Gaming system with surround sound

• US 20040142748A1
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Rothschild, Wayne H., Pryzby, Eric M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• 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: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

An electronic gaming system comprises a gaming terminal and a speaker arrangement. The gaming terminal conducts a wagering game. The speaker arrangement emits audio associated with the wagering game in surround sound relative to a player in front of the gaming terminal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming terminal, comprising:

conducting a wagering game via a gaming terminal; and

emitting audio associated with the wagering game in surround sound relative to a player in front of the gaming terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the emitting step includes emitting the audio from a speaker arrangement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes left and right speakers generally behind the player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a center speaker generally behind the player.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes left and right speakers generally on opposite sides of the player and remote from the gaming terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a center speaker generally behind the player.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio includes one or more surround channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the surround channels include a single surround channel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the surround channels include a discrete surround left channel and a discrete surround right channel.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the surround channels include a discrete surround left channel, a discrete surround right channel, and a discrete surround back channel.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to the gaming terminal and positioned in front of the player, and wherein the emitting step includes reflecting the audio off of a reflective surface such that the player hears the reflected audio in surround sound.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reflective surface is positioned behind or to a side of the player.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to another gaming terminal positioned generally behind the player.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to a chair on which the player sits.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to a cabinet of the gaming terminal and extending from the cabinet to a position behind or to a side of the player.

16. The method of claim 1, further including controlling the audio with a central processing unit of the gaming terminal.

17. The method of claim 1, further including controlling the audio with a host computer linked to the gaming terminal over a network.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio includes a plurality of discrete sound channels, and further including decoding a single encoded data stream into multiple data streams transmitted through the sound channels.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the single encoded data stream is encoded with information indicating the audio to be emitted from each speaker of a multiple speaker arrangement.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the emitting step includes emitting the audio from a speaker in front of the player such that the surround sound is virtual.

21. An electronic gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal for conducting a wagering game; and

a speaker arrangement for emitting audio associated with the wagering game in surround sound relative to a player in front of the gaming terminal.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes left and right speakers generally behind the player.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a center speaker generally behind the player.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes left and right speakers generally on opposite sides of the player and remote from the gaming terminal.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a center speaker generally behind the player.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio includes one or more surround channels.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the surround channels include a single surround channel.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the surround channels include a discrete surround left channel and a discrete surround right channel.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the surround channels include a discrete surround left channel, a discrete surround right channel, and a discrete surround back channel.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker and a reflective surface, the speaker being mounted to the gaming terminal and positioned in front of the player, the audio being emitted from the speaker and reflected off of the reflective surface such that the player hears the reflected audio in surround sound.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the reflective surface is positioned behind or to a side of the player.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to another gaming terminal positioned generally behind the player.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to a chair on which the player sits.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker mounted to a cabinet of the gaming terminal and extending from the cabinet to a position behind or to a side of the player.

35. The system of claim 21, further including a central processing unit for controlling the audio, the central processing unit being located at the gaming terminal.

36. The system of claim 21, further including a central processing unit for controlling the audio, the central processing unit being located at a host computer linked to the gaming terminal over a network.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the audio includes a plurality of discrete sound channels, and further including a decoder for decoding a single encoded data stream into multiple data streams transmitted through the sound channels.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the single encoded data stream is encoded with information indicating the audio to be emitted from each speaker of the speaker arrangement.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein the speaker arrangement includes a speaker in front of the player for emitting the audio such that the surround sound is virtual.

40. An electronic gaming system comprising:

a media storage unit for storing audio data in a surround sound format, the audio data being associated with a wagering game; and

a processing unit for decoding the audio data.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the surround sound format is digital.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the surround sound format is analog.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the stored audio data is encoded with audio information for a plurality of sound channels, the processing unit decoding the audio data into the plurality of sound channels.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the plurality of sound channels include at least one surround sound channel.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the plurality of sound channels include at least four discrete sound channels.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the at least four discrete sound channels include front left, front right, surround left, and surround right.

47. The system of claim 40, wherein the stored audio data includes audio information for at least one surround channel encoded onto audio information for at least one non-surround channel, the processing unit using matrix decoding to derive the audio information for the surround channel from the audio information for the non-surround channel.

48. The system of claim 40, wherein the processing unit decodes the audio data into at least one surround sound channel.

49. The system of claim 48, further including a surround sound speaker coupled to the surround sound channel, the surround sound speaker being positioned generally behind or to a side of a player in front of a gaming terminal that is conducting the wagering game.

50. A method of operating a gaming system, comprising:

storing audio data for a wagering game in a surround sound format; and

decoding the audio data.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the surround sound format is digital.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the surround sound format is analog.

53. The method of claim 50, further including encoding the audio data with audio information for a plurality of sound channels, and wherein the decoding step includes decoding the audio data into the plurality of sound channels.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of sound channels include at least one surround sound channel.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of sound channels include at least four discrete sound channels.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the at least four discrete sound channels include front left, front right, surround left, and surround right.

57. The method of claim 50, further including encoding audio information for at least one surround channel onto audio information for at least one non-surround channel, and wherein the decoding step includes using matrix decoding to derive the audio information for the surround channel from the audio information for the non-surround channel.

58. The method of claim 50, wherein the decoding step includes decoding the audio data into at least one surround sound channel.

59. The method of claim 58, further including a surround sound speaker coupled to the surround sound channel, the surround sound speaker being positioned generally behind or to a side of a player in front of a gaming terminal that is conducting the wagering game.