Dual liquid crystal shutter display

• US 8,851,977 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Rasmussen, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKAARUP, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US13/499,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20120184364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/30, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A dual switchable LCD display is disclosed that allows the juxtaposition of a front and rear image. A rear switchable screen is in proximity to the projector system. The rear image is projected on the rear screen at a first time interval. The rear switchable screen has an open state allowing light transmission through the rear screen and a closed translucent state obscuring the rear screen. A front switchable screen overlays the rear switchable screen. The projector system projects the front image on the front screen at a second time interval. The front switchable screen has an open state allowing light transmission through the front screen and a closed translucent state obscuring the front screen. A controller periodically cycles the respective closed and open states between the first and second time intervals to present a juxtaposition of the front image and the rear image to a viewer.

Claims

1. A gaming system display comprising:

a projector system projecting a front image associated with a game and a rear image associated with the game at different times;

a rear switchable screen in proximity to the projector system, the rear image being projected on the rear screen at a first time interval and the rear switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the rear screen at a second time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the rear screen at the first time interval;

a front switchable screen overlaying the rear switchable screen, the projector system projecting the front image on the front screen at the second time interval, the front switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the front screen at the first time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the front screen at the second time interval; and

a controller coupled to the projector system and front and rear switchable screens to periodically cycle the respective closed and open states of the front and rear switchable screens between the first and second time intervals at a sufficiently high rate to present a juxtaposition of the front image and the rear image to a viewer without flicker between the front image and the rear image.

2. The gaming system display of claim 1, wherein the cycle is repeated more than 60 times a second.

3. The gaming system display of claim 1, wherein the rear screen includes a curved surface having a radius of curvature substantially similar to a mechanical reel.

4. The gaming system display of claim 3, wherein the rear image is a simulated mechanical reel with symbols.

5. The gaming system display of claim 1, wherein the projector system has a front projector to project the front image at the front screen and a rear projector to project the rear image at the rear screen.

6. The gaming system display of claim 1, wherein the projector system includes:

a first video source emitting the rear image,

a second video source emitting the front image,

a switch coupled to the first and second video source, the switch including a video output, the switch switching between the first and second video source at the video output, and

a projector coupled to the output video source to project the output video on the front and rear screens.

7. The gaming system display of claim 6, wherein the switch is implemented in a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

8. The gaming system display of claim 1, wherein the video projector system includes a video buffer including a first image area and a second image area, and a projector directing an image to the front and rear screens, the image being switched between the first area and second area of the buffer.

9. A method of juxtaposing a front image associated with a game on a rear image associated with the game on a gaming system display, the method comprising:

positioning a projector system relative to a front switchable screen and a rear switchable screen;

switching the front switchable screen to a closed translucent state obscuring the front screen during a first time interval;

projecting the front image associated with the game from the projector device on the front switchable screen during the first time interval;

switching the rear switchable screen to an open transparent state allowing the viewing of the front image associated with the game during the first time interval;

switching the rear switchable screen to a closed translucent state during a second time interval;

projecting the rear image associated with the game from the projector device on the rear switchable screen during the second time interval;

switching the front switchable screen to an open transparent state allowing the viewing of the rear image associated with the game during the second time interval; and

cycling between the first and second time intervals at a sufficiently high rate to create a juxtaposition of the front and rear images without flicker between the front and rear images.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cycle is repeated more than 60 times a second.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the rear screen includes a curved surface having a radius of curvature substantially similar to a mechanical reel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rear image is a simulated mechanical reel with symbols.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the projector system includes a video buffer including a first image area and a second image area, and a projector directing an image to the front and rear screens, the image being switched between the first area and second area of the buffer.

14. A wagering game system comprising:

a wagering game controller for operating a wagering game; and

a wagering game display coupled to the wagering game controller, the wagering game display including;

a projector system projecting a front wagering game image and a rear wagering game image at different times;

a rear switchable screen in proximity to the projector system, the rear wagering game image being projected on the rear screen at a first time interval and the rear switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the rear screen at a second time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the rear screen at the first time interval;

a front switchable screen overlaying the rear switchable screen, the projector system projecting the front wagering game image on the front screen at the second time interval, the front switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the front screen at the second time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the front screen at the first time interval; and

a display controller coupled to the projector system and front and rear switchable screens to periodically cycle the respective closed and open states between the first and second time intervals at a sufficiently high rate to present a juxtaposition of the front wagering game image and the rear wagering game image to a viewer without flicker between the front and rear wagering game images.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the rear screen includes a curved surface having a radius of curvature substantially similar to a mechanical reel wherein the rear image is a simulated mechanical reel with symbols.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the projector system includes:

a first video source emitting the rear image,

a second video source emitting the front image,

a switch coupled to the first and second video source, the switch including a video output, the switch switching between the first and second video source at the video output, and

a projector coupled to the output video source to project the output video on the front and rear screens.

17. A wagering game system display comprising:

a projector system projecting a front image relating to a wagering game and a rear image relating to the wagering game at different times;

a rear switchable screen having a curved surface in proximity to the projector system, the rear image being projected on the rear screen at a first time interval and the rear switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the rear screen at a second time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the rear screen at the first time interval;

a front switchable screen overlaying the rear switchable screen, the projector system projecting the front image on the front screen at the second time interval, the front switchable screen having an open state allowing transmittal of light through the front screen at the first time interval and a closed translucent state obscuring the front screen at the second time interval; and

a controller coupled to the projector system and front and rear switchable screens to periodically cycle the respective closed and open states between the first and second time intervals at a sufficiently high rate to present a juxtaposition of the front image and the rear image to a viewer without flicker between the front and rear images.

18. The wagering game system display of claim 17, wherein the rear screen includes a curved surface having a radius of curvature substantially similar to a mechanical reel and wherein the rear image is a simulated mechanical reel with symbols.

19. The wagering game system display of claim 17, wherein the front image includes images related to a bonus game.

20. A wagering game system display comprising:

a projector system projecting a plurality of wagering game images at different time intervals;

a plurality of switchable screens each in fixed position relative to the projector system, each of the switchable screens having an open state allowing viewing through the screen and a closed translucent state obscuring viewing through the screen, the switchable screens each being in front of the projector; and

a controller coupled to the projector system and the plurality of switchable screens to periodically cycle the respective closed and open states between the different time intervals to project a juxtaposition of the plurality of wagering game images to a viewer at a sufficiently high rate without flicker between the plurality of wagering game images, wherein during each time interval, one of the plurality of wagering game images is projected on a corresponding first one of the plurality of switchable screens in the closed state while a second one of the plurality of switchable screens is in the open state.