Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTIPLE VIDEO DISPLAY GAMING MACHINE AND GAMING SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to gaming machines that incorporate a video
display and
to systems that include a number of such gaming machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of different games of chance may use electronic gaming machines as an
interface through which players may participate in the game. For example,
electronic gaming
machines may be used to imitate a traditional mechanical slot machine, a poker
game,
blackjack game, or other traditional casino games. Electronic gaming machines
may also be
used to play lottery games, bingo and games similar to bingo, and other games
of chance that
axe not necessarily related to any traditional casino game.
Electronic gaming machines axe commonly housed in a large and oftentimes
standalone
cabinet. The cabinet includes a front side on which is mounted a game video
display along
with player controls. Player controls may include various types of mechanical
controls such
as switches, buttons, and levers mounted on a forwardly extending ledge below
the game video
display. Player controls may also be incorporated into the game video display
itself using
touch screen technology. In addition to the game video display and basic
player controls
through which the player makes choices or takes action in the game offered
through the
gaming machine, the gaming machines may also include other player interface
devices such
as coin or paper currency acceptors, player card or credit card acceptors,
keypads, and other
player interface devices. As with traditional mechanical gaming machines,
electronic gaming
machines also commonly include a number of static graphic displays. In
electronic gaming
machines, these static graphic displays are mounted above the game video
display and/or
below the game video display on the front side of the cabinet. These static
graphic displays
generally provide information regarding the game offered through the gaming
machine such
as pay tables and other game related information, and include colorful and
attractive graphics
that are coordinated with the video display shown on the game video display in
the course of
game play. The static graphic displays may also incorporate ono-static
elements such as
counters or numeric displays for showing bonus or progressive play
information. Video
displays may also be incorporated into the static graphic displays to show
game related
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information or information unrelated to the game available at the gaming
machine. The
graphic display located above the game video display is commonly referred to
as the top glass,
whereas the graphic display located below the game video display is commonly
referred to as
the belly glass.
The look of a particular game to a player at an electronic gaming machine may
be
referred to as the game presentation. This game presentation includes the
animated graphics
displayed on the game video display and associated static graphics shown on
the top glass and
belly glass. For example, a gaming machine providing a game presentation
imitating a
mechanical slot machine will include graphics displayed on the game video
display to imitate
a number of reels. In response to a player control, these representations of
reels are set in
motion using suitable graphics display techniques and are made to appear to
stop at some final
stop position that indicates the outcome of the play. The top glass and belly
glass will
commonly have graphics associated with a theme of the imitated slot-type game,
and a payout
table showing payouts for various reel stop positions. As another example, a
gaming machine
providing a game presentation imitating a poker game may include animated
graphics
displayed on the game video display showing a card deal and allowing the
player to see the
cards they are dealt and perhaps certain cards dealt to the house or other
players depending
upon the specific type of poker game being portrayed. The top and belly glass
graphics which
are part of the poker presentation will be related to the poker theme and may
also include
payout tables for the poker game, game rules, and other information.
The game presentation of an electronic gaming machine may depict the actual
game
offered through the gaming machine or some other game of chance. An example of
an
electronic gaming machine that depicts the actual game being played is a slot
machine type
game in which the gaming machine itself or some associated piece of equipment
executes a
program to independently pick the reel stop positions for a given play. A
video lottery
terminal is an example of an electronic gaming machine that may depict a game
different from
the game actually being played to determine a win/loss result. In video
lottery terminals, the
win/loss result is determined by a predetermined video lottery ticket or data
record that is
selected from a set of such records in response to a game play request. The
game video display
of a video lottery terminal may simply show a representation of the
predetermined lottery
record selected for a given game play request. However, the graphics provided
on the game
video display may alternatively provide a presentation of a different game
such as a
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presentation including spinning reels imitating a traditional mechanical slot
machine. The reel
stop position is dictated by the result associated with the predetermined
video lottery record
selected in response to a game play request at the video lottery terminal.
A given gaming facility that employs electronic gaming machines may include
numerous machines to accommodate a large number ofplayers. Each of the gaming
machines
is generally dedicated to a particular presentation or perhaps a number of
related presentations.
Although the underlying hardware included in the gaming machine may be fairly
generic from
one game presentation to the next, the game presentation provided by the
gaming machine may
be switched only by replacing the top glass and belly glass and perhaps by
changing the player
controls to accoxmnodate the new game presentation. Thus, changing the game
presentation
provided by an electronic machine to an entirely different presentation is a
substantial
undertaking and may be accomplished only by taking the gaming machine out of
service for
a relatively long period of time. A switch of game presentations commonly
requires removing
the gaming machine from the casino floor for the changeover. That is, if a
casino desires to
change from a gaming machine having a presentation that has proven to be
unpopular to a
gaming machine having a more popular presentation, essentially the entire
gaming machine
must be replaced for at least taken and service for a substantial period of
time to change the
static graphic displays. Because switching game presentations in a gaming
machine is so
involved, the game presentations offered in a given gaming facility are fairly
static. It is noted
that even in prior art gaming machines that allow the player to choose from
among several
different games, portions of the game presentation remains static between the
different games
available at the gaming machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTI~N
The present invention includes a gaming machine and a gaming system having a
number of individual gaming machines. The invention also encompasses a method
of
producing a game presentation at a gaming machine and a method of controlling
a gaming
machine.
A gaming machine according to the invention includes a cabinet having a game
video
display mounted on a front side of the cabinet. The gaming machine also
includes at least one
more additional video display mounted on the front side of the cabinet either
above or below
the game video display. A player control device is also mounted on the front
side of the
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cabinet. This player control device may be separate from the video displays or
may be
integrated with one or more of the video displays in the form of a touch
screen portion of one
or more of the video displays.
In one preferred form of the invention the player control device includes a
player
control touch screen displaythat forms aportion of a forwardlyproj ecting
player control ledge
below the game video display. The player control ledge extends transversely to
a plane of the
game video display.
In addition to the player control device, a gaming machine according to the
present
invention may also include at least one more player interface device such as a
player card
reader, currency acceptor/validator, or coin acceptor mounted on the cabinet.
These player
interface devices may be mounted on the front side of the cabinet on the
player control ledge
or elsewhere.
The additional video displays mounted above and/orbelow the game video
displaymay
be used to display the portion of a game presentation previously displayed by
the static
displays used in prior art gaming devices. For example, a first additional
video display
mounted above the game video display may extend across the entire front
surface of an upper
portion of the gaming device, making up the entire area used for the top glass
in prior art
gaming machines. Such a video display may be used to display the information
and graphics
previously displayed by the top glass found in a prior art gaming machine. A
second
additional video display mounted below the game video display may extend
across
substantially the entire width of a lower portion of the gaming device, making
up the entire
area used for the belly glass in prior art gaming machines. Such a second
additional video
display may be used to display the information and graphics previously
displayed by the belly
glass of a prior art gaming machine. Using additional video displays rather
than static displays
provides two important advantages. First, the additional video displays
facilitate animated and
more interesting graphics and also allow much more information to be
displayed. This greatly
increases the flexibility of the gaming machine and allows the gaming machine
to provide
more interesting presentations. The second major advantage associated with
employing
additional video displays according to the present invention is that the
additional video
displays allow the entire game presentation of a particular gaming machine to
be modified
without modifying the static structure of the gaming machine itself. That is,
rather than taking
a gaming machine out of service to change out the top and belly glass, and
perhaps other static
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graphics on the gaming machine cabinet, the additional video displays ofthe
present invention
may simply be provided with different instructions to display a different
presentation. Game
presentations may even be changed to meet demand in a particular gaming
facility.
A gaming system according to the present invention includes a number of gaming
5 machines, each gaming machine including a single player game presentation
arrangement
having two or more video displays. The two or more video displays include a
game video
display and least one additional video display mounted above or below the game
video display
on a front side of gaming machine cabinet.
In addition to the gaming machines, the gaming system according to the
invention also
includes a modification controller for selectively issuing presentation
switching instructions
to the various gaming machines included in the system in response to a control
input. The
control input may be entered by a player at a particular gaming machine to
request a different
game presentation. Alternatively or additionally, a gaming machine usage
monitoring
controller monitors usage of gaming machines in the system and provides the
control input
based on the usage of the gaming machines. A game presentation server may also
be included
in the system with associated storage for storing a library of game
presentation instruction sets.
Each presentation instruction set is executable for causing a gaming machine
to provide a
given game presentation.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from
the
following description of the preferred embodiments, considered along with the
accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a gaming machine embodying the principles
of the
invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the various components of one
preferred form
a gaming machine according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a gaming system embodying the
principles
of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a process flow chart illustrating a gaming machine control process
according to the present invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figure 1, a gaming machine 10 includes a cabinet 11 having a
front side
generally shown at reference numeral 12. A game video display 14 is mounted in
a central
portion of the front surface 12 with a player control ledge 16 positioned
below the game video
display and projecting forwardly from the plane of the game video display.
This forwardly
projecting ledge 16 defines a location for one or more player controls as
described further
below. In addition to the game video display 14, the illustrated form of the
invention includes
a first additional video display 17 positioned on the front side of cabinet 11
above game video
display 14, and a second additional video display 18 mounted on the front side
of the cabinet
below the game video display. Each of these displays, the game video display
14, first
additional video display 17, and second additional video display 18
participate in the operation
of game machine 10 to provide a presentation for a particular game. It is
noted that the gaming
machine 10 is shown in an operating position in Figure 1, and that
descriptions of positions
above or below a given element of the gaming machine are made with reference
this operating
position.
Gaming machine 10 illustrated in Figure 1, includes a player control touch
screen
display 15 that defines a portion of the player control ledge extending
forwardly from the plane
of game video display 14. With this separate player control touch screen, the
illustrated
gaming machine 10 includes a total of four different video displays that
together provide the
game presentation in the course of operation of the gaming machine. In
addition to the
separate player control touch screen 15, gaming machine 10 also includes
mechanical player
control or input buttons 19 mounted on ledge 16. Other forms of the invention
may include
switches, j oysticks, or other player control on input devices mounted on
ledge 16. However,
all of the traditional player control inputs from devices such as switches,
buttons, and pointer
controls, can be provided through the illustrated touch screen display/player
control device 15.
Using the separate player control touch screen display 15 in gaming machine 10
allows the
player controls to be modified readily from one game presentation to the next
and even within
a single presentation.
It will be appreciated that gaming machines may also include player interface
devices
in addition to devices that are considered player controls or inputs for use
in playing a
particular game. For example, gaming machines commonly include a player card
reader, a
voucher or ticket reader/issuer, a currency acceptor/validator, and/or coin or
token
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acceptors/dispensers. The form of the invention shown in Figure 1 includes
these types of
additional player interface devices on a lower portion of the cabinet 11
generally in the plane
of the lower or second additional video display 18. These additional player
interface devices
20 are located around the periphery of second additional video display 18.
However, other
forms of the invention may configure one or more separate displays to make up
the overall
display 18 with interface devices 20 or even mechanical player controls
mounted within the
area of the second additional video display. This use of apparent openings in
the video display
also applies to the player control video display 15 and other video displays
on machine 10.
Although Figure 1 shows four separate video displays that combine to produce
the
game presentation for gaming machine 10, it will be appreciated that fewer
video displays may
be used. For example, a gaming machine according to the invention may include
game video
display 14 and only a single additional video display that may be mounted
above or below the
game video display and take up the entire area of the gaming machine front
surface previously
reserved for a static top glass or belly glass display. Also, although each
video display shown
in Figure 1 is indicated as being a single display, it will be appreciated
that each video display
14, 15,17, and 18 shown in Figure 1 may in fact be made up of two or more
separate displays
that combine to provide what appears to the user to be a single display. It
will also be
appreciated that many different types of video displays may be used for the
displays in the
present invention including cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal displays, plasma
displays, or any
other type of video display currently known or that may be developed in the
future.
Figure 2 provides a block diagram showing all the components of gaming machine
10
(shown in Figure 1) including the displays 14, 15, 17, and 18. Gaming machine
10 includes
a central processing unit (CPT~ 25 along with random access memory 26 and
nonvolatile
memory or storage device 27. All of these devices are connected on a common
system bus 28
with an audio interface device 29, communications interface 30, and a serial
interface 31. Two
graphics processors 35 and 36 are also connected on the common bus 28 and are
connected
to drive the displays mounted on cabinet 11 (shown in Figure 1). Graphics
processor 35
controls game video display 14 and player control display 15 while graphics
processor 36
controls first additional display 17 and second additional display 18. The
system shown in
Figure 2 also includes a touch screen controller 37 connected to system bus
28. Touch screen
controller 37 is also connected to receive signals from touch screen elements
associated with
each display, 14, 15, 17, and 18. It will be appreciated that the touch screen
elements
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themselves comprise thin films that are secured over the respective video
display. These touch
screen elements are not illustrated or referenced separately in the figures.
It will also be
appreciated that touch screen elements maynot be associated with each display,
although most
preferred forms of gaming machines according to the present invention will
have a touch
screen element associated with at least game video display 14 and player
control video display
15.
All of the elements 25, 26, 27, 2~, 29, 30, and 31 shown in Figure 2 are
elements
commonly associated with a personal computer. These elements are preferably
mounted on
a standard personal computer chassis and housed in a standard personal
computer housing
which is itself mounted in cabinet 11 shown in Figure 1. Those familiar with
personal
computers and the various standard personal computer elements shown in Figure
2 will
appreciate that many variations on this illustrated structure may be used
within the scope of
the present invention. For example, since serial communications are commonly
employed
from a touch screen element secured over a video display, a system according
to the invention
may not include a separate touch screen controller 37. Rather, communications
from the touch
screen elements may be accommodated through any suitable peripheral interface
such as a
USB controller or a IEEE 1394 controller. Thus, the connections shown from
touch screen
controller 37 to the various displays may alternatively run from the displays
(or more precisely
the touch screen elements associated with the displays) to the serial
interface 31 or any other
suitable interface. Numerous other variations in the gaming machine internal
structure and
system may be used in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
It will also be appreciated that graphics processors are also commonly a part
of modern
personal computer systems. Although two separate graphics processors 35 and 36
are shown
for controlling the four displays included in this form of the invention, it
will be appreciated
that a separate graphics processor may be included in the system for each
particular display.
It is also possible for a single graphics processor to control all of the
video displays mounted
on gaming machine 10.
CPU 25 executes game software which ultimately controls the entire gaming
machine
10 including the presentation provided through the video displays. CPU 25 also
executes
software related to communications handled through communications interface
30, and
software related to various peripheral devices such as those connected to the
system through
audio interface 29, serial interface 31, and touch screen controller 37. CPU
25 may also
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execute software to perform accounting functions associated with game play.
Random access
memory 26 provides memory for use by the central processing unit in executing
its various
software programs while the nonvolatile memory or mass storage 27 provides
storage for
programs not in use or for other data generated or used in the course of
gaming machine
operation. Communications interface 30 provides an interface to other
components of a
gaming system that maybe involved in game play. For example, some ganging
machines rely
on remote processing units for providing accounting functions associated with
game play and
also for providing game results. U.S. patent No. 6,524,184 provides an example
of a gaming
system which includes player terminals and remote systems for providing
results from
predetermined game play records stored at the remote systems. Even where the
results of
game play are determined at the gaming machine itself, gaming machines are
commonly
interfaced with systems for accounting purposes and control purposes, and
communications
interface 30 provides an interface for such communications. Communications
interface 30
also provides an interface to a processor that controls presentation changes
at the gaming
machine as will be described below with reference to Figure 3.
Audio interface 29 provides an interface for an audio system that may be
included in
gaming machine 10. Serial interface 31 provides an interface for serial
devices such as player
controls not incorporated in any touch screen display, and possibly the touch
screen elements
themselves, and other player interface devices such as currency
acceptors/validators, a player
card reader, voucher readers/printers, and coin/token drops. Commonly, a
single serial
interface device is used to communicate with a number of serial devices
through a suitable
serial protocol such as USB or IEEE 1394. However, it will be appreciated that
additional
serial interfaces may be used depending upon the nature of the serial
protocols used for
communications and the number of serial devices included in gaming machine 10.
It will be appreciated that other basic components will be included in gaming
machine
10 such as a power supply, cooling systems for the various processors, audio
amplifiers and
speakers, and other devices that are common in gaming machines. These
additional devices
are omitted from the drawings so as not to obscure the present invention in
unnecessary detail.
Referring now to Figure 3, a number of gaming machines 10 are included in a
gaming
system 40 according to the present invention. The eight gaming machines 10
shown in Figure
3 only for purposes of example are divided into three separate groups
indicated by dashed lines
41, 42, and 43. Each gaming machine 10 is shown connected to a network hub or
switch 45.
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A separate processing device 47 is also shown connected to hub/switch 45. This
separate
processing device is used according to the invention to implement a
presentation server 48
with associated presentation storage 49, a modification controller 50, and a
usage monitoring
arrangement 51. This separate processing device 47 may comprise a single
computer
5 executing software instructions to provide the communications and functions
for presentation
server 48, presentation storage 49, modification controller 50, and usage
monitoring
arrangement 51 described further below.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of computer networks and
computer
system communications that the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 provides
only a single
10 example of a network arrangement that may be used to implement the present
invention. The
illustrated example would be appropriate for direct TCP/IP communications with
the
individual gaming machines. Other forms of the invention may use serial
communications
with gaming machines and may also include a suitable serial controller
interposed between one
or more gaming machines and hub/switch 45. The present invention is generally
not limited
to any particular communications arrangements or protocols for providing
communications
between the respective gaming machines 10 and the processor 47. It will also
be appreciated
that the processing functions described below for components 48, 49, 50, and
51 may be
distributed to different processors and are not necessarily performed by a
single processor
indicated at reference numeral 47. In particular, each gaming machine 10 may
include
sufficient processing capability and operational software to perform the
functions of the
modification controller 50, and usage monitoring arrangement 51. That is, the
gaming
machine 10 itself may monitor gaming machine usage conditions and switch
presentations
based upon the detected conditions according to some predetermined standard,
formula, or
logic. For example, a gaming machine 10 according to the invention may be
configured to
switch presentations on its own accord in the event no player has played a
game on the gaming
machine for a given period of time.
The three different groups of gaming machines 10 are shown to illustrate that
a gaming
system according to the present invention at a given gaming facility may
include different
groups of gaming machines 10 with each different group including gaming
machines
controlled or configured to provide a particular game presentation. The number
of gaming
machines 10 shown in Figure 3 is shown only for purposes of example and it
will be
appreciated that a gaming system 40 according to the invention may include
large numbers
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gaming machines all connected for communications with one or more processors
used to
implement presentation server 4~, modification controller 50, and usage
monitoring
arrangement according to the invention.
Modification controller 50 is implemented in software instructions executed by
processor 47 and operates to selectively issue presentation switching
instructions to the various
gaming machines 10 included in gaming system 40. These presentation switching
instructions
are executed at the receiving gaming machine 10 to cause the gaming machine to
switch from
a first game presentation to a second game presentation.
In one form of the invention, modification controller 50 issues presentation
switching
instructions in response to a control signal derived from a presentation
change request that a
player inputs at a respective one of the gaming machines 10. Alternatively to
issuing
presentation switching instructions in response to a player request, gaming
system 40 includes
arrangements for issuing presentation switching instructions automatically. In
the form of the
invention illustrated in Figure 3 for example, a usage monitoring arrangement
51 implemented
in software executed by processor 47 monitors the usage of the various gaming
machines 10
included in system 40. Upon detecting certain predetermined usage conditions,
monitoring
arrangement 51 may issue a control signal to modification controller 50 which
responds by
issuing presentation switching instructions to one or more gaming machines 10.
For example,
where the usage information indicates that all or most of the gaming machines
at a facility
offering a particular game presentation are in use while gaming machines
providing another
game presentation are not in use, usage monitoring arrangement 51 may provide
a control
signal or signals to cause modification controller 50 to issue presentation
switching
instructions to unused gaming machines offering the less popular game
presentation. These
switching instructions would cause the receiving gaming machines 10 to switch
to provide the
more popular game presentation. Of course, the issuance of instructions to
switch from one
game presentation to another in a particular gaming machines may not be fixlly
automated and
may require certain operator intervention within the scope of the invention.
Presentation server 4~ and its associated storage 49 provide a repository of a
number
of different game presentation instruction sets. Each game presentation
instruction set is
executable at a gaming machine 10 to provide a particular game presentation at
the gaming
machine. In some forms of the invention of the issuance of a presentation
switch instruction
from modification controller 50 is made in conjunction with a transfer of a
given presentation
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instruction set from presentation server storage 49 to the particular gaming
machine or
machines 10 receiving the switch command. Presentation server 48 and its
associated storage
49 facilitate storing a large number of different game presentations which
maybe downloaded
to the various gaming machines 10 as needed. In other forms of the invention,
however, each
gaming machine 10 may include sufficient storage capacity (in mass storage or
non-volatile
memory 27 shown in Figure 2) to store a large number of game presentation
instruction sets.
Storing game presentation instruction sets at the gaming machines obviates the
need for a
presentation server 48 and storage 49 respectively at a central location such
as processor 47.
In cases where the game presentation instruction sets are prestored on gaming
machines 10,
the presentation switching instruction from modification controller 50 simply
causes the
gaming machines to load and execute a particular one of the presentation
instruction sets
identified in the switching instruction.
As shown in Figure 4, a process of controlling gaming machines according to
the
invention includes monitoring for switch conditions or switch control signals
as shown at
process block 55. The switch conditions may be based on usage as monitored by
usage
monitoring arrangement 51 (shown in Figure 3), or some other conditions.
Switch control
signals maybe derived from inputs by facility management through a suitable
interface or from
inputs made by players at the gaming machines 10. If switch conditions are met
or if a switch
control signal is present as indicated at decision block 56, the process
includes issuing a
presentation switch instruction or command as indicated at block 57. If the
result of decision
block 56 is negative, the process returns to block 55 and monitors for an
input. It will be
appreciated that the process may be represented without any decision block as
shown at 56.
Such an alternate representation of the process would include a process block
that simply
issues a presentation switch instruction or command in response to the
detected switch
conditions or switch control signal.
The presentation switch instruction issued at process block 57 will be
directed to at
least one recipient gaming machine 10 shown in Figures 1 through 3 using the
applicable
communications protocol, and may include data identifying the game
presentation to be used
at the gaming machine or the data or instruction set for the presentation
itself. In this latter
case, the data or instruction set itself may be directed from presentation
server storage 49
shown in Figure 3.
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For purposes of example, assume that the gaming machines 10 in group 41
provides
a game presentation A, each of the gaming machines in group 42 provides a
different game
presentation B, and each gaming machine 10 in group 43 provides yet a
different presentation
C. In this example, assume that presentation A happens to be particularly
popular at one point
in time and that all of the gaming machines providing that presentation, that
is, all gaming
machines 10 in group 41, are in use. Further assume that at least some of the
machines
providing the C presentation, that is, the gaming machines 10 in group 43 are
not in use. It
may be desirable in that situation to have more gaming machines 10 in the
gaming facility to
switch over to presentation A from presentation C. According to the present
invention, the
switch in game presentations is accomplished by communicating a presentation
switching
instruction from modification controller 50, and perhaps a set of game
presentation
instructions from server 4~/storage 49, to one or more of the unused gaming
machines 10 in
group 43. The switching instruction will cause the receiving gaming machine 10
to switch
presentations to the desired presentation. The new game presentation will
include different
graphics for the game video display 14 associated with the gaming machine as
shown in
Figures 1 and 2, and usually different graphics for each additional video
display such as
displays 15, 17, and 1 ~ shown in Figures 1 and 2.
This example illustrates how the additional video displays according to the
invention
such as displays 15, 17, and 1 ~ shown in Figures 1 and 2 allow switching game
presentations
without taking the gaming machine 10 out of service for any extended period.
Furthermore,
the present invention enables the game presentations offered at a given gaming
facility to be
modified to meet demand and to optimize gaming machine usage.
The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the
principles of
the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other
embodiments and
modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in
the art without
departing from the scope of the following claims. For Example, although the
invention
contemplates switching from one game presentation to an entirely different
game presentation,
the switching may be between somewhat related game presentations, or
presentations having
elements in common with the earlier presentation at the gaming machine.
Furthermore, the
invention may be implemented in a data processing environment in which more
processing
tasks are performed at a central processing device rather than the individual
gaming machine
CA 02525395 2005-11-10
WO 2004/101087 PCT/US2004/014099
14
CPUs. The present invention encompasses these more centralized data processing
implementations.
