Wagering game with simulated mechanical reels

• US 8,128,477 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• 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): Lee, Hsien Ming
• Application Number:
  US12/306,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 463 15- 21
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 for conducting said wagering game;

a video display coupled to said controller and configured to display images of a video reel, said images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game, said images further simulating at least one mechanical reel imperfection; and

one or more sensors coupled to said controller and configured to sense one or more ambient objects external to said housing,

wherein in response to said ambient objects being sensed, said controller causes said images to include at least one of spectral highlights and a virtual shadow, said spectral highlights simulating glare produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include a light source, said virtual shadow simulating a shadow produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include an object and a light source impinging thereon.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said display region comprises a rotating mechanical structure driven by a motor, said mechanical structure having a circumference and a transparent layer mounted to said mechanical structure at said circumference, said images displayed by said video display onto said transparent layer, said motor capable of inducing mechanical imperfections into said images displayed by said video display.

3. The machine of claim 1, further including a transparent layer located in said display region and having a radius of curvature, said images being projected from said video display onto said transparent layer.

4. The machine of claim 3, wherein said transparent layer is mechanically coupled with a vibration device capable of inducing mechanical imperfections into said transparent layer.

5. The machine of claim 3, wherein said transparent layer is mounted to a structure for rotation, said video display being mounted to said structure, said imperfection including a slight movement of said images in a direction that is off-alignment with a normal direction of movement of said symbols through said display region.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein said images further simulate mechanical reel edges, said slight off-alignment movement includes said images simulating mechanical reel edges moving in a non-linear pattern.

7. The machine of claim 3, wherein said images further simulate mechanical reel edges, said imperfection being slight non-linear movement of said simulated mechanical reel edges.

8. The machine of claim 1, further including a projection surface located in said display region, said projection surface having a radius of curvature, said images being projected from said video display onto said projection surface,

wherein said projection surface is mounted to a rotatable structure configured for slight off-alignment movements during rotation of said rotatable structure.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein said images include a simulated seam of mechanical reel material, said simulated seam being said imperfection.

10. The machine of claim 1, wherein said images include a simulated texture of mechanical reel material, said simulated texture being said imperfection.

11. The machine of claim 1, wherein said images include a simulated motion blur to said symbols, said simulated motion blur being said imperfection.

12. The machine of claim 1, wherein said ambient objects include a wagering game player.

13. The machine if claim 12, wherein said images are altered in response to said one or more sensors sensing a location of said wagering game player.

14. The machine of claim 13, wherein said images are rendered using a virtual camera, said virtual camera corresponding to said sensed location of said wagering game player.

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

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein said images are rendered using a virtual camera.

17. The machine of claim 1, further including a window located in front of said video display.

18. The machine of claim 17, wherein said window includes artwork in locations around said images produced by said video display.

19. The machine of claim 18, wherein said window is coupled to display devices for displaying wagering game information.

20. The machine of claim 1, further including a rotatable structure and a projection surface located in said display region, said projection surface having a radius of curvature and said images being projected from said video display onto said projection surface,

wherein said rotatable structure comprises a reel frame, said projection surface mechanically secured to said reel frame at a plurality of points.

21. The machine of claim 20, wherein said secured projection surface is capable of moving with at least one degree of freedom.

22. The machine of claim 21, wherein said at least one degree of freedom includes at least one of up and down, left and right, and forward and backward.

23. The machine of claim 1, wherein said video display includes a plurality of video displays for simulating a plurality of mechanical reels of a slot machine, wherein said video displays are capable of simulating imperfections on one of said simulated mechanical reels that are visually independent of imperfections simulated on another simulated mechanical reel.

24. The machine of claim 23, wherein at least one video display is used for each simulated mechanical reel of a slot machine.

25. The machine of claim 1, further including a projection layer located in said display region, said projection layer comprising a first surface and a second surface, said first surface and said second surface having a radius of curvature, said second surface of said projection layer secured to a reel frame that is secured to a rotatable structure,

wherein said first surface is mechanically suspended from said second surface with one or more points on said first surface connected to one or more points on said second surface, said images projected from said video display onto said projection layer.

26. The machine of claim 1, wherein said display region further includes a floating screen assembly connected to said housing.

27. The machine of claim 26, wherein said floating screen assembly is rigidly connected to said video display.

28. The machine of claim 26, wherein said floating screen assembly is semi-rigidly connected to said housing.

29. The machine of claim 26, wherein said floating screen assembly is connected to said housing a plurality of coil springs.

30. The machine of claim 26, wherein said floating screen assembly is in mechanical communication with a motor capable of imparting eccentric movement into said floating screen assembly.

31. The machine of claim 26, wherein said floating screen assembly is coupled to a plurality of motors capable of imparting out-of-phase eccentric loads into said floating screen assembly.

32. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said virtual shadow moves on said video reel as said one or more ambient objects move external to said housing.

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

a housing having a display region;

a controller for conducting said wagering game;

a video display coupled to said controller and configured to display images of a video reel, said images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game, said images further simulating at least one mechanical reel imperfection, said images being rendered with a real-time 3-D engine; and

one or more sensors coupled to said controller and configured to sense one or more ambient objects external to said housing,

wherein in response to said ambient objects being sensed, said controller causes said images to include at least one of spectral highlights and a virtual shadow, said spectral highlights simulating glare produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include a light source, said virtual shadow simulating a shadow produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include an object and a light source impinging thereon.

34. The machine of claim 33, wherein said simulated mechanical reel imperfection relates to imprecise movement of mechanical reels.

35. The machine of claim 33, wherein said simulated mechanical reel imperfection relates to physical features associated with mechanical reel materials.

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

a housing having a display region;

at least one video display configured to display in the display region images simulating mechanical reels, the images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game, the images further simulating an imperfect mechanical reel edge having an imperfect rotation;

one or more sensors coupled to said controller and configured to sense one or more ambient objects external to said housing,

wherein in response to said ambient objects being sensed, said controller causes said images to include at least one of spectral highlights and a virtual shadow, said spectral highlights simulating glare produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include a light source, said virtual shadow simulating a shadow produced by said ambient objects wherein said ambient objects include an object and a light source impinging thereon.

37. The machine of claim 36, wherein each of the simulated mechanical reels includes a simulated imperfect mechanical reel edge.

38. The machine of claim 37, wherein the simulated imperfect mechanical reel edge for each simulated mechanical reel is different.

39. The machine of claim 36, wherein images on the video display that simulate the imperfect mechanical reel edge are at least partially generated using a physics simulator.

40. The machine of claim 36, wherein images on the video display that simulate imperfect rotation include appearance of wobble associated with a spinning mechanical reel.

41. The machine of claim 40, wherein the images on the video display simulating the imperfect mechanical reel edge are produced using a 3-D model.

42. The machine of claim 36, wherein the images on the video display further simulate spinning mechanical reel shadowing.

43. The machine of claim 36, wherein the images on the video display further include a simulated mechanical reel strip seam.

44. The machine of claim 36, wherein the simulated imperfect mechanical reel edge has a radius of curvature.

45. The machine of claim 36, wherein the at least one display is multiple displays, the multiple displays displaying the images simulating mechanical reels.