MULTIPLE-STATE DISPLAY FOR A GAMING APPARATUS
A gaming apparatus may include a display system, a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display system and value input device. The display system may include a first display unit, a second video display unit disposed in front of the first display unit and a light valve disposed between the first and second display units. The second display unit may include an opening. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to cause the display system to generate a game display on the first display unit, cause the light valve to become substantially transparent so that the first display unit is visible through the opening, cause the display system to generate a video display on the second display unit, and determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/755,598, filed Jan. 12, 2004 and entitled, “MULTIPLE-STATE DISPLAY FOR A GAMING APPARATUS”, which is incorporated in its entirety herein for all purposes.
BACKGROUNDThis patent is directed to a casino gaming apparatus, which could be either an individual gaming unit or a casino gaming system having a plurality of gaming units, each gaming unit including a display system having a light valve.
Conventional casino gaming units often included multiple display panels for displaying a variety of images. The gaming unit consisted of three, separately located display panels: the top glass, the bottom (or “belly”) glass, and the primary display. The top glass and the belly glass were typically static images that provided game instructions, game information (e.g., paytables), images to attract players to the game, or images otherwise associated with the games that could be played on the gaming unit. Sometimes, the top glass and/or the belly glass provided bonus games. The primary display has included active images that may vary as part of a player-attract sequence or as part of the game play. Mechanical moving parts were often used to display a variety of images as part of the game play. For example, in a conventional slot machine, the primary display was a “reel glass” having multiple spinning reels with various images on each reel. In some cases, some or all of the display panels were video display units.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus that may include a display system, a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display system and the value input device. The display system may include a first display unit, a second video display unit disposed in front of the first display unit and a light valve disposed between the first and second display unit. The second display unit may include an opening. The light valve may include a suspended particle device. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to cause the display system to generate a player attraction display on the second display unit and to cause the suspended particle device to become substantially opaque if the attraction display is generated on the second display so that the first display unit is obscured through the opening of the second display unit. The controller may also be programmed to cause the display system to generate a game display on the first display unit and to cause the suspended particle device to become substantially transparent if the game display is generated on the first display unit so that the game display is visible through the opening of the second display unit. The game display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo. The controller may further be programmed to cause the display system to generate a bonus game display on the second display unit and to cause the suspended particle device to become substantially opaque if the bonus game display is generated on the second display unit so that the first display unit is obscured through the opening of the second display unit. The controller may additionally be programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game and to cause the suspended particle device to become substantially transparent if a non-zero value payout is determined so that at least a portion of the first display unit is visible through the opening of the second display unit.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus which may include a display system, a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display system and the value input device. The display system may include a first display unit, a second display unit disposed in front of the first display unit and a light valve disposed between the first and second display units. The second display unit may comprise a video display unit and may include an opening. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to cause the display system to generate a game display on the first display unit, to cause the light valve to become substantially transparent if the game display is generated on the first display unit so that the game display is visible through the opening of the second display unit, to cause the display system to generate a video display on the second display unit, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game. The game display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming method which may include causing a game display to be generated on a first display unit, causing a video display to be generated on a second display unit disposed in front of the first display unit, the second display unit comprising an opening, causing a light valve disposed between the first and second display units to become substantially transparent if the game display is generated on the first display unit so that the game display is visible through the opening of the second display unit, and determining a value payout associated with an outcome of the game represented by the video image. The game display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph.
The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states. The network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communication protocol.
The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 20. For example, the network computer 22 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 20, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22 described above.
Although each network 12, 26 is shown to include one network computer 22, 32 and four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. For example, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22 and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may be interconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may be provided as a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24 is shown as a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprise multiple data links.
Referring to
If provided on the gaming unit 20, the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. The ticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticket vouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket printers 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could then be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket readers 56.
If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.
The gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a display system 70. Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video casino game, such as video poker or video slots, the display system 70 may include color video display units that display images relating to the particular game or games. Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a reel-type slot machine, the display system 70 may comprise a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, with each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon. The audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. The input control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.
If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reel symbols, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.
If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 20 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the “5” button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).
The control panel 66 may include a “Max Bet” button 80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. The control panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
In
Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should be understood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel 66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on the gaming unit 20. If the display system 70 is provided with a video display unit, the control panel 66 could be generated by the display system 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the control panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the display system 70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with the display system 70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.
Gaming Unit Display System
The display system 70 may further include a rear display unit 92. As shown in
A light valve 93 may be disposed between the front video display unit 90 and the rear display unit 92. Various devices may be utilized for the light valve 93, including, but not limited to, suspended particle devices (SPD), electrochromic devices, polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) devices, etc. Generally, the light valve 93 may switch between being transparent, and being opaque (or translucent), depending on whether a current is applied or not. For example, SPDs and PDLC devices become transparent when applied with a current and become opaque or translucent when little or no current is applied. On the other hand, electrochromic devices become opaque when applied with a current, and transparent when little or no current is applied. Additionally, the light valve 93 may attain varying levels of translucency and opaqueness. For example, while a PDLC device is generally either transparent or opaque, suspended particle devices and electrochromic devices allow for varying degrees of transparency, opaqueness or translucency, depending on the applied current level.
The front video display unit 90 may include one or more openings which may allow a player to view the rear display unit 92 when the light valve 93 is transparent or substantially transparent. When the light valve 93 is opaque, or substantially opaque, a player's view of the rear display unit 92 may be obscured (or obstructed). The light valve 93 may also be translucent and provide varying degrees of visibility of the rear display unit 92 through the opening, thereby varying the visibility of the rear display unit 92 (e.g., gradually “dimming” or “brightening” the visibility of the rear display unit 92). Varying the translucency of the light valve may cause the visibility of the rear display unit 92 to range from allowing the player to view and recognize the images on the rear display unit 92 to merely allowing light and color through without being able to distinguish the images.
The front video display unit 90 may include multiple openings 94 that are aligned with the mechanical reels of the rear display unit 92. Likewise, if provided with a backlight 91, the backlight 91 may include a plurality of openings 95 that coincide with the openings 94 of the front video display unit 90. The openings 94, 95 may allow a player to see at least a portion of the rear display unit 92 when the light valve 93 is transparent. The rear display unit 92 may also be visible when the light valve 93 is translucent, though this may depend on the degree to which the light valve 93 is translucent. The front video display unit 90 may include additional openings 96, 97, 98, 99, to view additional information displayed on the rear display unit 92. For example, one or more of the reel images may be viewable by a player through the corresponding openings 94, 95, whereas additional display units, such as static displays or video displays, may be included as part of the rear display unit 92 and visible to the player through the openings 96, 97, 98, 99. Corresponding openings (not shown) may be provided in the backlight 91, if provided.
The openings 94, 96, 97, 98, 99 in the front video display unit 90 may be provided as physical openings in the front video display unit 90. Physical openings may be formed by forming openings in the display screen material and connecting the resulting edges to appropriate video control lines for row and column addressing to display video images on the remaining display screen. Physical openings may also be formed by using multiple smaller, interconnected display screens for the front video display unit 90, which are arranged to leave spacing between the display screens to form the openings. Alternatively, the openings 94, 96, 97, 98, 99 may be provided as virtual openings. For example, if the front video display unit 90 comprises a transparent display screen, such as an electroluminescent display, the front video display unit 90 may appear transparent if a video image is not displayed. By selectively preventing images from being displayed on the front video display unit 90 using row and column addressing, virtual openings may be formed that allow a player to see through the front video display unit 90. If the front video display unit 90 comprises an LCD, or other non-emissive display, with a backlight 91, physical openings may be formed in the backlight 91 causing any image on the LCD in front of the openings 95 to be virtually invisible to the player without lighting from the rear.
If the light valve 93 is transparent, the player may see through the virtual openings of the display screen to view an image on the rear display unit 92. Video images may also be displayed on portions of the front video display unit that do not correspond to the openings 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, whether physical or virtual. However, if the openings 94, 96, 97, 98, 99 are provided as virtual openings, video images may be displayed on the portions of the front video display unit 90 corresponding to the virtual openings. The video images may be displayed on the virtual openings when the light valve 93 is opaque (or translucent). Video images may also be displayed on the virtual openings when the light valve is transparent, thereby superimposing the video images on an image displayed on the rear display unit 92.
Gaming Unit Electronics
Although the program memory 102 is shown in
As shown in
One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-level assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 204, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display system 70 at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit 20. The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 in various ways. For example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses any button on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208, the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjack routine 212, a slots routine 214, a video keno routine 216, and a video bingo routine 218. At block 208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block 202.
After one of the routines 210, 212, 214, 216, 218 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block 220 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 222 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 220, the routine may return to block 208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.
It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 234, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display system 70 at block 236. The game display generated at block 236 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. At block 238, the gaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed at block 240. Block 242 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case a game routine 244 may be performed. The game routine 244 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, or another game routine.
After the routine 244 has been performed to allow the player to play the game, block 246 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 248 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 232. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 246, the operation may return to block 238.
Display System Operation
At block 256, the routine may generate graphics on the rear display unit 92 related to the game. If provided with mechanical slot machine reels having an illumination element, the mechanical reels of the rear display unit 92 may be illuminated. Other mechanical, motion-capable devices, if provided, may correspond to the game display and may be activated on the rear display unit 92 as part of the display on the rear display unit 92. Additional graphics related to the game may be generated on the front video display unit 90, which may be superimposed over the graphics of the rear display unit 92. At block 258, the routine may generate graphics such as player information (e.g., player identification, cumulative winnings, a player profile, favorite games, etc.), game information, advertisements, graphics related to the game, etc., which may be displayed on the front video display unit 90. At block 260, a game routine may be performed and the images of the front and rear display units 90, 92 may be updated accordingly as the game routine is performed. The game routine 260 could be any of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, or another game routine.
The display routine 250 may further determine whether a bonus game has been initiated at block 262. If the bonus game has been initiated as determined at block 262, the routine may activate the light valve 93 at block 264, causing the light valve to become opaque and obscuring the player's view of the rear display unit 92. The routine may then generate graphics to play the bonus game on the front video display unit 90 at block 266 and further generate player information on the front video display unit at block 268. If provided with mechanical slot machine reels having an illumination element, the mechanical reels of the rear display unit 92 may be de-illuminated. At block 270, the bonus game routine may be executed. The bonus game routine 270 may include any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, or another game routine.
The display routine 250 may further determine whether or not an attraction sequence is being performed, such as the attraction sequence shown schematically in
The display routine 250 may also determine whether a player has won during performance of a game routine at block 280. The win determination may be based on any nonzero payout determination as determined during a game routine, including the game routines 210, 212, 214, 216, 218. In one example, the win determination may relate to a predetermined payout amount such as a jackpot. If the player has won, as determined at block 280, the routine may deactivate the light valve 93, causing the light valve to become transparent and allowing the player to view the rear display unit 92. At block 284, the routine may cause graphics to be generated on the rear display unit 92 and/or the front video display unit 90 corresponding to a value payout display to indicating that the player has won. If provided with mechanical slot machine reels having an illumination element, the mechanical reels of the rear display unit 92 may be illuminated and de-illuminated to appear flashing. Other mechanical, motion-capable devices, if provided, may correspond to the bonus game display and may be activated on the rear display unit 92 as part of the display on the rear display unit 92, such as the falling tokens, or spinning wheel described above. Player information may further be generated on the front video display unit 90 at block 286, including updated graphical information accounting for the payout amount.
Although the display routine 250 has been described as including various combinations of generating images on the display units 90, 92 and activating/deactivating the light valve 93, based on the occurrence of a game routine, a bonus routine, an attraction sequence, or a winning game, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional criteria may cause such combinations to be initiated. For example, some game routines may be executed to include a game display on the rear display unit 92, whereas other game routines may be executed to include a game display on the front display unit 90. The game displays on the front and rear display units 90, 92 could be generated as part of any of the game routines disclosed here, such as one of the five game routines, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, or another game routine. In one example, the rear display unit 92 may be utilized for a mechanical slots game routine 214, whereas the front display unit 90 may be utilized for a video game routine such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or any other video game routine. When a video game routine is to be performed, which may result from a player selection of such a game routine, the light valve 93 may be activated, thereby causing the light valve 93 to become opaque to obscure the view of the rear display unit 92. Other combinations that provide specific game routines to be displayed on each display unit 90, 92 may also be provided.
Additionally, various combinations and permutations of generating images on the display units 90, 92 and activating/deactivating the light valve 93 may be performed for the above occurrences or other criteria. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that each criteria (e.g., game, bonus game, attraction, win, etc.) may be embodied in its own routine or incorporated into other routines such as the main operating routines 200, 230. The display routine 250 described herein may comprise additional or fewer criteria than indicated.
Although examples of displays are described herein as comprising particular images on each display unit 90, 92, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the display units 90, 92 are not limited to any particular image.
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video poker game, the rear display unit 92 may comprise a video display unit.
At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw” button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing the rear display unit 92 to generate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold” buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of the playing card images 352 are to be “held” may be stored in the controller 100 at block 388. If the “Deal/Draw” button 364 is activated again as determined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.
At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (
Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.
Video Blackjack Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video blackjack game, the rear display unit 92 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed on the front video display unit 90. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 406, a “See Pays” button 408, a “Stay” button 410, a “Hit” button 412, a “Bet One Credit” button 414, and a “Bet Max Credits” button 416. The display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed on the rear display unit 92 and viewed by the player through an opening 419 in the front video display unit 90. If the front video display unit 90 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of the video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display system 70.
At block 426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case at block 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing card image 404 appear in the display 400. If the player is hit, block 430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.
If the dealer does not hit, at block 436 the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. At block 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418 (
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video slots game, the rear display unit 92 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed on the front video display unit 90. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 456, a “See Pays” button 458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin” button 464, and a “Max Bet” button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
If the “Spin” button 464 has been activated by the player as determined at block 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reel images 452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, the routine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at block 494, the routine may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block 500.
Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the rear display unit 92, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead, in which case the rear display unit 92 could be provided in the form of a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon and viewed through the opening 455 in the front video display unit 90.
Video Keno Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video keno game, the rear display unit 92 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed on the front video display unit 90. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 526, a “See Pays” button 528, a “Bet One Credit” button 530, a “Bet Max Credits” button 532, a “Select Ticket” button 534, a “Select Number” button 536, and a “Play” button 538. The display 520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed on the rear display unit 92 and viewed through an opening 541 in the front display unit 92. If the front video display unit 90 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display system 70.
Referring to
If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by the controller 100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on the rear display unit 92 and the display systems 70 of other gaming units 20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block 574, the controller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.
At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22, 32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block 578 the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.
If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block 582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video bingo game, the rear display unit 92 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed on the front video display unit 90. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 604, a “See Pays” button 606, a “Bet One Credit” button 608, a “Bet Max Credits” button 610, a “Select Card” button 612, and a “Play” button 614. The display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed on the rear display unit 92 and viewed by the player through an opening 617 in the front video display unit 90. If the front video display unit 90 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display system 70.
Referring to
After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined at block 632, at block 634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by the controller 100 or a central computer such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on the rear display unit 92 and the display systems 70 of any other gaming units 20 involved in the bingo game.
At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, at block 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block 644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (
Claims
1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
- a display system comprising a first video display unit, a second video display unit disposed in front of said first video display unit, and a light valve disposed between said first display unit and said second video display unit;
- a value input device;
- a controller operatively coupled to said display system and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to cause said display system to generate a game display on said first video display unit, said controller being programmed to cause said light valve to become substantially transparent when said game display is generated on said first video display unit, said controller being programmed to cause said display system to generate a bonus game display on said second video display unit, and said controller being programmed to cause said second video display unit to partially obscure said first video display unit when said bonus game display is generated on said second display unit.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 29, 2007
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2008
Applicant: IGT (Reno, CA)
Inventors: Chauncey Griswold (Reno, NV), Harold Mattice (Gardnerville, NV), Richard Wilder (Sparks, NV)
Application Number: 11/829,917
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);