Abstract:
A bonus device and method are set forth for gaming machines. The bonus device is configured as a two dimensional display or three dimensional object, such as a sphere, box, or football shape, which can be controlled to rotate, spin or move to display a bonus. The bonus device is embedded with display technology that allows the bonus amounts, to change upon certain conditions in the base game such as an increased number of credits wagered, combinations achieved in the base game, or other random occurrences.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of commonly owned and prior filed provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/464,937 filed Apr. 22, 2003 and titled “Gaming Device and Method of Displaying a Three-Dimensional Bonus Feature”. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to gaming machines which include a bonus game and display and more particularly it relates to bonus displays and still more particularly moveable bonus displays.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    Casino gaming machines are well known in the art. Such devices may be embodied as spinning reel slot machines, video slot machines, Video Poker machines or the like. These machines are played by a player making a wager and prompting play. A computer processor for the device selects and displays an outcome. For a slot machine, the processor randomly selects and displays symbols which combination or combinations define one or more winning outcomes. The player receives an award for each winning outcome and loses their wager for losing outcomes.  
           [0004]    It has become popular to provide, for gaming devices such as slot machines, one or more bonus game features. As is known in the art, the player makes their wager and plays a base game obtaining winning and losing outcomes. When a trigger condition is obtained, the bonus feature is enabled. The bonus feature may entail the display of bonus outcome selections where the player makes a selection to reveal a bonus. In one popular game, a bonus feature is embodied as an electromechanical spinning “Wheel of Fortune” which spins to reveal a bonus amount.  
           [0005]    One drawback of these bonus games is that the bonus feature display, when not in play or when the device is idle, does not function to actively attract players. The bonus displays of some games have an idle mode where they display simulated bonus awards or pictures consistent with the theme of the game. There is a need for a bonus display which has features adapted to attract players to the game when the game is idle.  
           [0006]    The major drawback of such games, however, is that the awards in the bonus feature display remain a constant, static amount. There is a need for physical, moveable, bonus display device in which the awards in the bonus change, often increasing, upon certain conditions in the overall game, such as the player staking an increased number of coins or credits. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 shows an example of a device for playing one illustrative embodiment of the game using a wheel bonus selection display device;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 shows an example of a spherical type bonus display device;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 shows an example of a display device in an ellipsoid shape of a football;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows an example of a device using a spherical display device and projection;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 shows an alternative apparatus where the bonus display is a video display;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 shows an alternative apparatus where the bonus display is a video display;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 shows an alternative apparatus where the bonus display is a video display;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 shows an alternative apparatus where the bonus display is a video display; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 shows a further alternative apparatus where the bonus display is a video display. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    Turning to FIG. 1 there is shown an embodiment of a gaming device  10  according to the present invention. The device  10  includes a housing  12  supporting a bonus device compartment  14 . The housing  12  contains a game controlling computer processor  16 , which controls the various aspects of the gaming device  10 . As shown the housing  12  also mounts a base game display  18 , which may be embodied as a video display such as a VRT, plasma or other electronic display or may be embodied as a view glass to view three or more electro-mechanical reels as is known in the art. For purposes of illustration, the base game display  18  is depicted as a video display of a five-reel slot machine game. It should be understood, however, that the base game may take any slot machine or gaming machine form such as by being a 3-Reel spinning reel slot machine, Video Poker game, Video Keno, Video Lottery, Video Blackjack or the like.  
         [0017]    To control the processor  16  and the play of the base game, the housing mounts a plurality of control buttons positioned below the base game display  18 . At  26   a  there is provided a cash out button which, if depressed by the player, controls the processor  16  to pay to the player in the form of tokens, voucher or the like, accumulated game credits in a manner well known in the art. Bet one button  26   b  enables the player to wager one unit at a time. Button  26   c  is a max-bet button that enables the player to wager the maximum amount for the play of the base game. Spin button  26   d  prompts he play of the base game.  
         [0018]    The aforementioned buttons or prompts may be also embodied as touch areas on a touch screen based game display  18 .  
         [0019]    To enable a player to accumulate game credits, the device  10  may also include a cash validator  22  of the type well known in the art. Other means such as a token acceptor (not shown) or debit or credit card reader (not shown) may be provided.  
         [0020]    A token accepting tray  20  may also be provided to accept token dispensed by the device  10  when the player touches the cash out button  26   a.    
         [0021]    To play the base game, the player accumulates game credits in the device  10  as by inserting a cash note, script or voucher into the cash validator  22 . The player then decides how much to wager. It will be assumed that the player decides to wage the maximum amount and therefore touches the max bet button  26   c . The appropriate number of credits are deducted from the inventory of game credits and the processor  16  is prompted to randomly select and display at the base game display, a base game outcome represented by a matrix of game symbols. As is known with slot machine games, the matrix of symbols defines numerous pay lines, e.g. horizontal rows, diagonals, reflecting, through the matrix. The processor  16  tests each pay line that has been wagered upon and if a pay line has one of a predetermined schedule of winning outcomes or if the matrix has scattered symbols combinations, the player is issued an award. If a pay line does not embrace a winning symbol combination, the player loses their wager amount for that pay line. Thus the player may obtain numerous and frequent base game winning outcomes. For winning outcomes, the player receives an award typically in the form of game credits summed into the game credit inventory.  
         [0022]    According to the present invention, one or more base game pay line or scattered symbol outcomes defines a bonus game trigger. Should the player obtain such an outcome (with the requisite amount wagered or the triggering pay line enabled by a wager) the processor  16  detects this condition and controls the gaming device  10  to enable the bonus phase. Alternatively, the base game may contain no apparent trigger combination that enables the bonus event. The wheel or other bonus apparatus may be set by the processor to be award at random, without the use of a trigger combination in the base game, in a “mystery prize” format.  
         [0023]    To provide for the play and presentation of the bonus phase of the gaming device  10 , the compartment  14  includes a display that may be embodied as a physical, three-dimensional object, a two-dimensional physical display such as a wheel, or as a video display depicting a three-dimensional object. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a rotatable wheel  30  contained within the compartment  14 . Preferably the wheel  30  is mounted for rotation within the compartment  14 . To provide the three-dimensional effect using a video display, the display may be done using 3-D technology where the player is provided with viewing glasses (e.g. disposable 3-D glasses) or the display may be embodied as overlaying displays to produce the three-dimensional effect.  
         [0024]    The wheel  30 , includes a plurality of surface panels  34 , each of which having a display of a bonus amount, at each section of the wheel. For example, and as suggested in FIG. 2, each panel  34  may have imprinted thereon a bonus amount. These display within the wheel use LED, LCD, liquid quartz, video or other display technology to provide for changing the awards amount at any panel during the course of the gam e. The number of bonus credits to be won by the player may change upon certain conditions in the overall game, such as the player wagering an increased number of coins or credits.  
         [0025]    While the gaming device  10  is idle, the wheel  30  may be controlled to rotate to provide a visual display to attract players. Lights may be disposed on the wheel  30  and lit in conjunction with rotation to increase the visual attraction of the device  10 .  
         [0026]    When a bonus trigger condition is obtained, the processor  16  controls the bonus feature to select and display the bonus award for the player. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the processor  16  randomly selects a bonus amount from a schedule of bonus amounts (the amounts may be arranged in a non-uniform probability distribution so that certain amounts are more likely to be selected than others) and controls the sphere  30  to display the amount. For example, the processor  16  may control the wheel or 3-D Object (which may represent an soccer ball, baseball, golf ball or other spherical object consistent with the theme of the base game), in a first mode where the wheel  30  rotates and processes through various bonus amounts to increase the excitement and anticipation prior to display of the amount to be awarded. Within the compartment  14  there may be provided lights to increase the visual appearance of the bonus device  30 . Sound may also be provided to further contribute to the entertainment value of the bonus feature for the player and bystanders.  
         [0027]    With reference to FIG. 3 there is shown an embodiment where the bonus feature includes a three-dimensional object simulating a football  36  having bonus revealing surface elements  34  thereon. When the bonus phase is triggered the football  36  is shown to spin and/or gyrate to eventually reveal the surface element with the bonus. The movement of the football  36  is preferably accompanied by sounds and lights to enhance the sensory impact of the bonus feature to the player and bystanders.  
         [0028]    Turning to FIG. 4 there is disclosed another embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment the three-dimensional object such as the sphere  30  is provided with a surface  40  having one or more reflecting elements  42 . A projector  44  is disposed in the device  10  to project views onto the sphere  30  for reflection and display to the player. As shown, the glass  32  may have a panel  46  to receive the projection for the display of the same. Accordingly, the wheel  30  may be rotated while the device  10  is idle with the projector  44  projecting light onto the wheel  30  to create an attractive display to bring a play to the game. Upon placing a wager the processor  16  discontinues the idle mode for the display and device  10  base game is played by the player. Upon obtaining a triggering condition, the wheel  30  is rotated and the projector  44  ultimately projects the bonus to be awarded which is reflected by the sphere to the panel  46 .  
         [0029]    Turning to FIG. 5 there is shown a further embodiment of FIG. 1 wherein the display includes a video display  60  such as a VRT or plasma display where the wheel  30  is a virtual sphere displayed at the display. The display  60  is controlled by the processor  16  to have an idle mode display where the display  60  may display the sphere  60  rotating and gyrating to attract a player to the device  10 . The processor  16  controls the display  60  to display the sphere  30  in various modes including the display of any bonus awards.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the bonus display  100  is embodied as a free standing sphere with panels  34  supported by the housing  12 . The free standing sphere  100 . By projecting the sphere above the housing  12 , the device  10  presents an attractive game for players and for passers by.  
         [0031]    In FIG. 7 there is shown a further embodiment of the bonus display embodied as a box  200  including a plurality of mechanical doors  202  which are controlled to open to reveal the bonus.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 8 shows yet a further embodiment of the bonus display including an outer ring  300  to display bonus awards. For example, the outer ring  300  may include backlit segments  302  which are selectively backlit to display a bonus amount. Alternatively, the outer ring  300  may be controlled to spin or simulate spinning, to register the bonus award amount at an index position which signifies the award.  
         [0033]    Within the outer ring  300  is an inner display  306  which is controlled to spin about an axis A within the outer ring  300 . The inner display  306  contains a display of bonus award modifiers such as multipliers or additional award amounts. When the bonus is triggered, the outer ring  30  and inner display  306  are controlled by the processor  16  to (1) display an award amount from the outer ring  300  and (2) a modifier with the inner display  306 . For example, the outer ring  300  may be controlled to simulate spinning to register a bonus award amount at an index, e.g. 100 credits. The inner display  306  spins and processes through various multiplier awards to eventually stop in a position coplanar with the outer ring  300  whereby a multiplier amount likewise registers with the index whereby the player wins the award of the outer ring  300  multiplied by the multiplier of the inner display  306 .  
         [0034]    It must be understood that the three-dimensional objects need not be spherical, oblong or any other shape. They could be cubical as a die with six or more sides, parallelpipedal or any other shape. Further, more than one object may be included in the display.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment the device  10  has a housing  12  supporting an upstanding video (LCD, VRT, plasma) display  400  which may be circular, square or any other desired shape. The display  400  reveals a plurality of award values  402  as controlled by the processor  16 . The processor  12  may control the display  400  to display the values flashing or progressing or moving in the display  400  until the ultimate award is revealed.  
         [0036]    While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the same is subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.