Wagering game, gaming machine, gaming system and method with a touch-activated residual graphic effect feature

• US 9,378,621 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Conway, Michael D, Kyle, Matthew A., Cody, J P
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/205,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/21, 463/31, 463/37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

A wagering game includes a display assembly having a touch-sensitive display adjacent to or overlaying a display area operable to present a wagering game presentation. The touch-sensitive display is operable to display a residual graphic effect such as a trailing particle effect following the path of a player'"'"'s finger or other contactor in contact with the touch-sensitive display. The residual graphic effect may include repeated discrete graphic elements such as a star or sparkle, or a game theme-associated element such as a butterfly or butterflies corresponding to a butterfly themed game. The residual graphic effect may also or alternatively include an effect such as a wave or ripple visual effect or a shockwave visual effect which does not necessarily include any discrete graphic element.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wagering game including:

displaying a matrix of symbol locations on a game display of a gaming machine, the matrix of symbol locations being displayed at least partially in a touch-sensitive portion of the game display;

receiving a set of one or more first player inputs through a player interface of the gaming machine to initiate a play in the wagering game, the set of one or more first player inputs defining a wager for the play in the wagering game and defining one or more active paylines for the play in the wagering game;

responsive to the set of one or more first player inputs, displaying the play in the wagering game, the play in the wagering game including an animation which updates symbols shown in the matrix of symbol locations to reflect a game result for the play in the wagering game;

providing an award if the game result is a winning result;

receiving a touch input in an area of the matrix of symbol locations being displayed in the touch-sensitive portion of the game display, the touch input being separate from the set of one or more first player inputs to initiate the play in the wagering game and being received at a point in time before or during the animation which updates the symbols shown in the matrix of symbol locations; and

responsive to the touch input, displaying a temporary residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive portion of the game display at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the touch input, the temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive portion of the game display for a period of time following the touch input, and the game result being identified independently of the temporary residual graphic effect.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the temporary residual graphic effect includes displaying a trail of discrete graphic elements along the locations included in, or adjacent to, the touch input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the discrete graphic elements move across the touch-sensitive display according to one or more discrete element movement parameters.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the discrete graphic elements includes causing one or more of the discrete graphic elements to change visual characteristics over time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the visual characteristic change includes causing the discrete graphic elements to fade away gradually on the touch-sensitive display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the visual characteristic change includes changing the size, color, or shape of one or more of the discrete graphic elements.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the temporary residual graphic effect includes displaying a graphic effect without a discrete graphic element along the locations included in or adjacent to the touch input.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the graphic effect expands across the display from the locations included in the touch input to other locations not at or adjacent to the touch input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the temporary residual graphic effect interacts with one or more symbols displayed on the touch-sensitive display prior to the touch input to change a visual characteristic of the one or more symbols.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving a second player input at the gaming machine;

responsive to the second player input, displaying a player personalization menu at the gaming machine, the player personalization menu including a number of temporary residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect;

responsive to a third player input, selecting one or more of the temporary residual graphic effect options; and

responsive to an additional touch input, displaying a modified temporary residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive display at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional touch input, the modified temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

storing the selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options at a storage device separate from the gaming machine;

communicating the selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options from the storage device to an additional gaming machine responsive to a player login or other activation of the additional gaming machine; and

responsive to a touch input at a touch-sensitive display of the additional gaming machine, displaying a temporary residual graphic effect on the touch-sensitive display of the additional gaming machine at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the touch input, the temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the touch-sensitive display for a period of time following the touch input.

12. A gaming machine for a wagering game, the gaming machine including:

(a) a display device having a touch-sensitive portion;

(b) a player input system;

(c) at least one processor; and

(d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

(i) cause the display device to display a matrix of symbol locations, the matrix of symbol locations being displayed at least partially in the touch-sensitive portion of the display device;

(ii) receive a set of one or more first player inputs through a player input system to initiate a play in the wagering game, the set of one or more first player inputs defining a wager for the play in the wagering game and defining one or more active paylines for the play in the wagering game;

(iii) responsive to the set of one or more first player inputs, cause the display device to display the play in the wagering game, the play in the wagering game including an animation which updates symbols shown in the matrix of symbol locations to reflect a game result for the play in the wagering game;

(iv) provide an award for the play in the wagering game if the game result is a winning result;

(v) through the touch-sensitive portion of the display device, receive a touch input in an area of the matrix of symbol locations being displayed in the touch-sensitive portion of the display device, the touch input being separate from the set of one or more first player inputs to initiate the play in the wagering game and being received at a point in time before or during the animation which updates the symbols shown in the matrix of symbol locations; and

(vi) responsive to the touch input, cause the display device to display a temporary residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the touch input, the temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the display device for a period of time following the touch input, and the game result being identified independently of the temporary residual graphic effect.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the temporary residual graphic effect includes displaying a trail of discrete graphic elements along locations included in or adjacent to the player touch input.

14. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the temporary residual graphic effect includes a graphic effect without a discrete graphic element along the locations included in or adjacent to the player touch input.

15. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein the temporary residual graphic effect interacts with one or more symbols on the display or additional display which are displayed prior to the player touch input, the interaction changing a visual characteristic of the one or more symbols.

16. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein:

the display or additional display is responsive to a second player input to display a player personalization menu, the player personalization menu including a number of temporary residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect;

the gaming machine is responsive to a third player input to select one or more of the temporary residual graphic effect options; and

the display or additional display is responsive to an additional player touch input to display a modified temporary residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional player touch input, the modified temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the respective display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options.

17. The gaming machine of claim 12 further including a receiving device for receiving one or more temporary residual graphic effect options from a device separate from the gaming machine, and wherein the display or additional display is responsive to an additional player touch input to display a modified temporary residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the additional player touch input, the modified temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the respective display for a period of time following the touch input, and being displayed according to the received one or more temporary residual graphic effect options.

18. A gaming system including:

two or more gaming machines, each gaming machine including;

a player interface operative to receive a set of one or more first player inputs to initiate a play in a wagering game, the set of one or more first player inputs defining wager for the play in the wagering game and defining one or more active paylines for the play in the wagering game;

a display operative to display the play in the wagering game at the gaming machine responsive to the set of one or more first player inputs, the play in the wagering game including an animation which updates symbols shown in a matrix of symbol locations in a touch-sensitive area of the display to reflect a game result for the play in the wagering game;

the display of the gaming machine being responsive to a player touch in the touch-sensitive area of the display to display a temporary residual graphic effect at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the player touch input, the temporary residual graphic effect persisting on the display for a period of time following the player touch input, and the game result being identified independently of the temporary residual graphic effect;

the display or an additional display being responsive to a second player input to select one or more temporary residual graphic effect options from a player personalization menu displayed on the respective display, the player personalization menu including a number of temporary residual graphic effect options including one or more of (i) a number of discrete graphic elements to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect, and (ii) one or more non-discrete graphic effects to be included in the temporary residual graphic effect; and

a storage device located remotely from each gaming machine, the storage device storing a respective selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options selected at one of the gaming machines, the storage device being operable to communicate the respective selected one or more temporary residual graphic effect options to any one of the gaming machines.

19. A program product stored on one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable media, the program product including:

wagering game program code executable by one or more gaming machine processors to (i) cause a gaming machine display device to display a game play responsive to a set of one or more first player inputs received through a player interface of the gaming machine, the set of one or more first player inputs defining a wager for the play in the wagering game and defining one or more active paylines for the play in the wagering game, and the displayed game play including an animation which updates symbols shown in a matrix of symbol locations in a touch-sensitive area of the display device to reflect a game result for the play in the wagering game, and to (ii) provide an award if the game result is a winning result; and

temporary residual graphic effect program code executable by the one or more gaming machine processors to cause the touch-sensitive area of the display device to display a temporary residual graphic effect in response to a player touch input in the touch-sensitive area of the display device at a point in time before or during the animation which updates the symbols shown in the matrix of symbol locations, the temporary residual graphic effect being displayed at or adjacent to one or more locations included in the player touch input and persisting on the touch-sensitive area of the display device for a period of time following the touch input, and the game result being identified independently of the temporary residual graphic effect.