Trajectory-based 3-D games of chance for video gaming machines

• US 8,523,671 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brosnan, William R., Beaulieu, Nicole M., Benbrahim, Jamal, Escalera, Anthony R., Kryuchkov, Alexey, LeMay, Steven G., Mincey, Jeff, Nelson, Dwayne R., Rogers, Andy, Schlottmann, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/047,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20110165930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 463/32, 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/38 Ball games; Shooting apparatus

Abstract

Trajectory-based games of chance are described that may be implemented on a video gaming machine. In a trajectory-based game of chance, a trajectory of a game object may be generated in a 3-D gaming environment. A wager may be made on an aspect of the game object'"'"'s trajectory in the gaming environment such as a termination location for the trajectory of the game object. The aspect of the game object'"'"'s trajectory may occur according to a known probability. Hence, an award for the trajectory-based game of chance may be proportional to the probability of the aspect of the game object'"'"'s trajectory occurring.

Claims

1. A method of generating a pay-table for a trajectory-based game of chance, the method comprising:

inserting a plurality of 3-D game objects into a 3-D gaming environment wherein each of the plurality of 3-D game objects is assigned an initial state;

generating a trajectory for each of the 3-D game objects in the 3-D gaming environment, the trajectory of each 3-D game object comprising;

the initial state in the 3-D gaming environment, a final state in the 3-D gaming environment, and one or more states in the 3-D gaming environment between the initial state and the final state;

assigning a game outcome for the trajectory-based game of chance from a set of game outcomes to an aspect of the trajectory for each 3-D game object; and

generating a pay table that relates each game outcome in the set of game outcomes to a probability of that game outcome occurring in the trajectory-based game of chance

generating a trajectory table that relates each game outcome in the set of game outcomes to one or more different initial states wherein each of the one or more different initial states is for generating a trajectory corresponding to its related game outcome;

installing the paytable, the 3-D gaming environment and the trajectory table on a gaming machine; and

, on the gaming machine;

generating a first game outcome using the pay table;

selecting an initial state for the first game outcome using the trajectory table; and

generating in the 3-D gaming environment a first trajectory corresponding to the first game outcome using the initial state selected from the trajectory table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the 3-D gaming environment for the trajectory-based game of chance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the 3-D gaming environment comprises data and/or instructions for generating;

a plurality of 3-D objects;

a plurality of trajectory rules for determining the trajectory of a moving 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment;

a plurality of collision rules for determining effects of a collision between 3-D objects in the 3-D gaming environment; and

a plurality of exit rules for removing the 3-D game object from the 3-D gaming environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial state comprises an initial position and an initial velocity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory for each of the 3-D game objects is planar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory-based game of chance is a pachinko game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3-D game object is a sphere.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3-D game object is a polyhedron.

9. A method of generating a game outcome presentation in a trajectory-based game of chance, the method comprising:

along a trajectory of a 3-D game object in a 3-D gaming environment wherein the trajectory comprises a sequence of states of the 3-D game object in the 3-D gaming environment and wherein each states comprises at least a position and a velocity of the 3-D game object;

generating a first state in the sequence of states of the 3-D game object along its trajectory;

generating a second state in the sequence of states of the 3-D game object along its trajectory that is related to the first state by a plurality of trajectory rules;

determining a game outcome for the trajectory-based game of chance;

looking up in an initial position and an initial velocity of the 3-D game object in a trajectory table that corresponds to the determined game outcome and assigning the initial position and the initial position of the 3-D game object to the first state; and

rendering one or more two-dimensional images of the 3-D game object along its trajectory in the 3-D gaming environment and displaying the rendered images on a gaming machine as part of the game outcome presentation for the trajectory-based game of chance.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after generating a position and a velocity of the 3-D game object at the second state, assigning the position and the velocity of the 3-D game object at the second state to the first state and generating a new second state.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the 3-D game object has exited the 3-D gaming environment between the first state and the second state;

removing the 3-D game object from the 3-D gaming environment; and

displaying the game outcome for the 3-D game object.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting an intersection of the 3-D game object with a surface in the 3-D gaming environment between the first state and the second state.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, terminating the trajectory of the 3-D game object and removing the 3-D game object from the 3-D gaming environment.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, generating a new position for the second state different from the position of the second state wherein the 3-D game object appears to move discontinuously from the first state to the second state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the new position is located in a bonus area of the 3-D gaming environment.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, modifying a property of the 3-D game object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the property of the 3-D game object that is modified is selected from the group consisting of a mass property, a geometry property, a graphical rendering property, a sound property and a bonus property.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising in response to detecting the intersection, modifying a property of an object in the 3-D gaming environment.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, triggering a bonus game.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, triggering a game event.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, splitting the 3-D game object into a plurality of 3-D game objects.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, modifying a velocity component of the 3-D game object.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the velocity component is selected from the group consisting of a translational velocity component, a rotational velocity component and a vibrational velocity component.

24. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, changing a solidity of an object.

25. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, changing a visibility of an object.

26. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, inserting one or more objects into the gaming environment.

27. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, creating an opening in the gaming environment.

28. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, removing an opening in the gaming environment.

29. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, changing a size of an object.

30. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to detecting the intersection, changing a size of an opening.

31. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a collision between the 3-D game object and a second object in the 3-D gaming environment between the first state and the second state.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, generating an pre-collision state for the 3-D game object and the second object;

generating a post-collision state for the 3-D game object and the second object wherein the pre-collision state and the post collision state are related by a plurality of collision rules; and

assigning the post-collision state for the 3-D game object to the second state.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

generating the plurality of collision rules that are used to determine effects of the collision between the 3-D game object and the second game object.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, modifying a property of the 3-D game object.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the property of the 3-D game object that is modified is selected from the group consisting of a mass property, a geometry property, a physical property, a graphical rendering property, a sound property and a bonus property.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, modifying a property of the second object.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the property of the second object that is modified is selected from the group consisting of a mass property, a geometry property, a graphical rendering property, a sound property and a bonus property.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the second object is a second game object.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, triggering a bonus game.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, triggering a game event in the trajectory based game of chance.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, splitting the 3-D game object into a plurality of 3-D game objects.

42. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, terminating the trajectory of the 3-D game object and removing the 3-D game object from the 3-D gaming environment.

43. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, absorbing all or a portion of the second game object into the 3-D game object.

44. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision changing a solidity of an object.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, changing a visibility of an object.

46. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, inserting one or more objects into the gaming environment.

47. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, creating an opening in the gaming environment.

48. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, removing an opening in the gaming environment.

49. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, changing a size of an object.

50. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to detecting the collision, changing a size of an opening.

51. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the plurality of trajectory rules that are used to relate the first state to the second state.

52. The method of claim 9, wherein the trajectory rules simulate one or more of gravitational forces, frictional forces and environmental forces on the 3-D game object.

53. The method of claim 9, wherein the velocity of the 3-D game object along its trajectory is planar.

54. The method of claim 9, wherein the velocity of the 3-D game object along its trajectory comprises one or more of translational velocity components, rotational velocity components, vibrational velocity components and combinations thereof

55. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of trajectory rules are generated at each location in the 3-D gaming environment.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein a plurality of trajectory rules at a first location in the 3-D gaming environment are different than a plurality of trajectory rules at a second location in the 3-D gaming environment.

57. The method of claim 9, wherein the trajectory-based game of chance is a pachinko game.

58. The method of claim 9, wherein the 3-D game object is a sphere.

59. The method of claim 9, wherein the 3-D game object is a polyhedron.