Patent ID: 7220181

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: a variable display device for variably displaying designs in a plurality of rows and emitting light; and a front display device disposed in front of the variable display device, said front display device including a liquid crystal display panel, a light guiding plate disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the variable display device and having a plurality of transparent areas formed therethrough corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of rows, a light source disposed adjacent a peripheral surface of the light guiding plate and a reflection plate disposed between said variable display device and said light guiding plate for reflecting a light emitted from said light source on said light guiding plate to said liquid crystal display panel; a memory operative for storing a selection of at least image data; an image controller operably connected to said memory and said liquid crystal display panel, wherein light from the light source is guided via the light guiding plate to the liquid crystal display panel and illuminates a partial surface area of the liquid crystal display panel while the light emitted from the variable display device illuminates a remaining surface area of the liquid crystal display panel through respective ones of the plurality of transparent areas of the light guiding plate and wherein said image controller is operative to cause a selected one of the image data from said memory to be displayed on said liquid crystal display panel in the partial surface area or in the remaining surface area over respective ones of the plurality of transparent areas of the light guiding plate while simultaneously said variable display device variably displays designs in the plurality of rows through the plurality of transparent areas thereby ensuring visibility of said variably displayed designs while the selected one of the image data is displayed on said liquid crystal display panel.