Multigame Gaming Machine With Transmissive Display

• US 20090117977A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, James M., Joshi, Shridhar P., Pacey, Larry J., Gelber, Philip B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,464 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

Abstract

Gaming machine is disclosed having a primary display and a secondary display mounted over the primary display. In one implementation, the primary display is a mechanical display and the secondary display is a transmissive display. This arrangement allows a wagering game to be displayed on the mechanical display alone, the mechanical display and the transmissive display together, or the transmissive display alone. As a result, players and casino operators have access to multiple wagering games on the same display area of the gaming machine. All three options need not be present on the gaming machine, however, and any two of the three will suffice. It is important, however, that the wagering game displayed on the transmissive display be separate and distinct from the wagering game displayed on the mechanical display.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a wager input device configured to accept a wager input from a player at said gaming machine;

a primary display selectively operable to display a first randomly selected outcome of a first wagering game in response to a first wager; and

a transmissive display overlaying said primary display and selectively operable to display

a second randomly selected outcome of a second wagering game in response to a second wager;

wherein said transmissive display displays said second randomly selected outcome of said second wagering game independently of said primary display.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said primary display displays said first randomly selected outcome of said first wagering game independently of said transmissive display.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said transmissive display is further selectively operable to superimpose a game enhancement feature on said first wagering game of said primary display.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said first wagering game and said second wagering game are unrelated to each other.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said first wagering game and said second wagering game are related to each other.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein said first wagering game is a basic wagering game and said second wagering game is a bonus wagering game triggered by said basic wagering game.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein said first wagering game is a basic wagering game and said second wagering game is a progressive game.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said first wagering game is a slot machine game and said primary display includes mechanical reels for displaying said slot machine game.

9. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising:

receiving a wager input from a player at said gaming machine, said gaming machine including a transmissive display mounted over a mechanical display and having at least two display options selected from the following;

(a) said mechanical display without said transmissive display, (b) said mechanical display together with said transmissive display, and (c) said transmissive display without said mechanical display;

selecting one of said at least two display options to use on said gaming machine; and

displaying a first wagering game if display option (a) is selected, a second wagering game if display option (b) is selected, and a third wagering game if display option (c) is selected;

wherein said third wagering game is separate and distinct from said first wagering game and said second wagering game.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising storing one or more of said first, second, and third wagering games in a local memory of said gaming machine.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising downloading one or more of said first, second, and third wagering games from a gaming network.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising downloading updates for said one or more of said first, second, and third wagering games from said gaming network.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said downloads may occur according to one or more of the following:

as needed, a regular schedule, and an irregular schedule.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising storing a current state of said third wagering game at a conclusion of a current gaming session if display option (c) is selected and subsequently restoring said current state of said third wagering game in a subsequent gaming session.

15. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 9.

16. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising:

providing a first wagering game on a first display of said gaming machine; and

replacing said first wagering game on said first display with a second wagering game on a second display of said gaming machine, said first and second displays occupying a same display area on said gaming machine;

wherein said second wagering game displayed on said second display is separate and distinct from said first wagering game displayed on said first display.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising determining that said first wagering game on said first display is less profitable before replacing said first wagering game with said second wagering game.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first display is a mechanical display and said second display is a transmissive display.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of replacing said first wagering game includes making said transmissive display substantially opaque to block out said mechanical display.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first display is a transmissive display and said second display is a mechanical display.

21. A gaming machine for playing different wagering games, comprising:

a primary mechanical display selectively operable to display first images of a first wagering game; and

a secondary display distinct from said primary mechanical display and spatially separated from said primary display, the secondary display selectively operable to display second images of a second wagering game, the second images being displayed in front of said primary mechanical display;

wherein said transmissive display displays said second images of said second wagering game independently of said primary mechanical display.

22. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said primary display together with said secondary display third images of a third wagering game.

23. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said primary display displays said first randomly selected outcome of said first wagering game independently of said transmissive display.

24. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said secondary display is further selectively operable to project a game enhancement feature on said first wagering game of said primary display.

25. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said first wagering game and said second wagering game are unrelated to each other.

26. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said secondary display is a transmissive display.

27. The gaming machine according to claim 21, wherein said first wagering game is a slot machine game and said primary display includes mechanical reels for displaying said slot machine game.

28. The gaming machine according to claim 21, further comprising a local memory storing one or more of said first and second wagering games.

29. The gaming machine according to claim 21, further comprising a network interface capable of downloading one or more of said first and second wagering games from a gaming network.

30. The gaming machine according to claim 29, wherein said network interface is capable of downloading updates for said one or more of said first and second wagering games from said gaming network.

31. The gaming machine according to claim 30, wherein said downloads may occur according to one or more of the following:

as needed, a regular schedule, and an irregular schedule.