Audio network for gaming machines

• US 20050043090A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Pryzby, Eric M., Block, Rory L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A gaming machine network includes a plurality of gaming machines and a central controller. Each gaming machine further includes an associated peripheral device electronically coupled to the gaming machine. The peripheral device includes an audio speaker system broadcasting an audio output to a player of the gaming machine. The central controller is electronically coupled to each of the plurality of gaming machines and sends audio instructions for controlling the audio outputs from the audio speaker systems within the peripheral devices. Alternatively, or in addition to the aforementioned operation, the central controller may receive audio instructions from the peripheral device associated with one of the gaming machines and the central controller further transmits the audio instructions to selected other ones of the plurality of gaming machines. The peripheral device may be, for example, a top box for the gaming machine or a contoured chair for the gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming machine network, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines including a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to a wager input, each gaming machine including an associated peripheral device electronically coupled to said gaming machine, each peripheral device including an audio speaker system for broadcasting an audio output to a player of said gaming machine; and

a central controller electronically coupled to each of said plurality of gaming machines, said central controller sending audio instructions for controlling said audio outputs of said audio speaker systems within said peripheral devices of said plurality of gaming machines.

2. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said audio instructions include audio data in a digital audio format.

3. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said audio instructions include audio data in a digital surround-sound format.

4. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller also sends said audio instructions to casino speakers located remotely from said plurality of gaming machines.

5. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller sends said audio instructions in response to real time being a predetermined time.

6. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller selectively sends said audio instructions to certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

7. The gaming network of claim 6, wherein said audio instructions that are sent to said certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines are different.

8. The gaming network of claim 6, wherein said certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines are selected based on an identification of players playing at said certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

9. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein audio instructions include compressed audio data.

10. The gaming network of claim 9, wherein each of said peripheral devices include a digital-to-analog converter and a power amplifier for processing said compressed audio data so as to broadcast said audio output.

11. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller selectively sends said audio instructions to a certain one of said plurality of gaming machines, said audio instructions corresponding to an audio output that contains a message for a player of said certain one of said plurality of gaming machines.

12. The gaming network of claim 11, wherein said message relates to an outcome achieved by said gaming machine.

13. The gaming network of claim 12, wherein said message includes music having lyrics that relate to said outcome.

14. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller selectively sends said audio instructions to each of said plurality of gaming machines in response to one of said gaming machines achieving a certain outcome.

15. The gaming network of claim 14, wherein said audio instructions sent to one of said plurality of gaming machines is different from said audio instructions sent to others of said plurality of gaming machines.

16. The gaming network of claim 14, wherein said audio instructions include music.

17. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said peripheral devices are top boxes located above said gaming machines for displaying information about a bonus game or a progressive game.

18. The gaming network of claim 17, wherein said audio instructions relate to said bonus game or said progressive game.

19. The gaming network of claim 18, wherein said audio instructions provide choreographed audio effects broadcasting from said audio speaker systems, said choreographed audio effects include sequential actuation of said audio speaker systems of said peripheral devices.

20. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said audio speaker system includes one speaker.

21. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller selectively sends said audio instructions to each of said plurality of gaming machines in response to a randomly selected event or time.

22. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said audio speaker system of each of said peripheral devices includes a plurality of speakers in a non-planer spatial arrangement around a location where a player is positioned at said respective gaming machines.

23. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein each of said peripheral devices includes memory for storing audio data sets and, in response to receiving said audio instructions from said central controller, one of said audio data sets is selected for broadcasting through said audio speaker system.

24. The gaming network of claim 23, wherein a processor within each of said plurality of gaming machines selects said one of said audio data sets from said memory.

25. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller also sends said audio instructions to signage speakers on signage proximate to said plurality of gaming machines.

26. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of gaming machines includes a microphone for converting acoustic signals from a player to player-specific audio signals.

27. The gaming network of claim 26, wherein said player-specific audio signals are processed and broadcasted as an audio output from said audio speaker systems within said peripheral devices.

28. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said peripheral devices are chairs in which players of said gaming machines are seated while playing said gaming machines.

29. The gaming network of claim 28, wherein said audio speaker system in said chair includes a plurality of speakers in a non-planer spatial arrangement around a location where said player is sitting at said gaming machine.

30. The gaming network of claim 1, wherein said central controller is also for receiving other audio instructions from one of said peripheral devices and disseminating said other audio instructions to selected other ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

31. A gaming machine network, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines including a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes in response to a wager input, each gaming machine including an associated peripheral device electronically coupled to said gaming machine, each peripheral device including an audio speaker system broadcasting an audio output to a player of said gaming machine and a memory device containing audio files; and

a central controller electronically coupled to each of said plurality of gaming machines, said central controller receiving audio instructions from one of said peripheral devices and disseminating said audio instructions to selected other ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

32. The gaming network of claim 31, wherein said peripheral devices are chairs in which players of said gaming machines are seated while playing said gaming machines.

33. The gaming network of claim 32, wherein said audio speaker system in said chair includes a plurality of speakers in a non-planer spatial arrangement around a location where said player is sitting at said gaming machine.

34. The gaming network of claim 32, wherein said memory device is located within said chair.

35. The gaming network of claim 31, wherein said audio instructions sent to said central controller include one or more of said audio files.

36. The gaming network of claim 35, wherein audio files are sent to said central controller in a compressed audio data format.

37. The gaming network of claim 31, wherein said audio instructions sent to said central controller include instructions to select a certain audio file stored in said memories within said peripheral devices.

38. The gaming network of claim 31, wherein said peripheral devices are top boxes located above said gaming machines for displaying information about a bonus game or a progressive game.

39. The gaming network of claim 38, wherein said audio instructions relate to said bonus game or said progressive game.

40. The gaming network of claim 31, wherein said selected ones of said plurality of gaming machines are selected based on an identification of players playing at said plurality of gaming machines.

41. A gaming machine network, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines including a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes in response to a wager input;

signage located proximate to and electronically coupled to said gaming machines, said signage including a memory device containing audio files and an audio speaker system broadcasting an audio output to players of said gaming machines; and

a central controller electronically coupled to each of said plurality of gaming machines and said signage, said central controller receiving audio instructions from one of said plurality of gaming machines and transmitting said audio instructions to said signage.

42. The gaming network of claim 41, wherein, in response to receiving said audio instructions from said central controller, one of said audio files in said memory device of said signage is selected for broadcasting through said audio speaker system.

43. The gaming network of claim 42, wherein a processor within each of said plurality of gaming machines selects said audio instructions to be sent to said central controller.

44. The gaming network of claim 41, wherein said signage displays information about a bonus game or a progressive game.

45. A gaming machine network, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines including a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to a wager;

signage located proximate to and electronically coupled to said gaming machines, said signage including a memory device containing audio files and an audio speaker system broadcasting an audio output to players of said gaming machines; and

a central controller electronically coupled to each of said plurality of gaming machines and said signage, said central controller receiving audio instructions from said signage and transmitting said audio instructions to selected ones said plurality of gaming machines.

46. The gaming network of claim 45, wherein said audio instructions sent to said central controller include one or more of said audio files.

47. The gaming network of claim 46, wherein said audio files are sent to said central controller in a compressed audio data format.

48. The gaming network of claim 45, wherein said audio instructions sent to said central controller include instructions to select a certain audio file stored in memories within said plurality of gaming machines.

49. The gaming network of claim 45, wherein said selected ones of said plurality of gaming machines are selected based on an identification of players playing at said certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

50. The gaming network of claim 45, wherein said central controller receives audio instructions from said signage in response to the occurrence of a certain event.

51. The gaming network of claim 50, wherein said signage displays information about a bonus game or a progressive game, said event being a winning outcome that is achieved at one of said plurality of gaming machines.

52. The gaming network of claim 45, wherein said central controller receives audio instructions from said signage in response to the real time being a predetermined time.

53. A method of operating a plurality of linked gaming machines, each of which is linked to signage located proximate to said plurality of gaming machines, comprising:

receiving wager inputs from players at said plurality of linked gaming machines;

in response to a certain event, instructing said signage, from one of said plurality of gaming machines, to broadcast an audio output from an audio speaker system located within said signage; and

broadcasting said audio output from said signage.

54. The method of claim 53, further including, in response to said instructing, accessing a desired audio file stored in a memory device located within said signage.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein said certain event is a winning outcome at said one of said plurality of said gaming machines.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein said instructing includes transmitting an audio data file stored in memory of a peripheral device that is electronically coupled to said one of said plurality of gaming machines.

57. A method of operating a plurality of linked gaming machines, each of said gaming machines including an associated peripheral device electronically coupled thereto, comprising:

receiving wager inputs from players at said plurality of linked gaming machines;

in response to a certain event, instructing one of said peripheral devices to broadcast an audio output from an audio speaker system located within said one of said peripheral devices, said instructing including accessing a desired audio file in a memory device located within said one of said peripheral devices; and

broadcasting said audio output from said one of said peripheral devices.

58. The method of claim 57, further including instructing all of said linked gaming machines to access a desired common audio file stored in memory devices located within said peripheral devices.

59. The method of claim 57, further including instructing certain ones of said linked gaming machines to access different audio files stored in memory devices located within said peripheral devices, said audio output being different for said certain ones of said plurality of gaming machines.

60. The method of claim 57, further including instructing remotely located audio speakers to broadcast audio corresponding to said desired audio file.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein said certain event is a winning outcome at said one of said plurality of said gaming machines.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said instructing originates from said one of said plurality of gaming machines.

63. The method of claim 57, wherein said instructing originates from said one of said plurality of gaming machines.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said one of said plurality of gaming machines sends said instructions to a central computer linked to said plurality of gaming machines, said central computer further transmitting said instructions.

65. The method of claim 57, wherein said peripheral device are chairs in which players of said gaming machines are seated while playing said gaming machines.

66. The method of claim 57, wherein said peripheral devices are top boxes located above said gaming machines for displaying information about a bonus game or a progressive game.