Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide gaming systems having reduced appearance of parallax artifacts on display devices including multiple display screens. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a location on a first display screen of a display device at which to display a portion of a first image and subsequently determines, based on that determined location and one or more other variables, a location on a second display screen of the display device at which to display a portion of a second image such that the appearance of parallax artifacts associated with the first image and the second image is reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine are disclosed. While a game of chance is being played on a gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. A sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment may be generated and displayed. The sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more of flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment, which may be moved in the 3-D gaming environment through a motion that allow the sequence of symbols from the virtual reel strip to be displayed as part of game outcome presentation.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide gaming systems having reduced appearance of parallax artifacts on display devices including multiple display screens. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a location on a first display screen of a display device at which to display a portion of a first image and subsequently determines, based on that determined location and one or more other variables, a location on a second display screen of the display device at which to display a portion of a second image such that the appearance of parallax artifacts associated with the first image and the second image is reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: A resource manager can vary content for various display aspect ratios used to display information in a computing environment. This allows providing content that is more suitable and/or especially designed for display on a particular aspect ratio. It will be appreciated that resource manager can facilitate execution of the same computer program code for various aspect ratio as content displayed can be effectively adjusted by the resource manager. In order to support multiple aspect ratios, the resource manager can use an Aspect Ratio Adaptable Data Set (ARADS) that effectively supports displaying graphical content for various aspect ratios. The (ARADS) can include “base data” and “aspect-ratio-specific data” that can complement and/or replace the base data. The base data can be used as an initial basis for displaying graphics on any one of a plurality of different aspect ratios while the aspect-ratio-specific data can be specifically designed for and/or accommodate a particular aspect ratio.

Abstract: A system for interfacing with a third-party application is described. The system includes a third-party device, a server-based system configured to communicate with the third-party device, and a gaming device configured to communicate with the server-based system to display content of the product or service. The gaming device is configured to generate an outcome of a wager-based game independent of the content that is displayed.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine are disclosed. While a game of chance is being played on a gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. A sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment may be generated and displayed. The sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more of flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment, which may be moved in the 3-D gaming environment through a motion that allow the sequence of symbols from the virtual reel strip to be displayed as part of game outcome presentation.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for querying databases maintained by electronic gaming machines (“EGMs”). The databases preferably follow a predetermined naming convention. In some such implementations, a query is written in a predetermined message field. For example, the query string may be written in a predetermined extension of the Gaming Standards Association's G2S Message Protocol. An EGM (or other device) receiving a message containing such a query may extract the query from the predetermined field, parse the query, determine the requested data and return a responsive message that includes the requested data.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

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 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. Apparatus and methods are described for generating and displaying a sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment. In particular, the sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more to flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment.

Abstract: A system to automatically blank a screen from a multi-layer display is disclosed. The system includes a multi-layer display, an associated logic device and a display controller in communication therewith and configured to receive signals from the logic device. The multi-layer display includes at least a first display screen and a second display screen positioned behind the first display screen, with both display screens in communication with the display controller. The display controller has a signal analyzer configured to analyze received signals, which are sent to one or both of the first and second display screens depending upon the results from the signal analyzer. Analysis results can involve whether signal resolution is greater than a predetermined amount. Signals sent to both display screens results in a multi-layer display presentation, while signals sent to only one screen results in the auto-blanking of the other screen for a single screen display presentation.

Abstract: Various virtual glasses for providing visual and audio displays in a gaming machine are disclosed. Such virtual glasses may replace traditional gaming machine displays such as silk-screened glasses and secondary video screens. A virtual glass system comprises at least a host adapted to provide video content, a host storage unit adapted to store video content for the host, and a virtual glass in communication with the host. A standard virtual glass comprises at least a logic device, a storage unit, and a video display device. Multiples of each item may be present in each virtual glass system and/or virtual glass. In particular, the combined capacity of all virtual glass storage units is substantially less than the combined video content capacity of the host storage units. Additional devices can include remote hosts, remote virtual glasses, multiple hosts, networked systems and advanced logic devices capable of providing prioritization and increased functionality.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gaming apparatus is provided. The gaming apparatus may comprise a display unit, a value input device, and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller may comprise a microprocessor and a memory operatively coupled to the microprocessor. The controller may be configured to generate a representation of a game display in a three dimensional (3D) graphics space, and to convert a view of the 3D graphics space into display data for display on the display unit, the view including the game display. The controller may also be configured to cause the display unit to display the display data, the display data including the view of the 3D graphics space, and to allow a person to make a wager. The controller may additionally be configured to cause the display unit to display a secondary display, the secondary display overlapping, at least in part, the game display, wherein the secondary display appears at least partially transparent.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having MRAM and MROM are disclosed. MROMs for storing boot programs and other Read Only code are formed by cutting write connections or not providing PCB socket leads to MRAM write pins, or by using memory hubs to prevent writing to MRAMs. A tale-tale board or other logging device monitoring activities at various components while primary machine power is down records to MRAM, which can be dual ported to the logging device and MGC. Various components can each have dedicated logging devices and MRAMs. One MRAM associated with the brain box replaces both DRAM and NVRAM of regular machine architectures, and is used for dual purposes of regular operational use and as safe storage to facilitate a state recovery. Prioritization of data during the storage process is rendered unnecessary. Another MRAM associated with the back plane board stores data associated with the exterior housing or terminal.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having MRAM and MROM are disclosed. MROMs for storing boot programs and other Read Only code are formed by cutting write connections or not providing PCB socket leads to MRAM write pins, or by using memory hubs to prevent writing to MRAMs. A tale-tale board or other logging device monitoring activities at various components while primary machine power is down records to MRAM, which can be dual ported to the logging device and MGC. Various components can each have dedicated logging devices and MRAMs. One MRAM associated with the brain box replaces both DRAM and NVRAM of regular machine architectures, and is used for dual purposes of regular operational use and as safe storage to facilitate a state recovery. Prioritization of data during the storage process is rendered unnecessary. Another MRAM associated with the back plane board stores data associated with the exterior housing or terminal.