3-D reels and 3-D wheels in a gaming machine
First Claim
1. In a gaming machine including a master gaming controller, a display device and a memory device, a method of generating a game of chance, the method comprising:
- receiving a wager for the game of chance controlled by the master gaming controller on the gaming machine wherein the gaming machine is capable of receiving indicia of credit for the wager from an input device coupled to the gaming machine and outputting indicia of credit from an output device coupled to the gaming machine;
determining randomly a final state on each of a plurality of virtual reel strips;
for each virtual reel strip,a) determining a sequence of symbols to display from the virtual reel strip wherein each of the sequence of symbols comprises at least one of i) a number of symbols prior to the final state on the virtual reel strip;
ii) a number of symbols after the final state on the virtual reel strip;
or iii) combinations thereof;
b) drawing the sequence of symbols over time on a surface comprising a planar rectangular surface or a curved portion of an outside of a cylinder defined in a 3-D gaming environment, said drawing comprising;
i) generating at least one of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at a first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder is divided into a number of segments and wherein the number of segments is less than a total number of segments associated with the virtual reel strip;
ii) selecting a first subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder;
iii) drawing the first subset of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or in the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder;
iv) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the first subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to a second position in the 3-D gaming environmentv) generating the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at the first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
vi) selecting a second subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder;
vii) drawing the second set of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder a second subset of the sequence of symbols;
viii) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the second subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to the second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the first subset and the second subset are defined so that when a plurality of 2-D images are rendered from the 3-D gaming environment to capture the movements of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder are viewed on the display screen, the symbols drawn on the planar rectangular surface or drawn on the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder appear to enter and to leave the display screen in an order specified by the sequence of symbols determined for each virtual reel strip;
rendering the plurality of two-dimensional (2-D) images comprising the surfaces drawn with the symbols from the virtual reel strips as a game outcome presentation for the game of chance wherein information used to generate the surfaces and the 3-D gaming environment is stored in the memory device on the gaming machine; and
displaying the one or more rendered 2-D images to the display device on the gaming machine wherein the 2-D images display the sequence of symbols from each of the virtual reel strips.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disclosed gaming machine provides method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. Apparatus and methods are described for generating and displaying a sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment. In particular, the sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more to flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment. The flat reels, round reels or sequences of moving objects may be moved in the 3-D gaming environment through a motion that allow the sequence of symbols from the virtual reel strip to displayed as part of game outcome presentation for a game of chance played on the gaming machine.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. In a gaming machine including a master gaming controller, a display device and a memory device, a method of generating a game of chance, the method comprising:
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receiving a wager for the game of chance controlled by the master gaming controller on the gaming machine wherein the gaming machine is capable of receiving indicia of credit for the wager from an input device coupled to the gaming machine and outputting indicia of credit from an output device coupled to the gaming machine; determining randomly a final state on each of a plurality of virtual reel strips; for each virtual reel strip, a) determining a sequence of symbols to display from the virtual reel strip wherein each of the sequence of symbols comprises at least one of i) a number of symbols prior to the final state on the virtual reel strip;
ii) a number of symbols after the final state on the virtual reel strip;
or iii) combinations thereof;b) drawing the sequence of symbols over time on a surface comprising a planar rectangular surface or a curved portion of an outside of a cylinder defined in a 3-D gaming environment, said drawing comprising; i) generating at least one of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at a first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder is divided into a number of segments and wherein the number of segments is less than a total number of segments associated with the virtual reel strip;ii) selecting a first subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; iii) drawing the first subset of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or in the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; iv) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the first subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to a second position in the 3-D gaming environment v) generating the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at the first position in the 3-D gaming environment; vi) selecting a second subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; vii) drawing the second set of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder a second subset of the sequence of symbols; viii) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the second subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to the second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the first subset and the second subset are defined so that when a plurality of 2-D images are rendered from the 3-D gaming environment to capture the movements of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder are viewed on the display screen, the symbols drawn on the planar rectangular surface or drawn on the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder appear to enter and to leave the display screen in an order specified by the sequence of symbols determined for each virtual reel strip;rendering the plurality of two-dimensional (2-D) images comprising the surfaces drawn with the symbols from the virtual reel strips as a game outcome presentation for the game of chance wherein information used to generate the surfaces and the 3-D gaming environment is stored in the memory device on the gaming machine; and displaying the one or more rendered 2-D images to the display device on the gaming machine wherein the 2-D images display the sequence of symbols from each of the virtual reel strips. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A gaming machine comprising:
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a housing; a master gaming controller designed or configured to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine mounted within the housing and to execute game logic; an input device coupled to the housing capable of receiving indicia of credit for wagers on the game of chance; an output device coupled to the housing capable of outputting indicia of credit from the gaming machine; a memory device coupled to the housing for storing information used to generate a 3-D gaming environment comprising one or more virtual slot reels; game logic executed on the gaming machine for rendering one or more two-dimensional images derived from the 3-D gaming environment wherein the rendering for each virtual slot reel comprises, a) determining a sequence of symbols to display from a virtual reel strip associated with the virtual slot reel wherein each of the sequence of symbols comprises at least one of i) a number of symbols prior to the final state on the virtual reel strip;
ii) a number of symbols after the final state on the virtual reel strip;
or iii) combinations thereof;b) drawing the sequence of symbols over time on a surface comprising a planar rectangular surface or a curved portion of an outside of a cylinder defined in a 3-D gaming environment, said drawing comprising; i) generating at least one of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at a first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder is divided into a number of segments and wherein the number of segments is less than a total number of segments associated with the virtual reel strip;ii) selecting a first subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; iii) drawing the first subset of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or in the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; iv) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the first subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to a second position in the 3-D gaming environment v) generating the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder at the first position in the 3-D gaming environment; vi) selecting a second subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder; vii) drawing the second set of symbols in the segments of the planar rectangular surface or the segments of the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder a second subset of the sequence of symbols; viii) moving the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder including the second subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to the second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
wherein the first subset and the second subset are defined so that when a plurality of 2-D images are rendered from the 3-D gaming environment to capture the movements of the planar rectangular surface or the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder are viewed on the display screen, the symbols drawn on the planar rectangular surface or drawn on the curved portion of the outside of the cylinder appear to enter and to leave the display screen in an order specified by the sequence of symbols determined for each virtual reel strip; andone or more display devices for displaying a game outcome presentation for the game of chance comprising said rendered one or more two-dimensional images. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification