GAMING MACHINE HAVING INTERCHANGEABLE DISPLAY CONTENT AND METHODS

• US 20090176568A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Pravinkumar, Larsen, Joshua D., Reddy, Mettu R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 13/00 Bagatelles or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods, gaming machines, and gaming systems with multiple displays having interchangeable display content. According to one embodiment, a gaming machine includes a first display for presenting a primary game, a second display for presenting secondary display content to a player, and a player input device for receiving player input to configure content displayed on the first display and the second display such that the first display presents the secondary display content and the second display presents the primary game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display for presenting a primary game content;

a second display for presenting secondary display content to a player; and

a player input device for receiving player input to configure content displayed on the first display and the second display such that the first display presents the secondary display content and the second display presents the primary game content.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the second display is positioned above the first display.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the player input device is a mechanical button, electromechanical button, momentary contact button, toggle switch, rocker switch, rotary dial switch, or a virtual button.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the virtual button is a touch-screen or touch-glass button that is located on the first display or the second display.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the secondary display content is a secondary game, game options, non-gaming information, hospitality services, promotional information, concierge services, tournament game information, tournament game, progressive information, or a progressive game.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a player tracking interface in communication with the game processor, wherein the player tracking interface is configured to save player preferences for configuring the first display and the second display onto a player tracking card.

7. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display for presenting a primary game;

a second display for presenting display content;

a player input device for receiving player input to configure content displayed on the first display and the second display; and

a processor in communication with the first display, second display, and the player input device, wherein the processor is configured to save player preferences for configuring content displayed on the first display and the second display.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, further comprising a player tracking interface in communication with the processor, wherein the player tracking interface is configured to save player preferences to a player tracking card.

9. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the second display is positioned above the first display.

10. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the player input device is a mechanical button, electromechanical button, momentary contact button, toggle switch, rocker switch, rotary dial switch, or a virtual button.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the virtual button is a touch-screen or touch-glass button that is located on the first display or the second display.

12. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the secondary display content is a secondary game, game options, non-gaming information, hospitality services, promotional information, concierge services, tournament game information, tournament game, progressive information, or a progressive game.

13. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display for presenting a primary game;

a second display for presenting a secondary game; and

a game processor in communication with the first display and the second display, wherein the game processor causes the first display to present the secondary game and the second display to present the primary game in response to a trigger event.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13, further comprising a player tracking interface in communication with the game processor, wherein the player tracking interface is configured to save player preferences for configuring the first display and the second display to a player tracking card.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the second display is positioned above the first display.

16. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the player input device is a mechanical button, electromechanical button, momentary contact button, toggle switch, rocker switch, rotary dial switch, or a virtual button.

17. The gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the virtual button is a touch-screen or touch-glass button that is located on the first display or the second display.

18. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first display for presenting a primary game;

a second display for presenting display content;

a player input device for receiving player input to configure content displayed on the first display and the second display;

a processor in communication with the first display, second display, and the player input device, the processor capable of configuring content displayed on the first display and the second display; and

a player tracking interface in communication with the processor, the player tracking interface configured to save player preferences to a player tracking card.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the second display is positioned above the first display.

20. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the player input device is a mechanical button, electromechanical button, momentary contact button, toggle switch, rocker switch, rotary dial switch, or a virtual button.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the virtual button is a touch-screen or touch-glass button that is located on the first display or the second display.

22. A gaming machine, comprising:

a cabinet housing a plurality of mechanical reels visible through a display window;

a moveable video display coupled to the top of the cabinet, wherein the moveable display is positioned above the display window in a first position, and the video display is positioned over the display window in a second position in response to a trigger event.

23. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the trigger event is a winning outcome of the game, tournament-triggering event, bonus-triggering event, system-generated message, or player input

24. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the trigger event is based on time of play, frequency of play, number of maximum wagers, or a combination thereof.

25. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the moveable video display presents a secondary game, game options, non-gaming information, hospitality services, promotional information, concierge services, tournament game information, tournament game, progressive information, or a progressive game.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the trigger event is a winning outcome of the game, tournament-triggering event, bonus-triggering event, system-generated message, or player input.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the trigger event is based on time of play, frequency of play, number of maximum wagers, or a combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the display content on the second display is a secondary game, game options, non-gaming information, hospitality services, promotional information, concierge services, tournament game information, tournament game, progressive information, or a progressive game.

26. A gaming machine, comprising:

a cabinet housing a plurality of mechanical reels visible through a display window;

a video display positioned above the display window in a first position, and the video display is positioned over the display window in a second position; and

a player input device for receiving player input to move the video display from the first position to the second position.

27. The gaming machine of claim 26, wherein the player input device is a mechanical button, electromechanical button, momentary contact button, toggle switch, rocker switch, rotary dial switch, or a virtual button.

28. A method for altering display content on a gaming machine having a first display and a second display, the method comprising:

initiating a game on the first display of the gaming machine; and

automatically swapping display content on the first display with display content on the second display in response to a trigger event.

32. A method for altering display content on a gaming machine having a first display and a second display, the method comprising:

initiating a game on the first display of the gaming machine;

presenting a player with an option to swap first display content on the first display with secondary display content on the second display in response to a trigger event;

receiving player input to swap first display content on the first display with secondary display content on the second display; and

presenting secondary display content on the first display and first display content on the second display.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the trigger event is a winning outcome of the game, tournament-triggering event, bonus-triggering event, system-generated message, or player input.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the trigger event is based on time of play, frequency of play, number of maximum wagers, or a combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the display content on the second display is a secondary game, game options, non-gaming information, hospitality services, promotional information, concierge services, tournament game information, tournament game, progressive information, or a progressive game.

36. A method for altering display content on a gaming machine having a first display and a second display, the method comprising:

receiving player input to configure the display content of the first display or the second display;

initiating a gaming session with a configuration of the display content as selected by the player; and

saving the configuration of the display content for future gaming sessions.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising restoring a default display of game content for the first display and the second display after a predetermined period of inactivity, removal of a player tracking card, or a cash out event.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving player input to configure the display content further comprises configuring browser pages on the first display or the second display.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein saving the configuration of the display content further comprises saving the configuration in a central database or on a player tracking card.