Configurable displays used, for example in gaming machines

• US 8,137,176 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Bernard, Vernon, Wudtke, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US12/262,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20100113125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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

Abstract

Configurable rotatable displays may allow display of visual effects and/or information, and may simulate a non-configurable mechanical reel, for example those found in conventional slot machines. Rotatable displays may be used in a variety of locations on a gaming machine, providing a primary game display and/or box top displays such as a pole. A single rotatable display may be logically segmented to create an appearance of multiple sections or reels. One or more rotatable displays, or one or more mechanical reels, may be positioned within an outer rotatable display. A configurable fixed translucent or transparent display may be positioned between a configurable rotatable display and a user or player.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least a first support structure mounted to rotate about a first axis of rotation;

a first set of display structures including at least two display structures each including a plurality of addressable elements, each of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures being elongated with a respective longitudinal axis, each of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures physically coupled to the first support structure to rotate therewith about the first axis;

a mechanical wheel that is positioned relatively behind the first set of display structures and that is visible from relatively in front of the first set of display structures as the first set of display structures rotates;

a drive mechanism coupled to drivingly rotate the first support structure about the first axis of rotation along with the at least two display structures mounted thereto at a speed sufficiently fast that individual ones of the at least two display structures are not visually discernable during operation of the apparatus;

a controller communicatively coupled to control the addressable elements of the at least two display structures of the first set to selectively emit light from the at least two display structures of the first set;

a housing having an interior in which the first support structure is received and at least one window that provides visual access from an exterior of the housing to a portion of the interior; and

a light transmissive display structure positioned between the first set of display structures and the window through which the light transmissive display structure and the first set of display structures is viewable by a user of the apparatus, wherein the light transmissive display structure passes at least some visually discernable amount of light emitted by the first set of display structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures are physically coupled to the first support structure with the respective longitudinal axes of the display structures of the first set of display structures parallel to the first axis and with each of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures angularly spaced about the first axis of rotation with respect to each other to form a first configurable reel therewith.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a second support structure mounted to rotate about the first axis of rotation and spaced along the first axis of rotation from the first support structure; and

a second set of display structures including at least two display structures each including a plurality of addressable elements, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures being elongated with a respective longitudinal axis, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures physically coupled to the second support structure to rotate therewith about the first axis, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to control the addressable elements of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures to selectively emit light from the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional support structures mounted to rotate about the first axis of rotation and spaced along the first axis of rotation from the first support structure and from one another;

a plurality of additional sets of display structures each including at least two display structures each of which include a plurality of addressable elements, wherein each of the additional support structures has at least one of the additional sets of display structures physically coupled thereto to rotate therewith about the first axis of rotation as a respective additional configurable reel, wherein a total number of support structures including the first support structure and all of the additional support structures is an odd number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a second support structure mounted to rotate about a second axis of rotation, the second support structure received within a perimeter defined by a rotation of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures; and

a second set of display structures including at least two display structures each including a plurality of addressable elements, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures being elongated with a respective longitudinal axis, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures physically coupled to the second support structure to rotate therewith about the second axis, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to control the addressable elements of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures to selectively emit light from the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second set of display structures including at least two display structures each including a plurality of addressable elements, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures being elongated with a respective longitudinal axis, each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures physically coupled to a second support structure inwardly from the display structures of the first set of display structures to rotate therewith about the first axis, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to control the addressable elements of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures to selectively emit light from the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of mechanical reels each bearing a number of fixed indicia, the mechanical reels mounted to rotate about a second axis of rotation, the mechanical reels received within a perimeter defined by a rotation of first set of display structures.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first set of display structures mounted to the first support structure comprises at least two display structures, each of the at least two display structures being elongated with a respective longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation, and each of the at least two display structures mounted spaced about the first axis of rotation with respect to each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light transmissive display structure is stationary with respect to the housing of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having an interior in which the first support structure is received and at least one window that provides visual access from an exterior of the housing to a portion of the interior; and

a configurable light transparent curved display structure positioned between the first set of display structures and the window through which the configurable light transparent curved display structure and the first set of display structures is viewable by a user of the apparatus, wherein the configurable light transparent curved display structure passes at least some visually discernable amount of light emitted by the first set of display structures, wherein the configurable light transparent curved display structure is configurable by the controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing,

a top box carried above the housing, wherein the first support structure and the first set of display structures are located in the top box.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the addressable elements of the first display structure are a number of light emitting diodes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the addressable elements of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures such that addressable elements at a same relative pixel on the at least two display structures emit light at a same relative angular position along a path of rotation followed by the at least two display structures.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a concealment structure located within a perimeter defined by a rotation of the at least two one display structures wherein the concealment structure is black or mirrored, wherein the concealment structure is mounted in a non-rotatable fixed position.

15. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures are physically coupled to the first support structure with the respective longitudinal axes of the display structures of the first set of display structures parallel to the first axis and with each of the at least two display structures of the first set of display structures angularly spaced about the first axis of rotation with respect to each other to form a first configurable reel therewith and wherein the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures are physically coupled to the second support structure with the respective longitudinal axes of the display structures of the second set of display structures parallel to the first axis and with each of the at least two display structures of the second set of display structures angularly spaced about the first axis of rotation with respect to each other to form a second configurable reel therewith.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second axis of rotation is co-linear with the first axis of rotation and the second set of display structures are concentrically received within a perimeter defined by the rotation of the first set of display structures.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the second axis of rotation is co-linear with the first axis of rotation.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a display that is positioned relatively behind the first set of display structures and that is visible from relatively in front of the first set of display structures as the at least one display structure rotates.