Wagering game with multiple viewpoint display feature

• US 9,189,916 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Dixon, Donald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/458,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120225711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes an input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game. The gaming system further includes at least one display for displaying a plurality of game elements. The at least one display is adapted to display a first three-dimensional view of the plurality of game elements from a first viewpoint and a second three-dimensional view of at least one of the plurality of game elements indicating a randomly-selected outcome from a second viewpoint. The first three-dimensional view and the second three-dimensional view are rendered in real-time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming system including a housing, a random element generator, one or more processors, an electronic display device, and an electronic input device, the electronic display device and the electronic input device being disposed on the housing, comprising:

generating one or more random elements with the random element generator;

receiving, via a physical input to the electronic input device, a wager input to initiate the at least one casino wagering game;

determining, by the one or more processors, an outcome of the at least one casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;

generating, by at least one of one or more processors, a first three-dimensional view of a first game element of the at least one casino wagering game, wherein the first three-dimensional view comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images of the first game element captured by a first virtual camera;

displaying, on the electronic display device, the first three-dimensional view of the first game element;

generating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a second three-dimensional view of a second game element of the at least one casino wagering game, the second three-dimensional view comprising a second sequence of two-dimensional images of the second game element captured by the first virtual camera and omitting the first game element; and

displaying, on the electronic display device, a transition from the first three-dimensional view to the second three-dimensional view omitting the first game element.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transition comprises an immediate jump from the first sequence of two-dimensional images to the second sequence of two-dimensional images.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transition comprises:

generating an intermediate three-dimensional view, the intermediate three-dimensional view comprising a sequence of two-dimensional images captured by the first virtual camera as the first virtual camera transitions from the first game element to the second game element; and

displaying, on the at least one display device, the intermediate three-dimensional view.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a first angle;

the second three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a second angle; and

the intermediate three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera as the first virtual camera pans from the first angle to the second angle.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the first game element is a first position on a game board and the second game element is a second position on a game board.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a first position;

the second three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a second position; and

the intermediate three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera as the first virtual camera moves from the first position to the second position.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional view, the second three-dimensional view, and the transition are displayed in an inset within the at least one display device, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

displaying the inset at a first position relative to the at least one display device for the first three-dimensional view;

displaying the inset at a second position relative to the at least one display device for the second three-dimensional view; and

moving the inset relative to the at least one display device during the transition from the first position to the second position.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first position represents a first location on a game board and the second position represents a second position on the game board.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional view, the second three-dimensional view, and the transition are displayed in a stationary inset within the at least one display device, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

displaying the transition as movement from the first three-dimensional view to the second three-dimensional view.

10. The computer implemented method of 1, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view includes a token representing a player, and the transition depicts movement of the token from a first location on a game board to a second location on the game board.

11. A gaming system primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino game, comprising:

a gaming housing for housing components associated with the at least one casino wagering game;

at least one electronic input device disposed on the housing, the electronic input device configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the at least one casino wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal;

at least one electronic display device disposed on the housing;

a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements;

at least one processor configured to;

initiate the at least one casino wagering game in response to the electronic data signal from the electronic input device;

determine an outcome of the at least one casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;

generate a first three-dimensional view of a first game element of the at least one casino wagering game, the first three-dimensional view comprising a first sequence of two-dimensional images of the first game element;

generate a second three-dimensional view of a second game element, the second three-dimensional view comprising a second sequence of two-dimensional images of the second game element and omitting the first game element;

generate an intermediate three-dimensional view of a transition from the first three-dimensional view to the second three-dimensional view; and

display on the at least one electronic display device, in sequence, the first three-dimensional view showing the first game element, the intermediate three-dimensional view, and the second three-dimensional view omitting the first game element.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the first sequence of two-dimensional images and the second sequence of two-dimensional images are captured by a first virtual camera.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a first position;

the second three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a second position; and

the intermediate three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera as the first virtual camera moves from the first position to the second position.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a first angle;

the second three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera at a second angle; and

the intermediate three-dimensional view is captured by the first virtual camera as the first virtual camera pans from the first angle to the second angle.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the first game element is a first location on a game board and the second game element is a second location on the game board.

16. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming system including a housing, a random element generator, one or more processors, at least one electronic display device, and an electronic input device, the at least one electronic display device and the electronic input device being disposed on the housing, comprising:

generating one or more random elements with the random element generator;

receiving, via a physical input to the electronic input device, a wager input to initiate the at least one casino wagering game;

determining, by at least one of the one or more processors, an outcome of the at least one casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;

displaying on the at least one electronic display device a broad view of a game activity including a first game activity location and a second game activity location;

generating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a first three-dimensional view of a first game element,

generating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a second three-dimensional view of the first game element;

generating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a transition three-dimensional view of movement from the first game activity location to the second game activity location;

displaying, in an inset on the at least one electronic display device, the first three-dimensional view of the first game element, wherein the position of the inset corresponds to the first game activity location on the broad view;

moving the inset relative to the broad view from the first game activity location to the second game activity location;

displaying the transition three-dimensional view in the inset while moving the inset; and

displaying, in the inset at the second game activity location, the second three-dimensional view of the first game element.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images of the first game element captured by a first virtual camera;

the second three-dimensional view comprises a second sequence of two-dimensional images of the first game element captured by the first virtual camera; and

the transition three-dimensional view comprises a transition sequence of two-dimensional images captured by the first virtual camera as the first game element moves from the first game activity location to the second game activity location.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the first game element is a token representing a player.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein:

the first three-dimensional view is captured by a virtual camera at a first angle;

the second three-dimensional view is captured by the virtual camera at a second angle; and

the transition three-dimensional view is captured as the virtual camera pans from the first angle to the second angle.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the first three-dimensional view and the second three-dimensional view are captured by a virtual camera at the same angle and the transition three-dimensional view is captured as the virtual camera moves from a first position to a second position.