Adjustable playing area for electronic gaming terminal

• US 8,167,715 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Lesley, Paul M., Jaffe, Joel R., Greenberg, Jacob C., Wurz, Norm, Urban, Bruce, Smolucha, Walter E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/612,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20100120530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A gaming terminal includes a gaming cabinet, at least one display, an adjustable playing area, and a player-input button. The at least one display is mounted to the gaming cabinet and configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game. The randomly selected outcome is selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input from a player. The adjustable playing area is mounted to the gaming cabinet below the at least one display. The adjustable playing area is operable to translate linearly between a proximal position and a distal position, the proximal position being near the gaming cabinet and the distal position being away from the gaming cabinet. The player-input button is mounted in the adjustable playing area for receiving game play input from the player.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal comprising:

a gaming cabinet;

at least one display mounted to the gaming cabinet and being configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input from a player;

an adjustable playing area mounted to the gaming cabinet below the at least one display, the adjustable playing area being operable to translate linearly between a proximal position and a distal position, the proximal position being near the gaming cabinet and the distal position being away from the gaming cabinet; and

a player-input button mounted in the adjustable playing area for receiving game play input from the player.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the player-input button is one or more of a play button, a programmable button configured to display content associated with the wagering game, or any combination thereof.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional player-input buttons mounted in the adjustable playing area.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further comprising a switch operatively coupled to the adjustable playing area, the switch deactivating the player-input button when the adjustable playing area is in the proximal position.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the adjustable playing area has a plurality of extended positions located between the proximal position and the distal position.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 5, further comprising a mechanical mechanism configured to automatically retract the adjustable playing area from one of the plurality of extended positions to the proximal position after the gaming machine is idle for a predetermined period of time.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 6, further comprising a mechanical damper coupled to the adjustable playing area.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further comprising a rail system mounted to the adjustable playing area and to the gaming cabinet for facilitating the linear translation of the adjustable playing area.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 8, wherein the adjustable playing area includes a release button for releasing the adjustable playing area from a secured position.

10. The gaming terminal of claim 8, further comprising a soft pad covering that surrounds at least a portion of an outer surface of the adjustable playing area.

11. The gaming terminal of claim 10, wherein the player-input button is positioned such that a top surface of the player-input button is generally flush with a top surface of the pad covering.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 10, wherein the player-input button is positioned such that a top surface of the player-input button is generally below a top surface of the pad covering.

13. A gaming machine comprising:

at least one display mounted to a gaming cabinet and being configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input from a player;

an adjustable playing area having a pad covering, the adjustable playing area being mounted to the gaming cabinet below the display, the adjustable playing area being operable to horizontally translate between a proximal position and a distal position, the proximal position being near the gaming cabinet and the distal position being away from the gaming cabinet; and

a moveable player-input button mounted in the adjustable playing area for receiving game play input from the player, the moveable player-input button having a top surface generally flush with or below a top surface of the pad covering.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13, further comprising a switch operatively coupled to the adjustable playing area, the switch deactivating the moveable player-input button when the adjustable playing area is in the proximal position.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the adjustable playing area includes a main body and a rail system, the rail system being mounted to the main body and to the gaming cabinet, the moveable player-input being mounted in the main body of the adjustable playing area.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15, further comprising a mechanical mechanism coupled to the main body, the mechanical mechanism configured to automatically retract the adjustable playing area from one of a plurality of extended positions to the proximal position after the occurrence of a gaming event.

17. A gaming terminal comprising:

an adjustable playing area mounted to a gaming cabinet, the adjustable playing area being operable to translate linearly from a proximal position to one of a plurality of extended positions, the proximal position being near the gaming cabinet and each of the plurality of extended positions being away from the gaming cabinet; and

at least one display mounted to the gaming cabinet above the adjustable playing area and being configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game, the randomly selected outcome being selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input from a player, the at least one display being configured to automatically adjust relative to a home position when the player manually adjusts the adjustable playing area.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the at least one display is configured to automatically return to the home position upon the occurrence of a gaming event.

19. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein automatic adjustment of the display includes one or more of a rotational adjustment and a translational adjustment.

20. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the at least one display is configured to tilt to adjust a viewing angle.

21. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a wager input from a player;

allowing the player to select one or more player-selectable options for configuring the wagering game via one or more player-input devices;

translating an adjustable playing area in a linear direction from a proximal position toward a distal position, the proximal position being near a gaming cabinet of the gaming terminal and the distal position being farther from the gaming cabinet, the adjustable playing area having at least one player-input button distinct from the one or more player-input devices, the player-input button being fixed relative to the adjustable playing area.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the player-selectable options include one or more of a payline selection and a wager selection.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying an initial randomly selected outcome in accordance with selections made via the one or more player-input devices;

actuating the at least one player-input button to provide game play input; and

in response to the actuating, displaying a subsequent randomly selected outcome in accordance with input received solely from the at least one player-input button.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the subsequent randomly selected outcome is based on the same selections made via the one or more player-input devices.

25. A method of adjusting an adjustable playing area of a gaming machine, the adjustable playing area including a player-input button, the method comprising:

receiving a wager input from a player;

in response to receiving the wager input, displaying a randomly selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes;

activating a release button to disengage a locking mechanism;

sliding the adjustable playing area along a rail system from a proximal position to one of a plurality of extended positions, the proximal position being located near a gaming cabinet of the gaming machine and the extended positions being farther from the gaming cabinet;

automatically engaging the locking mechanism to secure the adjustable playing area at one of the plurality of extended positions; and

automatically retracting the adjustable playing area to the proximal position after the occurrence of a predetermined event.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising automatically deactivating the player-input button when the adjustable playing area is in the proximal position.