Reconfigurable gaming machine

• US 8,469,822 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, James, Miodunski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US13/597,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463 39- 43, 463 31- 33
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions

Abstract

A gaming system having one or more reconfigurable gaming machines is disclosed herein. Each gaming machine includes three reconfigurable video screens, wherein the reconfigurable first video screen, the second reconfigurable video screen, and the third reconfigurable video screen display a first game, information associated with the first game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof. The one or more gaming machines are reconfigurable to display a second game on the three reconfigurable video screens in response to receiving a reconfiguration command and downloading the second game from a server via a network so that the first reconfigurable video screen, the second reconfigurable video screen, and the third reconfigurable video screen display the second game, information associated with the second game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a reconfigurable first video screen displaying a first game located on the gaming machine;

a reconfigurable second video screen; and

a reconfigurable third video screen, wherein the reconfigurable second video screen and the reconfigurable third video screen display pay tables associated with the first game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof;

wherein the gaming machine is reconfigurable to display a second game on the three video screens in response to receiving a reconfiguration command and downloading the second game from a server via a network so that the second game is displayed on the reconfigured first video screen, and wherein the reconfigurable second video screen and the reconfigurable third video screen display pay tables associated with the second game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reconfiguration command is activated by a trigger, wherein the trigger is a wagered amount, an identity of a player, a speed at which a game is played, or combinations thereof.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reconfiguration command is either casino personnel-activated or player-activated.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the second game is authenticated after being downloaded.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the casino specific features include booking hotel rooms, making restaurant reservations, ordering refreshments, or combinations thereof.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein additional game play opportunities are presented on one of the screens.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein casino-wide bonus games are presented on one of the screens.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein one or more of the games employs all three screens as part of game play.

9. A gaming machine having a plurality of reconfigurable video screens, the gaming machine comprising:

a first reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine;

a second reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine; and

a third reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine;

wherein the first video screen, the second video screen, and the third video screen display the first game, information relating to the first game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof;

wherein the gaming machine is reconfigurable to display a second game on the three video screens in response to receiving a reconfiguration command and downloading the second game from a server via a network so that the reconfigured first video screen, the reconfigured second video screen, and the reconfigured third video screen display the second game, information relating to the second game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the reconfiguration command is activated by a trigger, wherein the trigger is a wagered amount, an identity of a player, a speed at which a game is played, or combinations thereof.

11. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the reconfiguration command is either casino personnel-activated or player-activated.

12. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the second game is authenticated after being downloaded.

13. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the casino specific features include booking hotel rooms, making restaurant reservations, ordering refreshments, or combinations thereof.

14. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein additional game play opportunities are presented on one of the screens.

15. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein casino-wide bonus games are presented on one of the screens.

16. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein one or more of the games employs all three screens as part of game play.

17. A gaming system having a network for displaying reconfigurable video content relating to a plurality of games, the gaming system comprising:

a server storing a plurality of games, information relating to the games, and casino specific features, wherein the games, the information relating to the games, and the casino specific features are accessible via the network; and

one or more gaming machine having a plurality of reconfigurable video screens, each gaming machine further comprising;

a first reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine;

a second reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine; and

a third reconfigurable video screen located on the gaming machine;

wherein the first video screen, the second video screen, and the third video screen display the first game, information relating to the first game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof;

wherein the gaming machine is reconfigurable to display a second game on the three video screens in response to receiving a reconfiguration command and downloading the second game from the server via the network so that the reconfigured first video screen, the reconfigured second video screen, and the reconfigured third video screen display the second game, information relating to the second game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the reconfiguration command is activated by a trigger, wherein the trigger is a wagered amount, an identity of a player, a speed at which a game is played, or combinations thereof.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the reconfiguration command is either casino personnel-activated or player-activated.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the second game is authenticated after being downloaded.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the casino specific features include booking hotel rooms, making restaurant reservations, ordering refreshments, or combinations thereof.

22. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein additional game play opportunities are presented on one of the screens.

23. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein casino-wide bonus games are presented on one of the screens.

24. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the games employs all three screens as part of game play.

25. A method of displaying video content on a gaming machine, the video content including a first game and a second game, information associated with the first game and the second game, and casino specific features, the method comprising:

displaying video content on a first reconfigurable video screen of the gaming machine;

displaying video content on a second reconfigurable video screen of the gaming machine;

displaying video content on a third reconfigurable video screen of the gaming machine, wherein the video content displayed on first reconfigurable video screen, the second reconfigurable video screen, and the third reconfigurable video screen includes the first game, information relating to the first game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof;

in response to receiving a reconfiguration command, downloading a second game from a server via a network; and

reconfiguring the video content on the three video screens for the second game, wherein the reconfigured first video screen, the reconfigured second video screen, and the reconfigured third video screen display the second game, information relating to the second game, casino specific features, or combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the reconfiguration command is activated by a trigger, wherein the trigger is a wagered amount, an identity of a player, a speed at which a game is played, or combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the reconfiguration command is either casino personnel-activated or player-activated.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the second game is authenticated after being downloaded.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the casino specific features include booking hotel rooms, making restaurant reservations, ordering refreshments, or combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein additional game play opportunities are presented on one of the screens.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein casino-wide bonus games are presented on one of the screens.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein one or more of the games employs all three screens as part of game play.