US 9,286,769 B2Granted

Gaming system, gaming device and method for displaying multiple concurrent games using dynamic focal points

AssigneeIgt

InventorsDwayne R. Nelson, Jonathan Quitt, Warner Cockerille, Christopher D. Carlisle, Andrew Kertesz, Suzanne O'Rourke

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Abstract

The gaming system disclosed herein changes the focal point of a display device at different points in time to assist the player in focusing on different simultaneously or concurrently played games at different points in time. Specifically, the gaming system displays a plurality of simultaneously or concurrently played games on a display device. In response to a designated event occurring in association with a specific one of the plurality of simultaneously or concurrently played games, the gaming system changes the focal point of the display device to draw the player's focus or attention to that specific one of the simultaneously or concurrently played games. Put differently, the gaming system dynamically allocates and/or indicates different portions of a display device to different simultaneously or concurrently played games at different points in time to account for different events occurring in such simultaneously or concurrently played games.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

a housing;
a display device supported by the housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including:
(i) an acceptor, and
(ii) a cashout device;
at least one controller configured to operate with the display device and the plurality of input devices to:
(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
(b) during a first period of time:
(i) in a first portion of a game play area, display a first plurality of reels spinning,
(ii) in a second portion of the game play area, display a second plurality of reels, wherein during the first period of time, said second portion of the game play area is smaller than the first portion of the game play area,
(iii) stop the spinning of the first plurality of reels to display a plurality of symbols,
(iv) determine an award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels, and
(v) display the determined award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels,
(c) if a display reconfiguration event occurs, during a second, subsequent period of time:
(i) display at least one of the symbols of at least one stopped reel of the first plurality of reels,
(ii) display the second plurality of reels spinning, wherein during the second period of time, the second plurality of reels are larger than at least one of the reels of the first plurality of reels, and
(iii) stop the spinning of the second plurality of reels to display a plurality of symbols, and
(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

15 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

a housing;
a display device supported by the housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including:
(i) an acceptor, and
(ii) a cashout device;
at least one controller configured to operate with the display device and the plurality of input devices to:
(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
(b) during a first period of time:
(i) in a first portion of a game play area, display a first plurality of reels spinning,
(ii) in a second portion of the game play area, display a second plurality of reels, wherein during the first period of time, said second portion of the game play area is smaller than the first portion of the game play area,
(iii) stop the spinning of the first plurality of reels to display a first plurality of symbols,
(iv) determine a first award amount associated with the displayed first plurality of symbols, and
(v) display the determined first award amount, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined first award amount,
(c) if a display reconfiguration event occurs, during a second, subsequent period of time:
(i) in the first portion of the game play area, display the stopped first plurality of reels, and
(ii) in the second portion of the game play area:
(A) display the second plurality of reels spinning, wherein during the second period of time, said second portion of the game play area is larger than the first portion of the game play area,
(B) stop the spinning of the second plurality of reels to display a second plurality of symbols,
(C) determine a second award amount associated with the displayed second plurality of symbols, and
(D) display the determined second award amount, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined second award amount, and
(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

18 more elements

A gaming system server comprising:

at least one controller configured to:
(a) during a first period of time:
(i) cause a display device to display a first plurality of reels spinning in a first portion of a game play area,
(ii) cause the display device to display a second plurality of reels in a second portion of the game play area, wherein during the first period of time, said second portion of the game play area is smaller than the first portion of the game play area,
(iii) stop the spinning of the first plurality of reels to display a plurality of symbols,
(iv) determine an award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels, and
(v) cause the display device to display the determined award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award amount associated with the displayed plurality of symbols of the stopped first plurality of reels, said credit balance being:
(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device, and
(b) if a display reconfiguration event occurs, during a second, subsequent period of time:
(i) cause the display device to display at least one of the symbols of at least one stopped reel of the first plurality of reels,
(ii) cause the display device to display the second plurality of reels spinning, wherein during the second period of time, the second plurality of reels are larger than at least one of the reels of the first plurality of reels, and
(iii) stop the spinning of the second plurality of reels to display a plurality of symbols.

9 more elements

A gaming system server comprising:

at least one controller configured to:
(a) during a first period of time:
(i) cause a display device to display a first plurality of reels spinning in a first portion of a game play area,
(ii) cause the display device to display a second plurality of reels in a second portion of the game play area, wherein during the first period of time, said second portion of the game play area is smaller than the first portion of the game play area,
(iii) stop the spinning of the first plurality of reels to display a first plurality of symbols,
(iv) determine a first award amount associated with the displayed first plurality of symbols,
(v) cause the display device to display the determined first award amount, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined first award amount, said credit balance being:
(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device, and
(b) if a display reconfiguration event occurs, during a second, subsequent period of time:
(i) in the first portion of the game play area, display the stopped first plurality of reels, and
(ii) in the second portion of the game play area:
(A) cause the display device to display the second plurality of reels spinning, wherein during the second period of time, said second portion of the game play area is larger than the first portion of the game play area,
(B) stop the spinning of the second plurality of reels to display a second plurality of symbols,
(C) determine a second award amount associated with the displayed second plurality of symbols, and
(D) cause the display device to display the determined second award amount, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined second award amount.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/575,551Filed 18 Dec 2014 · continuation
Priority: 26 Sep 2011
Published: US 2015/0105139 A116 Apr 2015
Granted: 15 Mar 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

G07F 17/3267
Game play aspects of gaming systems: game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher…
A63F 13/50
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: controlling the output signals based on the game…
A63F 13/52
Controlling the output signals based on the game progress: involving aspects of the displayed game scene
A63F 13/80
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: special adaptations for executing a specific game…

Family

Application13/245,264Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Sep 2011
Application13/678,467Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Nov 2012
US 8,333,657 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Dec 2012
Application14/134,716Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Dec 2013
US 8,622,820 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jan 2014
US 2015/0105139 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Apr 2015
US 8,932,128 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2013/0102381 A1Published application
US 2014/0106850 A1Published application
US 9,286,769 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.