Dynamic user interface in a gaming system

• US 20090275406A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bytnar, Michael R., Gomez, Benjamin T>, Rasmussen, James M., Ward, Matthew J., Canterbury, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US11/991,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen

Abstract

A dynamically re-configurable input panel for a gaming machine, in one implementation, comprises a plurality of electrical contact regions disposed on the input panel and a plurality of display elements associated with the electrical contact regions, wherein information displayed on the display elements is dynamically re-configurable under game machine software control. In one implementation, the plurality of electrical contact regions comprises a plurality of electrical switches. Each of these switches may have a self-contained, re-configurable display element.

Claims

1. A dynamically re-configurable input panel for a gaming machine comprising:

a plurality of electrical contact regions disposed on the input panel, wherein the plurality of electrical contact regions comprises a plurality of electrical switches with at least a first electrical switch having a multi-faceted geometry; and

a plurality of display elements associated with the electrical contact regions;

wherein information displayed on the display elements is dynamically re-configurable under game machine software control.

2. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein the first electrical switch comprises a self-contained, re-configurable display element that displays different indicia for each of the multi-faceted geometries of the first electrical switch.

3. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 2, wherein the self-contained, re-configurable display element comprises an LCD display.

4. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 3, wherein the LCD display comprises an active matrix color LCD display.

5. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 2, wherein the dynamically re-configurable display element is implemented in a display technology selected from the group of display technologies consisting of:

liquid crystal;

light emitting diode;

organic light emitting diode;

digital paper; and

vacuum fluorescent.

6. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein each of the multi-faceted geometries of the first electrical switch comprises a planar geometry.

7. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein each of the multi-faceted geometries of the first electrical switch generates a corresponding different switch output when the associated multi-faceted geometries of the first electrical switch are activated by a user.

8. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein the multi-faceted geometry comprises a pyramidal geometry.

9. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein the multi-faceted geometry comprises a truncated pyramidal geometry.

10. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein self-contained, re-configurable display elements are disposed on each of the facets of the multi-faceted switches.

11. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical contact regions comprises a plurality of electrical contact regions created on a touch screen display panel.

12. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 11, wherein one of the electrical contact regions is a virtual touch pad.

13. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 12, wherein the virtual touch pad is at least partially transparent to underlying display content.

14. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 13, wherein the virtual touch pad is laterally translatable and re-sizable.

15. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 14, wherein the virtual touch pad is laterally translatable and re-sizable through detection of a plurality of substantially simultaneous electrical contacts detected at laterally spaced predetermined minimum intervals.

16. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 12, wherein the virtual touch pad is disposed amidst information content on the touch screen display panel.

17. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 16, wherein a predetermined manner of electrical contact detected within the virtual touch pad region initiates scrolling operation of the information content.

18. A dynamically re-configurable input panel for a gaming machine comprising:

a touch screen display panel having a plurality of virtual electrical contact regions displayed thereon, wherein the plurality of virtual electrical contact regions act as corresponding electrical switches with at least a first electrical switch having a multi-faceted geometry;

wherein information content and virtual electrical contact regions displayed on the display panel are dynamically re-configurable under game machine software control.

19. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 18, wherein one of the electrical contact regions is a virtual touch pad.

20. The dynamically re-configurable input panel of claim 19, wherein the virtual touch pad is laterally translatable and re-sizable through detection of a plurality of substantially simultaneous electrical contacts detected at laterally spaced predetermined minimum intervals.

21. A gaming machine comprising:

a dynamically re-configurable input panel spaced apart from a main video display unit of the gaming machine, the input panel having a plurality of electrical contact regions disposed thereon, wherein the plurality of electrical contact regions comprise a plurality of electrical switches with at least a first electrical switch having a multi-faceted geometry; and

a plurality of display elements associated with the electrical contact regions;

wherein information displayed on the display elements is dynamically re-configurable under gaming machine software control.

22. A dynamically re-configurable input panel for a gaming machine comprising:

a touch screen display panel spaced apart from a main video display unit of the gaming machine, the touch screen display panel having a plurality of virtual electrical contact regions displayed thereon, wherein the plurality of virtual electrical contact regions act as corresponding electrical switches with at least a first electrical switch having a multi-faceted geometry;

wherein information content and virtual electrical contact regions displayed on the display panel are dynamically re-configurable under gaming machine software control.