Gaming Machine With Surround Sound Features

• US 20100261523A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Pryzby, Eric M., Bonney, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes selective application of surround sound. The selective application of surround sound allows certain key gaming events to be emphasized over other gaming events. The surround sound may be varied to produce certain effects, such as a tactile effect and a gradual building up of suspense and anticipation that increases player excitement and enjoyment. A surround sound decoder may be added in some embodiments to convert monophonic and stereo wagering games into surround sound. The surround sound may be implemented as true surround sound or as virtual surround sound.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine having

a first cabinet housing,

a display mounted to the first cabinet housing for displaying a wagering game, and

an input device for accepting inputs from a player to play the wagering game;

a second gaming machine positioned facing the first gaming machine, the second gaming machine having a second cabinet housing; and

a speaker arrangement for emitting multi-channel audio associated with the wagering game in surround sound relative to the player at the first gaming machine, the multi-channel audio including front audio and rear audio, the speaker arrangement including

at least one front speaker mounted to the first cabinet housing and emitting the front audio relative to the player at the first gaming machine, and

at least one rear speaker mounted to the second cabinet housing and emitting the rear audio relative to the player at the first gaming machine.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one rear speaker is aimed toward the player at the first gaming machine to provide that player with a surround sound experience.

24. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one front speaker includes a left front speaker and a right front speaker mounted within the first cabinet housing.

25. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one front speaker is a single center front speaker mounted within the first cabinet housing.

26. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one front speaker includes a left front speaker, a right front speaker, and a center front speaker mounted within the first cabinet housing.

27. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one front speaker is mounted within the first cabinet housing above the display.

28. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one rear speaker includes a left rear speaker and a right rear speaker mounted above the second cabinet housing.

29. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one rear speaker includes a center rear speaker mounted above the second cabinet housing.

30. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one rear speaker includes a left rear speaker, a right rear speaker, and a center rear speaker mounted above the second cabinet housing.

31. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one rear speaker is a wireless speaker, each of the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine having a respective wireless transmitter for communicating audio signals to the at least one rear speaker.

32. A method of conducting a wagering game comprising:

receiving a wager input from a player to play the wagering game via a first gaming machine;

presenting a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game on a display of the first gaming machine;

emitting front audio associated with the wagering game via a front speaker arrangement mounted to a cabinet housing of the first gaming machine; and

emitting rear audio associated with the wagering game via a rear speaker arrangement mounted to a cabinet housing of a second gaming machine, the second gaming machine positioned facing the first gaming machine, the rear speaker arrangement being aimed toward the player to provide the player with a surround sound experience while playing the wagering game.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising communicating audio signals to the rear speaker arrangement via a wireless transmission.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the front speaker arrangement is mounted within the cabinet housing of the first gaming machine.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the rear speaker arrangement is mounted above the cabinet housing of the second gaming machine.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the front speaker arrangement includes one or more of a left front speaker, a right front speaker, and a center front speaker.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the rear speaker arrangement includes one or more of a left rear speaker, a right rear speaker, and a center rear speaker.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising converting audio signals from non-surround sound signals to surround sound signals before routing the audio signals to the front speaker arrangement and the rear speaker arrangement.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the audio signals include one or more of a monophonic signal and a stereo signal.

40. An electronic gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines for conducting wagering games, the electronic gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine having

a first cabinet housing,

a first display, mounted to the first cabinet housing, for displaying a first wagering game played by a first player at the first gaming machine,

at least one first front speaker, mounted to the first cabinet housing, for emitting front audio towards the first player when the first player is playing the first wagering game at the first gaming machine, and

at least one first rear speaker mounted to the first cabinet housing; and

a second gaming machine having

a second cabinet housing,

a second display, mounted to the second cabinet housing, for displaying a second wagering game played by a second player at the second gaming machine,

at least one second front speaker, mounted to the second cabinet housing, for emitting front audio towards the second player when the second player is playing the second wagering game at the second gaming machine, and

at least one second rear speaker mounted to the second cabinet housing;

wherein the first rear speaker emits rear audio relative to the second player to provide the second player with a surround sound experience; and

wherein the second rear speaker emits rear audio relative to the first player to provide the first player with a surround sound experience.

41. The electronic gaming system of claim 40, wherein the first rear speaker extends from and above the first cabinet housing and the second rear speaker extends from and above the second cabinet housing.

42. The electronic gaming system of claim 40, wherein the first rear speaker is symmetrically positioned relative to the second rear speaker.

43. The electronic gaming system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the first rear speaker and the second rear speaker is a wireless speaker.

44. The electronic gaming system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the first rear speaker and the second rear speaker includes one or more of a left rear speaker, a right rear speaker, and a center rear speaker.

45. The electronic gaming system of claim 40, further comprising one or more controllers coupled to the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine, at least one of the controllers being programmed to convert an audio signal from a non-surround sound signal to a surround sound signal before sending the audio signal to one or more of the first front speaker, the first rear speaker, the second front speaker, and the second rear speaker.

46. The electronic gaming system of claim 45, wherein the non-surround sound signal includes one or more of a monophonic signal and a stereo signal.