Systems and methods of gaming machine image transitions

• US 10,204,473 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Lenger, Drazen
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US15/334,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20170103601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A graphics system for changing images on a gaming machine display, having a transition library of transition types, a graphics engine and a control means. The graphics engine applies a selected transition type from the transition library to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs and initializes transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image. The control means modifies the transition data such that, when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.

Claims

1. A method of transitioning from a first image to a second image on an electronic display of a gaming machine without the use of any pre-generated animation data file, the gaming machine including a transition library, a graphics engine, and a user interface, the method comprising:

displaying, on the electronic display, the first image;

receiving, at the user interface, a user command associated with game play of a game;

identifying, via the graphics engine, the second image to be displayed in response to the received user command;

overlaying the first image over the second image;

selecting, via the graphics engine, a visual transition from a plurality of predefined visual transitions stored in the transition library;

associating, via the graphics engine, the first image with display control data for the selected visual transition from the first image to the second image;

extracting, via the graphics engine, a first set of details from the display control data that are associated with a discrete visual change related to the selected visual transition, the details including specified parameters for applying the selected visual transition;

incrementally removing the overlaid first image to reveal the second image using the following steps;

processing, via the graphics engine, the first set of details with the first image to apply the discrete visual change of the selected visual transition to a first part of the first image;

updating, via the graphics engine, the display control data subsequent to making the discrete visual change to the first image to generate updated display control data;

extracting, via the graphics engine, a second set of details from the updated display control data that are associated with a second discrete visual change related to the selected visual transition;

processing the second set of details with the first image to apply the second discrete visual change of the selected visual transition to a second part of the first image; and

displaying, by the graphics engine on the electronic display, at least a part of the second image made visible by the applying of the discrete visual change and the second discrete visual change to the first image, wherein, as a result, the part of the second image is made visible without the use of any pre-generated animation data file.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein displaying the first image comprises displaying an idle screen image.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein identifying the second image comprises identifying a game screen image associated with game play of a base game.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the user command comprises receiving user input at a credit input mechanism.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving the user command comprises receiving a selection of one or more controls at the user interface.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein displaying the first image comprises displaying a game screen image associated with game play of a base game.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein identifying the second image comprises identifying a game screen image associated with game play of a bonus game.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user command initiates the game play of the bonus game.

9. A gaming machine configured to transition from a first image to a second image without the use of any pre-generated animation data file, the gaming machine comprising:

an electronic display configured to display the first image;

a non-transitory memory configured to store a transition library including a plurality of predefined visual transitions;

a user interface configured to receive a user command associated with game play of a game; and

a graphics engine configured to at least;

identify the second image to be displayed on the electronic display in response to the user command;

overlay the first image over the second image;

select a visual transition from the plurality of predefined visual transitions;

associate the first image with display control data for the selected visual transition from the first image to the second image;

extract a first set of details from the display control data that are associated with a discrete visual change related to the selected visual transition, the details including specified parameters for applying the selected visual transition;

incrementally remove the overlaid first image to reveal the second image using the following steps;

process the first set of details with the first image to apply the discrete visual change of the selected visual transition to a first part of the first image;

update the display control data subsequent to making the discrete visual change to the first image to generate updated display control data;

extract a second set of details from the updated display control data that are associated with a second discrete visual change related to the selected visual transition;

process the second set of details with the first image to apply the second discrete visual change of the selected visual transition to a second part of the first image; and

display, on the electronic display, at least a part of the second image made visible by the applying of the discrete visual change and the second discrete visual change to the first image, wherein, as a result, the part of the second image is made visible without the use of any pre-generated animation data file.

10. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first image comprises an idle screen image.

11. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second image comprises a game screen image associated with game play of a base game.

12. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a credit input mechanism, wherein the user command comprises user input to the credit input mechanism.

13. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises at least one selectable control, and wherein the user command comprises selection of at least one selectable control.

14. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first image comprises a game screen image associated with game play of a base game.

15. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second image comprises a game screen image associated with game play of a bonus game.

16. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the user command comprises a user command that initiates the game play of the bonus game.