Gaming device having a physical stimuli generator

• US 20030073478A1
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kovacs, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/978,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating physical stimuli associated with a gaming device. The invention includes a generator and a blower to distribute the physical stimuli outside the gaming device. The gaming device may generate physical stimuli based on different occurrences including but not limited to game themes, player inputs, game triggering events, sensing devices or by remote operation.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a housing defining at least one portal;

a physical stimuli generator in said housing;

at least one fluid communicator in said housing connected between said physical stimuli generator and said portal; and

a processor which controls said physical stimuli generator and causes the physical stimuli generator to create physical stimuli and direct the physical stimuli through the fluid communicator to the portal and to an exterior area of the housing.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a cabinet and wherein said housing is removably attached to said cabinet.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is in the cabinet and connected to the physical stimuli generator in the housing.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a plurality of portals and which includes a plurality of fluid communicators connected between the physical stimuli generator and portals.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the physical stimuli generator is adapted to create a pulsed physical stimuli stream.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the physical stimuli generator is adapted to create a continuous physical stimuli stream.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a blower in said housing connected to said physical stimuli generator and the fluid communicator.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the physical stimuli generator includes a blower.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor and physical stimuli generator are at least partially controlled from a location remote from the housing.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor includes a timer for causing the physical stimuli generator to generate physical stimuli on a regular basis.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes at least one sensing device in communication with the processor, wherein the processor selectively causes the physical stimuli generator to generate physical stimuli when a passerby is detected by said sensing device.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the physical stimuli is selected from the group consisting of:

fog, smoke, steam, snow, foam, and haze.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor causes the physical stimuli generator to create physical stimuli in response to a player input.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor causes the physical stimuli generator to create physical stimuli upon the occurrence of a game event.

15. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein said processor causes the physical stimuli generator to create physical stimuli in conjunction with a game mode, game state or game event or change therein.

16. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor causes the physical stimuli generator to generate the physical stimuli upon the occurrence of an event selected from the group consisting of:

an initiation of a primary game;

an event in a primary game;

an initiation of a secondary game;

an event in a secondary game;

an initiation of a game mode;

an event during a game mode;

an initiation of a game state;

an event during a game state; and

an award provided to a player.

17. A gaming device comprising:

a housing defining a plurality of portals;

a physical stimuli generator in said housing adapted to generate physical stimuli selected from the group consisting of;

fog, smoke, steam, snow, foam, and haze;

a plurality of fluid communicators in said housing connected between said physical stimuli generator and said portals; and

a processor which controls said physical stimuli generator and causes the physical stimuli generator to create the physical stimuli and direct the physical stimuli through the fluid communicator to the portal and to an exterior area of the housing in conjunction with a game mode, game state or game event or change therein.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, which includes a cabinet and wherein said housing is removably attached to said cabinet.

19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the processor is in the cabinet and connected to the physical stimuli generator in the housing.

20. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the physical stimuli generator is adapted to create a pulsed physical stimuli stream.

21. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the physical stimuli generator is adapted to create a continuous physical stimuli stream.

22. The gaming device of claim 17, which includes a blower in said housing connected to said physical stimuli generator and the fluid communicator.

23. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the physical stimuli generator includes a blower.

24. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said processor and physical stimuli generator are at least partially controlled from a location remote from the housing.

25. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said processor includes a timer for causing the physical stimuli generator to generate physical stimuli on a regular basis.

26. The gaming device of claim 17, which includes at least one sensing device in communication with the processor, wherein the processor selectively causes the physical stimuli generator to generate physical stimuli when a passerby is detected by said sensing device.

27. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein said processor causes the physical stimuli generator to create physical stimuli in response to a player input.