Presentation of wheels on gaming machines having multi-layer displays

• US 8,142,273 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Williams, David C., Hedrick, Joseph Randy, Larsen, Kurt M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer, Malina K
• Application Number:
  US11/938,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

Gaming machines, systems and methods for presenting gaming wheels are disclosed. Gaming machines can include an exterior housing, master gaming controller, display device, specialized wheel processor, speakers and a network interface. A multi-layer display device adapted to display a gaming wheel having a plurality of wheel stops distributed thereupon can include a display controller that generates or transmits display signals, a first display screen that presents a first visual display and a second display screen that presents a second visual display, where the second display screen is positioned behind the first display screen such that the first and second visual displays combine for a single visual presentation that can include a gaming wheel. Different portions of the gaming wheel can be presented on both of the first and second display screens. Multiple spinning wheels can overlap and/or align concentrically for alternative wager-based games.

Claims

1. A processor-based gaming machine configured to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager and grant a payout based on the result of the wager-based game, comprising:

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and configured to execute or control one or more aspects of said wager-based game;

a multi-layer display device in communication with said master gaming controller and configured to display at least one spinning gaming wheel thereupon, said at least one spinning gaming wheel including a plurality of wheel stops distributed thereupon, said spinning gaming wheel configured to depict one or more symbols on a frontal surface of the spinning gaming wheel moving along a circular or elliptical path when viewed by a player of the gaming machine, wherein said multi-layer display device includes;

at least one display controller configured to generate or transmit one or more display signals,

a first display screen in communication with said at least one display controller and configured to present a first visual display thereupon based on said one or more display signals, and

a second display screen in communication with said at least one display controller and configured to present a second visual display thereupon based upon said one or more display signals, said second display screen being positioned behind said first display screen such that said first and second visual displays are configured to combine for a single visual presentation that includes said at least one spinning gaming wheel to a viewer thereof,

wherein said first visual display includes a first portion of said at least one spinning gaming wheel, and wherein said second visual display includes a second portion of said at least one spinning gaming wheel; and

a dedicated wheel processor in communication with at least one of said master gaming controller and said multi-layer display device, wherein said dedicated wheel processor is configured to vary display parameters of said at least one spinning gaming wheel from play to play during a session of play of a wheel-type game on said processor-based gaming machine, said display parameters governing the length, speed, acceleration, and deceleration of wheel spins.

2. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, further including:

one or more speakers in communication with said master gaming controller and configured to present sounds with respect to said at least one spinning gaming wheel, said sounds including one or more sounds associated with latches, stepper motors, solenoid actuations, brakes, and other mechanical sounds associated with operation of a mechanical wheel.

3. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 2, wherein said one or more speakers comprises a plurality of dedicated wheel speakers located in close proximity to the display of said at least one spinning gaming wheel.

4. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 2, further including:

a wheel sound generator in communication with at least one of said master gaming controller and said one or more speakers, wherein said wheel sound generator is configured to provide sounds to said one or more speakers with respect to said at least one spinning gaming wheel.

5. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, further including:

a network interface coupling said gaming machine to one or more remotely located networked components, said network interface configured to facilitate the downloading of wheel spin times, wheel sounds, or both to said gaming machine.

6. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said single visual presentation that includes said at least one spinning gaming wheel includes a graphical representation of said at least one spinning gaming wheel.

7. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said single visual presentation that includes said at least one spinning gaming wheel includes a recorded video clip of an actual physical spinning gaming wheel.

8. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said single visual presentation that includes said at least one spinning gaming wheel includes a live video feed of an actual physical spinning gaming wheel.

9. The processor-based gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said first visual display includes a first portion of said at least one spinning gaming wheel and said second visual display includes a second portion of said at least one spinning gaming wheel, wherein the first portion moves from said first visual display to said second visual display and the second portion moves from said second visual display to said first visual display.

10. A method of presenting a spinning gaming wheel on a processor-based gaming machine, comprising:

displaying on a multi-layer display device of said processor-based gaming machine a gaming wheel in a first static, non-spinning position, wherein said multi-layer display device includes a first display screen configured to present a first visual display thereupon and a second display screen configured to present a second visual display thereupon, said second display screen being positioned behind said first display screen such that said first and second visual displays are configured to combine for a single visual presentation that includes said at least one spinning gaming wheel to a viewer thereof, said gaming wheel configured to depict one or more symbols on a frontal surface of the gaming wheel as moving along a circular or elliptical path when the gaming wheel is in motion and when viewed by a player of the gaming machine, wherein said first visual display includes a first portion of said gaming wheel and wherein said second visual display includes a second portion of said gaming wheel;

accepting a monetary value wager from said player;

accepting a game-related input from said player;

initiating the play of a wager-based game as a result of said game-related input;

determining wheel spin parameters for said gaming wheel, said wheel spin parameters varying from play to play during a session of play of a wheel-type game on said processor-based gaming machine, said wheel spin parameters governing the length, speed, acceleration, and deceleration of wheel spins; and

presenting on said multi-layer display said gaming wheel in a spinning motion, wherein said presentation is based at least in part on the determined wheel spin parameters for said gaming wheel.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

generating wheel sounds for said gaming wheel, said wheel sounds including one or more sounds associated with latches, stepper motors, solenoid actuations, brakes, and other mechanical sounds associated with operation of a mechanical wheel; and

presenting said generated wheel sounds on one or more speakers of said processor-based gaming machine.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said multi-layer display device said gaming wheel in a second static, non-spinning position after said presenting step.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

capturing a video clip or feed of an actual physical gaming wheel; and

providing said video clip or feed to said multi-layer display device for display thereon.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

moving the first portion from said first visual display to said second visual display; and

moving the second portion from said second visual display to said first visual display.

15. A wager-based gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of processor-based gaming machines configured to accept a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, each of said plurality of processor-based gaming machines including;

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein,

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and configured to execute or control one or more aspects of said wager-based reel-type game, and

a multi-layer display device in communication with said master gaming controller and configured to present at least one spinning gaming wheel thereupon, said spinning gaming wheel configured to depict one or more symbols on a frontal surface of the spinning gaming wheel moving along a circular or elliptical path when viewed by a player of the gaming machine;

a remote host in communication with said plurality of processor-based gaming machines, said remote host being configured to download one or more wheel parameters to one or more of said plurality of processor-based gaming machines; and

at least one dedicated wheel processor in communication with at least one of said remote host and said plurality of processor-based gaming machines, wherein said at least one dedicated wheel processor is configured to vary display parameters of said at least one spinning gaming wheel from play to play during a session of play of a wheel-type game on one or more of said processor-based gaming machines, said display parameters governing the length, speed, acceleration, and deceleration of wheel spins.

16. The wager-based gaming system of claim 15, wherein said at least one dedicated wheel processor is located at said remote host.

17. A wager-based gaming machine, comprising:

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and configured to execute or control one or more aspects of a wager-based game;

a display device configured to present a plurality of gaming wheels thereupon, wherein said plurality of gaming wheels are viewed in combination to provide a wager-based game outcome, each of said plurality of gaming wheels configured to depict one or more symbols on a frontal surface of each gaming wheel moving along a circular or elliptical path when viewed by a player of the wager-based gaming machine; and

at least one dedicated wheel processor configured to vary display parameters of said plurality of gaming wheels from play to play during a session of play of a wheel-type game on said wager-based gaming machine, said display parameters governing the length, speed, acceleration, and deceleration of wheel spins.

18. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 17, wherein said display device comprises a multi-layer display having a plurality of display screens positioned front to back with respect to each other.

19. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 18, wherein said plurality of gaming wheels are arranged in concentric fashion with respect to each other.

20. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 19, wherein a first gaming wheel is presented on a first display screen of said multi-layer display device, and wherein a second gaming wheel is presented on a second display screen of said multi-layer display device.

21. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 20, wherein said first gaming wheel is concentrically located within said second gaming wheel in a combined visual presentation of said first and second display screens.

22. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 20, wherein said first gaming wheel and said second gaming wheel substantially overlap with each other in a combined visual presentation of said first and second display screens.

23. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 20, wherein said first gaming wheel rotates clockwise and said second gaming wheel rotates counterclockwise during the play of a game on said wager-based gaming machine.

24. The wager-based gaming machine of claim 20, wherein wheel stop positions on said first gaming wheel and said second gaming wheel are configured to align to form a multi-wheel payline across said first and second gaming wheels.