Video and mechanical spinning bonus wheel

• US 8,771,051 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mattice, Harold, Gadda, Chris, Griswold, Chan, Wilder, Richard, Lew, Ricky
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US13/184,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138.1, 273/142.R, 273/147, 463/1, 463/16, 463/20, 463/31, 463/21, 463/30, 463/32, 463/33
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a combination inner video display and rotatable object. The inner video display and the rotatable object may be correlated together to form a reconfigurable object. Both the inner video display and the rotatable object can have segments wherein each segment may have an indicia associated with the segment, wherein the indicia can be a prize, a bonus multiplier, a progressive jackpot, a negative value, a bonus spin character, a loss of spin character, a blank space or a null character. The player will be rewarded with the corresponding prize(s) based upon the outcome of the combination inner video display and rotatable object.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

a physical wheel defined by an inner radius and an outer radius, the physical wheel including a plurality of sections arranged along a circumference of the physical wheel between the inner radius and the outer radius, wherein the physical wheel has an interior defined by the inner radius;

an inner video display device visible through the interior of the physical wheel; and

a master gaming controller with at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected with the at least one processor, the memory including machine-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to control the at least one display device, the at least one input device and the physical wheel to;

(a) display a play of a primary game responsive to receipt of a wager by the gaming system;

(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event, enable physical contact from a source outside of the gaming system with the physical wheel to cause the physical wheel to rotate;

(c) randomly determine one of the sections of the physical wheel to indicate with an indicator displayed on the inner video display;

(d) cause the physical wheel to stop such that the randomly determined section is indicated by the indicator; and

(e) display a game outcome based on the indicated section.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a lever or bar connected with the physical wheel, wherein the lever or bar are configured to receive the physical contact from the source outside of the gaming system to the physical wheel and transfer force from the physical contact to the physical wheel.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical wheel is configured to rotate around a substantially vertical axis.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical wheel is configured to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a protective cover that at least partially covers the physical wheel.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to randomly determine the one of the sections of the physical wheel to indicate after the physical wheel is set in motion.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a handle attached to and extending from the physical wheel.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen sensor, wherein the touch screen sensor is configured to rotate with the physical wheel, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the physical wheel to rotate in response to contact with the touch screen sensor.

9. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

a physical wheel defined by an inner radius and an outer radius, the physical wheel including an indicator located between the inner radius and the outer radius;

an inner video display device visible through a section of the physical wheel defined by the inner radius; and

a master gaming controller with at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected with the at least one processor, the memory including machine-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor, to control the at least one display device, the at least one input device, the physical wheel, and the indicator to;

(a) provide for play of a primary game upon receipt of a wager by the gaming machine;

(b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event, enable the player to physically engage the physical wheel to cause the physical wheel and indicator to rotate,

(c) randomly determine a game outcome to indicate;

(d) stop rotation of the physical wheel and the indicator to cause an indication of the outcome; and

(e) provide the player the game outcome.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when the at least one processor is configured to randomly determine the game outcome to indicate after the physical wheel is set in motion.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to stop the rotation of the physical wheel or the indicator while the other of the physical wheel or indicator is moving.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the inner video display device is configured with regions corresponding to game outcomes, and wherein the indicator rotates with the physical wheel and indicates a region on the inner video display device indicating the game outcome when the physical wheel and indicator are stopped.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the inner video display device is configured to display the indicator, wherein the physical wheel is configured with regions corresponding to game outcomes, and wherein the indicator indicates a region on the physical wheel indicating the game outcome when the physical wheel and the indicator are stopped.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the physical wheel and indicator are configured to rotate in opposite directions.

15. A method, the method comprising:

rotating a physical wheel on a gaming machine, wherein the physical wheel is defined by an inner radius and an outer radius;

rotating a pointer displayed on an inner display of the gaming machine, wherein the inner display is visible through an inner area of the physical wheel, wherein the inner area of the physical wheel is defined by the inner radius;

determining a game outcome for the gaming machine;

stopping the physical wheel and the pointer to indicate the game outcome, wherein;

the pointer rotates with the physical wheel,

the pointer and the physical wheel indicate the game outcome on an inner video display device when the pointer and the physical wheel are stopped, and

the inner video display device is configured to be visible within the interior of the physical wheel.