Gaming terminal with an inclined input interface

• US 10,163,294 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Castro, Christian Louis, Jaffe, Joel Roger, Lesley, Paul Michael, Pacey, Larry J., Smith, Jesse M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torimiro, Adetokunbo O
• Application Number:
  US15/792,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16, 463 20, 463 25, 463 30, 463 31, 273139
• 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 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A gaming terminal includes a first display screen operative to display a wagering game that includes a lower section. A second display screen is operative to display images of input buttons and includes a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game. The second display screen is smaller than the first display screen. The second display screen is positioned forwardly relative to the lower section of the first display screen such that the second display screen is closer than the first display screen to a player position in front of the gaming terminal. The second display screen is inclined relative to horizontal such that an imaginary plane containing the second display screen intersects the lower section of the first display screen thereby creating an infinity pool effect when viewing the first display screen relative to the second display screen.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a game display screen operative to display a wagering game;

a frontal ledge extending forwardly from the game display screen towards a player position in front of the gaming terminal;

a push-button mounted to the frontal ledge and operative to receive inputs to play the wagering game; and

an input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons and including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen positioned on the frontal ledge and adjacent to the push-button, the input interface screen at least partially elevated above the frontal ledge and the push-button by a support structure, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to the player position in front of the gaming temlinal, the input interface screen positioned relative to the game display screen such that the distal edge is horizontally and physically spaced from a lower section of the game display screen by an offset distance.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the input interface screen has a surface area that is less than or equal to forty percent of a surface area of the game display screen.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the support structure forms a frame encompassing the input interface screen.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the support structure forms hand-holds adjacent to respective opposite sides of the input interface screen.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the input interface screen is removably connected to the support structure.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further including game-logic circuitry having a central processing unit and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by the central processing unit, cause the gaming terminal to transfer a virtual object of the wagering game from the input interface screen to the game display screen based on a speed and direction of a touch gesture received on the input interface screen.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the input interface screen is inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that an imaginary plane containing the input interface screen intersects the lower section of the game display screen.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the input interface screen is inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that the distal edge, but not the proximal edge, is elevated relative to the push-button.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the frontal ledge is positioned below a height of the game display screen.

10. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further including a cabinet that houses the game display screen, the frontal ledge extending from cabinet.

20. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is in a range of 9 to 40 degrees.

11. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a cabinet;

a game display screen housed within the cabinet and operative to display a wagering game;

a frontal ledge positioned below a height of the game display screen and extending forwardly from the cabinet towards a player position in front of the gaming terminal;

a push-button mounted to the frontal ledge and operative to receive inputs to play the wagering game; and

an input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons and including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen positioned on the frontal ledge and adjacent to the push-button, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to the player position in front of the gaming terminal, the input interface screen being inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that the distal edge, but not the proximal edge, is elevated relative to the push-button.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the input interface screen has a surface area that is less than or equal to forty percent of a surface area of the game display screen.

13. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the support structure forms a frame encompassing the input interface screen.

14. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the support structure forms hand-holds adjacent to respective opposite sides of the input interface screen.

15. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the input interface screen is removably connected to the support structure.

16. The gaming terminal of claim 11, further including game-logic circuitry having a central processing unit and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by the central processing unit, cause the gaming terminal to transfer a virtual object of the wagering game from the input interface screen to the game display screen based on a speed and direction of a touch gesture received on the input interface screen.

17. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the input interface screen is inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that an imaginary plane containing the input interface screen intersects the lower section of the game display screen.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the input interface screen is positioned relative to the game display screen such that the distal edge is horizontally and physically spaced from a lower section of the game display screen by an offset distance.

19. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a game display screen operative to display a wagering game;

a frontal ledge extending forwardly from the game display screen towards a player position in front of the gaming terminal;

a push-button mounted to the frontal ledge and operative to receive inputs to play the wagering game; and

an input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons and including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen being adjacent to the push-button, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to the player position in front of the gaming terminal, the input interface screen supported on the frontal ledge at an acute angle therewith such that the distal edge, but not the proximal edge, is elevated relative to the push-button, the push-button being adjacent to the support structure.