Patent Publication Number: US-7594848-B2

Title: Gaming machine with player-operated display mechanism

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to gaming machines and, more particularly, to a gaming machine having a display mechanism coupled to an input device and having movement that follows the input device as it is manually operated by a player. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Slot machines generally include three or more symbol-bearing reels. After a player makes a wager and either pulls a handle or presses a “spin” button, the reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with one or more pay lines. If a combination of symbols along an active pay line represents a winning combination, the player is awarded a payout identified on a pay table for that winning combination. 
     Slot machines are generally available in two different types—video and mechanical. First, a video slot machine simulates the reels and the spinning thereof on a video display. The video display may, for example, be a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD). Second, a mechanical slot machine includes physical, mechanical slot reels driven by stepper motors. Although some players are attracted to the complex and entertaining graphical images, animations, and play sequences afforded by video slot machines, other players are still drawn to mechanical slot machines because they are generally simpler and/or are perceived to be more trustworthy than video slot machines. Even more generally, it is believed that many players place greater trust in wagering game results provided by mechanical components than game results provided by video components. Many players believe that video components are rigged to provide unfavorable game results. 
     In addition to the mechanical reels of a mechanical slot machine, secondary mechanical components such as dice, balls, wheels, and reels may be added to either a video or mechanical slot machine to display the results of special game features (e.g., bonus games). Not only are such mechanical components often favored over video displays because of their perceived trustworthiness, such mechanical components can also make attractive displays that offer tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement. Accordingly, it is desirable to outfit slot machines, whether video or mechanical, with mechanical components for displaying game results. 
     Basic slot machines allow for only minimal interaction players and the machine. Such minimal interaction may, for example, include selecting a wager amount, selecting a number of pay lines to play, and initiating a spin of slot reels. To increase player appeal, many slot machines now allow for considerable interaction between players and the machine. For example, in many bonus games a player is allowed to select a number of items or control movement of a character presented on a video display. The player receives awards based on the selected items or the movement of the character. Such interactive games provide players with a perception that they can affect or control the game results when, in fact, the game results are still random. Players generally like to feel like they have some control (or “perceived skill”) over the game results. Accordingly, it is also desirable for slot machines to provide players with a perception that they can affect or control the game results. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a mechanical input device and a display mechanism. The input device is manually moved by a player in a first plurality of directions and at a first velocity. In response to the player&#39;s movement of the input device, the display mechanism moves in a second plurality of directions and at a second velocity. The second plurality of directions and the second velocity have predetermined associations with the first plurality of directions and the first velocity, respectively. The display mechanism displays an outcome of the wagering game, wherein the outcome is preferably unaffected by the player&#39;s movement of the input device. 
     Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a gaming machine embodying the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming machine. 
         FIG. 3  is a display image associated with a basic slot game and showing a combination of symbols for triggering a special game feature. 
         FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  7 ,  8 , and  9  are display images associated with the special game feature. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method for operating a die mechanism used in conjunction with the special game feature. 
         FIG. 10  is a first layout of a user interface including a button panel and a trackball. 
         FIG. 11  is a second layout of a user interface including a button panel and a trackball. 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of a trackball having a die embedded therein. 
     
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a gaming machine  10  embodying the present invention. The gaming machine  10  is operable to conduct a video slot game based on a Pac-Man™ theme. Other themes may be applied to the game as well. The gaming machine  10  includes a lower video display  12  and an upper display mechanism  14 . The video display  12  is preferably outfitted with a touch screen and may, for example, be a cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, plasma or other type of video display known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine is a “slant-top” version in which the display  12  is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player of the gaming machine  10 . Alternatively, the gaming machine  10  may be an “upright” version in which the display  12  is oriented vertically relative to the player. The display mechanism  14  may, for example, be dice, balls, wheels, or reels. In the illustrated example, the display mechanism  14  includes die mechanisms of the type commercially available from Starpoint Electrics Ltd. of the United Kingdom. 
     To facilitate interaction with the player, the gaming machine  10  includes various player input devices, such as a directional controller  16 , button panel  18 , and a touch screen mounted over the video display  12 . The directional controller  16  may, for example, be a trackball, joystick, wheel, keyboard, mouse, or touch pad. In the illustrated example, the directional controller  16  is a trackball having a diameter of approximately 3 to 4 inches. A trackball is a pointing device that translates the motion of a large ball suspended on rollers to coordinates that are sent to the machine&#39;s central processing unit (CPU). A player uses the trackball by rolling the ball with his or her palm or fingers in any direction and at any angular velocity (within the trackball&#39;s specifications). The trackball  16  may be incorporated into the button panel  18  on either the right side as shown in  FIG. 10  or the left side as shown in  FIG. 11 . A trackball  16  of the above type is commercially available from Happ Controls of Elk Grove, Ill. As discussed below, the trackball  16  is coupled to the die mechanism  14   a  by the machine&#39;s CPU such that the direction and angular velocity of movement of the die mechanism  14   a  follows the respective direction and angular velocity of movement of the trackball  16  for at least a period of time. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming machine. Money/credit detector  20  signals the CPU  22  when a player has inserted money or played a number of credits. The money may be provided by coins, bills, tickets, coupons, cards, etc. The player may interact with the machine via the trackball  16 , the button panel  18 , and the touch screen  24  mounted over the video display  12 . The button panel  18  and the touch screen  24  may have several buttons in common for accomplishing the same function. The player operates the button panel  18  or the touch screen  24  to select most game options. 
     During a special game feature triggered by the video slot game, the CPU  22  causes the die mechanisms  14  to display respective die outcomes. The die outcomes indicate a number of positions to be moved by characters on the video display  12  during the game feature. The player operates the trackball  16  to control the direction and angular velocity of movement of the die mechanism  14   a . The trackball  16  may be connected to the CPU  22  via a communications link such as an RS-232 or USB serial link. 
     For each play of the game, the CPU  22  generates at least one random event using a random number generator (RNG) and provides an award to the player for a winning outcome of the random event. The CPU  22  operates the video display  12  to represent the random event(s) and outcome(s) in a visual form that can be understood by the player. In addition to the CPU  22 , the control system may include one or more additional slave control units for operating the video display  12  and the die mechanisms  14 . 
     A system memory  26  stores control software, operational instructions and data associated with the gaming machine  10 . In one embodiment, the system memory  26  comprises read-only memory (ROM), high capacity storage memory (e.g., Compact Flash), serial read-write memory, and battery-backed random-access memory (RAM). However, it will be appreciated that the system memory  26  may be implemented on any of several alternative types of memory structures or may be implemented on a single memory structure. A payoff mechanism  28  is operable in response to instructions from the CPU  22  to award a payoff to the player for outcomes associated with payoffs. The payoff may, for example, be in the form of a number of credits. The number of credits are determined by one or more math tables stored in the system memory  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a basic video slot game is implemented on the display  12  on simulated reels  30  that are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels  30  in visual association with a number of pay lines  32 . In the illustrated example, the number of reels  30  is five and the number of pay lines  32  is nine, fifteen, or twenty. The number of reels and pay lines may, however, be varied to be more or less than the number illustrated. Also, the video display  12  may be replaced with a mechanical display including a number of physical reels driven by stepper motors. Each of the pay lines  32  extends through one symbol on each of the reels  30 . 
     Generally, game play is initiated by inserting money or playing a number of credits, causing the CPU to activate a number of pay lines corresponding to the amount of money or number of credits played. In one embodiment, the player selects the number of pay lines (between one and nine) to play by pressing a “Select Lines” key  34 . The player then chooses the number of coins or credits to wager on the selected pay lines by pressing a “Bet Per Line” key  36 . After selecting a number of pay lines and a wager amount, the reels  30  may be set in motion by touching a “Spin Reels” key  38  or, if the player wishes to bet the maximum amount per line, by using a “Max Bet Spin” key  40 . Alternatively, other mechanisms such as a lever or push button may be used to set the reels in motion. 
     The CPU uses a random number generator to select a game outcome (e.g., “basic” game outcome) corresponding to a particular set of reel “stop positions.” The CPU then causes each of the video reels  30  to stop at the appropriate stop position. Video symbols are displayed on the reels  30  to graphically illustrate the reel stop positions and indicate whether the stop positions of the reels represent a winning game outcome. 
     Winning basic game outcomes (e.g., symbol combinations resulting in payment of coins or credits) are identifiable to the player by a pay table. In one embodiment, the pay table is affixed to the machine  10  and/or displayed by the video display  12  in response to a command by the player (e.g., by pressing a “Pay Table” button  42 ). A winning basic game outcome occurs when the symbols appearing on the reels  30  along an active pay line correspond to one of the winning combinations on the pay table. A winning combination, for example, could be three or more matching symbols along an active pay line, where the award is greater as the number of matching symbols along the active pay line increases. If the displayed symbols stop in a winning combination, the game credits the player an amount corresponding to the award in the pay table for that combination multiplied by the amount of credits bet on the winning pay line. The player may collect the amount of accumulated credits by pressing a “Collect” button  44 . In one implementation, the winning combinations start from the leftmost reel and span adjacent reels. In an alternative implementation, the winning combinations start from either the leftmost reel or the rightmost reel and span adjacent reels. 
     Included among the plurality of basic game outcomes is a start-feature outcome for triggering play of a special game feature. A start-feature outcome may be defined in any number of ways. For example, a start-feature outcome occurs when a special start-feature symbol or a special combination of symbols appears on one or more of the reels  30 . The start-feature outcome may require the combination of symbols to appear along an active pay line, or may alternatively require that the combination of symbols appear anywhere on the display regardless of whether the symbols are along an active pay line. The appearance of the appropriate start-feature outcome causes the CPU to shift operation from the basic game to the special game feature. In the illustrated example, the appearance of three or more adjacent MONEY MUNCH symbols  46  along a pay line  32  with a maximum wager triggers the special game feature. The MONEY MUNCH symbols  46  may, for example, be highlighted using a flashing border. 
     The special game feature is preferably based on the Pac-Man theme originally made popular on arcade games in the early 1980&#39;s. Referring to  FIG. 4 , upon triggering the special game feature, the image of simulated reels on the video display  12  fades out and is replaced with an image of a path  50 . The path  50  is occupied by a bonus-generating character  52  and a plurality of consumable elements  54 . The plurality of consumable elements  54  include small dots  54   a , power pills  54   b , and miscellaneous other symbols such as cash and fruit. At the commencement of the game feature, the bonus-generating character  52  is placed at starting position along the path  50 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , an indicator  56  prompts the player to spin the physical trackball  16  (see  FIG. 1 ) located to the right of the button panel  18  in order to initiate a roll of the die mechanism  14   a  (see  FIG. 1 ). A simulated die  58  appears to “launch” off the video display  12  to draw the player&#39;s attention to the die mechanism  14   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) located in the machine&#39;s top box above the video display  12 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the trackball  14  is coupled to the die mechanism  14   a  by the machine&#39;s central processing unit (CPU) such that the direction and angular velocity of movement of the die mechanism  14   a  follows the respective direction and angular velocity of movement of the trackball  16  for at least an initial period of time. Thus, the game feature provides players with a perception that they can affect or control the game results when, in fact, the game results are still random as discussed below. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method for operating the die mechanism  14   a . The CPU randomly selects a die outcome at step  80 . The die of the mechanism  14   a  has six faces representing six possible outcomes. As on a conventional die, the six faces have respective numbers of dots representing the numbers one through six. The possible outcomes may be weighted equally such that the probability of selecting each possible outcome is the same (i.e., one out of six). Alternatively, the possible outcomes may be weighted differently such that the probability of selecting one of the outcomes is different from the probability of selecting another of the outcomes. As noted above, the CPU causes the machine to prompt the player to spin the trackball  16  at step  82 . The player may, for example, be prompted visually via the video display  12  and audibly via speakers on the machine. 
     The player manually spins the trackball  16  in any direction and at any angular velocity (within the trackball&#39;s specifications) at step  84 . In response to the player&#39;s movement of the trackball  16 , the CPU causes the die mechanism  14   a  to spin in the same direction and at the same angular velocity as the trackball  16  at step  86 . The CPU then determines whether or not the player&#39;s spin of the trackball  16  is legitimate at step  88 . The CPU may consider different factors for determining the legitimacy of the spin. Such factors may, for example, include an angular velocity of the trackball  16 , a number of revolutions of the trackball  16 , and a period of time for which the trackball  16  has been spinning. If the player&#39;s spin of the trackball  16  is not legitimate, the player is repeatedly prompted to spin the trackball  16 . 
     If, however, the player&#39;s spin of the trackball  16  is legitimate, the video display in  FIG. 5  may visually confirm the same by showing the simulated die  58  fully launched off of the display image. The CPU then disassociates the die mechanism  14   a  from the trackball  16  at step  90  such that the direction and angular velocity of movement of the die mechanism  14   a  no longer follows the respective direction and angular velocity of movement of the trackball  16 . Finally, at step  92  the CPU decelerates and stops the die mechanism  14   a  on the die outcome previously selected at step  80 . Thus, although the player initially controls the movement of the die mechanism  14   a  by virtue of the player&#39;s manipulation of the trackball  16 , the CPU ultimately disassociates the die mechanism  14   a  from the trackball  16  to stop the die mechanism  14   a  on an outcome selected by the CPU, not the player. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the simulated die  58  on the video display  12  also depicts the die outcome shown on the die mechanism  14   a . In the illustrated example, the die outcome is the number six. The bonus-generating character  52  moves forward along the path  50  toward an ending position  62  by a number of positions corresponding to the die outcome. Each position is representing by a consumable element  54 . As the bonus-generating character  52  moves along the path  50 , the bonus-generating character  52  visually consumes the elements  54  as it encounters them. The consumed elements may yield respective bonuses such as a number of credits. Some of the elements  54 , such as the power pills  54   b , fruits, and cash, may be worth more than the dots  54   a . The bonuses resulting from an individual roll of the die mechanism  14   a  (and subsequent movement of the bonus-generating character  52 ) are accumulated in a “bonus wins” meter  64 . The total bonus resulting from all rolls of the die mechanism  14   a  during the game feature is accumulated in a “total bonus” meter  66 . 
     While the bonus-generating character  52  moves along the path  50 , the bonus-generating character  52  is pursued by one or more bonus-ending characters  60 . The bonus-ending characters  60  are depicted in the illustrated embodiment as ghosts. The game feature generally ends in response to one of the bonus-ending characters  60  “catching up” to the bonus-generating character  52 . After the bonus-generating character  52  moves forward along the path  50  according to the die outcome on the die mechanism  14   a , each bonus-ending character  60  is, in turn, moved forward along the path  50  by a number of positions based on its own respective die roll of its respective die mechanism  14   b  (see  FIG. 1 ). A simulated die  68  on the video display  12  also depicts the die outcome shown on the respective die mechanism  14   b . Each bonus-ending character  60  is associated with a respective die mechanism  14   b  (see  FIG. 1 ) and a respective simulated die  68  shown on the video display  12 . Four different colors may be used to make clear which of the four bonus-ending characters  60  are associated with which of the four die mechanisms  14   b  and four simulated dice  68 . The die roll associated with each bonus-ending character  60  is performed by the CPU without any perceived control by the player. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , when the bonus-generating character  52  consumes a power pill  54   b , the following events occur. The bonus-generating character  52  reverses its direction. The player is awarded an extra roll of the die mechanism  14   a  (and simulated die  58 ) to chase the bonus-ending characters  60 . All bonus-ending characters  60  (e.g., ghosts) become consumable for this extra roll and yield bonuses if consumed as a result of the roll. While consumable, a bonus-ending character  60  may, for example, have a different shape or color than when non-consumable. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the above steps—namely (i) rolling the die mechanism  14   a , (ii) moving the bonus-generating character  52  forward along the path  50  by the die outcome on the die mechanism  14   a , (iii) awarding bonuses for elements  54  consumed by the bonus-generating character  52 , and (iv) moving the bonus-ending characters  60  forward along the path  50  based on rolls of their own respective die mechanisms  14   b —are repeated until the bonus-generating character  52  either reaches the ending position  62  or is caught by one of the bonus-ending characters  60 , whichever occurs first. When the bonus-generating character  52  either reaches the ending position  62  or is caught by one of the bonus-ending characters  60 , the CPU awards the total bonus in the “total bonus” meter  66  and shifts operation from the special game feature back to the basic slot game. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the trackball  16  may have a die embedded within a transparent ball to further show a correlation between the trackball  16  and the die mechanism  14   a.    
     Instead of moving the die mechanism  14   a  in the same direction as the trackball  16  in step  86  of  FIG. 6 , the die mechanism  14   a  may move in a direction opposite to that of the trackball  16 , or in a direction having some other predetermined association to that of the trackball  16 . 
     Instead of rotating the die mechanism  14   a  by the same amount as the trackball  16  in step  86  of  FIG. 6  (such that a complete revolution of the trackball  16  results in a complete revolution of the die mechanism  14   a ), the die mechanism  14   a  may rotate by a different amount than the trackball  16  but having some predetermined ratio of rotation (e.g., 2 to 1, 3 to 1, 4 to 1, etc.). 
     As noted above, the directional controller  16  may be a trackball, joystick, wheel, keyboard, mouse, or touch pad. Depending upon which controller is used, the directional controller  16  may be moved to indicate directions that are linear or curvilinear, to indicate directions that collectively occupy two dimensions or three dimensions, and to indicate rotation about one axis (e.g., an x-axis), two axes (e.g., an x-axis and a y-axis), three axes (e.g., an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis), or more than three axes. 
     Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.