System, method, and apparatus for presenting media in a wagering game machine

• US 8,876,598 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Rothschild, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US13/251,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

System, methods and apparatus for presenting media in a wagering game machine are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an internal media request from a component of the wagering game machine and receiving an external data signal from outside the wagering game machine. In the embodiment, the method also includes preparing media based on the internal media request and the external data signal and presenting the media on media presentation devices.

Claims

1. A video-processing device configured to display video content from a source that is external to a gaming machine on a display device of the gaming machine, the video-processing device being interposed between a gaming module and a display device of the gaming machine and being neither controlled nor configured by the gaming module, the video-processing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the video-processing device to;

receive first video content that is transmitted from the gaming module to the display device of the gaming machine;

display, via the display device of the gaming machine, the first video content as a single, full-screen image;

receive second video content from the external source;

combine the first and second video content into third video content, the third video content comprising the first and second video content configured as respective, separate first and second tiles of a single, tiled image;

display, via the display device of the gaming machine, the third video content;

receive, via a touch screen input region of the display device while displaying the third video content, player input data indicative of an input from a player, and snoop the player input data to determine if the player input data is intended for the external source or the gaming module; and

in response to the player input data being intended for the external source, convey the player input data to the external source.

2. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein receiving the player input data via the touchscreen input region includes snooping the player input data to determine whether the input data is intended for the external source or another system.

3. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein the second video content further includes control data from the external source specifying operations to be performed by the gaming module.

4. The video-processing device of claim 3, wherein the external source controls at least one aspect of how the first and second video content are combined into the third video content.

5. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein the first video content displays a touch screen button and wherein combining the first and second video content includes scaling the first video content full-screen image.

6. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein combining the first and second video content includes scaling at least one of the first and second video content, and one or more of converting a signal format to another signal format, converting between different color spaces, converting between analog and digital, resampling, and deinterlacing.

7. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein the second video content displays a touch screen button for receiving input from the player.

8. The video-processing device of claim 1, wherein the first video content displays a touch screen button for receiving input from the player.

9. A computer-implemented method of displaying video content on a gaming machine from a source that is external to the gaming machine, the gaming machine including a video-processing device interposed between a gaming module and a display device of the gaming machine, the video-processing device including one or more processors and being neither controlled nor configured by the gaming module, the method comprising:

receiving, at the video-processing device, first video content that is transmitted from the gaming module to the display device of the gaming machine;

displaying, on the display device of the gaming machine via the video-processing device, the first video content as a single, full-screen image

receiving, at the video-processing device, second video content from the external source;

combining, via at least one of the one or more processors of the video-processing device, the first and second video content into third video content, the third video content comprising the first and second video content configured as respective, separate, first and second tiles of a single, tiled image;

displaying, on the display device of the gaming machine via the video-processing device, the third video content;

receiving, at the video-processing device via a touch screen input region of the display device while displaying the third video content, player input data indicative of an input from a player and snooping, via at least one of the one or more processors of the video-processing device, the player input data to determine if the player input data is intended for the external source or the gaming module; and

in response to the player input data being intended for the external source, conveying, via the video-processing device, the player input data to the external source.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the third video content displays at least one of a first touch screen button for receiving player input data from a player that is directed to the gaming module and a second touch screen button for receiving player input data from a player that is directed to the external source.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first video content displays a touch screen button for receiving player input and wherein combining the first and second video content includes scaling the first video content full-screen image.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first video content includes game content and images generated by the gaming module, and the second video content includes at least one of gaming establishment information, player tracking system information, and promotional information.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the external source controls at least part of how the first video content and the second video content are combined into the third video content.

14. A computer-implemented method of combining wagering game content generated by a gaming module for display on a display device of a gaming machine with other video content generated by a different source, the gaming module including at least one processor and other hardware for conducting the wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving, at a video-processing device interposed between the gaming module and the display device, the wagering game content from the gaming module, the video-processing device being neither controlled nor configured by the gaming module;

displaying, on the display device via the video-processing device, the wagering game content as a single, full-screen image;

receiving, at the video-processing device, the other video content from the different source, wherein the other video content is generated independently from the wagering game content;

combining, via one or more processors of the video processing device, the wagering game content and the other video content into third video content, the third video content comprising the wagering game content and the other video content configured as respective, separate first and second tiles of a single, tiled image;

displaying, on the display device via the video-processing device, the third video content;

receiving, at the video-processing device via a touch screen input region of the display device while displaying the third video content, player input data indicative of an input from a player and snooping, via at least one of the one or more processors of the video-processing device, the player input data to determine if the player input data is intended for the external source or the gaming module; and

in response to the player input data being intended for the external source, conveying, via the video-processing device, the player input data to the different source.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the different source is a server connected to the video-processing device over a communications network.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the gaming module resides in a gaming server connected to a communications network.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein other video content includes at least one of gaming establishment information, player tracking system information, and promotional information.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the other video content further includes control data specifying operations to be performed by the gaming module.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the different source controls at least one aspect of how the wagering game content and the other video content are combined into the third video content.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the gaming module controls at least one aspect of how the wagering game content and the other video content are combined into the third video content.

21. A video-processing device configured to display video content from a source that is external to a gaming machine on a display device of the gaming machine, the video-processing device being interposed between a gaming module executing on the gaming machine and the display device of the gaming machine and being neither controlled nor configured by the gaming module, the video-processing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the video-processing device to;

receive the wagering game video content from the gaming module, the received wagering game video content being en route to the display device of the gaming machine;

display, via the display device, the wagering game video content as a single, full-screen image;

receive the other video content from the external source, the other video content including at least one of gaming establishment information, player tracking system information, and promotional information;

combine the received wagering game video content and the other video content into third video content, the third video content comprising the received wagering game video content and the other video content configured as respective, separate first and second tiles of a single, tiled image, wherein combining the intercepted wagering game video content and the other video content includes scaling the received wagering game video content full-screen image;

display, via the display device, the third video content;

receive, via a touch screen input region of the display device, player input data indicative of an input from the player and snoop the player input data to determine if the player input data is intended for the external source or the gaming module; and

in response to the player input data being intended for the external source, convey the player input data to the external source.