US20030064784A1 - Wide screen gaming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display support structure; a display unit capable of generating video images and attached to said display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of said display unit, wherein said display unit comprises: a flat-panel display screen having a width and a height, said width of said flat-panel display screen being larger than said height of said flat-panel display screen, said width of said flat-panel display screen divided by said height of said flat-panel display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16/10; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; a display interface operatively connected to said controller and said display unit; and a touchscreen sensor located in a plane substantially parallel to said front surface of said display unit and associated with said flat-panel display screen.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Video displays on gaming apparatuses have two spatial dimensions, i.e. horizontal and vertical. An aspect ratio of a video display is a ratio of horizontal length (width) to vertical length (height), expressed in relative units. Conventional video images displayed on conventional video displays have an aspect ratio of four to three (4:3) or 1.33 when reduced. The aspect ratio is essentially an aesthetic consideration or value. In other words, it is the rectangular shape most pleasing to the human eye. It has recently been determined that larger aspect ratios, such as 16:10 (1.6) or greater, are more aesthetically pleasing.[0001]
• Video displays having larger aspect ratios are often referred to as wide screen displays. One reason wide screen displays are preferred is that when a human head is in a fixed position, the limit of peripheral vision is 60 degrees horizontally and 45 degrees vertically. These calculations are taken from Woodson's Human Factors Design Handbook. Thus, a wider picture is easier to view than a higher picture. There exists an evan greater benefit to wide screen video displays when viewing action. Because of the limitations of players' eye response time, players can visualize more action on a wide screen display. This leads to greater active involvement on the part of players. Wide screen video displays also provide the ability to design and present video casino games that capitalize on the wide screen format that could not effectively be displayed on conventional video displays.[0002]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The invention is directed to a gaming apparatus with a display support structure and a display unit capable of generating video images. The display unit may be attached to the display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of the display unit. The display unit may comprise a flat-panel display screen having a width and a height, the width of the flat-panel display screen being larger than the height of the flat-panel display screen. The width of the flat-panel display screen divided by the height of the flat-panel display screen may form an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16:10.[0003]
• The gaming apparatus also includes a value input device that is capable of allowing the player to deposit a medium of value. The gaming apparatus may also comprise a controller, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller may have a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. Additionally, the controller may be programmed to allow a person to make a wager and to cause a video image to be generated on the display unit after the value input device detects deposit of value by the person.[0004]
• The video image may represent a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, in which case the video image may comprise an image of at least five playing cards if the game comprises video poker. Likewise, the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of playing cards if the game comprises video blackjack. If the game selected by the player is video slots, the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels. The video image may comprise an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the game comprises video keno, or the video image may comprise an image of a bingo grid if the game comprises video bingo. The controller may also be programmed to determine a value payout associated with the outcome of the game. The apparatus may also comprise a display interface operatively connected to the controller and the display unit and a touchscreen sensor located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the front surface of the display unit and associated with the flat-panel display screen.[0005]
• The features and advantages of the present 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.[0006]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system in accordance with the invention;[0007]
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming units shown schematically in FIG. 1;[0008]
• FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit;[0009]
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gaming unit of FIG. 2;[0010]
• FIG. 4 is a front view of another example of a gaming apparatus in accordance with the teachings of the invention;[0011]
• FIG. 5 is a side view of another example of a gaming apparatus in accordance with the teachings of the invention;[0012]
• FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;[0013]
• FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;[0014]
• FIG. 8 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 10;[0015]
• FIG. 9 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG. 11;[0016]
• FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;[0017]
• FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;[0018]
• FIG. 12 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the slots routine of FIG. 14;[0019]
• FIG. 13 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video keno routine of FIG. 15;[0020]
• FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;[0021]
• FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;[0022]
• FIG. 16 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG. 17;[0023]
• FIG. 17 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units; and[0024]
• FIGS.[0025]18-21 are illustrations of embodiments of a visual displays for specialized video games that may be displayed on a gaming apparatus having a wide screen display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
• FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a[0026]gaming system10 in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, thegaming system10 may include a first group ornetwork12 ofgaming units20 operatively coupled to anetwork computer22 via a network data link orbus24. Thegaming system10 may include a second group ornetwork26 ofgaming units30 operatively coupled to anetwork computer32 via a network data link orbus34. The first andsecond gaming networks12,26 may be operatively coupled to each other via anetwork40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via afirst network link42 and asecond network link44.
• The[0027]first network12 ofgaming units20 may be provided in a first casino or facility, and thesecond network26 ofgaming units30 may be provided in a second casino or facility located in a separate geographic location than the first casino or facility. For example, the two facilities may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states. Thenetwork40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where thenetwork40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over thecommunication links42,44 via an Internet communication protocol.
• The[0028]network computer22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of thegaming units20. For example, thenetwork computer22 may continuously receive data from each of thegaming units20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of thegaming units20, data indicative of how much each of thegaming units20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of thegaming units20, etc. Thenetwork computer32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to thegaming units30 as thenetwork computer22 described above.
• Although each[0029]network12,26 is shown to include onenetwork computer22,32 and fourgaming units20,30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. For example, thenetwork12 may include a plurality ofnetwork computers22 and tens or hundreds ofgaming units20, all of which may be interconnected via thedata link24. The data link24 may provided as a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although thedata link24 is shown as asingle data link24, thedata link24 may comprise multiple data links.
• It should also be noted that the terms gaming apparatus and gaming unit are intended to be interchangeable. Additionally, the terms are intended to include video lottery terminals. Video lottery terminals operate essentially the same as gaming apparatuses found in state regulated casinos or other facilities, except that they generally use ticket printers to print tickets that can be exchanged for cash payments instead of paying winning amounts through a coin hopper as in conventional gaming apparatuses.[0030]
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or more of the[0031]gaming units20. Although the following description addresses the design of thegaming units20, it should be understood that thegaming units30 may have the same design as thegaming units20 described below. It should be understood that the design of one or more of thegaming units20 may be different than the design ofother gaming units20, and that the design of one or more of thegaming units30 may be different than the design ofother gaming units30. Eachgaming unit20 may be any type of gaming unit and may have various different structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of thegaming units20 are described below, but it should be understood that numerous other designs may be utilized.
• Referring to FIG. 2, the gaming apparatus or[0032]unit20 may include adisplay support structure50, which may also be referred to as a housing or cabinet. Thedisplay support structure50 may include one or more input devices, which may include a coin slot oracceptor52, apaper currency acceptor54, a ticket reader/printer56 and acard reader58, which may be used to input value to thegaming unit20. A value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer. As used herein, the term “value” may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, and any other object representative of value.
• If provided on the[0033]gaming unit20, the ticket reader/printer56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encodeticket vouchers60. Theticket vouchers60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the facility name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types ofticket vouchers60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. Theticket vouchers60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on theticket vouchers60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer56 may be provided with the ability to both read andprint ticket vouchers60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encodeticket vouchers60. In the latter case, for example, some of thegaming units20 may haveticket printers56 that may be used to printticket vouchers60, which could then be used by a player inother gaming units20 that haveticket readers56.
• If provided, the[0034]card reader58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card, a player tracking card, a smart card, etc. If provided for player tracking purposes, thecard reader58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.
• The[0035]gaming unit20 may include one or moreaudio speakers62, acoin payout tray64, aninput control panel66, and a colorvideo display unit70 for displaying images relating to the game or games provided by thegaming unit20. Thedisplay unit70 may be attached to thedisplay support structure50 in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of the display unit. In other words, the display unit may be adjustable, but it may not be rotated, for instance 90 degrees, so that the vertical length (height) is greater than the horizontal length (width). Thedisplay unit70 may comprise adisplay screen71 having a width and a height, wherein the width of thedisplay screen71 is larger than the height of thedisplay screen71. Thedisplay screen71 may be disposed so that the width of thedisplay screen71 is parallel to the width of thedisplay unit70 and so that the height of thedisplay screen71 is parallel to the height of thedisplay unit70.
• The width of the[0036]display screen71 divided by the height of thedisplay screen71 forms an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than 16:10 or 1.6. This may be referred to as a wide screen display. Two wide screen formats that are commonly utilized by manufacturers are 16:10 and 16:9. However, wide screen displays having much larger aspect ratios may also be utilized. For example, a display screen having an aspect ration of 3:1 could be used.
• The[0037]display screen71 may be a flat-panel display screen, such as an LCD (liquid crystal display), a plasma display, a front projection monitor, or any other type of display that has an overall thickness less than conventional CRTs (cathode ray tubes). Thedisplay unit70 may be adjusted to enhance the angle of viewing for a player. For example, thedisplay unit70 may be adjusted vertically on thedisplay support structure50. Additionally, thedisplay unit70 may be rotatably adjusted about a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to ahorizontal edge72 of thedisplay screen71. This will ensure that users of different heights will be able to directly view thedisplay screen71 at an appropriate angle.
• The[0038]display unit70 may also display video images comprising DTV video images. While a vast array of different picture-resolution formats may be displayed, a few examples include HDTV (high definition television) and SDTV (standard definition television). The image displayed in these formats may comprise either progressively scanned (-p) or interlaced (-i). Video images may be scanned on thedisplay screen71 either way. Interlacing, used for conventional TVs, assemble each frame in two alternating fields, first tracing every other line, then filling in the gaps. Progressive scanning, a technique often used in conventional computer displays because of its ability to display graphics well, paints each line successively to create a frame in one pass.
• One example of a high quality and information heavy DTV resolution that may be displayed by the[0039]display unit70 is the 1080i format. It may have 1,080 interlaced scanning lines, each with 1,920 pixels, to deliver more than 2 million pixels per picture frame. Another example of an HD format that may be displayed is the 720p, which has 720 progressively scanned lines that carry 1,280 pixels each, totaling nearly 1 million pixels. Also, a video image utilizing a 1080p format could also be displayed. An example of a possible SDTV format is a 480p which progressively scans 480 lines and totals 337,920 pixels per frame.
• An integrated[0040]touchscreen sensor73 may also be included with thedisplay unit70 to overlay thedisplay screen71. Thetouchscreen sensor73 may be located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the front surface of thedisplay screen71. A Microtouch sensor and controller is an example of a conventional touchscreen sensor that may be adapted for use with thegaming apparatus20.
• The[0041]audio speakers62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. Theinput control panel66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.
• FIG. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the[0042]control panel66, which may be used where thegaming unit20 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Referring to FIG. 2A, thecontrol panel66 may include a “See Pays”button74 that, when activated, causes thedisplay unit70 to generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information for the game or games provided by thegaming unit20. As used herein, the term “button” is intended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make an input selection or a display area that a player may simply touch. Thecontrol panel66 may include a “Cash Out” button75 that may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on thegaming unit20, in which case thegaming unit20 may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the player via thepayout tray64.
• If the[0043]gaming unit20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reel symbols, thecontrol panel66 may be provided with a plurality ofselection buttons76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, fivebuttons76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.
• If the[0044]gaming unit20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, thecontrol panel66 may be provided with a plurality ofselection buttons78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by thegaming unit20 is a quarter ($0.25), thegaming unit20 may be provided with fiveselection buttons78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the “5” button76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).
• The[0045]control panel66 may include a “Max Bet”button80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. Thecontrol panel66 may include aspin button82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
• In FIG. 2A, a rectangle is shown around the[0046]buttons74,75,76,78,80,82. It should be understood that that rectangle simply designates, for ease of reference, an area in which thebuttons74,75,76,78,80,82 may be located. Consequently, the term “control panel” should not be construed to imply that a panel or plate separate from thehousing50 of thegaming unit20 is required, and the term “control panel” may encompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable buttons.
• Although one[0047]possible control panel66 is described above, it should be understood that different buttons could be utilized in thecontrol panel66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on thegaming unit20. Although thecontrol panel66 is shown to be separate from thedisplay unit70, it should be understood that thecontrol panel66 could be generated by thedisplay unit70. In that case, each of the buttons of thecontrol panel66 could be a colored area generated by thedisplay unit70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with thedisplay unit70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen or thetouchscreen sensor73.
GAMING UNIT ELECTRONICS
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may be incorporated in the[0048]gaming unit20. Referring to FIG. 3, thegaming unit20 may include acontroller100 that may comprise aprogram memory102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP)104, a random-access memory (RAM)106 and an input/output (I/O)circuit108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus110. It should be appreciated that although only onemicroprocessor104 is shown, thecontroller100 may includemultiple microprocessors104. Similarly, the memory of thecontroller100 may includemultiple RAMs106 andmultiple program memories102. Although the I/O circuit108 is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit108 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s)104 andprogram memories102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.
• FIG. 3 illustrates that the[0049]control panel66, agraphics controller114, thecoin acceptor52, thebill acceptor54, thecard reader58, the ticket reader/printer56, and thetouchscreen sensor73 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit108, each of those components being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used. It should be noted that a separate graphics controller, such asgraphics controller114 may not be necessary, as thecontroller100 may be utilized to perform the functions of thegraphics controller114, thus eliminating the need for a separate graphics controller. A display interface such as a digital video interface (DVI)116 may be connected to the graphics controller114 (or thecontroller100, as seen by the dashed line). Alternatively, a display interface such as a DVI/RGB converter111 may be connected to the graphics controller114 (or thecontroller100, as seen by the dashed line). Thedisplay unit70 may be connected to either theDVI116 or the DVI/RGB converter111. The speaker(s)62 may be operatively coupled to asound circuit112, that may comprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit. The sound-generatingcircuit112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit108.
• As shown in FIG. 3, the[0050]components52,54,56,58,66,70,73,111,112,114, and116 may be connected to the I/O circuit108 via a respective direct line or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, one or more of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components. Furthermore, some of the components may be directly connected to themicroprocessor104 without passing through the I/O circuit108. The I/O circuit108 may include serial and USB interfaces also. These may be utilized to control, for example, thetouchscreen sensor73, switch inputs, light inputs, etc. The I/O circuit108 may also be utilized to convert serial data from thecontroller100 to a format used by the inputs and output modules. It may also be used to continuously monitor the inputs and update the outputs.
• The wide-screen[0051]resolution graphics controller114 may be operatively connected to thecontroller100 and utilized to provide wide-screen video images. TheDVI interface116 may also be incorporated in the system and utilized to provide a true digital video interface to thedisplay unit70. The DVI/RGB converter111 may be used to convert an analog RGB or digital DVI to the correct signal for the wide-screen display unit70.
An Alternative Embodiment
• FIG. 4 is a front view of another possible embodiment of one or more of the[0052]gaming units30. The gaming apparatus orunit30 may include adisplay support structure50, which may also be referred to as a housing or cabinet. Thedisplay support structure50 may include one or more input devices, which may include a coin slot oracceptor122, apaper currency acceptor124, a ticket reader/printer126 and acard reader128, which may be used to input value to thegaming unit30. A value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer. As used herein, the term “value” may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, and any other object representative of value.
• If provided on the[0053]gaming unit30, the ticket reader/printer126 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encodeticket vouchers130. Theticket vouchers130 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the facility name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types ofticket vouchers130 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. Theticket vouchers130 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on theticket vouchers130 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer126 may be provided with the ability to both read andprint ticket vouchers130, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encodeticket vouchers130. In the latter case, for example, some of thegaming units30 may haveticket printers126 that may be used to printticket vouchers130, which could then be used by a player inother gaming units20 or30 that haveticket readers126.
• If provided, the[0054]card reader128 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, thecard reader128 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.
• The[0055]gaming unit30 may include one or moreaudio speakers132, aninput control panel136, and a colorvideo display unit140 for displaying images relating to the game or games provided by thegaming unit30. Thedisplay unit140 may be attached to thedisplay support structure120 in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of the display unit. In other words, the display unit may be adjustable, but it may not be rotated, for instance 90 degrees, so that the vertical length (height) is greater than the horizontal length (width). Thedisplay unit140 may comprise adisplay screen142 having a width and a height, wherein the width of thedisplay screen142 is larger than the height of thedisplay screen142. Thedisplay screen142 may be disposed so that the width of thedisplay screen142 is parallel to the width of thedisplay unit140 and so that the height of thedisplay screen142 is parallel to the height of thedisplay unit140.
• The width of the[0056]display screen142 divided by the height of thedisplay screen142 forms an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than 16:10 or 1.6. This may be referred to as a wide screen display. Two wide screen formats that are commonly utilized by manufacturers are 16:10 and 16:9. For reference, an aspect ration of 16:9 is wider than an aspect ration of 16:10. However, wide screen displays having much larger aspect ratios may also be utilized. For example, a display screen having an aspect ration of 3:1 could be used.
• The[0057]display screen142 may be a flat-panel display screen, such as an LCD (liquid crystal display), a plasma display, a front projection monitor, or any other type of display that has an overall thickness less than conventional CRTs (cathode ray tubes). Thedisplay unit140 may be adjusted to enhance the angle of viewing for a player. For example, thedisplay unit140 may be adjusted vertically on thedisplay support structure120. Additionally, thedisplay unit140 may be rotatably adjusted about a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to ahorizontal edge144 of thedisplay screen142. This will ensure that users of different heights will be able to directly view thedisplay screen142 at an appropriate angle.
• The[0058]display unit140 may also display video images comprising DTV video images. While a vast array of different picture-resolution formats may be displayed, a few examples include HDTV (high definition television) and SDTV (standard definition television). The image displayed in these formats may comprise either progressively scanned (-p) or interlaced (-i). Video images may be scanned on thedisplay screen71 either way. Interlacing, used for conventional TVs, assemble each frame in two alternating fields, first tracing every other line, then filling in the gaps. Progressive scanning, a technique often used in conventional computer displays because of its ability to display graphics well, paints each line successively to create a frame in one pass.
• One example of a high quality and information heavy DTV resolution that may be displayed by the[0059]display unit140 is the 1080i format. It may have 1,080 interlaced scanning lines, each with 1,920 pixels, to deliver more than 2 million pixels per picture frame. Another example of an HD format that may be displayed is the 720p, which has 720 progressively scanned lines that carry 1,280 pixels each, totaling nearly 1 million pixels. Also, a video image utilizing a 1080p format could also be displayed. An example of a possible SDTV format is a 480p which progressively scans 480 lines and totals 337,920 pixels per frame.
• An integrated[0060]touchscreen sensor146 may also be included with thedisplay unit140 to overlay thedisplay screen142. Thetouchscreen sensor146 may be located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the front surface of thedisplay screen142. A Microtouch sensor and controller is an example of a conventional touchscreen sensor that may be adapted for use with thegaming apparatus30.
• The[0061]audio speakers132 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. Theinput control panel136 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc. Thecontrol panel136 may comprise the same control options as described with reference to FIG. 2A. Therefore, the description for thecontrol panel66 from FIG. 2A is hereby incorporated into the description for FIG. 4. Thegaming apparatus30 may also include the components described with reference to FIG. 3. The gaming unit electronics described in that section are thus hereby incorporated with reference to FIG. 4.
• FIG. 5 is a side view of the[0062]gaming apparatus30 from FIG. 4. Thegaming apparatus30 shows a side view of thedisplay support structure120, thespeakers132, thedisplay unit140, and thecontrol panel136. The gaming apparatus also includes a support base148 and an adjustable mounting bracket150.
Overall Operation of Gaming Unit
• One manner in which one or more of the gaming units[0063]20 (and one or more of the gaming units30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of thecontroller100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of thegaming unit20, and may control the operation of thegaming unit20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects thegaming unit20 with a remote computer (such as one of thenetwork computers22,32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C+, C++ or the like or any low-level, assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of thememories102,106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.
• FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a[0064]main operating routine200 that may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Referring to FIG. 6, the main routine200 may begin operation atblock202 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino or other facility to play thegaming unit20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on thedisplay unit70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via thespeakers62. The attraction sequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or video images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.
• During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the[0065]gaming unit20 as determined atblock204, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on thedisplay unit70 atblock206 to allow the player to select a game available on thegaming unit20. Thegaming unit20 may detect an input atblock204 in various ways. For example, thegaming unit20 could detect if the player presses any button on thegaming unit20; thegaming unit20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into thegaming unit20; thegaming unit20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
• The game-selection display generated at[0066]block206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit20. While the game-selection display is generated, thegaming unit20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined atblock208, thecontroller100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include avideo poker routine210, avideo blackjack routine220, a slots routine230, avideo keno routine240, and avideo bingo routine250. Atblock208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block202.
• After one of the[0067]routines210,220,230,240,250 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block260 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on thegaming unit20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, thecontroller100 may dispense value to the player atblock262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined atblock260, the routine may return to block208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.
• It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in FIG. 6, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of a different number of games. The[0068]gaming unit20 may also be programmed to allow play of different games.
• FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an alternative[0069]main operating routine300 that may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. The main routine300 may be utilized forgaming units20 that are designed to allow play of only a single game or single type of game. Referring to FIG. 5, the main routine300 may begin operation atblock302 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play thegaming unit20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on thedisplay unit70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via thespeakers62.
• During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the[0070]gaming unit20 as determined atblock304, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on thedisplay unit70 atblock306. The game display generated atblock306 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit20. Atblock308, thegaming unit20 may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed atblock310.Block312 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case agame routine320 may be performed. Thegame routine320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the fivegame routines210,220,230,240,250, or another game routine.
• After the routine[0071]320 has been performed to allow the player to play the game, block322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on thegaming unit20. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, thecontroller100 may dispense value to the player atblock324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block302. If the player did not wish to quit as determined atblock322, the operation may return to block308.
Video Poker
• FIG. 8 is an[0072]exemplary display350 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo poker routine210 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 8, thedisplay350 may includevideo images352 of a plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards. To allow the player to control the play of the video poker game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Hold”button354 disposed directly below each of theplaying card images352, a “Cash Out”button356, a “See Pays”button358, a “Bet One Credit”button360, a “Bet Max Credits”button362, and a “Deal/Draw”button364. Thedisplay350 may also include anarea366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, thebuttons354,356,358,360,362,364 may form part of thevideo display350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.
• FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the[0073]video poker routine210 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 10, atblock370, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button358, in which case atblock372 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock374, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the “Bet One Credit”button360, in which case atblock376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock378, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Bet Max Credits”button362, in which case atblock380 bet data corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100.
• At[0074]block382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw”button364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing thedisplay unit70 to generate theplaying card images352. If the player does not desire a new hand to be drawn, then the routine will return to theblock370. After the hand is dealt, atblock386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold”buttons354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of theplaying card images352 are to be “held” may be stored in thecontroller100 atblock388. If the “Deal/Draw”button364 is activated again as determined atblock390, each of theplaying card images352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from thevideo display350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playingcard image352 atblock392.
• At[0075]block394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by theplaying card images352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined atblock396. Atblock398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined atblock396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area366 (FIG. 8).
• Although the[0076]video poker routine210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.
Video Blackjack
• FIG. 9 is an[0077]exemplary display400 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo blackjack routine220 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 9, thedisplay400 may includevideo images402 of a pair of playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other card being shown face down, andvideo images404 of a pair of playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The “dealer” may be thegaming unit20.
• To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”[0078]button406, a “See Pays”button408, a “Stay”button410, a “Hit”button412, a “Bet One Credit”button414, and a “Bet Max Credits”button416. Thedisplay400 may also include anarea418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, thebuttons406,408,410,412,414,416 may form part of thevideo display400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.
• FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the[0079]video blackjack routine220 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 11, thevideo blackjack routine220 may begin atblock420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the “Bet One Credit”button414 or the “Bet Max Credits”button416. Atblock422, bet data corresponding to the bet made atblock420 may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. If the player chooses to deal a hand at a block423, the routine will deal hands at ablock424. If the player does not want to deal a hand, the routine will go back to thebet block420. At theblock424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be “dealt” by making theplaying card images402,404 appear on thedisplay unit70.
• At[0080]block426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case atblock428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making anotherplaying card image404 appear in thedisplay400. If the player is hit, block430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded21. If the player has not bust, blocks426 and428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
• If the player decides not to hit, at[0081]block432 the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, atblock434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making anotherplaying card image402 appear in thedisplay400. Atblock436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks432,434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.
• If the dealer does not hit, at[0082]block436 the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined atblock440. Atblock442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined atblock440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area418 (FIG. 9).
Slots
• FIG. 12 is an[0083]exemplary display450 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of the slots routine230 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 12, thedisplay450 may includevideo images452 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols454 associated therewith. Although thedisplay450 shows fivereel images452, each of which may have three reel symbols454 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.
• To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”[0084]button456, a “See Pays”button458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin”button464, and a “Max Bet”button466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
• FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the slots routine[0085]230 shown schematically in FIG. 12. Referring to FIG. 14, atblock470, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button458, in which case atblock472 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock474, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons460, in which case atblock476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock478, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection buttons462, in which case atblock480 data corresponding to the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock482, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Max Bet”button466, in which case atblock484 bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. The routine may then cause the slotmachine reel images452 to begin “spining” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels at ablock488.
• If the “Spin”[0086]button464 has been activated by the player as determined atblock486, at theblock488 the routine may cause the slotmachine reel images452 to begin “spining” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. If the “Spin”button464 has not been activated by the player, the routine will return to the “See Pays”block470. Atblock490, the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images454 that will be displayed when thereel images452 stop spinning. Atblock492, the routine may stop thereel images452 from spinning by displayingstationary reel images452 and images of three symbols454 for each stoppedreel image452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
• The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped[0087]reel images452 of a particular symbol454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined atblock494, the routine may proceed to block496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined atblock500. Atblock502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined atblock500.
• Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the[0088]display unit70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead.
Video Keno
• FIG. 13 is an[0089]exemplary display520 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo keno routine240 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 13, thedisplay520 may include a video image522 of a plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game and avideo image524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.
• To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”[0090]button526, a “See Pays”button528, a “Bet One Credit”button530, a “Bet Max Credits”button532, a “Select Ticket”button534, a “Select Number”button536, and a “Play”button538. Thedisplay520 may also include anarea540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of thevideo display520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.
• FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the[0091]video keno routine240 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Thekeno routine240 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit20 where a single player is playing a keno game, or thekeno routine240 may be utilized in connection withmultiple gaming units20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by thecontroller100 in each gaming unit or by one of thenetwork computer22,32 to whichmultiple gaming units20 are operatively connected.
• Referring to FIG. 15 at[0092]block550, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button528, in which case atblock552 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock554, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit”button530 or the “Bet Max Credits”button532, in which case atblock556 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. After the player has made a wager, atblock558 the player may select a keno ticket, and atblock560 the ticket may be displayed on thedisplay520. Atblock562, the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100 atblock564 and may be included in the image522 on thedisplay520 atblock566. After a certain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players (where a number of players are playing a single keno game using multiple gambling units20).
• If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at[0093]block568, at block570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by thecontroller100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of thenetwork computers22,32. If the play activity is not desired, the routine will return the player to the “See Pays”block550. Atblock572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on thedisplay unit70 and thedisplay units70 of other gaming units20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. Atblock574, the controller100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected atblock570.
• At[0094]block576, the controller100 (or one of thenetwork computers22,32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected atblock570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, atblock578 the controller100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected atblock570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.
• If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at[0095]block580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected atblock570. Atblock582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined atblock580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area540 (FIG. 13).
Video Bingo
• FIG. 16 is an[0096]exemplary display600 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo bingo routine250 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 16, thedisplay600 may include one ormore video images602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game. Thebingo card images602 may have a grid pattern.
• To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”[0097]button604, a “See Pays”button606, a “Bet One Credit”button608, a “Bet Max Credits”button610, a “Select Card”button612, and a “Play”button614. Thedisplay600 may also include anarea616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of thevideo display600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.
• FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the[0098]video bingo routine250 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Thebingo routine250 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit20 where a single player is playing a bingo game, or thebingo routine250 may be utilized in connection withmultiple gaming units20 where multiple players are playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by thecontroller100 in eachgaming unit20 or by one of thenetwork computers22,32 to whichmultiple gaming units20 are operatively connected.
• Referring to FIG. 17, at[0099]block620, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button606, in which case atblock622 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock624, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit”button608 or the “Bet Max Credits”button610, in which case atblock626 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100.
• After the player has made a wager, at[0100]block628 the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined atblock632, at block634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by thecontroller100 or a central computer such as one of thenetwork computers22,32. Atblock636, the bingo number may be displayed on thedisplay unit70 and thedisplay units70 of anyother gaming units20 involved in the bingo game. If play is not continued at theblock632, then the routine returns to the “See Pays”block620.
• At[0101]block638, the controller100 (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected atblock634. If any player has bingo as determined atblock638, the routine may determine atblock640 whether the player playing thatgaming unit20 was the winner. If so, at block642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. Atblock644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area616 (FIG. 16).
Games Specially Adapted for Wide-Screen Displays
• FIG. 18 is an[0102]exemplary display700 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of a slots routine similar to the routine230 described in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 18, thedisplay700 may includevideo images702 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality ofreel symbols704 associated therewith. Although thedisplay700 includes sixreel images702, each of which may have threereel symbols704 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized. The first fivereels702 in thedisplay700 may include conventional symbols, allowing the sixth reel to be used as a multiplier. When using a wide screen display, the sixreels702 may be displayed without shrinking the width of thereels702. Also, even more reels could be added to thedisplay700 to create a variety of unique games. For example, the additional reels could be part of a bonus game, multipliers, or a mega-reel slot game.
• To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”[0103]button706, a “See Pays”button708, a plurality of payline-selection buttons710 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons712 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin”button714, and a “Max Bet”button716 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
• FIG. 19 is an[0104]exemplary display740 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of a 500 Play Poker game utilizing a modified version of thepoker routine210 shown schematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 19, thedisplay740 may includevideo images742 of 499 poker hands, wherein each card is clearly displayed and legible. Thedisplay740 may also include an additional poker hand744 that is enlarged in comparison to the cards displayed in the poker hands742. Thedisplay740 may also include a pay table746 and aplay status section748.
• To allow the player to control the play of the video poker games, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. These buttons may be located in a[0105]control section750, and may include “Hold” buttons, a “Cash Out” button, a “See Pays” button, a “Bet One Credit” button, a “Bet Max Credits” button, and a “Deal/Draw” button. Thedisplay740 may also include an area752 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons in thecontrol section750 may form part of thevideo display740. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.
• FIG. 20 is an[0106]exemplary display760 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of a slots routine similar to the routine230 described in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 20, thedisplay760 may include video images of a slots game that displays everything on a single display screen. Thedisplay760 may include a video image of a conventionalvideo slot game762, wherein thevideo slot game762 comprises a plurality of slot machine reels with each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols associated therewith. Thedisplay760 may include abonus section764, a first paytable section766, and a second paytable section768. Asection770 may include an image that is often found on the belly glass of conventional gaming apparatuses. Thedisplay760 does not require separate screen images for viewing. In conventional display units, the paytable(s) must be silk-screened on a top glass or displayed by selecting an icon such as “See Paytable,” which replaces a previously displayed image with the paytable image. The issue is the same for thebonus section764 too. With thedisplay760, a player can simultaneously see allsections762,764,766,768, and770 on the same display screen.
• FIG. 21 is an[0107]exemplary display780 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70. Thedisplay760 may simultaneously include video images of four casino games on the same display screen. For example, the display may comprise asection782 for playing poker, a section784 for playing keno, andsections786 and788 for playing slots. Thedisplay780 may also include a credit display section790 and agame selection section792. This arrangement is similar to a player playing multiple games on multiple gaming apparatuses. Playing multiple gaming apparatuses becomes increasingly difficult when the facility becomes more crowded. Additionally, many casinos do not permit players playing multiple gaming apparatuses. With the arrangement shown in FIG. 21, players can play up to four games and play them as if they were four separate gaming apparatuses. If the player wants, the games could all be the same game. Also, each of the games could be bonus games, or a special game could be developed that would use three of the sections to play for a higher level game that is displayed in the fourth section.
• Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. This description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and method may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.[0108]

Claims (30)

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display support structure;

a display unit capable of generating video images and attached to said display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of said display unit, wherein said display unit comprises:

a flat-panel display screen having a width and a height, said width of said flat-panel display screen being larger than said height of said flat-panel display screen, said width of said flat-panel display screen divided by said height of said flat-panel display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16:10;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,

said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game;

a display interface operatively connected to said controller and said display unit; and

a touchscreen sensor located in a plane substantially parallel to said front surface of said display unit and associated with said flat-panel display screen.

2. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said display unit may be adjusted vertically to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

3. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said display unit may be rotatably adjusted about a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a horizontal edge of said flat-panel display, to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

4. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said flat-panel display screen is selected from a group of flat-panel displays consisting of LCD, plasma and front projection.

5. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said video images comprise HDTV video images comprising at least 720 progressively scanned lines carrying 1280 pixels each.

6. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said video images comprise HDTV video images comprising at 1600 progressively scanned lines carrying 1024 pixels each.

7. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said video images comprise HDTV video images comprising 1920 progressively scanned lines carrying 1200 pixels each.

8. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein said touchscreen sensor comprises a width and a height, said width of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said width of said flat-panel display screen and said height of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said height of said flat-panel display screen.

9. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 1, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

10. A gaming system as defined inclaim 9, wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.

11. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display support structure;

a display unit capable of generating video images and attached to said display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of said display unit, wherein said display unit comprises:

a flat-panel display screen having a width and a height, said width of said flat-panel display screen being larger than said height of said flat-panel display screen, said width of said flat-panel display screen divided by said height of said flat-panel display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16:10;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a payline selection,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols,

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game that is based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols;

a display interface operatively connected to said controller and said display unit; and

a touchscreen sensor located in a plane substantially parallel to said front surface of said display unit and associated with said flat-panel display screen.

12. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim11 wherein said controller is programmed to allow a user to select a number of paylines.

13. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein said display unit may be adjusted vertically to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

14. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein said display unit may be rotatably adjusted about a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a horizontal edge of said flat-panel display, to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

15. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein said flat-panel display screen is selected from a group of flat-panel displays consisting of LCD, plasma and front projection.

16. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein said video images comprise HDTV video images comprising at least 720 progressively scanned lines carrying 1280 pixels each.

17. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein said touchscreen sensor comprises a width and a height, said width of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said width of said flat-panel display screen and said height of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said height of said flat-panel display screen.

18. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 11, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

19. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display support structure;

a display unit capable of generating video images and attached to said display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of said display unit, wherein said display unit comprises:

a display screen having a width and a height, said width of said display screen being larger than said height of said display screen, said width of said display screen divided by said height of said display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16:10;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,

said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game;

a touchscreen sensor associated with said display screen and operatively connected to said controller.

20. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said display screen comprises a flat-panel display screen.

21. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, further comprising a display interface operatively connected to said controller and said display unit.

22. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said touchscreen sensor is located in a plane substantially parallel to said front surface of said display unit.

23. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said touchscreen sensor comprises a width and a height, said width of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said width of said display screen and said height of said touchscreen sensor being substantially equal to said height of said display screen.

24. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said display unit may be adjusted vertically to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

25. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said display unit may be rotatably adjusted about a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a horizontal edge of said flat-panel display, to enhance the angle of viewing for a user.

26. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said flat-panel display screen is selected from a group of flat-panel displays consisting of LCD, plasma and front projection.

27. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 19, wherein said video images comprise HDTV video images comprising at least 720 progressively scanned lines carrying 1280 pixels each.

28. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 19, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

29. A gaming system as defined inclaim 28, wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.

30. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display support structure;

a display unit capable of generating video images and attached to said display support structure in a position that is non-rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a front surface of said display unit, wherein said display unit comprises:

a display screen having a width and a height, said width of said display screen being larger than said height of said display screen, said width of said display screen divided by said height of said display screen forming an aspect ratio having a magnitude greater than or equal to 16:10;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and a display interface, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing 500 video poker hands, wherein each of said video poker hands comprises at least five playing cards, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game.

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