Gaming machine environment having controlled audio media presentation

• US 9,495,828 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Pryzby, Eric M., Rothschild, Wayne H., Pacey, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Tramar
• Application Number:
  US12/077,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20080176654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,162 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463/20, 463/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A method directed to operating a plurality of gaming machines in a gaming establishment includes determining that a certain triggering event has occurred in one of the plurality of gaming machines. The triggering event includes a desired game outcome. The method further includes selectively controlling audio output from a plurality of remotely located speakers to operate in conjunction with internal cabinet speakers for creating a desired audio ambience only within a portion of the gaming establishment. The remotely located speakers are located remotely from the plurality of gaming machines. The internal cabinet speakers are located within gaming cabinets of the plurality of gaming machines. The audio output is focused to deliver enhanced audio effects only to the portion of the gaming establishment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system in a gaming establishment, the gaming system including an external audio controller, a plurality of gaming machines, and a plurality of remote speakers, the plurality of gaming machines including respective gaming cabinets and internal cabinet speakers housed therein, the plurality of remote speakers being remote from the plurality of gaming machines, the external audio controller being external to the plurality of gaming machines, the external audio controller being communicatively coupled to both the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers such that the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers are capable of outputting audio under control of the external audio controller, the method comprising:

in response to a certain triggering game event in a wagering game played via one of the plurality of gaming machines, receiving at the external audio controller a triggering signal associated with the triggering game event;

using the external audio controller to select audio data associated with the triggering signal; and

selectively controlling the plurality of remote speakers and the internal speakers to output audio based on the audio data and concurrently focused on less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio includes a message for a player of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering game event is a randomly selected positive game outcome, and wherein the audio is indicative of the positive game outcome.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling includes controlling the plurality of remote speakers and the internal speakers to output audio based on the audio data and focused on the one of the plurality of gaming machines or the player at that machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data is in a surround sound format, and wherein the plurality of remote speakers are spatially arranged relative to the plurality of gaming machines and work in conjunction with the internal cabinet speakers to provide the audio in surround sound to one or more players at less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

6. The method of claim 1, further including storing the audio data in a memory coupled to or within the external audio controller.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storing includes storing a plurality of triggering game events and corresponding audio data associated with each of the triggering game events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio relates to a theme of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

9. A method of operating a gaming system in a gaming establishment, the gaming system including an external audio controller, a plurality of gaming machines, and a plurality of remote speakers, the plurality of gaming machines including respective gaming cabinets and internal cabinet speakers housed therein, the plurality of remote speakers being remote from the plurality of gaming machines, the external audio controller being external to the plurality of gaming machines, the external audio controller being communicatively coupled to both the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers such that the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers are capable of outputting audio under control of the external audio controller, the method comprising:

determining that a certain triggering event has occurred in a wagering game played via one of the plurality of gaming machines, the triggering event including a desired game outcome; and

in response to the triggering event, creating a desired audio ambience for less than all of the plurality of gaming machines by using the external audio controller to

selectively control the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers,

actuate only certain remote speakers of the plurality of remote speakers,

operate the certain remote speakers concurrently and in conjunction with internal cabinet speakers of less than all of the plurality of gaming machines, and

deliver enhanced audio effects to the less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the audio includes a message for a player of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the triggering game event is a randomly selected positive game outcome, and wherein the audio is indicative of the positive game outcome.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the less than all of the plurality of gaming machines includes the one of the plurality of gaming machines in which the certain triggering event has occurred.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the enhanced audio effects are in a surround sound format, the plurality of remote speakers being spatially arranged relative to the plurality of gaming machines to provide the enhanced audio effect in surround sound to one or more players at the less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

14. The method of claim 9, further including storing the enhanced audio effects in a memory coupled to or within the external audio controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the storing includes storing a plurality of triggering events and corresponding audio data associated with each of the triggering events.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the audio relates to a theme of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

17. A gaming system for conducting wagering games in a gaming establishment, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines including respective gaming cabinets and internal cabinet speakers housed therein;

a plurality of remote speakers positioned remote from the plurality of gaming machines;

an external audio controller positioned externally to the plurality of gaming machines, the external audio controller being communicatively coupled to both the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers such that the plurality of remote speakers and the internal cabinet speakers are capable of outputting audio under control of the external audio controller, the external audio controller being programmable to

in response to a certain triggering game event in a wagering game played via one of the plurality of gaming machines, receive a triggering signal associated with the triggering game event;

select audio data associated with the triggering signal, and

selectively control the plurality of remote speakers and the internal speakers to output audio based on the audio data and concurrently focused on less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the audio includes a message for a player of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the triggering game event is a randomly selected positive game outcome, and wherein the audio is indicative of the positive game outcome.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the external audio controller is further programmable to control the plurality of remote speakers and the internal speakers to output audio based on the audio data and to focus the audio on the one of the plurality of gaming machines or the player at that machine.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the audio data is in a surround sound format, and wherein the plurality of remote speakers are spatially arranged relative to the plurality of gaming machines and work in conjunction with the internal cabinet speakers to provide the audio in surround sound to one or more players at the less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, further comprising a memory coupled to or within the external audio controller, the audio data being stored in the memory.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the memory further includes a plurality of stored triggering game events and corresponding audio data associated with each of the triggering game events.

24. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the audio relates to a theme of the one of the plurality of gaming machines.

25. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the triggering game event is inactivity in one or more of the plurality of gaming machines over a certain period of time.

26. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein only certain ones of the remote speakers are actuated to focus the audio to the less than all of the plurality of gaming machines.