Virtual cameras and 3-D gaming environments in a gaming machine

• US 7,465,230 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal, Beaulieu, Nicole M., Rowe, Richard E., Schlottmann, Greg A., Breckner, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/112,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20050233799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/32
• 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: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a three-dimensional object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of the game outcome presentation. To add excitement to the game, a 3-D position of the 3-D object and other features of the 3-D gaming environment may be controlled by a game player. Nearly an unlimited variety of virtual objects, such as slot reels, gaming machines and casinos, may be modeled in the 3-D gaming environment.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine and to execute game logic to generate the game of chance in response to receiving a wager;

said game logic designed or configured to;

1) generate a plurality of surfaces wherein vertices associated with the plurality of surfaces are specified in a 3-D coordinate system of a virtual 3-D gaming environment and wherein a game outcome presentation for the game of chance is drawn on the plurality of surfaces;

2) position a virtual camera in the virtual 3-D gaming environment such that a first portion of the game outcome presentation drawn on a first portion of the plurality of surfaces is visible in a view of the virtual camera and a second portion of the game outcome presentation drawn on a second portion of the plurality of surfaces is hidden from the view of the virtual camera;

3) render one or more first two-dimensional images derived from the first portion of the plurality of surfaces to show the first portion of the game outcome presentation;

4) position the virtual camera in the virtual 3-D gaming environment such that the second portion of the game outcome presentation drawn on the second portion of the plurality surfaces is within the view of the virtual camera;

5) render one or more second two-dimensional images derived from the second portion of the plurality surfaces to show the second portion of the game outcome presentation;

a display device for displaying said first portion and said second portion of the game outcome presentation wherein, when the second portion of the plurality of surfaces is hidden from the view of the virtual camera only a portion of an outcome for the game of chance is visible on the display device.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a gaming machine operational feature in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the gaming machine operation feature on two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the gaming machine operational feature is selected from the group consisting of inserting a player tracking card in a card reader on the gaming machine, entering an identification code on the gaming machine, pressing an input button on the gaming machine, inserting a printed ticket in a bill validator on the gaming machine, displaying an electronic fund transfer transaction, displaying an alternate video presentation, using an electronic key with a gaming device connected to the gaming machine.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed of configured to draw attract mode features in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the attract mode features on two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a promotional feature in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the promotional feature on the one or more two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw casino information in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the casino information on the one or more two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a bonus game presentation in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the bonus game presentation on the one or more two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of surfaces include a 3-D object and wherein a three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is time varying.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein a rate of movement of the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is time varying.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object changes at least one of continuously, non-continuously and combinations thereof

13. The gaming machine of claim 10, further comprising:

an input mechanism designed or configured to receive an input signal used to change a three-dimensional position of 3-D object in the virtual 3-D gaming environment.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the input mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a key pad, a touch screen, a mouse, a joy stick, a microphone and a track ball.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional position of the 3-D object is changed to enlarge a feature in the virtual 3-D gaming environment displayed on said display device.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an input mechanism designed or configured to receive one or more input signals containing information used to select a first virtual 3-D gaming environment from which to render the game outcome presentation of the game of chance.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical processing unit, separate from said master gaming controller, designed or configured to execute the graphical operations used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from the plurality of surfaces in the virtual 3-D gaming environment.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a first display device designed or configured to display a two-dimensional image rendered from a first gaming environment and a second display device designed or configured to display simultaneously a two-dimensional image rendered from a second gaming environment.

19. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface board designed or configured to allow the master gaming controller to communicate with a remote display device.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein one or more two-dimensional images rendered on the gaming machine are displayed on the remote display device.

21. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the master gaming controller communicates with the remote display device via at least one of a local area network, a wide area network and the Internet.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a slot game, a keno game, a poker game, a pachinko game, a video black jack game, a bingo game, a baccarat game, a roulette game, a dice game and a card game.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is multiple hands of a card game presented simultaneously.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the multiple hands of the card game are between 1 hand of poker to 1000 hands of poker.

25. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic for rendering a two-dimensional image derived from a 3-D object in a 3-D game interface model stored in a memory device on the gaming machine wherein the 3-D game interface model comprises a plurality of 3-D game windows modeled on one or more 3-D surfaces in the 3-D game interface model.

26. The gaming machine of claim 25, wherein game window content is rendered in each of the plurality of 3-D game windows and the game window content is selected from the group consisting of a game of chance, a bonus game, an advertisement, news, stock quotes, electronic mail, a web page, a message service, a locator service or a hotel/casino service, a movie, a musical selection, a casino promotion, a broadcast event, a maintenance operation, a player tracking service, a drink menu and a snack menu.

27. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

game logic for determining the selection of input buttons modeled in the virtual 3-D gaming environment.

28. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of display devices wherein each display device is designed to display simultaneously a portion of a rendered two-dimensional image.

29. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein video feeds for each of the plurality of display devices is provided from a single video card.

30. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

gaming logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render one or more two-dimensional images from a 3-D object drawn in a first virtual 3-D gaming environment on the remote gaming device and to display said rendered one or more two-dimensional images on a display located on the remote gaming device.

31. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a multi-headed video card.

2. The gaming machine of game 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a plurality of the game outcome presentations in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture two or more of the game outcome presentations on two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.

3. The gaming machine of game 1, further comprising:

game logic designed or configured to draw a gaming machine maintenance operation in the virtual 3-D gaming environment and to capture the gaming machine maintenance operation on two-dimensional images rendered from the 3-D gaming environment.