Gaming machine with player-operated display mechanism

• US 7,594,848 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomas, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams; Ross A.
• Application Number:
  US10/436,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463 20- 22, 463/27, 463 30- 32, 463/37, 463/38, 273/144.B, 273/146, 273/145.R, 273/144
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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 machine for conducting a wagering game includes a mechanical input device and a display mechanism. The input device is manually moved by a player in a first plurality of directions and at a first velocity. In response to the player'"'"'s movement of the input device, the display mechanism moves in a second plurality of directions and at a second velocity. The second plurality of directions and the second velocity have predetermined associations with the first plurality of directions and the first velocity, respectively. The display mechanism displays an outcome of the wagering game, wherein the outcome is preferably unaffected by the player'"'"'s movement of the input device.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a display configured to display an array of randomly selected symbols, a mechanical input device, and a physically movable display mechanism separate from said display, the method comprising:

displaying on said display an array of randomly selected symbols representing a wagering game outcome responsive to an input wager;

allowing the player to manually operate the mechanical input device to indicate a first plurality of different directions during a special game feature triggered by the wagering game outcome;

associating a movement of the mechanical input device and the physically movable display mechanism during a first time period of the special game feature so that the movement of the mechanical input device by the player in any player-selected direction in any of the first plurality of different directions causes an associated and contemporaneous movement of the physically movable display during the first time period of the special game feature;

in response to the movement of the mechanical input device by the player in any player-selected direction in any of the first plurality of different directions during the first time period of the special game feature, moving the physically movable display mechanism, contemporaneously during the first time period with the movement of the mechanical input device by the player, in a second plurality of different directions having a predetermined association with the first plurality of different directions;

disassociating the mechanical input device from said physically movable display mechanism during a second time period of the special game feature after the first time period of the special game feature;

displaying an outcome of the special game feature with the physically movable display mechanism, the outcome being unaffected by the movement of the physically movable display mechanism during the first time period of the special game feature; and

awarding an award in accord with the wagering game outcome and the special game feature outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different directions are the same as respective ones of the second plurality of different directions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different directions are different than respective ones of the second plurality of different directions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions is linear.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions is curvilinear.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different directions collectively occupy two dimensions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different directions collectively occupy three dimensions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions includes rotation about an axis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different directions include rotation about an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical input device is selected from a group consisting of a trackball, joystick, wheel, keyboard, mouse, and touch pad.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the physically movable display mechanism is selected from a group consisting of a die, ball, wheel, and reel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing step allows the player to manually operate the mechanical input device to indicate a first velocity, and wherein the moving step moves the physically movable display mechanism at a second velocity associated with the first velocity.

13. The method of claim 12, further including:

after the first velocity reaches a predetermined threshold, displaying an outcome of the wagering game with the physically movable display mechanism, the outcome being unaffected by the allowing step.

14. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a display configured to display an array of randomly selected symbols representing a wagering game outcome;

a mechanical input device operable by a player to indicate any direction in a first plurality of different directions;

a physically movable display mechanism responsive, in an initial association between the mechanical input device and the physically movable display mechanism, to operation of the mechanical input device and configured to move in a second plurality of different directions contemporaneously with a movement of the mechanical input device to permit the player to directly control movement of the physically moveable display mechanism during said initial association, the second plurality of different directions having a predetermined association with the first plurality of different directions during said initial association, said physically movable display mechanism being further configured to disassociate from the mechanical input device upon the occurrence of a pre-determined escape condition and display a randomly determined outcome; and

a controller configured to award an award in accord with the wagering game outcome and the randomly determined outcome,

wherein the randomly determined outcome of the physically movable display mechanism is unaffected by the operation of the mechanical input device by the player, and

wherein the mechanical input device is only configured to cause movement of the physically movable display mechanism during the initial association and is not configured to cause movement of any symbol or symbols displayed in the display.

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of different directions are the same as respective ones of the second plurality of different directions.

16. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of different directions are different from respective ones of the second plurality of different directions.

17. The machine of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions is linear.

18. The machine of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions is curvilinear.

19. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of different directions collectively occupy two dimensions.

20. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of different directions collectively occupy three dimensions.

21. The machine of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first plurality of different directions includes rotation about an axis.

22. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of different directions include rotation about an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

23. The machine of claim 14, wherein the mechanical input device is selected from a group consisting of a trackball, joystick, wheel, keyboard, mouse, and touch pad.

24. The machine of claim 14, wherein the physically movable display mechanism is selected from a group consisting of a die, ball, wheel, and reel.

25. The machine of claim 14, wherein the mechanical input device is manually operable by the player to indicate a first velocity, and wherein the physically movable display mechanism is configured to move at a second velocity associated with the first velocity.

26. The machine of claim 25, wherein the physically movable display mechanism displays an outcome of the wagering game after the first velocity reaches a predetermined threshold, the outcome being unaffected by the allowing step.

27. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a display configured to display, in association with a wagering game, an array of randomly-determined symbols indicative of a wagering game outcome;

a mechanical input device being configured for manipulation by a player in a plurality of different directions, in association with the wagering game, following the display of the wagering game outcome, the mechanical input device being activated only responsive to a predetermined subset of wagering game outcomes that is less than a set of all possible wagering game outcomes;

a physically movable display mechanism, separate from the display, configured to follow the manual movement of the mechanical input device in any direction of movement of the mechanical input device during a first period in which the mechanical input device and the physically movable display mechanism are associated so that manual movement of the mechanical input device in a first direction causes movement of the physically movable display mechanism in a corresponding first direction and a manual movement of the mechanical input device in a second direction causes movement of the physically movable display mechanism in a corresponding second direction, configured to move responsive to a controller input during a second period, subsequent to the first period, in which the physically movable display mechanism is disassociated from the mechanical input device, and configured to stop to reveal a randomly-determined outcome, and

a controller configured to both award an award in accord with both the wagering game outcome and in accord with any randomly-determined outcome indicated by the physically movable display mechanism.

28. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine comprising a display, the method comprising:

displaying in association with a wagering game an array of randomly-determined symbols indicative of a wagering game outcome, and a physically movable display mechanism separate from the display;

activating a physically movable display mechanism;

activating a mechanical input device associated with the physically movable display mechanism;

associating the movement of the mechanical input device with the movement of the movable display mechanism;

allowing the player to manually move the mechanical input device in a plurality of different directions during the wagering game to directly control a movement of the movable display mechanism in any direction in the plurality of different directions in accord with the act of associating;

disassociating the mechanical input device from said physically movable display mechanism upon the occurrence of a pre-determined escape condition to display a randomly-determined outcome;

awarding a first award in accord with the wagering game outcome; and

awarding a second award comprising an award associated with the randomly-determined outcome indicated by the physically movable display mechanism.