WAGERING GAME WITH SIMULATED MECHANICAL REELS

• US 20080004104A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, James, Arezina, Vladimir, Durham, Timothy, Canterbury, Stephen, Thomas, Alfred, Mercado, Victor, Gagner, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,654,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming machine for playing a wagering game includes a housing having a display region, a controller for conducting the wagering game, and a video projector coupled to the controller. The display region includes a plurality of projection surfaces secured to floating screen assemblies. The video projector simulates mechanical reels of a slot machine in the display region. The video projector displays images of a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game. The images are projected onto the projection surfaces within the display region.

Claims

1. A gaming machine for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a housing having a display region that includes a plurality of projection surfaces secured to floating screen assemblies;

a controller for conducting said wagering game; and

a video projector coupled to said controller for simulating mechanical reels of a slot machine in said display region, said video projector projecting images of a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game, said images being displayed on said projection surfaces within said display region.

2. The machine of claim 1, further including a plurality of motors for imparting movement into said floating screen assemblies, wherein said movement simulates imperfections in mechanical reels of a slots game.

3. The machine of claim 2, wherein said motors impart eccentric movement.

4. The machine of claim 2, wherein said images projected from said video projector move synchronously with said movement in said floating screen assemblies such that said images of said plurality of symbols displayed on said projection surfaces move in the same direction and the same distance as said floating screen assemblies.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said synchronous movement includes moving said projected images up to 2 millimeters on a plane defined by any one of said projection surfaces.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein said movement is coordinated between adjacent floating screen assemblies to simulate imperfections between adjacent mechanical reels in a slots game.

7. The machine of claim 1, wherein said floating screen assemblies are semi-rigidly connected to said housing.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said floating screen assemblies are connected to said housing with a plurality of spring-like structures.

9. A gaming system for playing a slots game, the system comprising:

a controller for conducting said slots game;

a display area having a plurality of floating screen assemblies that include projection surfaces; and

a video projection device coupled to said controller, said video projection device projecting an image onto said projection surfaces, said image containing a plurality of symbols, said plurality of symbols indicating a randomly selected outcome of said slots game,

wherein said plurality of symbols in said projected image move to simulate mechanical reels of said slots game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein said projected image comprises a plurality of subareas with each subarea simulating a portion of said plurality of symbols of a mechanical reel on said projection surface.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein said projected image comprises five subareas displaying a plurality of symbols that simulate five mechanical reels of a slots game.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein a portion of said projected image surrounding said plurality of subareas is a solid color projected outside of said subareas.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, further including a plurality of motors for imparting a first movement into said floating screen assemblies, wherein said first movement simulates imperfections in mechanical reels of a slots game.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein said motors impart eccentric movements.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein each subarea has a second movement within the projected image from said video projection device, said second movement is synchronized with said first movement in said floating screen assemblies such that said subareas of said projected image move on said projection surfaces in a direction and a distance that corresponds with said movement of said floating screen assemblies.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein said synchronized movement includes moving said subareas of said projected images up to 2 millimeters along a plane defined by any one of said projection surfaces.

17. A method of conducting a slots game, the method comprising:

conducting said slots game at a gaming terminal having a plurality of floating screen assemblies;

projecting images of a plurality of symbols onto display surfaces of said floating screen assemblies, said plurality of symbols indicating a randomly selected outcome of said slots game.

18. The method of claim 17, furthering comprising eccentrically moving said floating screen assemblies during said projecting of images.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising synchronously moving at least a portion of said projected images with said floating assemblies movement.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising dividing said projected images into a plurality of subareas, wherein each subarea simulates a portion of said plurality of symbols of a mechanical reel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said synchronous movement of a portion of said projected images comprises movement of said subareas within said projected images.