Wagering game with simulated mechanical reels

• US 8,096,878 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Durham, Timothy J., Gagner, Mark B., Rasmussen, James M., Thomas, Alfred, Arezina, Vladimir I., Canterbury, Stephen A., Mercado, Victor, Ralston, Samuel D., Fitzsimons, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): STARK, JARRETT J
• Application Number:
  US12/306,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• 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 gaming machine for playing a wagering game includes a housing having a display region, a curved transparent layer located in the display region, and a video display. The video display is located behind the transparent layer for projecting moving images onto the transparent layer. The images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game. The curved transparent layer can be moving as well. Environmental mapping may be used to sense the location of the player and/or the ambient lighting surrounding the gaming machine and alter the images based on the sensing. The altering may include spectral highlights, shading, and the parallax effect. The video images may further include imperfections normally found in mechanical reel strips. The gaming machine provides video images that more closely simulate the look of traditional mechanical reels.

Claims

1. A gaming machine for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a housing having a display region;

a controller;

at least one sensor coupled to said controller and configured to receive locational information concerning a location of an object external to said housing relative to said display region; and

a video display coupled to said controller and configured to display images that simulate mechanical reels of a slot machine in said display region, said images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game, said images undergoing alterations in response to said locational information, said alterations including adjustments to at least one of spectral highlighting and shading added to at least a portion of said images to simulate ambient lighting external to said housing and to simulate shadowing from said object due to said ambient lighting.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said location sensor is an e-field sensor.

3. The machine of claim 1, further including a light sensor coupled to said controller for detecting changes to said ambient lighting.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein said shading includes variations in the intensity of at least a portion of said images indicating at least one of said plurality of symbols.

6. The machine of claim 1, wherein said shading includes variations in the color of at least a portion of said images indicating at least one of said plurality of symbols.

7. The machine of claim 1, wherein said alterations including a parallax effect applied to portions of said images.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said parallax effect includes decreasing dimensions of said plurality of symbols.

9. The machine of claim 7, wherein said parallax effect includes adding curvature to portions of said images representing an edge of said simulated mechanical reel.

10. The machine of claim 1, wherein said images are rendered using a real-time 3-D engine.

11. The machine of claim 10, wherein said locational information is an input for a virtual camera used within said real-time 3-D engine.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein said alterations including a parallax effect applied to portions of said images based on said locational information.

13. The machine of claim 1, further including a window located in front of said video display, said window includes artwork in locations around said images produced by said video display.

4. The machine of claim a 1, wherein said spectral highlights include variations in the intensity of light of at least a portion of said images indicating at least one of said plurality of symbols.

14. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

sensing, via one or more sensors, a location of an object external to said gaming machine;

displaying video images across a display region of said gaming machine, said video images simulating mechanical reels of a slot machine; and

in response to sensing a change in said location, altering said video images by adjusting at least one of spectral highlighting and shading added to at least a portion of said video images to simulate ambient lighting external to said gaming machine and to simulate shadowing from said object due to said ambient lighting.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said altering includes creating a parallax effect on said video images.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said displaying includes a real-time rendering of said video images with a 3-D engine.

17. A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

sensing, via one or more sensors, an environment around said gaming machine, said environment including an object external to said gaming machine;

displaying video images across a display region of said gaming machine, said video images simulating mechanical reels of a slot machine; and

in response to sensing a change in said environment, altering said video images by adjusting at least one of spectral highlighting and shading added to at least a portion of said video images to simulate ambient lighting external to said gaming machine and to simulate shadowing from said object due to said ambient lighting.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said altering includes creating a parallax effect on said video images.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said displaying includes a real-time rendering of said video images with a 3-D engine.