system 100 to gain the benefit of black frame insertion (i.e., reducing motion blur) while reducing or eliminating the unwanted side effect (i.e., flicker) caused by the black frame insertion. For display content involving a substantial amount of moving elements, such as casino wagering games, reducing motion blur and flicker may facilitate improved content presentation for players and observers.
In the example embodiment, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 includes two subassemblies that are coupled to the cabinet 102 around a peripheral edge of the display device 104. That is, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 includes a first lighting subassembly 112 positioned near a top edge of the display device 104 and a second lighting assembly 114 positioned near a bottom edge of the display device 104. In other embodiments, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be in another suitable configuration relative to the display device 104. For example, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may include fewer or additional lighting subassemblies, such as one or four subassemblies positioned near each edge of the display device 104. In another example, the first and second lighting subassemblies 112, 114 may be positioned at the left and right edges of the display device 104. In certain embodiments, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be at least partially integrated with the display device 104. That is, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be physically coupled to the display device 104, or the display device 104 may incorporate the auxiliary lighting assembly 110.
The auxiliary lighting assembly 110 includes at least one light-emitting device 116 configured to emit light. The light-emitting device 116 may be controllable to emit light having various characteristics (e.g., color, intensity, etc.) and/or may be used in combination with other components that cause the various characteristics of the emitted light, such as a filter. Each light-emitting device 116 may be individually controllable, controllable as subsets, and/or controllable as an entire group. In one example, the light-emitting devices 116 of the first lighting subassembly 112 is controllable separate from the second lighting subassembly 114. In at least some embodiments, the light-emitting devices 116 are oriented to emit light towards a player area of the gaming machine and/or another suitable area in which observers of the display device 104 are likely to be relative to the gaming machine. To facilitate the flicker reduction effect, the position of the light-emitting devices 116 is set such that the emitted light is observable from the player area at the same time as the light emitted by the display device 104. In some embodiments, the position of the light-emitting devices 116 relative to the display device 104 may be determined as a function to improve or maximize the display flicker reduction and/or improve other beneficial features of the auxiliary lighting assembly 110.
In the example embodiment, the display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140 may be configured to control the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. That is, the display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140 may be configured to transmit control values or parameters to the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 that regulate the light emitted by the auxiliary lighting assembly. The display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140 may, for example, generate and transmit one or more control signals to the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 for reducing the flicker effect from the display device 104.
In the example embodiment, as described herein, the display controller 108 is configured to generate an auxiliary lighting pulse signal and transmit the auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. In response, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 is configured to selectively emit light based on the auxiliary lighting pulse signal. Similar to the display pulse signal, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal may define an active period of light emission and an inactive period of light emission for the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. It is to be understood that although the auxiliary lighting pulse signal is described herein as a pulse signal, other suitable types of signals (including a plurality of signals) may be used by the lighting controller 108 to operate the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 as described herein. Moreover, it is to be understood that at least some of the functions described herein of the display controller 108 operating the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be performed by the logic circuitry 140 and/or other suitable devices, such as a dedicated lighting controller in communication with the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. In embodiments with other devices controlling the auxiliary lighting assembly 110, signals and/or data stored by the display controller 108, such as the display pulse signal, may be transmitted from the display controller 108 to facilitate the functions described herein.
To achieve flicker reduction for the display device 104, the display controller 108 is configured to synchronize the auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the display pulse signal at a phase offset that causes the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 to emit light (i.e., an active period) at least partially during an inactive period of light emission of the display device 104 (i.e., during a “black frame” in which substantially no light is emitted from the display device 104). In certain embodiments, the phase offset of the auxiliary lighting pulse signal may cause the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 to emit light only during the inactive period of the display device 104 such that the display device 104 and the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 alternate in emitting light over a period of time as described herein with respect to
The display controller 108 may retrieve the display pulse signal from internal memory and/or from the display device 104 to determine the phase offset of the auxiliary lighting pulse signal. Any suitable technique for detecting signal timing may be employed to facilitate the synchronous deployment of the auxiliary lighting pulse signal, such as pulse edge detection. Other characteristics of the display pulse signal may be detected by the display controller 108, such as the duty cycle, amplitude, and the like. In some embodiments, at least some signal characteristics of the display pulse signal may be stored by the display device 104 and/or the display controller 108, which may be used to generate the display pulse signal. These stored or detected signal characteristics of the display pulse signal may be used to generate the auxiliary lighting pulse signal, which may account for the duty cycle and/or amplitude in addition to the phase of the display pulse signal.
In certain embodiments, the display controller 108 may be configured to generate a plurality of auxiliary lighting pulse signals. For example, the first lighting subassembly 112 may be controlled by a first lighting pulse signal while the second lighting subassembly 114 may be controlled by a second lighting pulse signal. The phase offset of the first lighting pulse signal relative to the display pulse signal may be different from the phase offset of the second lighting pulse signal. The different phase offsets may account for a delay by the display device 104 in applying the display pulse signal and provide improved synchronize lighting between an edge of the display device 104 and the corresponding subassembly 112, 114. That is, the display light-emitting devices 106 may not be able to switch between active and inactive periods simultaneously—rather, there may be a delay between the top light-emitting devices 106 and the bottom light-emitting devices 106. In one example, the delay may be on the magnitude of several milliseconds. The delay may be a known value for the display device 104 or may be automatically detected by the display controller 108. The display controller 108 may determine the phase offset of each lighting pulse signal based at least partially as a function of the delay, thereby potentially increasing the effectiveness of the flicker effect reduction.
In at least some embodiments, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may not be limited to emitting light to reduce flicker perceived on the display device 104. More specifically, the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be configured to present emotive lighting for the one or more casino games provided by the system 100. That is, the color and/or intensity of the emitted light by the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 may be used to provide emotive lighting while simultaneously switching between active and inactive periods based on the auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The switching between periods may be substantially imperceptible to observers due to the frequency of the switching and/or the additional light emitted by the system 100 (e.g., the display device 104) and/or other external lighting. In other embodiments, the color and/or intensity (i.e., brightness) of the emitted light may affect the flicker effect reduction. In such embodiments, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal (or an additional control signal) may regulate the color and/or intensity of the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. In at least some embodiments, the emotive lighting scheme may be controlled by a lighting control signal transmitted to the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 separate from the auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The lighting control signal may be generated by the logic circuitry 140 based on a current state of the casino wagering game or by the display controller 108. The lighting control signal may include a plurality of control values, particularly for auxiliary lighting assemblies 110 with a plurality of addressable light-emitting devices 116, thereby enabling multiple emotive lighting effects to occur substantially simultaneously. In other embodiments, the lighting control signal may be combined with the auxiliary lighting pulse signal by the display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140 to generate a hybrid signal for the auxiliary lighting assembly 110.
As described above, the display pulse signal 502 is used to control the light emission by the display device 104. In the example embodiment, the display pulse signal 502 is an active-high signal, where a high value of the display pulse signal 502 is associated with an active period of light emission and a low or base value of the display pulse signal 502 is associated with an inactive period of light emission. In other embodiments, the display pulse signal 502 is an active-low signal.
The auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 is used to control the light emission by the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. The auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 may be an active-high or active-low signal. In the example embodiment, similar to the display pulse signal 502, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 is an active-high signal. The auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 shown in the waveform diagram 500 has been synchronized to the display pulse signal 502 at a phase offset of 180°. The auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 may have the same or substantially similar duty cycle and/or amplitude as the display pulse signal 502. In other embodiments, the phase offset, the duty, the amplitude, and/or other characteristics of the auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 may be different from the corresponding signal characteristics of the display pulse signal 502.
The observable light signal 506 may not be an actual signal generated and used by the system 100—rather, the observable light signal 506 depicts what light is seen by a viewer from the display device 104 and the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. As described herein, the light seen by the viewer determines the amount of flicker (if any) a viewer may perceive, and therefore increasing the frequency of the light seen by the viewer may decrease or eliminate (if the flicker is beyond human perception) the flicker effect.
After the second state, the waveform diagram 500 proceeds back to the first state in which the display device 104 and the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 are in inactive periods. Afterwards, the diagram 500 proceeds to a third state shown in
After the third state, the waveform diagram proceeds back to the first state to repeat the state progression shown in
In other embodiments, the pulse signals 502, 504 (and, by extension, the observable light signal 506) may employ other suitable waveforms. For example, the phase offset may be different such that the pulse signals 502, 504 at least partially overlap, thereby eliminating an intervening first state between the pulse signals 502, 504. In another example, the frequency of the pulse signals 502, 504 may be different. For example, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 may have a frequency of 120 Hz while the display pulse signal has a frequency of 60 Hz. The signal characteristics of the pulse signals 502, 504 may be adjusted in other suitable manners to form a desired observable light signal 506. For example, if the auxiliary lighting pulse signal 504 is divided into a plurality of lighting pulse signals to control a plurality of subassemblies, the phase offset of each lighting pulse signal may be adjusted to match the corresponding edge of the display 104, thereby potentially providing improved effectiveness of the display flicker reduction provided by the auxiliary lighting assembly 110.
In the example embodiment, the display controller 108 transmits 1102 a display pulse signal to the display device 104. The display pulse signal may be generated by the display controller 108, retrieved from memory, or received from another device (e.g., the logic circuitry 140). The display pulse signal may be transmitted 1102 in combination with or in parallel to display data associated with display content for the display device 104. The display device 104 receives the display data and the display pulse signal from the display controller 108 and/or the logic circuitry 140. In some embodiments, the display pulse signal may be stored by the display device 104 such that the display pulse signal may not be continuously transmitted by the display controller 108, but rather the display device 104 may generate the display pulse from local memory for subsequent use. The display device 104 presents 1104 display content from the display data by selectively emitting light based on the display pulse signal. More specifically, during periods of active light emission, frames of the display content are illuminated and perceived by a viewer, while periods of inactive light emission are inserted to reduce motion blur between frames of display content.
The display controller 108 generates 1106 an auxiliary lighting pulse signal based at least partially on one or more signal characteristics of the display pulse signal. The signal characteristics may include, but are not limited to, frequency, phase, amplitude, duty cycle, and the like. In one example, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal may be generated 1106 with a substantially similar frequency and/or duty cycle relative to the display pulse signal. The display controller 108 then synchronizes 1108 the auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the display pulse signal at a phase offset. In one example, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal is synchronized 1108 at a 180° phase offset relative to the phase of the display pulse signal. Synchronizing 1108 may be performed by analyzing the timing of the display pulse signal, which may including pulse edge detection by the display device 104 and/or the display controller 108. The synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal is then transmitted 1110 by the display controller 108 to the auxiliary lighting assembly 110. In some embodiments, the auxiliary lighting pulse signal may be include a plurality of lighting pulse signals. Each lighting pulse signal may be synchronized 1108 at a respective phase offset and transmitted to a corresponding lighting subassembly 112, 114 of the auxiliary lighting assembly 110.
The auxiliary lighting assembly 110 receives the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal and emits 1112 light based on the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal. The phase offset of the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal causes the lighting assembly 110 to emit light during at least a portion of an inactive period of light emission for the display device 104, thereby increasing the frequency and/or duty cycle of the emitted light seen by a viewer and potentially reducing or eliminated display flicker perceived by the viewer. In at least some embodiments, the emitted light may be according to an emotive lighting scheme to present emotive lighting in combination with the display content on the display device 104 for the casino wagering games. More specifically, the auxiliary lighting assembly may receive a lighting control signal from the display controller 108, the logic circuitry 140, and/or a dedicated lighting controller that causes the auxiliary lighting assembly 110 to present the emotive lighting.
Although the foregoing embodiments are directed to gaming systems including display devices, it is to be understood that at least some of the disclosed concepts may be incorporated into systems that may not be dedicated to gaming. For example, televisions and kiosks that are not dedicated to gaming may include one or more lighting assemblies to reduce display flicker.
Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and aspects.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/959,626, filed Jan. 10, 2020, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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