Patent Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a video overlay screen. Windows within the screen are generally transparent or translucent, while other non-window portions of the screen are generally translucent or opaque. Combining the overlay screen with a typical video display gives a modified appearance to the screen that some players find attractive. In some instances the video display screen may be programmed to show a video depiction of a mechanical reel that, when combined with the overlay screen appears as if the game contains actual mechanical reels. In other embodiments the overlay screen may include a touchscreen.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This disclosure relates generally to gaming devices, and more particularly to a gaming device having a realistic physical three-dimensional appearance. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Slot machines and other mechanized gaming devices were developed over 100 years ago. Original slot machines included a set of free-spinning mechanical drums, or reels, which were simultaneously or sequentially stopped using various mechanisms. After the reels stopped, the machine dropped coins into a hopper to pay awards based on the position of the stopped reels. 
         [0003]    Major advancements on this basic technology have been directed toward providing a more entertaining gaming experience for the player with simultaneous lower capital or operating expense to the casino operator. Coin hoppers that required frequent refill gave way to bar-coded tickets by which players establish and receive game credit. Other advances replaced the free-spinning mechanical reels, which required costly maintenance, with extremely lightweight reelstrip framework structures. Now stepper motors efficiently and accurately drive the spinning and stopping action of the reelstrip framework to appear similar to the original free-spinning mechanical reels. In recent years even the motor driven reelstrips have been largely supplanted by modern electronic video screens programmed to display a facsimile image of a spinning reel. 
         [0004]    Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system that modifies the appearance of a modem gaming device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a conventional gaming device that includes a video screen display. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a conventional gaming device that includes spinning reels. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a gaming device including an overlay according to embodiments of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a screen overlay according to embodiments of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the screen overlay of  FIG. 4  combined with output from a video display from the gaming device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a video display modified to accommodate the screen overlay of  FIG. 4  according to embodiments of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a side view of a screen overlay system according to embodiments of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are related front views of a screen overlay system including a touchscreen according to embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate conventional display screens on gaming devices. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a gaming device  10  is an electronic gaming machine or “slot” machine, which includes video slot machines and video poker machines, for instance. The gaming device  10  of  FIG. 1  includes a cabinet  15  housing components to operate the gaming device  10 . The cabinet  15  may include a gaming display  20 , a base portion  13 , a top box  18 , and a player interface panel. 
         [0014]    The gaming display  20  of  FIG. 1  is a video display, upon which a video sequence is shown. In a common example, the video sequence shows multiple video reels  22 . In the example of  FIG. 1  there are four reels  22  illustrated. Each of the reels is programmed to include a number of individual symbols  23 . In operation, during a game the gaming display  20  is driven so that it appears to the player that the reels  22  are spinning and eventually stop, resting with a particular set of symbols  23 , one for each reel  22 , on one or more paylines. The game evaluates the combination of symbols  23  on the payline and, if the combination is a winning combination, pays an award to the player. 
         [0015]    The base portion  13  of the gaming device  10  may include a lighted panel  14 , a coin return (not shown), and a gaming handle  12  operable on a partially rotating pivot joint  11 . The game handle  12  is traditionally included on mechanical spinning-reel games, where the handle may be pulled toward a player to initiate the spinning of reels  22  after placement of a wager. The top box  18  may include a lighted panel  17 , a video display (such as an LCD monitor, not shown), a mechanical bonus device (not shown), and a candle light indicator  19 . The player interface panel  30  may include various devices so that a player can interact with the gaming device  10 . For example, the player interface panel  30  may include one or more game buttons  32  that can be actuated by the player to cause the gaming device  10  to perform a specific action. Some of the game buttons  32  cause the gaming device  10  to wager credits during the next game, change the number of lines being played on a multi-line game, cash out the credits remaining on the gaming device, or request assistance from casino personnel, such as by lighting the candle  19 . In addition, the player interface panel  30  may include one or more game actuating buttons  33 , which initiate a game with a pre-specified amount of credits. 
         [0016]    The gaming display  20 A of  FIG. 2  includes a series of five mechanical reels  22 A, which in most cases are include the reelstrip frames and reelstrips described above. Typically, spinning-reel gaming machines  10 A have three to five spinning reels  22 A. Each of the spinning reels  22 A has multiple symbols  23 A that may be separated by blank areas on the spinning reels  22 A, although the presence of blank areas typically depends on the number of reels  22 A present in the gaming device  10 A and the number of different symbols  23 A that may appear on the spinning reels  22 A. Each of the symbols  22 A or blank areas makes up a “stop” on the spinning reel  22 A where the reel  22 A comes to rest after a spin. Although the spinning reels  22 A of various games  10 A may have various numbers of stops, many conventional spinning-reel gaming devices  10 A have reels  22 A with twenty two stops. 
         [0017]    During game play, the spinning reels  22 A are controlled by microprocessor-driven stepper motors (not shown). Thus, although the spinning-reel gaming device  10 A has mechanical based spinning reels  22 A, the movement of the reels themselves is electronically controlled to spin and stop. This electronic control is advantageous because it allows a virtual reel strip to be stored in the memory  41  of the gaming device  10 A, where various “virtual stops” are mapped to each physical stop on the physical reel  22 A. This mapping allows the gaming device  10 A to establish greater awards and bonuses available to the player because of the increased number of possible combinations afforded by the virtual reel strips. 
         [0018]    A gaming session on a spinning reel slot machine  10 A typically includes the player pressing a wager button, such as the “bet-one” button (one of the game buttons  32 A) to wager a desired number of credits followed by pulling the gaming handle  12  ( FIGS. 1A ,  1 B) or pressing the spin button  33 A to spin the reels  22 A. Alternatively, the player may simply press the “max-bet” button (another one of the game buttons  32 A) to simultaneously wager the maximum number of credits permitted and initiate the spinning of the reels  22 A. The spinning reels  22 A may all stop at the same time or may individually stop one after another (typically from left to right) to build player anticipation. Because the display  20 A usually cannot be physically modified, some spinning reel slot machines  10 A include an electronic display screen in the top box  18  ( FIG. 1B ), a mechanical bonus mechanism in the top box  18 , or a secondary display  25  ( FIG. 1A ) to execute a bonus. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a gaming device  100  according to embodiments of the invention. The gaming device  100  includes a basic cabinet  115  and, in some embodiments, a pull handle  112  for initiating a game. Also included on the gaming device  100  is an overlay screen  125 , which is mounted on or within the gaming device  100 . The overlay screen  125  sits “on” or over a video display  120 , which is not visible in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a top-view drawing of the overlay screen  125 . Central to the overlay screen  125  are a series of reel windows  130 , one window for each reel that is illustrated on the video display  120 . In a typical embodiment, the overlay screen  125  is made of glass, plastic, or other transparent or nearly transparent material. While some overlay screens  125  may include printing, screening, or other markings, reel windows  130  remain relatively clear. When positioned over the video display  120 , projections from the underlying video display are shown to and seen by the player through the individual reel windows  130 . Specifically, and preferably, the reel windows  130  include borders that generally conform to the size and position of the underlying reels on the video display  120 . For example, if the video display  120  includes 3 reels, then there are three corresponding reel windows  130  in the overlay screen  125 . If the video display  120  instead includes five reels, then the overlay screen  125  would include five reel windows  130 , such as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0021]    Other windows  132  may correspond to other informative portions of the video display  120 . For example, one of the windows  132  in  FIG. 4  corresponds to an area of the video display that shows the present number of credits that player possesses. The player can then see the number of credits through the window  132  when the number of credits is shown on the underlying video display  120 . 
         [0022]    In addition to the other windows  130 , the overlay screen  125  includes areas that may be tinted, painted, or otherwise covered. The coverings may be opaque or may be translucent. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4  the coverings include text portions  127  that may include instructions for the player or general logos or other advertising. 
         [0023]    Because of the properties of the overlay screen  125 , viewing the underlying video display  120  through the overlay screen may give the appearance that the gaming device  100  includes mechanical reels, where, in fact, the reels are actually projections from the video display  120 . This appearance is appealing to many players, especially those with a fondness for the older style, mechanical spinning reels or reelframes with reelstrips. At the same time, a video display  120  is less expensive and has lower maintenance operating costs than mechanical reels. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates the overlay screen  125  combined with an underlying video display  120 . Symbols  123  shown on reels  122  of the video display  120  are easily seen through the clear windows  130  of the overlay screen  125 . A distance between the video display  120  and the player of the gaming device  100  can be controlled by several factors. In some instances, the overlay screen  125  has a physical thickness that, when overlayed on the video display  120 , just matches a desired distance. In other embodiments, spacers or blocks (not shown) may physically separate the video display  120  from the overlay screen  125 . In other embodiments the display screen  120  may be sunken into the cabinet  115 , while the overlay screen  125  rests on the cabinet surface. 
         [0025]    Modifications may be made to sequences of images on the video display  120  to further enhance the attractiveness and usefulness of the overlay screen  125 . Specifically, to make it appear as if the overlay screen  125  were backlit with lights, portions of the video display  120  may be made brighter, and in some cases much brighter, than if the overlay screen  125  were not present. For example, with reference to  FIG. 6 , the video display  120  includes two light areas  140  that correspond to the text portions  127  of the overlay screen  125  in  FIG. 4 . The light areas  140  are brightly driven, such as bright white, which, when combined with the text areas  127  appears as if the overlay screen  125  were backlit. The light areas  140  need not be driven white, but may be driven to a certain color that is attractive when combined with the translucent text area  127 . Even when the text area  127  is opaque, the light areas  140  can be driven to an attractive, complementary color where the light may bleed around the sides of an opaque area  127 . Other light areas  142  similarly light other portions of the overlay screen  125  that are made more attractive when backlit. A video driver (not illustrated) of the video display  120  may be programmed or otherwise determine when an overlay screen  125  is present. If the overlay screen  125  is present, the video driver drives the light areas  140 ,  142  with an increased intensity. If the overlay screen  125  is not present, the standard intensity is used. 
         [0026]    One drawback to the embodiment of the overlay screen  125  described above is that the overlay screen must be physically changed should the format of the game shown on the video display screen  120  be changed. For example, if the game on the gaming device is a three-reel game, and the overlay screen  125  correspondingly includes three reel windows  130 , then no four or five reel games could be played on the gaming device without physically changing the overlay screen  125 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of a video overlay screen. In this example, a video overlay screen  225  includes a base portion  230  which is mounted most near the video display screen  120  upon which the game is displayed. An upper portion  232  is separated from the base portion  230  by spacers  238 . Running between the upper and lower portions  230 ,  232  is a flexible substrate  240  upon which an overlay screen  245  is printed. In the illustrated embodiment the substrate  240  is wound around a pair of rolls  242 ,  244 . In operation, the rolls  242 ,  244  are controlled by, for instance, a positioning motor (not illustrated) to direct a particular screen  245  on the substrate  240  to a position between the upper and lower portions  230 ,  232  of the overlay screen  225 . The upper and lower portions  230 ,  232 , may be clear or translucent. The player views the display screen  120  through the combination of the upper and lower portions  230 ,  232 , as well as the overlay screen  245 . In this manner multiple overlay screens  245  may be included within a single game cabinet, eliminating a need to physically change an overlay screen each time a game within a game cabinet changes. 
         [0028]    Although described above as being made from glass or plastic, the overlay screen according to embodiments of the invention may additionally include touchscreen functions. With reference to  FIG. 8A , a see-through touchscreen  275  overlays a video display  120  that is driven by the gaming device  100  of  FIG. 3 . In this example, however, a player can control functions of the game on the gaming device  100  by interacting with the touchscreen  275 . For instance, assume that a player benefit awarded during a game or bonus is a nudge feature, such as that described in co-pending application Ser. No. 12/166,156, filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled Gaming Device Configuration Based on Player Value, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein. The overlay touchscreen  275  can help implement such a feature. For instance, assume that a player is awarded a nudge as a bonus feature. A text area  277  is illuminated by selectively lighting a portion of the video display  120  that underlies the text area to inform the player that such a bonus is available, as illustrated by the lightbox  278 . The player then touches the overlay touchscreen  275  in the area of the reel the player desires to nudge. In this example the player has touched the reel second from the right, which changes form or shape to inform the player that it has been selected. In the Example in  FIG. 8A  the selected reel is highlighted with a thicker border. The touchscreen  275  senses which area of the touchscreen was touched by the player and communicates the information to the game. The game reacts by giving the player “control” of the particular selected reel, such as by enabling a nudge controller  285 . The game informs the player that the nudge controller is enabled by illuminating the lightbox  288  by driving the video display  120  brightly in an area below the nudge controller. When the player presses either a nudge up button  290  or a nudge down button  295 , the game reacts to move the selected reel to the desired position. In this example the player wishes to nudge the selected reel down, by pressing the down button  295 , so that the “Bar” symbols  123  are aligned across the payline, as illustrated in  FIG. 8B . The player ultimately places the reel in the desired position, as illustrated in  FIG. 8B , and the game continues. Note that the text area  277  and nudge controller  285  are no longer illuminated in  FIG. 8B  because the player “used” the benefit. 
         [0029]    In another embodiment, instead of the touchscreen  275  including location-delimited buttons to accept user input, such as the nudge up and nudge down buttons  290 ,  295  illustrated in  FIG. 8B , the entire touchscreen accepts input in the form of user actions to perform a desired function. In other words, a gesture or action made by the user and sensed by the touchscreen  275  controls the underlying game. For example, a player could touch, or point to, the reel area and move or slide his finger upward to indicate a nudge up. Similarly, sliding a finger down along the touchscreen  275  over a reel causes the reel to move in a downward direction. Moving the finger multiple times or quickly indicates a larger reel movement in the direction of the finger slide. The touchscreen  275  translates such gestures into data or otherwise communicates the information to the underlying game, as described above, to cause the game to react based on the user action. 
         [0030]    Multiple types of touchscreens  275  or other motion-recognizing technology can also sense user gestures and actions. For example the touchscreen  275  may be one of the well-known capacitive or resistive types. In some embodiments a particular stylus or other touching device may be used in conjunction with the touchscreen  275 , rather than a user&#39;s finger. In yet other embodiments the touchscreen  275  function may be implemented with a video camera, heat-sensing apparatus, or other such device that accepts or tracks user movement. 
         [0031]    Some embodiments of the invention have been described above, and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles set out in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6