Multi-layer display 3D server based portals

• US 8,512,139 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Williams, David C., Larsen, Kurt M., Yi, Jae Man, LeMay, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/983,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 30- 34
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A gaming system including a number of host devices each coupled to one or more gaming machines, wherein content provided by the host device is output on the gaming machine. To output the content provided by the remote host, a host-controlled process that is authenticated by the gaming machine and executed in a secure memory location such that it is isolated from other processes executing on the gaming machine may be utilized. The host-controlled processes can be executed on a processor-based gaming machine with layered displays. The layered displays may include a front screen and back screen that provide actual physical separation between visual representations on the front and back screens. The downloaded content from a host to a gaming machine with layered displays may be monitored to ensure that content needed for each of the display layers is received prior to instantiating the display of the downloaded content via the host-controlled process.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region of the gaming machine, the cabinet adapted to house a plurality of gaming machine components within or about the interior region;

a first video display device, disposed within or about the interior region, configured to output a visual image in response to a control signal including a first display screen;

a second video display device arranged inside the interior region relative to the first video display device including a second display screen; and

a communication interface for communicating with a remote host;

a master gaming controller designed or configured to;

a) communicate with the remote host, the first video display and the second video display device,

b) control output of video data for multiple video reels on the second video display device,

c) control output of video data on the first video display device that includes multiple transparent video windows and a non-transparent video portion that separates each pair of adjacent transparent video windows, where a common line of sight passes through each transparent window on the first video display device to a video reel displayed on the second video display device,

d) generate a first process operable to output first video data to the first video display device and to output second video data to the second video display device wherein content of the first video data and content of the second video data over time is controlled by the remote host,

e) receive commands, instructions, data or combinations thereof from the remote host that allow the first process to output the first video data, the second video data or combinations thereof,

f) generate a second process operable to generate an outcome to a play of a wager-based reel game of chance that uses the multiple video reels output to the second video display device,

g) generate a third process operable to control access of the first process to the first video display device and the second video display device and operable to control access of the second process to the first video display device and the second video display device wherein the third process is operable to allow the first process to utilize one of a first portion of the first video display device, a second portion of the second video display device or combinations thereof while the multiple video reels are displayed on the second video display device, and

h) monitor at least one gaming machine resource utilized by the first process and to prevent the first process from utilizing more than a limited amount of the at least one gaming machine resource; and

an input mechanism for receiving cash or an indicia of credit for making wagers on the wager-based reel game of chance; and

an output mechanism for outputting cash or an indicia of credit.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein a display panel for the first video display device and a display panel for the second video display device are about parallel.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2 wherein the first video display device and the second video display device include a set distance between the display panel for the first video display device and the display panel for the second video display device, and the set distance is less than about 10 centimeters.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein

the video data displayed on the second video display device includes video data for five video reels on the second video display device, and

the video data displayed on the first video display device includes five transparent windows, each in front of a video reel included in the five video reels.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to control output of the video data for the multiple reels using two or more different display screen resolutions on the second video display device and to control output of the video data that includes the multiple transparent video windows and the non-transparent video portion that separates each pair of adjacent transparent video windows using two or more different display screen resolutions on the first video display device wherein a pair of screen resolutions for the first video display device and the second video display device are selected to maintain the common line of sight that passes through each transparent window on the first video display device to the video reel displayed on the second video display device.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to select the pair of screen resolutions to allow the video data for the multiple reels to be displayed on a portion of a display screen of the second video display device and to allow the video data that includes the multiple transparent video windows and the non-transparent video portion that separates each pair of adjacent transparent video windows to be displayed on a portion of a display screen of the first video display device.

7. The gaming of claim 6, wherein the pair of screen resolutions is selected in response to the third process allowing the first process to utilize one of the first portion of the first video display device, the second portion of the second video display device or the combinations thereof.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed to control output of video data comprising gaming content on the second video display device and to control output of video data comprising at least one transparent portion and at least one non-transparent portion on the first video display device wherein the video data comprising the gaming content on the second display device is viewable through the transparent portion on the first display device.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the gaming content is related to play of a bonus game on the gaming machine.

10. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to control output of the video data comprising gaming content using two or more different display screen resolutions on the second video display device and to control output of the video data comprising the at least one transparent portion and the at least one non-transparent portion using two or more different display screen resolutions on the first video display device wherein a pair of screen resolutions for the first display device and the second display device are selected so that the video data comprising the gaming content on the second display device is viewable through the transparent portion of the first display device.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein pair of screen resolutions is selected in response to the third process allowing the first process to utilize one of the first portion of the first video display device, the second portion of the second video display device or the combinations thereof.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the content of the first video data and the content of the second video data is downloaded from the remote host.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the content of the first video data and the content of the second video data is downloaded from a remote device separate from the remote host.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to 1) allow the first process to output only the first video data to the first portion of the first video display device wherein the content of the first video data is controlled by the remote host and 2) in response, adjust the video data displayed for the multiple video reels on the second video display device and the video data displayed on the first video display device that includes multiple transparent video windows and the non-transparent video portion that separates each pair of adjacent transparent video windows.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to 1) allow the first process to output only the second video data to the second portion of the second video display device wherein the content of the second video data is controlled by the remote host and 2) in response, adjust the video data displayed for the multiple video reels on the second video display device and the video data displayed on the first video display device that includes multiple transparent video windows and the non-transparent video portion that separates each pair of adjacent transparent video windows including adding a first non-transparent portion displayed on the first video display device that allows the content of the second video data controlled by the remote host to be viewed through the first video display device.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive from a remote device at least a portion of the content of the first video data and at least a portion of the content of the second video data wherein the first video data and the second video data are configured for simultaneous output on the first video display device and second video display device.

17. The gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to check whether the portion of the content of the first video data and the portion of the content of the second video data are both completely received before allowing the first video data including the portion of the content and the second video data including the portion of the content to be output.

18. The gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the remote device is the remote host.

19. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive from a remote device a stream of the first video data and a stream of the second video data meant for synchronized display on the first video display device and the second video display device, respectively.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to check that the stream of the first video data and the stream of the second video data are synchronized.

21. The gaming machine of claim 19, a memory for providing a buffer of both the stream of the first video data and the stream of the second video data.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, where the at least one gaming machine resource is selected from the group consisting of CPU usage, memory usage, graphics processing usage, network bandwidth usage, sound card usage, video card usage, power usage and peripheral device usage.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further operable to send information to the remote host indicating an amount of one or more gaming machine resources that the first process is allowed to utilize while the first process is generated on the gaming device.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive a download of the commands, the instructions, the data or the combinations thereof while the wager-based reel game of chance is being played and wherein the download changes one or more of the content of the first video data, the content of the second video data or combinations thereof.

25. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive a download of the commands, the instructions, the data or the combinations thereof while the wager-based reel game of chance is being played and wherein the download changes only the content of the first video data.