Methods and systems for improving play of a bonus game on a gaming machine and improving security within a gaming establishment

• US 8,425,316 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Silva, Gregory A., Blomquist, Cari L., Griffin, Ryan M., Venneman, Jean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US12/849,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 34, 463/46
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

Methods and Systems for improving play of a bonus game on a gaming machine and improving security within a gaming establishment are described. The systems include a gaming machine, which includes an input device that receives an input from a user. The gaming machine further includes a first display device that displays a primary game upon receiving the input, and a second display device including a multilayer display that displays a secondary game. The multilayer display includes a foreground screen and a background screen, with at least a portion of the foreground screen or the background screen being curved and the foreground screen or the background screen displays an image of a wheel. The gaming machine further includes a controller configured to execute the primary and secondary games. The secondary game is played after playing the primary game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

an input device configured to receive an input from a user;

a first display device configured to display a primary game upon receiving the input;

a second multilayer display device configured to display a secondary game, wherein said multilayer display includes a foreground screen and a background screen, with at least a portion of one of said foreground screen and said background screen having a curved outer boundary and one of said foreground screen and said background screen configured to display an image of a wheel;

a controller configured to execute the primary and secondary games, wherein the secondary game is played after playing the primary game; and

a light barrier disposed between the foreground screen and the background screen extending from and in contact with the foreground screen to and in contact with the background screen

whereby light from or through an outer portion of the background screen will illuminate an outer portion of the foreground screen having a foreground image but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an inner portion of the foreground screen and

light from or through an inner portion of the background screen will illuminate an inner portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating the outer portion of the foreground screen having the foreground image.

2. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the secondary game is initiated based on an outcome of the primary game.

3. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the primary game is initiated upon receiving a first wager from the user, and the secondary game is initiated upon receiving a second wager from the user.

4. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gaming machine includes a secondary game initiation button, wherein the secondary game initiation button is other than said input device.

5. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foreground screen has a circular shape or tombstone shape.

6. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said background screen has a circular shape or tombstone shape.

7. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said background screen is configured to display an image of the wheel including a plurality of segments, said controller being configured to change a number of credits or a description of a prize within at least one of the segments.

8. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foreground screen is configured to display an image of the wheel and said background screen is configured to display an image of a set of graphical elements including at least one of a pointer and a bonus multiplier.

9. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foreground screen is configured to display an image of a set of graphical elements including at least one of a pointer and a bonus multiplier and said background screen is configured to display an image of the wheel.

10. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said background screen is smaller than said foreground screen.

11. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 10, wherein said background screen has a smaller diameter than said foreground screen.

12. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foreground screen includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) device or a light emitting diode (LED) display device and said background screen includes an LCD device or a light emitting diode (LED) display device.

13. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said multilayer display includes a light source configured to illuminate said background screen.

14. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foreground screen and said background screen each include a set of pixels, wherein an interstitial layer is disposed between said foreground screen and said background screen to reduce interference between said set of pixels of said background screen and foreground screen.

15. A gaming method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, an input from a user;

displaying, via a first display device, a primary game upon receiving the input;

displaying, via a second multilayer display device having a foreground screen and a background screen, a secondary game including an image of a wheel, wherein a portion of at least one of the foreground screen and the background screen has a curved outer boundary, whereby the secondary game is displayed by use of a light barrier disposed between the foreground screen and the background screen and extending from and in contact with the foreground screen to and in contact with the background screen

whereby light from or through an outer portion of the background screen or from a light source surrounding the background screen will illuminate an outer portion of the foreground screen having a foreground image but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an inner portion of the foreground screen having the foreground image and

light from or through an inner portion of the background screen will illuminate an inner portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an outer portion of the foreground screen; and

executing, by a controller, at least one of the primary game and the secondary game, wherein the secondary game is played after the primary game.

16. A gaming method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

preventing light from illuminating the background screen or a portion of the foreground screen;

initiating the secondary game based on an outcome of the primary game.

17. A gaming method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

initiating the primary game upon receiving a first wager from the user; and

initiating the secondary game upon receiving a second wager from the user.

18. A gaming method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising initiating the secondary game upon receiving an indication that a secondary game initiation button other than the input device of a gaming machine is activated.

19. A gaming method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the foreground screen has a shape of a foreground image displayed within the foreground screen, and the background screen has a shape of a background image displayed within the background screen.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a foreground screen configured to display a foreground image;

a background screen configured to display a background image, wherein a portion of at least one of said foreground screen and said background screen is curved, and the foreground image or the background image includes an image of a wheel;

a light barrier disposed between the foreground screen and the background screen extending from and in contact with the foreground screen to and in contact with the background screen

whereby light from or through an outer portion of the background screen or from a light source surrounding the background screen will illuminate an outer portion of the foreground screen having a foreground image but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an inner portion of the foreground screen and

light from or through an inner portion of the background screen will illuminate an inner portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an outer portion of the foreground screen having the foreground image; and

a controller configured to control the display of the foreground image and the background image after play of a primary game.

21. A gaming system in accordance with claim 20, further comprising a light barrier configured to prevent light from illuminating said background screen or a portion of said foreground screen, wherein the foreground and background images include images of a secondary game.

22. A gaming system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the secondary game is initiated based on an outcome of the primary game.

23. A gaming system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the primary game is initiated upon receiving a first wager from the user and the secondary game is initiated upon receiving a second wager from the user.

24. A gaming system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said foreground screen and said background screen have a circular or tombstone-shape.

25. A gaming system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said foreground screen has a shape of the foreground image displayed within said foreground screen, and said background screen has a shape of the background image displayed within said background screen.

26. A gaming method comprising:

displaying, via a foreground screen, a foreground image;

displaying, via a background screen, a background image, wherein a portion of at least one of the foreground screen and the background screen has a curved outer boundary, and the foreground image or the background image includes an image of a wheel;

displaying an image of a primary game on a screen other than said background screen or said foreground screen; and

displaying the foreground image and the background image if a winning outcome is achieved by playing the primary game by use of a light barrier disposed between the foreground screen and the background screen extending from and in contact with the foreground screen to and in contact with the background screen

whereby light from or through an outer portion of the background screen or from a light source surrounding the background screen will illuminate an outer portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an inner portion of the foreground screen and

light from or through an inner portion of the background screen will illuminate an inner portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an outer portion of the foreground screen; and

wherein the foreground image and background image include images of a secondary game.

27. A gaming method in accordance with claim 26, wherein the secondary game is initiated based on an outcome of the primary game.

28. A gaming machine comprising:

an input device configured to receive an input from a user;

a first display device configured to display a primary game upon receiving the input;

a second multilayer display device configured to display a secondary game, wherein said multilayer display includes a foreground screen and a background screen smaller in diameter than the foreground screen, with at least a portion of one of said foreground screen and said background screen having a curved outer boundary and one of said foreground screen and said background screen configured to display an image of a wheel;

a controller configured to execute the primary and secondary games, wherein the secondary game is played after playing the primary game;

a light source configured to direct light toward the foreground screen and configured to surround the background screen; and

a light barrier disposed between the foreground screen and the background screen extending from and in contact with the foreground screen to and in contact with the background screen

whereby light from the light source surrounding the background screen will illuminate an outer portion of the foreground screen but will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating an inner portion of the foreground screen and

light from the light source will be prevented by the barrier from illuminating the background screen.

29. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 28, wherein said light source is a ring-shaped light source.

30. A gaming machine in accordance with claim 29, wherein a portion of said light barrier is concentric with a portion of said background screen and said foreground screen.