WAGERING GAME, GAMING MACHINE, GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH A TOUCH- ACTIVATED RESIDUAL GRAPHIC EFFECT FEATURE

• US 20120115599A1
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Conway, Michael D., Cody, Jp, Kyle, Matthew A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

A wagering game includes a display assembly having a touch-sensitive display adjacent to or overlaying a display area operable to present a wagering game presentation. The touch-sensitive display is operable to display a residual graphic effect such as a trailing particle effect following the path of a player'"'"'s finger or other contactor in contact with the touch-sensitive display. The residual graphic effect may include repeated discrete graphic elements such as a star or sparkle, or a game theme-associated element such as a butterfly or butterflies corresponding to a butterfly themed game. The residual graphic effect may also or alternatively include an effect such as a wave or ripple visual effect or a shockwave visual effect which does not necessarily include any discrete graphic element.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wagering game including:

receiving a first player input through a player interface of a gaming machine;

responsive to the first player input, displaying a wagering game result through the gaming machine;

providing an award if the wagering game result is a winning result;

receiving a touch input at a touch-sensitive display of the gaming machine; and

responsive to the touch input, displaying a residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive display at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the touch input, the residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the residual graphic effect includes displaying a trail of discrete graphic elements along the locations included in, or adjacent to, the touch input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the discrete graphic elements move across the touch-sensitive display according to one or more discrete element movement parameters.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the discrete graphic elements includes causing one or more of the discrete graphic elements to change visual characteristics over time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the visual characteristic change includes causing the discrete graphic elements to fade away gradually on the touch-sensitive display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the visual characteristic change includes changing the size, color, or shape of one or more of the discrete graphic elements.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the residual graphic effect includes displaying a graphic effect without a discrete graphic element along the locations included in or adjacent to the touch input.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the graphic effect expands across the display from the locations included in the touch input.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the residual graphic effect interacts with one or more symbols displayed on the touch-sensitive display prior to the touch input to change a visual characteristic of the one or more symbols.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving a second player input at the gaming machine;

responsive to the second player input, displaying a player personalization menu at the gaming machine, the player personalization menu including a number of residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the residual graphic effect;

responsive to a third player input, selecting one or more of the residual graphic effect options; and

responsive to an additional touch input, displaying a modified residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive display at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional touch input, the modified residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the selected one or more residual graphic effect options.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

storing the selected one or more residual graphic effect options at a storage device separate from the gaming machine;

communicating the selected one or more residual graphic effect options from the storage device to an additional gaming machine responsive to a player login or other activation of the additional gaming machine; and

responsive to a touch input at a touch-sensitive display of the additional gaming machine, displaying a residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive display of the additional gaming machine at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the touch input, the residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input.

12. A gaming machine for a wagering game, the gaming machine including:

a player interface operative to receive a first player input;

a display operative to display a wagering game result at the gaming machine responsive to the first player input, the display of the wagering game result indicating an award if the wagering game result is a winning result;

a touch-sensitive surface; and

the display or an additional display of the gaming machine being associated with the touch-sensitive surface and operable to display a residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in a player touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, the residual graphic effect persisting on the display or additional display for a period of time following the player touch input.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the residual graphic effect includes displaying a trail of discrete graphic elements along locations included in or adjacent to the player touch input.

14. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the residual graphic effect includes a graphic effect without a discrete graphic element along the locations included in or adjacent to the player touch input.

15. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the residual graphic effect interacts with one or more symbols on the display or additional display which are displayed prior to the player touch input, the interaction changing a visual characteristic of the one or more symbols.

16. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein:

the display or additional display is responsive to a second player input to display a player personalization menu, the player personalization menu including a number of residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the residual graphic effect;

the gaming machine is responsive to a third player input to select one or more of the residual graphic effect options; and

the display or additional display is responsive to an additional player touch input to display a modified residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional player touch input, the modified residual graphic effect persisting on the respective display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the selected one or more residual graphic effect options.

17. The gaming machine of claim 12 further including a receiving device for receiving one or more residual graphic effect options from a device separate from the gaming machine, and wherein the display or additional display is responsive to an additional player touch input to display a modified residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional player touch input, the modified residual graphic effect persisting on the respective display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the received one or more residual graphic effect options.

18. A gaming system including:

two or more gaming machines, each gaming machine including;

a player interface operative to receive a first player input;

a display operative to display a wagering game result at the gaming machine responsive to the first player input, the display of the wagering game result indicating an award if the wagering game result is a winning result;

a touch-sensitive surface;

the display or an additional display of the gaming machine being associated with the touch-sensitive surface and operable to display a residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in a player touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, the residual graphic effect persisting on the display or additional display for a period of time following the player touch input;

the display or additional display being responsive to a second player input to select one or more residual graphic effect options from a player personalization menu displayed on the respective, the player personalization menu including a number of residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the residual graphic effect; and

a storage device storing a respective selected one or more residual graphic effect options selected at one of the gaming machines, the storage device being operable to communicate the respective selected one or more residual graphic effect options to any one of the gaming machines.

19. A program product stored on one or more tangible computer readable devices, the program product including:

wagering game program code executable to (i) cause a gaming machine display device to display a wagering game result responsive to a first player input received through a player interface of the gaming machine, and to (ii) provide an award if the wagering game result is a winning result; and

residual graphic effect program code executable to cause a touch-sensitive display of the gaming machine to display a residual graphic effect in response to a player touch input at the touch-sensitive display, the residual graphic effect being displayed at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the player touch input, the residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input.