Gaming System Having Controllable Dynamic Signage

• US 20110111837A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Gura, Damon E., Sylla, Craig J., Ward, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A gaming system comprises a first gaming device displaying a first primary wagering game in response to receipt of a first wager from a first player and a second gaming device displaying a second primary wagering game in response to receipt of a second wager from a second player. The system further comprises a community display having a plurality of display regions thereon, and at least one controller operative to (i) detect activation of a first supplemental feature by the first player, (ii) detect activation of a second supplemental feature by the second player, (iii) determine in which of the plurality of display regions to display the first and second supplemental features in accordance with at least a first rule set, and (iv) display the first and second supplemental features on the community display.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device displaying a first primary wagering game in response to receipt of a first wager from a first player;

a second gaming device displaying a second primary wagering game in response to receipt of a second wager from a second player;

a community display having a plurality of display regions thereon; and

at least one controller operative to;

(i) detect activation of a first supplemental feature by the first player;

(ii) detect activation of a second supplemental feature by the second player, the first supplemental feature and the second supplemental feature being gameplay features of at least one of the first primary wagering game and the second primary wagering game;

(iii) determine in which of the plurality of display regions to display the first and second supplemental features in accordance with at least a first rule set; and

(iv) display the first and second supplemental features on the community display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device displays a plurality of activatable supplemental features including the first supplemental feature.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second gaming device displays a plurality of activatable supplemental features including the second supplemental feature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display regions includes a first display region which is the largest of the plurality of display regions.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first rule set assigns to the first display region the first supplemental feature.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first rule set evaluates a set of metrics to determine content for each of the plurality of display regions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first rule set is stored in memory of an operator control computer, the operator control computer in communication with the first gaming device, the second gaming device and the community display.

8. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming device displaying at least one primary wagering game in response to receiving a primary wager, the at least one gaming device further offering a plurality of activatable supplemental features, the activatable supplemental features being gameplay features of the primary wagering game;

at least one community display having a plurality of display regions thereon; and

an operator control computer in communication with the at least one gaming device and the at least one community display, the operator control computer comprising memory storing at least a first rule set for controlling the plurality of display regions and resolving which of the plurality of activatable supplemental features is displayed in each of the plurality of display regions.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the activatable supplemental features is associated with a base priority level and an overall priority level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first rule set evaluates the base priority level and overall priority level of each of the activatable supplemental features.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first rule set comprises instructions for evaluating and determining which of the plurality of activatable supplemental features to display in each of the plurality of display regions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of display regions displays at least one activated supplemental feature.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one activated supplemental feature is selected from the plurality of activatable supplemental features.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein a first one of the plurality of display regions is larger than the remainder of the plurality of display regions.

15. A method of operating a wagering game comprising:

using a first value input device to receive a first primary wager from a first player, and in response thereto, displaying a first primary wagering game on a first gaming device;

using a second value input device to receive a second primary wager from a second player, and in response thereto, displaying a second primary wagering game on a second gaming device;

using the first value input device to receive a first side bet from the first player, and in response thereto, activating the first player to participate in a first supplemental feature, the first supplemental feature being gameplay feature of at least one of the first primary wagering game and the second primary wagering game;

using the second value input device to receive a second side bet from the second player, and in response thereto, activating the second player to participate in the first supplemental feature; and

using one or more processors to display the first supplemental feature, wherein a first portion of the first supplemental feature is displayed on a first community display and a second portion of the first supplemental feature is displayed on a second community display, wherein the first and second portions comprise a coordinated presentation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first community display is positioned adjacent to and proximate the second community display.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinated presentation comprises a unified image across the first and second community displays.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the coordinated presentation comprises a first view of the first supplemental feature on the first community display and a second view of the first supplemental feature on the second community display.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second players compete against one another in the first supplemental feature.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second players collaborate with one another in the first supplemental feature.