Wagering games using multi-level gaming structure

• US 8,172,677 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bleich, Charles R, Canterbury, Stephen A, Pryzby, Eric M, Rasmussen, James M, Wurz, Norman R
• Primary Examiner(s): PERT, EVAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/514,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20100075750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/35, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a gaming system is disclosed including at least one community display and a plurality of personal media terminals. The at least one community display is adapted to display a community event thereon. The plurality of personal media terminals has a player positioning device and a plurality of speakers. At least two of the plurality of speakers are positioned to provide frontal audio to the player positioning device and at least two of the plurality of speakers are positioned to provide rear audio to the player positioning device. The plurality of speakers is positioned so as to provide a 360-degree sound field relative to the player positioning device. The 360-degree sound field for each of the plurality of personal media terminals differs based on the location of the personal media terminal in relation to the community display.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one community display adapted to display a community event thereon; and

a plurality of personal media terminals having a player positioning device and a plurality of speakers, at least two of the plurality of speakers being positioned to provide frontal audio to the player positioning device and at least two of the plurality of speakers being positioned to provide rear audio to the player positioning device, the plurality of speakers being positioned so as to provide a 360-degree sound field relative to the player positioning device,

wherein the 360-degree sound field for each of the plurality of personal media terminals differs based on the location of the personal media terminal in relation to the community display.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the personal media terminal includes a gaming machine.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the personal media terminal includes a gaming shell.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of personal media terminals are located on a plurality of levels relative to one another.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of speakers for each of the personal media terminals includes a subwoofer, the subwoofer being adapted to vibrate the player positioning device.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the personal media terminal is adapted to communicate with a wireless gaming machine.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one community display is a plurality of community displays, the plurality of personal media terminals being located in a substantially 360-degree configuration around the plurality of community displays.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one community display is a transmissive display.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of personal media terminals are located on opposite sides of the transmissive display.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the two or more speakers positioned to provide rear audio are located in front of the player positioning device, a reflective surface being located behind the player positioning device, the reflective surface being adapted to reflect sound beams from the two or more speakers back towards the player positioning device.

11. A gaming system comprising:

at least one community display adapted to display a community event thereon; and

a plurality of personal media terminals located in a plurality of rows facing the at least one community display, the personal media terminals including a player interface for interacting with the community event, each of the personal media terminals having personalized audio based on the location of the personal media terminal relative to the at least one community display.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the player interface is a handheld gaming machine adapted to communicate with the personal media terminal.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of personal media terminals and the at least one community display are located within an enclosed gaming environment.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the personal media terminals are adapted to receive a wager from a player to participate in the community event.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein a wager to participate in the community event is received upon entrance into the enclosed gaming environment.

16. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of rows is located on a different level from the rest of the plurality of rows.

17. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the personalized audio generates a 360-degree sound field within the personal media terminal.

18. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the personal media terminal includes a gaming machine.

19. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the personal media terminal includes a gaming shell.

20. A gaming system comprising:

at least one community display adapted to display a community wagering game; and

a plurality of player terminals located in a plurality of rows facing the at least one community display, the plurality of rows forming a stadium-seating arrangement relative to the community display, different rows being provided with different localized audio related to the community wagering game.

21. A gaming system comprising:

at least one community display adapted to display a community event thereon, the community event including a wagering game having a game board and a plurality of selectable locations on the game board;

a plurality of personal media terminals having a player positioning device and a plurality of speakers, each of the personal media terminals being associated with at least one of the plurality of selectable locations on the game board; and

wherein upon a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable locations on the game board, the plurality of speakers that corresponds to the personal media terminal associated with the selected selectable location is activated.