Gaming device having pitch-shifted sound and music

• US 7,708,642 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hecht, William L., Landrum, Kristopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US09/978,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,123 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/35, 463/1, 463/23, 846/11, 846/12, 846/19, 84626-633, 84635-636, 846/57, 84662-665, 84667-668, 704/503, 273/138.1, 273/148.R, 715/744, 709/203
• US Class Current: 463/35
• 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

The present invention provides an apparatus and method by which sound files may be modified within a gaming device to: (i) coincide with one or more other sound files; (ii) coincide with one or more game events; or (iii) to produce a melody or song. The gaming device includes various processors and memory storage devices that control a sound card. The sound card stores sound files having truly synthesized sounds or true sound recordings. The output sample rate of one or more sound files is pitch-shifted to produce a sound having a higher or lower pitch and that lasts for a shorter or longer length of time, respectively.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one sound emitting device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores;

a data corresponding to a plurality of different stored sound files, the plurality of different stored sound files including;

(i) a first sound file corresponding to background music, the background music being unrelated to any gaming event, the background music having a background music pitch; and

(ii) a second sound file associated with a designated gaming event, the second sound file being different than the first sound file, the second sound file corresponding to a continuous sound which when emitted continues for a period of time without any humanly perceptible silence periods, the continuous sound having an initial pitch which is different from the background music pitch;

(b) a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one sound emitting device, to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a game upon a wager placed by a player;

(ii) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch; and

(iii) while causing the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch;

(A) determine an occurrence of the designated gaming event;

(B) after the occurrence of the designated gaming event, pitch-shift the continuous sound associated with the designated gaming event from the initial pitch to a different, modified pitch such that the different, modified pitch matches the background music pitch of the background music; and

(C) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the pitch-shifted continuous sound associated with the designated gaming event at the different, modified pitch such that the at least one sound emitting device emits the background music and the pitch-shifted continuous sound simultaneously.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the pitch-shifted continuous sound associated with the designated gaming event includes a credit roll-up sound.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the pitch-shifted continuous sound associated with the designated gaming event includes a reel spin sound.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein, when emitted for the period of time, the different, modified pitch of the pitch-shifted continuous sound has a key that matches a key of the background music pitch of the background music.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a tempo of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a tempo of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a key of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a key of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a duration of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a duration of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the pitch-shifted continuous sound is emitted based on a modified sample rate.

9. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one sound emitting device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores;

a data corresponding to a plurality of different stored sound files, the plurality of different stored sound files including;

(i) a first sound file corresponding to background music, the background music being unrelated to any gaming event, the background music having a background music pitch; and

(ii) a plurality of different second sound files associated with a plurality of different gaming events, wherein for each one of the different gaming events, a different one of the second sound files is associated with said gaming event, each of the second sound files being different than the first sound file, each of the second sound files corresponding to a continuous sound which when emitted continues for a period of time without any humanly perceptible silence periods and has an initial pitch which is different from the background music pitch; and

(b) a game program including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one input device, and the at least one sound emitting device in accordance with the game program to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a game a wager placed by a player;

(ii) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch; and

(iii) while causing the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch;

(A) determine an occurrence of a designated one of the gaming events;

(B) after the occurrence of the designated gaming event, pitch-shift the continuous sound of the second sound file associated with the designated gaming event from the initial pitch to a different, modified pitch such that the different, modified pitch matches the background music pitch of the background music; and

(C) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the pitch-shifted continuous sound at the different, modified pitch such that the at least one sound emitting device emits the background music and the pitch-shifted continuous sound simultaneously.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second sound file associated with the designated gaming event includes a credit roll-up sound.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the second sound file associated with the designated gaming event includes a reel spin sound.

12. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein, when emitted for the period of time, the different, modified pitch of the pitch-shifted continuous sound has a key that matches a key of the background music pitch of the background music.

13. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein a tempo of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a tempo of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

14. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein a key of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a key of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

15. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein a duration of the pitch-shifted continuous sound having the different, modified pitch is different than a duration of the continuous sound having the initial pitch.

16. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the pitch-shifted continuous sound is emitted based on a modified sample rate.

17. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one sound emitting device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores;

(a) a background music file which is accessible by the processor to cause background music to be emitted by the at least one sound emitting device, the background music being unrelated to any gaming event, the background music when emitted having a background music pitch;

(b) an event sound file associated with a designated event which is detectable by the processor, the event sound file being different than the background music file, the event sound file including digital sound data which represents a continuous event sound, the continuous event sound when emitted by the at least one sound emitting device;

(i) continuing for a period of time without any humanly perceptible silence periods; and

(ii) having an initial pitch which is different from the background music pitch; and

(c) a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one sound emitting device to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a game upon a wager placed by a player;

(ii) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch; and

(iii) while causing the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch;

(A) detect an occurrence of the designated event,

(B) determine a second pitch of the continuous event sound associated with the designated event, the determined second pitch being different from the initial pitch of the continuous event sound, the determination based on the background music pitch of the background music;

(C) after the occurrence of the designated event, pitch-shift the continuous event sound associated with the designated event from the initial pitch to the determined second pitch such that the determined second pitch matches the background music pitch of the background music; and

(D) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the pitch-shifted continuous event sound associated with the designated event at the determined second pitch such that the at least one sound emitting device emits the background music and the pitch-shifted continuous event sound simultaneously.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, which includes at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

(a) access the digital sound data at a plurality of different access rates; and

(b) access the sound data at one of the access rates which is associated with the initial pitch.

19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the continuous event sound having the initial pitch is associated with a first tempo and the pitch-shifted continuous event sound having the determined second pitch is associated with a second tempo which is different than the first tempo.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the memory device stores:

(a) music instrument digital interface code; and

(b) at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit at least one of;

(1) the background music; and

(2) the pitch-shifted continuous event sound based on said music instrument digital interface code.

21. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one sound emitting device;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores;

(a) a background music file which is accessible by the processor to cause background music to be emitted by the at least one sound emitting device, the background music being unrelated to any gaming event, the background music when emitted having a background music pitch;

(b) an event sound file associated with a designated event which is detectable by the processor, the event sound file being different than the background music file, the event sound file including digital sound data which represents a continuous event sound, the continuous event sound when emitted by the at least one sound emitting device;

(i) continuing for a period of time without any humanly perceptible silence periods; and

(ii) having an initial pitch which is different from the background music pitch; and

(c) a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the at least one sound emitting device to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a game upon a wager placed by a player;

(ii) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch; and

(iii) while causing the at least one sound emitting device to emit the background music at the background music pitch;

(A) detect an occurrence of the designated event; and

(B) after the detected occurrence of the designated event;

 

(1) determine which one of a plurality of pitches corresponds to the background music pitch of the background music;

 

(2) pitch-shift the continuous event sound associated with the designated event from the initial pitch to the determined pitch such that the determined pitch matches the background music pitch of the background music; and

 

(3) cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit the pitch-shifted continuous event sound associated with the designated event at the determined pitch such that the at least one sound emitting device emits the background music at the background music pitch and the pitch-shifted continuous event sound at the determined pitch simultaneously.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the memory device stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) access the digital sound data at a plurality of different access rates; and

(b) access the sound data at one of the access rates which is associated with the initial pitch.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the continuous event sound having the initial pitch is associated with a first tempo and the pitch-shifted continuous event sound having the determined second pitch is associated with a second tempo which is different than the first tempo.

24. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the memory device stores:

(a) music instrument digital interface code, and (b) at least one instruction which is executable by the processor to cause the at least one sound emitting device to emit at least one of;

(1) the background music, and (2) the pitch-shifted continuous event sound based on said music instrument digital interface code.