Gaming machine with image display assistance feature

• US 8,337,286 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Imura, Hideaki, Omomo, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/697,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,343 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/31, 463/34
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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

With liquid crystal provided in front of reels, a gaming machine includes reels 3 having symbol placement faces shaped like curved surfaces on which a plurality of symbols are placed for variably displaying of a plurality of symbol rows each made up of the plurality of symbols, liquid crystal 504 being provided in front of and opposed to the reels 3 for displaying the symbols through a flat symbol transmission face and also displaying an image concerning game play, reel backlights 513 for illuminating the symbols, and reel side reflectors 320 being provided on a side of the reels 3 for covering an area sandwiched between the symbol placement face and the symbol transmission face on a face on the side of the reels 3 for assisting image display of the liquid crystal 504.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to variably display a plurality of symbol rows each having a symbol placement face formed in a curved surface on which a plurality of symbols are placed;

an image display device being provided in front of and opposed to the variable display device and configured to display the symbols through a flat symbol transmission face and to display video images concerning a game, the image display device including a liquid crystal display for displaying the video images and a light guide plate located behind the liquid crystal display and in front of the variable display device, the light guide plate having at least one opening through which the symbols on the variable display device are displayed, the light guide plate providing backlighting to the liquid crystal display in regions outside of the opening;

a symbol illumination device configured to illuminate the symbols; and

an image display assistance device being provided lateral to an area between the variable display device and the image display device to cover an area sandwiched between the symbol placement face and the symbol transmission face, and configured to assist image display of the image display device,

wherein the symbol illumination device comprises a rear illumination lamp configured to illuminate the symbols from behind the symbols and to provide backlighting to the liquid crystal display in the region within the opening of the light guide plate, and

wherein the image display assistance device reflects light emitted from the rear illumination lamp to assist in providing backlighting to the liquid crystal display in the region within the at least one opening of the light guide plate.

2. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the symbol illumination device comprises a front illumination lamp configured to illuminate the symbols from an angled direction of the front of the symbols, and wherein the image display assistance device reflects light emitted from the front illumination lamp.

3. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image display assistance device is attached to a housing that houses the variable display device.

4. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image display assistance device comprises a white plate.

5. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image display assistance device comprises a mirror plate.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the image display assistance device comprises a planar plate.

7. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to variably display a plurality of symbol rows on which a plurality of symbols are placed;

an image display device being provided in front of the variable display device and configured to display video images concerning a game, the image display device including a liquid crystal display for displaying the video images and a light guide plate located behind the liquid crystal display and in front of the variable display device, the light guide plate having at least one opening through which the symbols on the variable display device are displayed, the light guide plate providing backlighting to the liquid crystal display in regions outside of the opening;

a symbol illumination device configured to illuminate the symbols; and

an image display assistance device being provided lateral to an area between the variable display device and the image display device and configured to reflect light emitted from the symbol illumination device and to assist image display of the image display device,

wherein the symbol illumination device comprises a rear illumination lamp configured to illuminate the symbols from behind the symbols, and

wherein the image display assistance device reflects light emitted from the rear illumination lamp and reduces dark regions in the area sandwiched between the symbol placement face and the symbol transmission face so as to enhance the viewing of the liquid crystal display.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 7, wherein the symbol illumination device further comprises a front illumination lamp configured to illuminate the symbols from an angled direction of the front of the symbols, and wherein the image display assistance device further reflects light emitted from the front illumination lamp.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 7, wherein the image display assistance device includes a reflective plate attached to a housing that houses the variable display device and the rear illumination lamp behind the plurality of symbol rows of the variable display device, the reflective plate reflecting light emitted by the rear illumination lamp from behind the symbol rows to in front of the symbol rows.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 7, wherein the image display assistance device comprises a white plate.

11. The gaming machine as according to claim 7, wherein the image display assistance device comprises a substantially flat mirror plate.

12. The gaming machine as according to claim 7, wherein the light guide plate receives light through a periphery thereof, the light guide plate transmitting the light received therein through a forward face thereof towards the liquid crystal display.

13. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to variably display a plurality of symbol rows on which a plurality of symbols are placed;

an image display device being provided in front of the variable display device and configured to display video images concerning a game, the image display device including a liquid crystal display displaying the video images and a light guide plate located behind the liquid crystal display, the light guide plate having at least one opening through which the symbols on the variable display device are displayed, the light guide plate providing backlighting to the liquid crystal display in regions outside of the at least one opening;

a side illumination device being provided lateral to an area between the variable display device and the image display device and configured to illuminate the symbols from a side of the symbols; and

a case that houses at least a part of the variable display device; and

a rear illumination lamp disposed behind the symbols and operative to illuminate the symbols from therebehind,

wherein the side illumination device includes a planar plate attached to the case and a lighting device provided on the planar plate, the planar plate reflecting light toward the light guide plate to assist in providing backlight to the liquid crystal display in the region within the at least one opening of the light guide plate.

14. The gaming machine according to claim 13, wherein the planar plate comprises a substantially flat white plate, mirror plate, or both.

15. The gaming machine as according to claim 13, wherein the light guide plate receives light through a periphery thereof, the light guide plate transmitting the light received therein through a forward face thereof towards the liquid crystal display.

16. A gaming machine comprising:

a first display device configured to variably display a plurality of symbols;

a second display device including a display panel that is provided opposed to and spaced from the first display device, and the second display device configured to display the symbols through the display panel and to display video images concerning a game on the display panel, the display panel being a liquid crystal display for displaying the video images, the second display device including a light guide plate located behind the liquid crystal display, the light guide plate having at least one opening through which the symbols on the variable display device are displayed to a player, the light guide plate providing backlighting to the liquid crystal display in regions outside of the opening; and

a display assistance device including a light reflector provided lateral to an area between the first display device and the display panel of the second display device, the light reflector configured to assist the displaying of the video images display of the second display device by providing reflected light to the liquid crystal display in the region within the opening of the light guide plate, the reflected light assisting in the backlighting of the liquid crystal display; and

a rear illumination lamp disposed behind the symbols and operative to illuminate the symbols from therebehind.

17. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein the display assistance device includes an illumination device that illuminates the area between the first display device and the display panel of the second display device.

18. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein the light reflector comprises a planar plate.

19. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein the light reflector reflects light emitted by the rear illumination lamp from a location behind the symbols to a location in front of the symbols.

20. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein the image display assistance device is attached to a housing that houses the first display device.

21. The gaming machine according to claim 20, wherein the first display device includes a plurality of mechanical reels.

22. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein the light reflector comprises a white plate.