SINGLE PLANE SPANNING MODE ACROSS INDEPENDENTLY DRIVEN DISPLAYS

• US 20080136741A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Joseph R., Williams, David C., Larsen, Kurt M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/3.3
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A multi-layer display device having a first display screen having a first resolution and adapted to present a first visual image thereon, a second display screen having a second resolution and adapted to present a second visual image thereon, and a logic device configured to communicate with the first display screen and the second display screen and configured to receive a combined single plane visual image for display on the first and second display screen, the combined visual image having a first portion corresponding to the first visual image to be displayed on the first display screen and a second portion corresponding to the second visual image to be displayed on the second display screen, wherein the logic device is configured to transmit the first visual image to the first display screen and the second visual image to the second display screen.

Claims

1. A display system configured to display images on a single screen that are also adapted for display on an associated multi-layer display device having a plurality of display screens, comprising:

a single display screen having a first display portion corresponding to a first display screen of the associated multi-layer display device, the first display portion containing a first visual image, and a second display portion corresponding to a second display screen of the multi-layer display device, the second display portion containing a second visual image, wherein the first display portion and second display portion combine to form a combined single plane visual image; and

a logic device in communication with the single display screen and configured to process the combined single plane visual image for display on said single display screen.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the combined single plane visual image has a resolution equal to the sum of a first resolution of the first display screen of the associated multi-layer display device and a second resolution of the second display screen of the associated multi-layer display device.

3. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first display portion is positioned in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent to the second display portion on the single display screen.

4. The display system of claim 3, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the first distance is reduced by a ratio of a horizontal component of the first resolution and a horizontal component of the resolution of the combined single plane visual image.

5. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first portion is positioned above or below the second portion on the single display screen.

6. The display system of claim 5, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the second distance is reduced by a ratio of a vertical component of the first resolution and a vertical component of the resolution of the combined single plane visual image.

7. The display system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third display portion corresponding to a third display screen of the multi-layer display device,

wherein the combined single plane visual image data further comprises a third visual image contained in the third display portion and displayed on the third display screen.

8. A method for presenting images in a multi-layer display device having a first display screen and a second display screen, the second display screen arranged relative to the first display screen such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display screen to a portion of the second display screen, the method comprising:

creating a combined single plane image, the single plane image having a first image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the first display screen and a second image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the second display screen;

transmitting the first image portion to the first display screen; and

transmitting the second image portion to the second display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising setting a resolution of the combined single plane image to a sum of a first resolution of the first display screen and a second resolution of the second display screen.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising positioning the first image portion in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent the second image portion.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating movement of a pointer on one of the first or second display screens a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction;

reducing the first distance by multiplying the first distance by a ratio of a horizontal component of the first resolution and a horizontal component of the resolution of the combined single plane image; and

displaying the pointer at the new location based upon the reduced first distance.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising positioning the first image portion above or below the second image portion.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating movement of a pointer on one of the first or second display screens a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction;

reducing the second distance by multiplying the second distance by a ratio of a vertical component of the first resolution and a vertical component of the resolution of the combined single plane image; and

displaying the pointer at the new location based upon the reduced second distance.

14. An apparatus for presenting images in a multi-layer display device, comprising:

a first display screen having a first resolution and adapted to present a first visual image thereon;

a second display screen having a second resolution and adapted to present a second visual image thereon, the second display screen arranged relative to the first display screen such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display screen to a portion of the second display screen;

means for creating a combined single plane image, the single plane image having a first image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the first display screen and a second image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the second display screen;

means for transmitting the first image portion to the first display screen; and

means for transmitting the second image portion to the second display screen.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for setting a resolution of the combined single plane image to a sum of the first resolution and the second resolution.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for positioning the first image portion in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent the second image portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving an input indicating movement of a pointer on one of the first or second display screens a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction;

means for reducing the first distance by multiplying the first distance by a ratio of a horizontal component of the first resolution and a horizontal component of the resolution of the combined single plane image; and

means for displaying the pointer at the new location based upon the reduced first distance.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for positioning the first image portion above or below the second image portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving an input indicating movement of a pointer on one of the first or second display screens a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction;

means for reducing the second distance by multiplying the second distance by a ratio of a vertical component of the first resolution and a vertical component of the resolution of the combined single plane image; and

means for displaying the pointer at the new location based upon the reduced second distance.

20. A method for determining a new location of a pointer on a multi-layer display device having a first display screen and a second display screen, the second display screen arranged relative to the first display screen such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display screen to a portion of the second display screen, the method comprising:

displaying a combined single plane image on the first display screen and the second display screen,

wherein the combined single plane image has a first image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the first display screen and a second image portion corresponding to images to be displayed on the second display screen;

receiving an input from an input device indicating movement of the pointer displayed on the first video display screen a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction;

reducing either the first or second distance by multiplying the first or second distance by a ratio of a first display screen resolution and a combined image resolution; and

displaying the pointer at the new location based upon the reduced first or second distance.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising reducing a speed of the pointer by multiplying the speed by a ratio of the first display resolution and the combined single plane image resolution.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first distance is reduced if the first image portion is positioned in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent the second image portion.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second distance is reduced if the first image portion is positioned above or below the second image portion.

24. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display screen having a first resolution and adapted to present a first visual image thereon;

a second display screen having a second resolution and adapted to present a second visual image thereon, the second display screen arranged relative to the first video display screen such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display screen to a portion of the second display screen; and

a logic device configured to communicate with the first display screen and the second display screen and configured to receive a combined single plane visual image for display on the first and second display screen, the combined visual image having a first portion corresponding to the first visual image to be displayed on the first display screen and a second portion corresponding to the second visual image to be displayed on the second display screen,

wherein the logic device is configured to transmit the first visual image to the first display screen and the second visual image to the second display screen.

25. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the single combined visual image has a resolution equal to the sum of the first resolution and the second resolution.

26. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the first portion is positioned in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent to the second portion.

27. The gaming machine of claim 26, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the first distance is reduced by a ratio of a horizontal component of the first resolution and a horizontal component of the resolution of the combined visual image.

28. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the first portion is positioned above or below the second portion.

29. The gaming machine of claim 28, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the second distance is reduced by a ratio of a vertical component of the first resolution and a vertical component of the resolution of the combined visual image.

30. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the logic device is a video card having a plurality of output ports.

31. A system for displaying images on a multi-layer display device, comprising:

a first display screen having a first resolution and adapted to present a first visual image thereon;

a second display screen having a second resolution and adapted to present a second visual image thereon, the second display screen arranged relative to the first display screen such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display screen to a portion of the second display screen; and

a logic device configured to communicate with the first display screen and the second display screen and configured to receive a combined single plane visual image for display on the first and second display screen, the combined visual image having a first portion corresponding to the first visual image to be displayed on the first display screen and a second portion corresponding to the second visual image to be displayed on the second display screen,

wherein the logic device is configured to transmit the first visual image to the first display screen and the second visual image to the second display screen.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the combined single plane visual image has a resolution equal to the sum of the first resolution and the second resolution.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first portion is positioned in a substantially side-by-side orientation adjacent to the second portion.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the first distance is reduced by a ratio of a horizontal component of the first resolution and a horizontal component of the resolution of the combined single plane visual image.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the first portion is positioned above or below the second portion.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising a pointer configured to be displayed on the first display screen, the pointer further configured to be moved a first distance in a horizontal direction and a second distance in a vertical direction,

wherein the second distance is reduced by a ratio of a vertical component of the first resolution and a vertical component of the resolution of the combined single plane visual image.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the logic device is a video card having a plurality of output ports.