Wagering gaming device having simulated control of movement of game functional elements

• US 7,789,756 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Beaulieu, Nicole M., Jones, Aaron T., Peterson, Lance R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro; Jason
• Application Number:
  US10/243,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20040053661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,916 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463/7, 463/23, 463/30, 463 36- 38
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A wagering gaming device that enables a player to affect the movement of a functional element of a game by use of a user input device. More specifically, the present invention provides a processor controlled wagering gaming device that receives input from a user input device. The user manipulates the input device in the manner in which he wishes the functional element or to move. The processor receives the information from the input device and calculates parameters. The processor moves the functional element. This sequence or feature may be employed in a primary game, bonus game or in any stand alone game.

Claims

1. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a video display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices including a touch screen disposed in front of the video display device;

a mechanical wheel supported by the housing, said mechanical wheel disposed above the video display device and above the touch screen, said mechanical wheel including a plurality of sections;

at least one processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the video display device, the plurality of input devices including the touch screen, and the mechanical wheel to;

(i) receive a wager from a player;

(ii) after receiving the wager, cause the video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and cause the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome;

(iii) randomly determine a position for the mechanical wheel to indicate, said indication occurring after said mechanical wheel moves, wherein a result is associated with the randomly determined position;

(iv) cause the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate the touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel; and

(v) after the player actuates the touch screen to control the movement of the mechanical wheel, move the mechanical wheel and then stop moving the mechanical wheel to indicate the randomly determined position, wherein direction of the movement of the mechanical wheel to indicate the randomly determined position is based on a direction at which the player actuates the touch screen.

2. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a video display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices including a touch screen disposed in front of the video display device;

a mechanical wheel supported by the housing, said mechanical wheel disposed above the video display device and above the touch screen, said mechanical wheel including a plurality of sections;

at least one processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the video display device, the mechanical wheel and the plurality of input devices including the touch screen to;

(a) receive a wager from a player,

(b) after receiving the wager, cause the video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and cause the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome,

(c) after displaying spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to touch the touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel, wherein a result is associated with a randomly determined position of the mechanical wheel, and

(d) after the player touches the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, display movement of the mechanical wheel to the randomly determined position based on a direction from one touch of the touch screen to a second touch of the touch screen.

3. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a video display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices including a touch screen disposed in front of the video display device;

a mechanical wheel supported by the housing, said mechanical wheel disposed above the video display device and above the touch screen, said mechanical wheel including a plurality of sections;

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the video display device, the mechanical wheel and the plurality of input devices including the touch screen to;

(a) receive a wager from a player,

(b) after receiving the wager, cause the video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and cause the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome,

(c) after displaying spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to touch the touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel, and

(d) after the player touches the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, display a movement of the mechanical wheel based on a parameter of how the player touches the touch screen, wherein the parameter is an amount of time between the player touching one coordinate on the touch screen and another different coordinate on the touch screen.

4. A wagering gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a video display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said input devices including a touch screen disposed in front of the video display device;

a mechanical wheel supported by the housing, said mechanical wheel disposed above the video display device and above the touch screen, said mechanical wheel including a plurality of sections;

at least one processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the video display device, the mechanical wheel and the plurality of input devices including the touch screen to;

(a) receive a wager from a player,

(b) after receiving the wager, cause the video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and cause the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome,

(c) after displaying spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate the touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel, wherein a result is associated with a randomly determined position of the mechanical wheel, and

(d) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, cause the movement of the mechanical wheel to the randomly determined position based on at least one parameter of how the player actuates the touch screen, wherein the at least one parameter includes an amount of time between the player touching the touch screen at a first point and the player touching the touch screen at a second different point.

5. A method of operating a wagering gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager from a player;

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and causing the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome;

(c) after displaying the spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, performing a random determination to determine a position of a mechanical wheel;

(d) causing the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate a touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel;

(e) enabling the player to actuate the touch screen associated with the mechanical wheel; and

(f) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, cause the mechanical wheel to move and then stop moving to indicate the determined position based on the random determination and a parameter of how the player actuated the touch screen including a direction at which the player actuated the touch screen.

6. A method of operating a wagering gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager from a player;

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and causing the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome;

(c) after displaying the spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, performing a random determination to determine a position of a mechanical wheel;

(d) causing the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate a touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel;

(e) enabling the player to actuate the touch screen associated with the mechanical wheel;

(f) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, calculating a movement of the mechanical wheel based on at least one parameter of how the player actuated the touch screen, wherein the at least one parameter includes a direction at which the player actuated the touch screen;

(g) causing said mechanical wheel to move based on the calculation; and

(h) causing said mechanical wheel to stop moving at the position based on the random determination.

7. A method of operating a wagering gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager from a player;

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and causing the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome;

(c) after displaying the spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, activating a mechanical wheel;

(d) causing the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate a touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel;

(e) enabling the player to actuate the touch screen;

(f) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, calculating at least one parameter of how the player actuated the touch screen, wherein the parameter includes a direction between a first actuation of a first coordinate on the touch screen and a second actuation of a second different coordinate on the touch screen; and

(g) causing said mechanical wheel to move and to stop moving, wherein said movement and stopping of the movement is based on a random determination and on the calculated parameter from the actuations of the touch screen.

8. A method of operating a wagering gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager from a player,

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and causing the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome,

(c) after displaying the spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, activating a mechanical wheel which displays a plurality of symbols,

(d) causing the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate a touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel,

(e) enabling the player to actuate the touch screen associated with the mechanical wheel; and

(f) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, causing the mechanical wheel to move and to stop moving, wherein said movement and stopping of the movement of the mechanical wheel is based on a random determination and at least one parameter of how the player actuated the touch screen, said at least one parameter including an amount of time between the player touching the touch screen at a first actuation location and the player touching the touch screen at a second different actuation location.

9. A method for operating a wagering gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a wager from a player;

(b) after receiving the wager, causing a video display device to display a plurality of video reels spinning and causing the plurality of video reels to stop spinning to display a randomly determined outcome;

(c) after displaying the spinning and stopping of the plurality of video reels, activating a mechanical wheel having a plurality of symbols;

(d) causing the video display device to display instructions to the player to inform the player how the player is to actuate a touch screen to control a movement of the mechanical wheel;

(e) enabling the player to actuate the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel; and

(f) after the player actuates the touch screen to control movement of the mechanical wheel, causing movement of the mechanical wheel to a randomly determined position based on the randomly determined position and at least one parameter of how the player actuated the touch screen, wherein the at least one parameter includes an amount of time between the player actuating the touch screen at a first coordinate and the player actuating the touch screen at a second different coordinate.