Simulated reel imperfections

• US 8,192,281 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• 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 R., Larsen, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US11/858,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/4, 463/5
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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

Described herein is a gaming machine configured to output video data that simulates mechanical reels in a traditional mechanical slot machine. Embodiments described herein contribute to the emulation of a mechanical machine by simulating one or more visible mechanical imperfections commonly found in a mechanical reel machine.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region of the gaming machine, the cabinet adapted to house a plurality of gaming machine components within or about the interior region;

a display device, disposed within or about the interior region, configured to output a visual image in response to a control signal; and

at least one processor configured to execute instructions, from memory, that

a) permit game play, on the gaming machine and using the display device, of a game of chance with multiple video reels displayed by the display device, and

b) display video data, on the display device, that includes one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections of a mechanical reel in a gaming machine, the one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections including a dynamic imperfection and the output video data including simulated motion of a video reel.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes jitter in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated jitter of the video reel, or a portion thereof, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the video reel.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2 wherein the simulated jitter includes periodic jitter corresponding to a rotational speed for the video reel.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes reel kick-back in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated kick-back of the video reel in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the video reel.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4 wherein the simulated kick-back occurs after the video reel stops spinning in the direction of spin.

6. The gaming machine of claim 4 wherein the simulated kick-back occurs before the video reel starts spinning in the direction of spin.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes dynamic randomness and the output video data includes random motion of the video reel.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1 further including a second display device arranged relative to the first display device such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display device to a portion of the second display device.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the second display device is arranged distal to the person relative to the first display device.

10. A gaming machine comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region of the gaming machine, the cabinet adapted to house a plurality of gaming machine components within or about the interior region;

a first display device, disposed within or about the interior region, configured to output a visual image in response to a control signal and including one or more controllably transparent portions;

a second display device, arranged relative to the first display device such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display device to a portion of the second display device; and

at least one processor configured to execute instructions, from memory, that

a) permit game play, on the gaming machine and using the second display device, of a game of chance with multiple video reels displayed by the second display device, and

b) display video data, on the second display device, that includes one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections of a mechanical reel in a gaming machine wherein the one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections include a dynamic imperfection and the output video data includes simulated motion of a video reel.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes jitter in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated jitter of the video reel, or a portion thereof, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the video reel.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes reel kick-back in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated kick-back of the video reel in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the video reel.

13. A method of providing a game of chance on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

displaying the game of chance on a video display device included in the gaming machine, wherein the game of chance includes a set of video reels;

during the game, simulating the movement of symbols on each video reel in the set of video reels on the display device; and

for one or more of the video reels in the set of video reels, displaying video data, on the display device, that simulates one or more visible mechanical imperfections of a mechanical reel in a gaming machine wherein the one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections include a dynamic imperfection and the output video data includes simulated motion of a video reel.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes jitter in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated jitter of the video reel, or a portion thereof, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of spin for the video reel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the simulated jitter includes periodic jitter corresponding to a rotational speed for the video reel.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes reel kick-back in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the mechanical reel and the output video data includes simulated kick-back of the video reel in a direction opposite to a direction of spin for the video reel.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the simulated kick-back occurs after the video reel stops spinning in the direction of spin.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the visible mechanical imperfection includes dynamic randomness and the output video data includes random motion of the video reel.

19. The method of claim 13 further including a second display device arranged relative to the first display device such that a common line of sight passes through a portion of the first display device to a portion of the second display device.

20. Logic encoded which is stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed by a computer to provide a game of chance on a gaming machine, comprises:

instructions for displaying the game of chance on a video display device included in the gaming machine, wherein the game of chance includes a set of video reels;

instructions for displaying the simulation the movement of symbols on each video reel in the set of video reels on the display device; and

instructions for displaying video data, for one or more of the video reels in the set of video reels, on the display device, that simulates one or more visible mechanical imperfections of a mechanical reel in a gaming machine wherein the one or more simulated visible mechanical imperfections include a dynamic imperfection and the output video data includes simulated motion of a video reel.