Patent Application
20130196736
The present disclosure relates generally to wager-based gaming machines, and more specifically to methods and devices for providing a play field reel glass enhancement on a wager-based gaming machine with mechanical spinning reels.
Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, a gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a wager game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a wager game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control payment devices, including bill validators and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from user interfaces, including key pads and button pads, to determine the wager amount and initiate game play. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a wager game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the wager game.
In addition to the wager game, a gaming machine may provide one or more secondary games that trigger based on the outcome of a wager game or multiple wager games. These secondary games serve as incentives for continued or higher-valued game play. Examples of secondary games include progressive jackpots and bonus games.
Gaming machines can present both the wager game and a secondary game at various times on single video display. Despite this option, gaming machines often use traditional mechanical spinning reels to represent the outcome of the wager game because many players prefer a mechanical machine over a virtual representation.
Therefore, gaming machines that provide for wager games and secondary games typically include mechanical spinning reels located behind a glass screen (or “reel glass”) and a “play field” display configured to provide secondary game events. In addition, mechanical spinning reel players like to see and know the winning outcomes prior to selecting or while playing the game, which may also be displayed in the play field.
Typically, the mechanical spinning reels are located at an optimum viewing height for a seated player, and therefore, the play field is placed above the main cabinet of the gaming machine at a “top box.” However, this placement creates significant distance between the player and the play field. The play field ends up well above the player's head and is difficult to see. Furthermore, the play field is unsuitable for gaming machines that allow player interaction with the play field because the player may need to stand to reach the top box.
For the foregoing and other reasons, it would be desirable to provide novel methods and devices for presenting the play field (or any other interactive display that in the past was located in an inconvenient position around the reel glass) as an enhancement to the reel glass so that the player can conveniently see and reach the play field, while keeping the mechanical spinning reels at the optimal viewing height.
Various embodiments described or referenced herein are directed to gaming machines and methods implementing and using techniques for providing a play field reel glass enhancement on a wager-based gaming machine with mechanical spinning reels.
In one aspect, a gaming machine provides a wager game and a secondary game to a player for game play. The gaming machine includes a plurality of mechanical spinning reels configured to indicate a gaming outcome for the wager game played on the gaming machine by the player. A light board including a plurality of light emitting elements is located in front of the plurality of mechanical spinning reels. The light board is configured to light up individual or groups of the light emitting elements responsive to the wager gaming outcome. A reel glass including a graphic element representing a play field is located in front of the light board. The graphic element is configured to be backlit by the light board to indicate wager game information or secondary game information to the player.
In some implementations, the gaming machine includes a light barrier configured to pass only some of the light from the lit up individual or groups of the light emitting elements on the light board to the graphic element to indicate the wager game or the secondary game information to the player.
In some implementations, the gaming machine includes a touch screen communicatively coupled with the reel glass. The reel glass may be located in front of the touch screen, with the touch screen configured to receive input from the player when the player touches an interactive area of the reel glass.
In some implementations, the interactive area of the reel glass corresponds with the graphic element on the reel glass. The input from the player at the interactive area includes secondary game input.
In some implementations, the interactive area of the reel glass corresponds with a gaming meter configured to display wager game session data. The gaming meter is communicatively coupled with the touch screen. The input from the player at the interactive area includes wager game input.
In some implementations, the touch screen may be located in front of the reel glass. The touch screen is configured to receive input from the player when the player touches an interactive area of the touch screen.
In some implementations, the interactive area of the touch screen corresponds with the graphic element on the reel glass. The input from the player at the interactive area includes secondary game input.
In some implementations, the interactive area of the touch screen corresponds with a gaming meter configured to display wager game session data. The gaming meter is communicatively coupled with the touch screen. The input from the player at the interactive area includes wager game input.
In some implementations, the light board is a printed circuit board. In some implementations, the light emitting elements are light emitting diodes, incandescent, florescent, fiber optic, light pipes, or combinations thereof.
In some implementations, the graphic element configured to be backlit by the light board to indicate secondary game information represents an attraction routine.
In another aspect, a method provides a wager game and a secondary game on a gaming machine to a player for game play. The method involves receiving a wager game input from a player and displaying the wager game outcome on a plurality of mechanical spinning reels. A determination is made as to the availability of a secondary game based on the wager game outcome. An individual or groups of light emitting elements are lit on a light board on a light board upon determining that the secondary game is available. Secondary game information is displayed at a reel glass. The reel glass includes a graphic element. The graphic element is configured to be backlit by the light board.
In some implementations, the method includes passing, through a light barrier, only some of the light from the lit individual or groups of light emitting elements on the light board to the graphic element to display the secondary game information to the player.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving input from a user that touches an interactive area of the reel glass, with the reel glass communicatively coupled with a touch screen located behind the reel glass.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving secondary game input at the interactive area of the reel glass. The interactive area of the reel glass corresponds with the graphic element. The input from the user includes secondary game input.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving wager game input at the interactive area of the reel glass. The interactive area of the reel glass corresponds with a gaming meter configured to display wager game session data. The gaming meter is communicatively coupled with the touch screen. The input from the user includes wager game input.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving input from a user that touches an interactive area of the touch screen, with the touch screen located in front of the reel glass.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving bonus game input at the interactive area of the touch screen. The interactive area of the touch screen corresponds with the graphic element. The input from the user includes secondary game input.
In some implementations, the method includes receiving wager game input at the interactive area of the touch screen. The interactive area of the touch screen corresponds a gaming meter configured to display wager game session data. The gaming meter is communicatively coupled with the touch screen. The input from the user includes wager game input.
In some implementations, the light board is a printed circuit board and the light emitting elements are light emitting diodes, incandescent, florescent, fiber optic, light pipes or combinations thereof.
In some implementations, the method includes representing an attraction routine with the graphic element configured to be backlit by the light board.
Aspects of the invention may be implemented by networked gaming machines, game servers and other such devices. These and other features and benefits of aspects of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the associated drawings. In addition, other methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve only to provide examples of possible structures and process steps for the disclosed subject matter. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Applications of gaming machines and methods according to one or more embodiments are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the present disclosure. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the techniques described herein may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as definitive or limiting either in scope or setting.
In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it is understood that these examples are not limiting, such that other embodiments may be used and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
The present invention provides gaming machines and methods implementing and using techniques for providing a play field reel glass enhancement on a wager-based gaming machine with mechanical spinning reels. Although the current description primarily describes slot-type gaming machines, some implementations of the invention apply equally to similar types of machines that are used to display a game outcome.
As shown in
The mechanical spinning reels 203 are configured to indicate a game outcome for the wager game. As shown in
The Gaming meter 204 is configured to display wager game session data. In some aspects, the gaming meter is a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. However, those of skill in the art will recognize that any display device capable of presenting information to a player on a screen may perform the function of game meter 204. The wager game session data displayed on the gaming meter 204 may include data regarding the entire gaming session as well as data regarding an individual wager game event or an individual wager game outcome.
The non-window areas of the reel glass 201 as noted are covered by the graphic element 202. As shown in
The graphic element 202 can be conceptually divided into two categories of subparts: a “play field” and a background. The graphic element subparts 202a-202i represents the play field designed to communicate secondary game information or potential wager game outcomes to the player of the gaming machine 100. A graphic element subpart 202j represents a background for the graphic element 202. A secondary game is a bonus event that triggers based on one or more prior outcomes of the base wager game. The secondary game event is designed to encourage continued or higher-value game play on the gaming machine. Examples of secondary game events include a bonus spin game, a board game, or a progressive jackpot game.
The graphic element 202 in
As would be understood by those of skill in the art, the appearance of the play field on the reel glass 201 may depend on the requirements of the secondary gaming event. The graphic element 202 may include any number of graphic element subparts. Furthermore, while the graphic element subparts 202a-202i are located above the mechanical spinning reels 203 in
When a secondary game is determined to be available based on the base wager game outcome, the light board 205 backlights the graphic element 202 to indicate secondary game information. Dependent upon the features of the graphic element 202, the backlighting may indicate the availability of a secondary game, the game play progress of the secondary game, or the outcome of the secondary game. In other embodiments, the backlighting may be configured to display an attraction routine.
In one implementation, the light board 205 in
A light barrier 206 in
A touch screen 207 shown in
In another implementation, the touch screen 207 is located in front of reel glass 201. The touch screen may be configured to receive input from the player when the player touches an interactive area of the touch screen.
In
As discussed, the gaming machine 100 includes the gaming meter 204 shown in
The top box 102, as shown in
In step 310, an input is received from a player indicating the initiation of a game session for wager game play. Responsive to receiving an input indicating a game session, the gaming machine provides game play of a wager game in step 315. A game may be played by entering the desired bet configuration (e.g., the number of credits per spin or the number of lines for a certain number of coins) and pressing a spin or repeat the bet buttons. In one implementation, step 315 may include receiving wager game input when the player touches an interactive area of the reel glass 201 or the touch screen 207, depending on whether the touch screen is located behind or in front of the reel glass respectively. The interactive area corresponds with the gaming meter 204, the gaming meter lacking a built-in touch screen and configured to display wager game session data. In other implementations, the gaming meter 204 includes a built-in touch screen. Step 315 includes the additional step of receiving wager game input when the player touches an interactive area of the gaming meter
In step 320, the wager game outcome is displayed on the plurality of mechanical spinning reels 203. Proceeding to step 325, the microprocessor 208 determines the availability of the secondary game by comparing the outcome displayed on the plurality of mechanical spinning reels 203 against a predetermined set of outcomes.
In one implementation of determination step 326, a predetermined set of outcomes for a single wager game round is configured to trigger a secondary game. However, the criteria for triggering a secondary game can depend on any chosen set of criteria selected for the purpose of encouraging continued or higher-value game play. For example, the secondary game may be a progressive jackpot and the gaming machine may be communicatively connected to a network of other gaming machines. In this implementation, a progressive jackpot opportunity may be triggered based on the outcomes of several sessions of game play on several networked gaming machines by several different players.
If a secondary game is determined to be unavailable at determination step 326, the method returns to step 345, wherein the player may provide input indicating the termination of the wager gaming session. If the player terminates the game session in determination step 346, the method returns to step 305 wherein an attraction routine is displayed on the play field reel glass enhancement, the gaming meter 204, the top box 102, or combinations thereof. If the player does not choose to terminate the game session in determination step 326, the method returns to step 315 to provide another round of wager gaming.
If the secondary game is determined to be available at determination step 326, however, the method proceeds to step 330 wherein secondary game information is displayed to the player at the reel glass 201. The reel glass, as noted, includes the graphic element 202 that is configured to be back lit by the light board 205, whereby the player viewing the backlit reel glass with graphic element receives secondary game information. The secondary game may be, but is not limited to, a bonus reel spin game, a board game, or a progressive jackpot. Those of skill in the art will recognize, however, that these are merely examples of secondary games fit for the purpose of encouraging continued or higher-value game play.
In step 335 shown in
In step 340, the outcome of the secondary game is presented to the player. The outcome may be presented on the play field (the graphic element 202 on the reel glass 201), the gaming meter 204, the mechanical spinning reels 203, or any combinations thereof. A person of skill in the art will select the appropriate method for secondary game outcome display based on factors such as the secondary game type, cost, or communicational clarity. The method 300 then proceeds to step 345 wherein input from the player may terminate the gaming session.
Upon receiving an indication to terminate the game session at determination step 346, the method returns to step 305 wherein the attraction routine runs for the purpose of attracting a player to initiate a wager gaming session. If the player does not choose to terminate the game session, the method returns to step 315 to provide another round of wager gaming.
Any of the above implementations may be used alone or together with one another in any combination. Although various implementations may have been motivated by various deficiencies with the prior art, which may be discussed or alluded to in one or more places in the specification, the embodiments do not necessarily address any of these deficiencies. In other words, different implementations may address different deficiencies that may be discussed in the specification. Some implementations may only partially address some deficiencies or just one deficiency that may be discussed in the specification, and some implementations may not address any of these deficiencies.
While various implementations have been described herein, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present application should not be limited by any of the implementations described herein, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
