Patent Grant
8740693
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 gaming systems having multi-output displays with video output signals dependent upon viewing angle.
Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent 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. Shrewd 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 “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic 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. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming systems with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Traditionally, gaming machines utilize one or more video displays to output the presentation of wagering games. Such traditional displays include CRT, LCD, LED, plasma, and other varieties of video displays. One problem with such traditional displays is that the output is limited to one video presentation per display. Another problem is that the use of multiple displays to overcome such limitations adds significant and sometimes prohibitive cost to the gaming machine as compared to the relative cost of other gaming machines. Yet another problem is that the power usage and dissipation of such multiple displays within a gaming machine is higher, causing operational and maintenance costs to increase. The present invention is directed to solving these and other problems.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a gaming system comprises a wager input device and a housing. The gaming system further comprises a multi-output display supported by the housing, the multi-output display displaying a first video presentation viewable from a first position having a first viewing angle relative to the display. The multi-output display displays a second video presentation viewable from a second position having a second viewing angle relative to the display, wherein the second video presentation is not viewable from the first position. At least one of the first and second video presentations includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game. The gaming system further comprises a controller operative to simultaneously generate the first and second video presentations on the multi-output display.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system comprises receiving a wager and simultaneously displaying a first video presentation and a second video presentation on a multi-output display. The first video presentation is viewable from a first position having a first viewing angle relative to the display. The second video presentation is viewable from a second position having a second viewing angle relative to the display. At least one of the first and second video presentations includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game.
According to another aspect of the invention, a gaming system comprises at least one wager input device, at least one housing and first and second multi-Output displays supported adjacent one another by the at least one housing. The first multi-output display displays a first video presentation viewable from a first position in front of the first multi-output display. The first multi-output display displays a second video presentation viewable from a second position in front of the second multi-output display and at an acute viewing angle to the first multi-output display. The second multi-output display displays a third video presentation viewable from the second position, wherein at least one of the second and third video presentations includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game. The gaming system further comprises a controller operative to simultaneously generate the second and third video presentations on the first and second multi-output displays.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a gaming system comprises at least one wager input device and a first multi-output display supported by a first gaming machine. The system further comprises a second multi-output display supported by a second gaming machine and a third multi-output display supported by a third gaming machine. The system further comprises at least one controller operative to simultaneously generate a first video presentation on the first multi-output display, a second video presentation on the second multi-output display and a third video presentation on the third multi-output display, wherein the first, second and third video presentations are received at a first position associated with the first gaming machine.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer readable storage medium is encoded with instructions for directing a gaming system to perform the above method.
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 is a perspective view of a free standing gaming machine embodying the present invention;
b is a perspective view of a handheld gaming machine embodying the present 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 basic 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 that 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 alternative method of input. 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 basic 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 basic 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 basic 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 basic 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 basic 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
Depicted in
The player-accessible value input device 118 may comprise, for example, a slot located on the front, side, or top of the casing 112 configured to receive credit from a stored-value card (e.g., casino card, smart card, debit card, credit card, etc.) inserted by a player. In another aspect, the player-accessible value input device 118 may comprise a sensor (e.g., an RF sensor) configured to sense a signal (e.g., an RF signal) output by a transmitter (e.g., an RF transmitter) carried by a player. The player-accessible value input device 118 may also or alternatively include a ticket reader, or barcode scanner, for reading information stored on a credit ticket, a card, or other tangible portable credit or funds storage device. The credit ticket or card may also authorize access to a central account, which can transfer money to the handheld gaming machine 110.
Still other player-accessible value input devices 118 may require the use of touch keys 130 on the touch-screen display (e.g., primary display 114 and/or secondary display 116) or player input devices 124. Upon entry of player identification information and, preferably, secondary authorization information (e.g., a password, PIN number, stored value card number, predefined key sequences, etc.), the player may be permitted to access a player's account. As one potential optional security feature, the handheld gaming machine 110 may be configured to permit a player to only access an account the player has specifically set up for the handheld gaming machine 110. Other conventional security features may also be utilized to, for example, prevent unauthorized access to a player's account, to minimize an impact of any unauthorized access to a player's account, or to prevent unauthorized access to any personal information or funds temporarily stored on the handheld gaming machine 110.
The player-accessible value input device 118 may itself comprise or utilize a biometric player information reader which permits the player to access available funds on a player's account, either alone or in combination with another of the aforementioned player-accessible value input devices 118. In an embodiment wherein the player-accessible value input device 118 comprises a biometric player information reader, transactions such as an input of value to the handheld device, a transfer of value from one player account or source to an account associated with the handheld gaming machine 110, or the execution of another transaction, for example, could all be authorized by a biometric reading, which could comprise a plurality of biometric readings, from the biometric device.
Alternatively, to enhance security, a transaction may be optionally enabled only by a two-step process in which a secondary source confirms the identity indicated by a primary source. For example, a player-accessible value input device 118 comprising a biometric player information reader may require a confirmatory entry from another biometric player information reader 152, or from another source, such as a credit card, debit card, player ID card, fob key, PIN number, password, hotel room key, etc. Thus, a transaction may be enabled by, for example, a combination of the personal identification input (e.g., biometric input) with a secret PIN number, or a combination of a biometric input with a fob input, or a combination of a fob input with a PIN number, or a combination of a credit card input with a biometric input. Essentially, any two independent sources of identity, one of which is secure or personal to the player (e.g., biometric readings, PIN number, password, etc.) could be utilized to provide enhanced security prior to the electronic transfer of any funds. In another aspect, the value input device 118 may be provided remotely from the handheld gaming machine 110.
The player input device 124 comprises a plurality of push buttons on a button panel for operating the handheld gaming machine 110. In addition, or alternatively, the player input device 124 may comprise a touch screen mounted to a primary display 114 and/or secondary display 116. In one aspect, the touch screen is matched to a display screen having one or more selectable touch keys 130 selectable by a user's touching of the associated area of the screen using a finger or a tool, such as a stylus pointer. A player enables a desired function either by touching the touch screen at an appropriate touch key 130 or by pressing an appropriate push button 126 on the button panel. The touch keys 130 may be used to implement the same functions as push buttons 126. Alternatively, the push buttons may provide inputs for one aspect of the operating the game, while the touch keys 130 may allow for input needed for another aspect of the game. The various components of the handheld gaming machine 110 may be connected directly to, or contained within, the casing 112, as seen in
The operation of the basic wagering game on the handheld gaming machine 110 is displayed to the player on the primary display 114. The primary display 114 can also display the bonus game associated with the basic wagering game. The primary display 114 preferably takes the form of a high resolution LCD, a plasma display, an LED, or any other type of display suitable for use in the handheld gaming machine 110. The size of the primary display 114 may vary from, for example, about a 2-3″ display to a 15″ or 17″ display. In at least some aspects, the primary display 114 is a 7″-10″ display. As the weight of and/or power requirements of such displays decreases with improvements in technology, it is envisaged that the size of the primary display may be increased. Optionally, coatings or removable films or sheets may be applied to the display to provide desired characteristics (e.g., anti-scratch, anti-glare, bacterially-resistant and anti-microbial films, etc.). In at least some embodiments, the primary display 114 and/or secondary display 116 may have a 16:9 aspect ratio or other aspect ratio (e.g., 4:3). The primary display 114 and/or secondary display 116 may also each have different resolutions, different color schemes, and different aspect ratios.
As with the free standing gaming machine 10, a player begins play of the basic wagering game on the handheld gaming machine 110 by making a wager (e.g., via the value input device 18 or an assignment of credits stored on the handheld gaming machine via the touch screen keys 130, player input device 124, or buttons 126) on the handheld gaming machine 110. In at least some aspects, the basic game may comprise a plurality of symbols arranged in an array, and includes at least one payline 132 that indicates one or more outcomes of the basic 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 player-accessible value input device 118 of the handheld gaming machine 110 may double as a player information reader 152 that allows for identification of a player by reading a card with information indicating the player's identity (e.g., reading a player's credit card, player ID card, smart card, etc.). The player information reader 152 may alternatively or also comprise a bar code scanner, RFID transceiver or computer readable storage medium interface. In one presently preferred aspect, the player information reader 152, shown by way of example 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, 10bT, 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
The gaming machines 10,110 may communicate with external systems 50 (in a wired or wireless manner) such that each machine operates as a “thin client,” having relatively less functionality, a “thick client,” having relatively more functionality, or through any range of functionality there between. As a generally “thin client,” the gaming machine may operate primarily as a display device to display the results of gaming outcomes processed externally, for example, on a server as part of the external systems 50. In this “thin client” configuration, the server executes game code and determines game outcomes (e.g., with a random number generator), while the controller 34 on board the gaming machine processes display information to be displayed on the display(s) of the machine. In an alternative “thicker client” configuration, the server determines game outcomes, while the controller 34 on board the gaming machine executes game code and processes display information to be displayed on the display(s) of the machines. In yet another alternative “thick client” configuration, the controller 34 on board the gaming machine 110 executes game code, determines game outcomes, and processes display information to be displayed on the display(s) of the machine. Numerous alternative configurations are possible such that the aforementioned and other functions may be performed onboard or external to the gaming machine as may be necessary for particular applications. It should be understood that the gaming machines 10,110 may take on a wide variety of forms such as a free standing machine, a portable or handheld device primarily used for gaming, a mobile telecommunications device such as a mobile telephone or personal daily assistant (PDA), a counter top or bar top gaming machine, or other personal electronic device such as a portable television, MP3 player, entertainment device, etc.
Turning now to
In the embodiment depicted in
The gaming system 54 in
As seen in
Turning to
In
In yet another embodiment, the multi-output display 70 may be substantially flush with the housing 56 and mirrors 72a,b may extend from the housing 56. In some of these embodiments, a player is able to move and adjust the mirrors 72a,b as he or she desires.
Turning to
As seen in
Of course the gaming system 200 may include many more gaming machines 210 than the three machines 210a,b,c depicted in
Turning to
The multi-output displays 70,270,370 utilized in the embodiments shown in the FIGURES and described herein may be of varying shapes, sizes, and technologies. In one embodiment, the multi-output display 70 is an LCD display such as the Triple Directional Viewing LCD manufactured by Sharp Corporation of Osaka, Japan. In some embodiments, the multi-output display includes an imaging unit separating images of the plurality of video outputs and providing the separated images to different viewing zones (having different viewing angles) at the same time. The imaging unit may comprise: a display panel alternately displaying the images from the plurality of video outputs pixel by pixel horizontally or vertically; and a screen may be one of a parallax barrier and a lenticular lens disposed in front of the display panel and adapted to separate the images alternately displayed pixel by pixel on the display panel and transmit the separated images to different viewing zones. The screen may also be configured using another three-dimensional image technology. The display panel may be a direct-view display such as, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a plasma display panel, and an organic electroluminescence (EL) display or a projection type display.
In other embodiments, other configurations and technologies of multi-output displays 70 may be utilized. The multi-output display 70, as with traditional displays, comprises a matrix of pixels which output or emit light of various colors to create a video output signal. The number of pixels on the multi-output display 70 may vary from a relatively low number of pixels (or low resolution) to a relatively high number of pixels (or high resolution). The multi-output display 70 varies from traditional displays in that the pixels of the multi-output display 70 emit a plurality of distinct light signals at differing viewing angles. For example, a single pixel of the mufti-output display 70 can simultaneously generate one color of light at a first viewing angle, a second color of light at a second viewing angle, and a third color of light at a third viewing angle. In this way, each pixel of the multi-output display has multiple output channels to simultaneous generate multiple output signals. Traditional displays, such as a standard LCD display for example, emit only one light signal or channel per pixel, viewable over the entire range of viewing angles available for the display. The pixels of the multi-output display 70, having multiple channels, enable the multi-output display 70 to generate the multiple video output signals 74 over discrete ranges of viewing angles, as explained herein.
In certain embodiments, one or more of the output signals of the multi-output display may be controlled pursuant to certain eligibility rules, unlocking features, or other requirements. For example, certain gameplay information such as player statistics, history, maintenance information, etc. relative to one or more of the gaming machines may be desirable to be presented only to certain selected individuals, such as casino employees. Therefore, such authorized individuals may be given an unlocking device, such as an RFID transceiver, a wireless device, a physical key, a username and/or password, or other such permission based mechanism. An authorized individual could then use the unlocking device to activate display of an auxiliary video presentation on one or both of the video output signals at an acute viewing angle to the multi-output display 70. This could be done while a player at the gaming device continues to play the wagering game on the first video output signal of the display, such that the authorized individual and the player are each able to see different video presentations simultaneously (at different viewing angles) without interfering with one another. In this way, a casino technician or casino manager, for example, could view maintenance or game play statistics on a video output signal at an acute viewing angle, while the player continued play on a video output signal at a substantially orthogonal viewing angle. Moreover, other eligibility requirements could be utilized. For example, the alternate or additional output signals could be provided to only certain selected players, based upon membership status, betting levels, time on device, placement of a secondary or side wager, etc. Any of numerous eligibility requirements may be utilized so as to activate or deactivate the additional output signals from the display.
With embodiments of the gaming system 54 utilizing one or more mirrors 72a,b, such as those shown in
In yet other embodiments, two or more of the output signals 74a,b,c may present a unified display of one or more portions of the wagering game. For example, a first portion of the reels 62 of the wagering game 60 may be presented on the main output signal 74a while a second portion of the reels are presented on an auxiliary output 74b,c. This way the reels 62 of the wagering game 60 may be stretched across all three viewing outputs 74a,b,c to create a unified display across three of the “screens” of the meta-display. In other words, the three video output signals 74a,b,c may present a unified panoramic view. Such unified images across multiple screens are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,254,481 and 6,569,018 to Jaffe and assigned to WMS Gaming Inc., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Moreover, it should be understood that the first, second, and third video presentations 74a,b,c may be customizable either by the operator of the gaming system 54, the player, or both. For example, the player may be provided with the option of customizing the information displayed on the auxiliary views 74b,c while the wagering game 60 is preset to be displayed on the primary view 74a. In other embodiments, the player may change the output signal 74 on which the wagering game 60 is displayed. Moreover, casino operators may customize what appears on what signal 74, and at which time, including advertisements, promotions, game history information, casino information, etc. The player may be given some, full, or no customization options at the discretion of the casino.
In some embodiments, such as those in
The auxiliary views 74b,c may also be utilized to limit the usually wider viewing angles of standard displays and thus aid in preventing cheating, collusion, or unwanted viewing of wagering games 60. For example, by displaying advertisements on the auxiliary views 74b,c and limited display of the wagering game 60 to the primary view 74a, other players standing to the left and right at acute viewing angles to the multi-output display 70 are prevented from seeing the wagering game 60. Thus, limited certain information to the primary view 74a allows it to be protected from unwanted viewing (for example from someone seated at a gaming system next to the player). Therefore, the multi-output display 70 may be used to prevent cheating or collusion in group or community games where traditional displays would allow neighboring players to view each others' wagering games 60.
A touch screen may overly the multi-output display 70 for receiving touch sensitive inputs from a player, as is described in relation to
Although in some of the embodiments shown in the FIGURES, the alternative views 74b,c are projected at viewing angles to the left and right of the multi-output display 70, in other embodiments, the alternative views 74b,c may be projected above and below the display 70. For example, the display 70 in
Moreover, although the multi-output display 70 is depicted as part of a free standing gaming device or system 54, it should be understood from the description herein that the display 70 may be utilized in a variety of ways, including handheld gaming devices 110, community displays, casino displays, or as secondary or tertiary displays in combination with one or more standard displays on a gaming device 10.
It should also be understood that the video output signals on the various views from the multi-output display may be projected in a number of fashions. For example, the images in the various views may be two dimensional. Alternatively, the images may be real-time 3D, or renderings of three-dimensional perspectives or views under the control of a virtual camera in a three-dimensional environment. Combinations of the two may also be used over the various views. Moreover, as explained herein, different views may offer different perspectives (or different positions of the virtual camera) of the same gaming environment. As seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, one view 274a presents one perspective of the gaming environment while a second view 274b presents a second perspective. In this way, a player tilting his head to achieve different viewing angles relative to the multi-output display 270 may jump from one virtual camera position to another, giving the illusion that the player, by physically changing position, has achieved a different perspective.
The gaming systems of the present invention utilizing multi-output displays offer a number of advantageous over traditional displays. The multi-output displays may be used to create a meta-display or multiple view display at a cost significantly less than using separate individual displays. Moreover, the meta-display created by the multi-output display may be used to present additional information to the player in a variety of customizable ways. Additionally, the various video output signals may be used to present different views or perspectives of a single gaming environment, allowing the multi-output display to serve as a tool to provide the player the feel of being inside of the gaming environment, and therefore, creating a more lifelike and entertaining gaming experience.
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.
This application is a U.S. national stage filing of International Application No. PCT/US2008/001359, filed Feb. 1, 2008, which is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/899,160, filed Feb. 2, 2007 which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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| PCT/US2008/001359 | 2/1/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/22/2011 |
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| WO2008/097469 | 8/14/2008 | WO | A |
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