Gaming apparatus with portrait-mode display

• US 20030069070A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allan E. Alcorn, Harry H. Jenkins
• Original Assignee: Allan E. Alcorn, Harry H. Jenkins
• Inventors: Alcorn, Allan E., Jenkins, Harry H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,267,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• 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

Abstract

Improved electronic gaming apparatus, including a cabinet for housing video and sound generating electronics, coin-handling and pay-out mechanism and a video display screen. The display screen is substantially taller than it is wide and may have a touch screen associated therewith. Although the displayed video presentation may take any form, the display may include graphics replicating the standard play board at top, game board in middle, and principal user input interface below.

Claims

1. A slot machine, comprising:

a cabinet having a front face that is configured to have a display section with a height and a width, said height of said display section being larger than said width of said display section;

a video display unit associated with said cabinet, said video display unit having a video display screen having a height and a width, said height of said video display screen being larger than said width of said video display screen, said video display unit being disposed so that said height of said video display screen is parallel to said height of said display section of said front face of said cabinet and so that said width of said video display screen is parallel to said width of said display section of said front face of said cabinet, said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than 4/3;

a value-receiving mechanism associated with said cabinet;

a spin button;

a coin hopper associated with said cabinet;

a processor disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said value-receiving mechanism and said video display unit;

a read-only memory disposed in said cabinet;

a nonvolatile memory capable of storing critical system data;

critical data storage software that causes critical system data to be stored in said nonvolatile memory;

program memory disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said processor; and

system software stored in said program memory, said system software comprising software representing a game that may be played by a player,

said slot machine being operable in an attract mode and a play mode, said display screen being electronically subdivided into a plurality of different display regions when said slot machine is in said play mode, said display regions comprising an upper region, a middle region disposed below said upper region, and a lower region disposed below said middle region, one of said display regions displaying a plurality of user-input buttons and another of said display regions displaying a plurality of reels, said slot machine additionally comprising a touch screen associated with said display region displaying said plurality of user input buttons.

2. A slot machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a coin-receiving slot.

3. A slot machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a paper money-receiving slot.

4. A slot machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a credit/debit card slot.

5. A slot machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forms an aspect ratio having a magnitude of 16/9.

6. A gaming machine, comprising:

a cabinet having a front face that is configured to have a display section with a height and a width, said height of said display section being larger than said width of said display section;

a video display unit associated with said cabinet, said video display unit having a video display screen having a height and a width, said height of said video display screen being larger than said width of said video display screen, said video display unit being disposed so that said height of said video display screen is parallel to said height of said display section of said front face of said cabinet and so that said width of said video display screen is parallel to said width of said display section of said front face of said cabinet, said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than 4/3;

a value-receiving mechanism associated with said cabinet;

a processor disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said value-receiving mechanism and said video display unit;

a read-only memory disposed in said cabinet;

a nonvolatile memory capable of storing critical system data;

critical data storage software that causes critical system data to be stored in said nonvolatile memory;

program memory disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said processor; and

system software stored in said program memory, said system software comprising software representing a game that may be played by a player,

said gaming machine being operable in an attract mode and a play mode, said display screen being electronically subdivided into a plurality of different display regions when said gaming machine is in said play mode, said display regions comprising an upper region, a middle region disposed below said upper region, and a lower region disposed below said middle region, one of said display regions displaying a plurality of user-input buttons, said gaming machine additionally comprising a touch screen associated with said display region displaying said plurality of user input buttons.

7. A gaming machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a coin-receiving slot.

8. A gaming machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a paper money-receiving slot.

9. A gaming machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a credit/debit card slot.

10. A gaming machine as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising a value-dispensing mechanism.

11. A gaming machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forms an aspect ratio having a magnitude of 16/9.

12. A gaming machine, comprising:

a cabinet having a front face that is configured to have a display section with a height and a width, said height of said display section being larger than said width of said display section;

a video display unit associated with said cabinet, said video display unit having a video display screen having a height and a width, said height of said video display screen being larger than said width of said video display screen, said video display unit being disposed so that said height of said video display screen is parallel to said height of said display section of said front face of said cabinet and so that said width of said video display screen is parallel to said width of said display section of said front face of said cabinet, said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than 4/3;

a value-receiving mechanism associated with said cabinet;

a processor disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said value-receiving mechanism and said video display unit;

a read-only memory disposed in said cabinet;

a nonvolatile memory capable of storing critical system data;

critical data storage software that causes critical system data to be stored in said nonvolatile memory;

program memory disposed in said cabinet and operatively coupled to said processor; and

system software stored in said program memory, said system software comprising software representing a game that may be played by a player,

said display screen being electronically subdivided into a plurality of different display regions, one of said display regions displaying a plurality of user-input buttons, said gaming machine additionally comprising a touch screen associated with said display region displaying said plurality of user input buttons.

13. A gaming machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a coin-receiving slot.

14. A gaming machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a paper money-receiving slot.

15. A gaming machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said value-receiving mechanism comprises a credit/debit card slot.

16. A gaming machine as defined in claim 12 additionally comprising a value-dispensing mechanism.

17. A gaming machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said height of said video display screen divided by said width of said video display screen forms an aspect ratio having a magnitude of 16/9.