Virtual cameras and 3-D gaming environments in a gaming machine

• US 20050233799A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal, Beaulieu, Nicole M., Rowe, Richard E., Schlottmann, Greg A., Breckner, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a three-dimensional object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of the game outcome presentation. To add excitement to the game, a 3-D position of the 3-D object and other features of the 3-D gaming environment may be controlled by a game player. Nearly an unlimited variety of virtual objects, such as slot reels, gaming machines and casinos, may be modeled in the 3-D gaming environment.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to control one or more games of chance played on the gaming machine;

one or more virtual three-dimensional 3-D gaming environments available for rendering a game outcome presentation for the one or more games of chance;

game logic for rendering one or more two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in at least one of the 3-D gaming environments;

one or more display devices for displaying said game outcome presentations with said rendered one or more two-dimensional images.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a gaming machine operational feature in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture the gaming machine operation feature on the one or more two-dimensional images.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the gaming machine operational feature is selected from the group consisting of inserting a player tracking card in a card reader on the gaming machine, entering an identification code on the gaming machine, pressing an input button on the gaming machine, inserting a printed ticket in a bill validator on the gaming machine, displaying an electronic fund transfer transaction, displaying an alternate video presentation, using an electronic key with a gaming device connected to the gaming machine.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed of configured to draw attract mode features in the one or more 3-D gaming environment and to capture the attract mode features on the one or more two-dimensional images.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a promotional feature in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture the promotional feature on the one or more two-dimensional images.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw casino information in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture the casino information on the one or more two-dimensional images.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a bonus game presentation in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture the bonus game presentation on the one or more two-dimensional images.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is time varying.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein a rate of movement of the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is time varying.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object changes at least one of continuously, non-continuously and combinations thereof.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an input mechanism designed or configured to receive an input signal used to change a three-dimensional position of 3-D object.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the input mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a key pad, a touch screen, a mouse, a joy stick, a microphone and a track ball.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is changed to enlarge a feature in the 3-D gaming environment displayed on said one or more display devices.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an input mechanism designed or configured to receive one or more input signals containing information used to select a 3-D gaming environment for the game outcome presentation of a game of chance.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical processing unit, separate from said master gaming controller, designed or configured to execute the graphical operations used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from the 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a first display device designed or configured to display a rendered two-dimensional image from a first gaming environment and a second display device designed or configured to display simultaneously a rendered two-dimensional image from a second gaming environment.

19. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface board designed or configured to allow the master gaming controller to communicate with a remote display device.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein said rendered one or more two-dimensional images are displayed on the remote display device.

21. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the master gaming controller communicates with the remote display device via at least one of a local area network, a wide area network and the Internet.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a slot game, a keno game, a poker game, a pachinko game, a video black jack game, a bingo game, a baccarat game, a roulette game, a dice game and a card game.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is multiple hands of a card game presented simultaneously.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the multiple hands of the card game are between 1 hand of poker to 1000 hands of poker.

25. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an input mechanism designed or configured to receive an input signal used to change a three-dimensional position of the 3-D object in the three-dimensional gaming environment.

26. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic for rendering a two-dimensional image derived from a 3-D object in a 3-D game interface model stored in a memory device on the gaming machine wherein the 3-D game interface model comprises a plurality of 3-D game windows modeled on one or more 3-D surfaces in the 3-D game interface model.

27. The gaming machine of claim 26, wherein game window content is rendered in each of the plurality of 3-D game windows and the game window content is selected from the group consisting of a game of chance, a bonus game, an advertisement, news, stock quotes, electronic mail, a web page, a message service, a locator service or a hotel/casino service, a movie, a musical selection, a casino promotion, a broadcast event, a maintenance operation, a player tracking service, a drink menu and a snack menu.

28. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic for determining the selection of input buttons modeled in a 3-D gaming environment.

29. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of display devices wherein each display device is designed to display simultaneously a portion of a rendered two-dimensional image.

30. The gaming machine of claim 29, wherein video feeds for each of the plurality of display devices is provided from a single video card.

31. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

gaming logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in at least one of the 3-D gaming environments stored on the remote gaming device and to display said rendered one or more two-dimensional images on a display located on the remote gaming device.

32. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a multi-headed video card.

33. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein a first head on the multi-headed video is used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in at least one of the 3-D gaming environments and a second head on the multi-head video card is used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in at least one of the 3-D gaming environments.

34. The gaming machine of claim 33, wherein

rendered two-dimensional images from the first head and rendered two-dimensional images from the second head are displayed simultaneously on the same display.

35. The gaming machine of claim 33, wherein

rendered two-dimensional images from the first head are displayed on a first display and rendered two-dimensional images from the second head are displayed simultaneously on a second display.

2. The gaming machine of game 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a plurality of the game outcome presentations in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture two or more of the game outcome presentations on at least one of the two-dimensional images.

3. The gaming machine of game 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a gaming machine maintenance operation in the one or more 3-D gaming environments and to capture the gaming machine maintenance operation on the one or more two-dimensional images.