Virtual cameras and 3-D gaming environments in a gaming machine

• US 7,572,186 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal, Beaulieu, Nicole M., Rowe, Richard E., Schlottmann, Greg A., Breckner, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'Agostino; Paul Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/829,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/32
• 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 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a three-dimensional object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of the game outcome presentation. To add excitement to the game, a 3-D position of the 3-D object and other features of the 3-D gaming environment may be controlled by a game player. Nearly an unlimited variety of virtual objects, such as slot reels, gaming machines and casinos, may be modeled in the 3-D gaming environment.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine wherein said control includes executing game logic and to receive a wager on the game of chance;

a virtual 3-D gaming environment available for rendering a game outcome presentation for the game of chance wherein surfaces are defined in the virtual 3-D gaming environment by specifying vertices in a 3-D coordinate system associated with the virtual 3-D gaming environment;

the game logic designed or configured to;

1) determine a game outcome related to the wager on the game of chance;

2) specify a plurality of surfaces defined in the virtual 3-D gaming environment including at least one surface on which the game outcome is drawn;

3) position a virtual camera at a first location in the virtual 3-D gaming environment such that a first portion of the plurality of surfaces is in view of the virtual camera;

4) render one or more first two-dimensional images derived from the first portion of the plurality of surfaces in view of the virtual camera at the first location;

5) receive information indicating a selection made by a user;

6) determine a path and an orientation along the path of the virtual camera in the virtual 3-D gaming environment based upon the selection made by the user wherein at a start of the path the virtual camera is in the first location;

7) render a plurality of second two-dimensional images derived from the plurality of surfaces wherein along the path of the virtual camera the game outcome drawn on the one or more plurality of surfaces comes into view of the virtual camera;

one or more display devices for displaying the first two-dimensional images and the second two dimensional images including the game outcome;

an input mechanism operable to receive at least an indicia of credit; and

an output mechanism for allowing a player to receive the indicia of credit.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a multi-headed video card.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein a first head on the multi-headed video card is used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from first surfaces a first virtual 3-D gaming environment and a second head on the multi-head video card is used to render one or more two-dimensional images derived from second surfaces in a second virtual -D gaming environment.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein

rendered two-dimensional images from the first head and rendered two-dimensional images from the second head are displayed simultaneously on a same display.

5. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein

rendered two-dimensional images from the first head are displayed on a first display and rendered two-dimensional images from the second head are displayed simultaneously on a second display.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the second display is located on a second gaming machine.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of display devices wherein each display device is designed to display a portion of a rendered two-dimensional image.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein video feeds for each of the plurality of display devices is provided from a single video card.

9. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein a first display is coupled to the gaming machine and a second display is coupled to a second gaming machine.