U.S. patent application number 11/405770 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for slot machine.
Invention is credited to Ward W. Chilton, Shawn Michael Van Asdale.
Application Number | 20070213132 11/405770 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46325399 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070213132 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chilton; Ward W. ; et
al. |
September 13, 2007 |
Slot machine
Abstract
The present invention relates to a gaming machine capable of
playing a large number of games from a game library stored in an
associated memory. The gaming machine overcomes prior
inefficiencies by allowing the player to enter desired search
criterion and thereby filter the number of available games to a
manageable size from which to choose. The search criterion may be
made up of a word or words entered by the player and/or the player
may limit the search by selecting one of a variety of pre-defined
limitations. Preferably the search criterion is compared to a
database reflecting the games available in the game library. The
game library may be maintained by a central game server that is
connected to the gaming machine (and others like it) over a
network. As an alternative to searching a game library
electronically, a means is also provided to review at least a
portion of the games in the game library at a physical display
booth. Once a game of interest to a player is selected at the
display booth, a variety of methods are disclosed for transferring
the selected game to a gaming machine.
Inventors: |
Chilton; Ward W.; (Reno,
NV) ; Van Asdale; Shawn Michael; (Reno, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Shawn Van Asdale
2573 Rampart Terrace
Reno
NV
89509
US
|
Family ID: |
46325399 |
Appl. No.: |
11/405770 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11370471 |
Mar 8, 2006 |
|
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11405770 |
Apr 18, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
G07F 17/3262 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/042 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A gaming system comprising: a central gaming server with a first
memory for storing a plurality of game programs; a display center
for physically displaying information about each game program in a
first group of game programs, said first group of game programs
comprising some of said plurality of game programs stored in said
central gaming server, said display center allowing a player to
select at least one of said game programs for play; a plurality of
gaming machines operatively connected by a network to the central
gaming server, each of said gaming machines comprising a cabinet, a
processor capable of executing at least one of said game programs,
a value accepting mechanism comprising at least one of either a
ticket reader, bill validator or card reader, a payout mechanism, a
wagering device for allowing a player to make a wager on the
outcome of a spin of the at least one game program, and a display
device for displaying the outcome of the at least one game program;
a means for transporting data corresponding to the game program
selected for play from said display center to one of said gaming
machines; said gaming machine being programmed to execute the
selected game program in response to receiving the data transported
such that the player may play the selected game program at said
gaming machine.
2. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for
transporting comprises providing the player with a PIN at said
display center that identifies at least one of said game programs
and allowing the player to manually enter said PIN at said gaming
machine.
3. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for
transporting comprises providing the player with a ticket at said
display center, said ticket having a machine readable code that may
be read by said gaming machine.
4. The gaming system as defined in claim 3 wherein the ticket is
preprinted.
5. The gaming system as defined in claim 3 wherein the ticket is
printed at the display center in response to a player selecting a
game program.
6. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for
transporting comprises accepting a player tracking card at said
display center and associating a game program with the information
on said player tracking card such that when the player tracking
card is inserted into a gaming machine the associated game program
may be executed.
7. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least ten game programs.
8. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least twenty game programs.
9. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least fifty game programs.
10. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least ten percent of the game programs
stored in the central gaming server.
11. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least five percent of the game
programs stored in the central gaming server.
12. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs contains at least one percent of the game programs
stored in the central gaming server.
13. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the display
center is located inside a casino remotely from at least some of
the gaming machines.
14. The gaming system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group
of game programs is subdivided into a plurality of subgroups by an
identifying theme and the display center notifies players of the
themes.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/370471.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a gaming system
employing a plurality of gaming terminals where the gaming
terminals are capable of playing one of several games stored in a
vast game library preferably on a central game server. More
particularly, the present invention provides a new and improved
method for a player to select which game to play from the library
of available games. Gaming terminals are devices which upon a
player making a wager, the player may win an award. Gaming
terminals include machines more commonly referred to as slot
machines and video lottery terminals. There are many types of games
that can be played on these gaming devices including but not
limited to slots, video poker, keno, bingo, pachinko and
blackjack.
[0003] Conventional gaming terminals or gaming machines typically
have a cabinet and a gaming display mounted inside the cabinet. The
gaming display may be mechanical, such as a series of stepper reels
that carry gaming symbols on the reels, or may be electronic such
as a video display that is capable of generating video images of
gaming symbols. Whether mechanical or electronic, the gaming
display may be capable of generating images associated with a game,
such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, pachinko or bingo. The
gaming machine is controlled by a processor with an associated
memory.
[0004] The gaming machine is configured for a player to input
something of value used to make a wager, which can include a
standard denomination of currency, a ticket, and/or any other
representation of currency or credit. Once the player inputs a
wager,-the player may then activate the device. Upon activation, in
the case of a slot machine, a plurality of reels which are either
mechanical or represented on the video screen spin and ultimately
stop to display a random combination of some form of symbol, for
example, numbers or symbols. If the display contains one of a
plurality of winning combinations, the machine issues an award. The
amount of award will typically depend on the winning combination
that is achieved. The gaming machine then either releases money
into a payout chute, issues a ticket, issues credits onto a credit
meter, or indicates and awards the winning amount to the player in
any suitable manner. Often the award amount is related to the
initial amount wagered.
[0005] Similarly, with respect to video poker, once a player inputs
a wager, a number of cards is displayed and ultimately the player's
poker hand ranking is evaluated. With respect to other types of
gaming devices discussed above, the appropriate display is shown to
the player upon activation of the gaming device and awards are
given based on the specific rules of each game. Regardless of
whether the gaming machine is displaying reels, or cards or a keno
game, the activation of the game will generally be referred to
herein as a spin.
[0006] Gaming machines that use a video display to display the game
can easily be reprogrammed to display a different game or even a
different game type by accessing a different program in the memory.
For instance, it is a simple matter to change a video slot game
into a video poker game--only the program being run by the
processor of the gaming machine needs to be changed. Additionally,
recent advances in technology now allow machines that use
mechanical stepper motors to drive physical reels to change the
symbols displayed on the reels via programming and therefore change
the game being displayed.
[0007] For several years, gaming machines using a video display
have stored a number of games, sometimes as many as ten, on
internal EPROMs. EPROMs provided a level of inherent security for
the gaming machine because the data stored on the EPROM could not
easily be changed. However, the storage capacity of EPROMs is very
limited. Therefore, in order to store up to ten games, the graphics
and sounds used for the games were generally simpler and less
attractive than the games on gaming machines storing only a single
game program. As encryption and authentication methods have become
more sophisticated however, gaming regulators have approved the use
of mass storage devices such as hard drives for use in gaming
machines. Gaming machines equipped with such hard drives could
store literally hundreds of simple games on a single hard drive.
Further, by connecting such a gaming machine to a networked system,
the gaming machine could download from a central server a single
"complex" game from a library of hundreds or even thousands of such
games.
[0008] Obviously, when the gaming machine used EPROMs to store ten
or fewer games, it was a relatively simple matter for the player to
select which of the stored games he wished to play. Typically, the
gaming machine would display ten icons, one corresponding to each
available game, and the player would pick the desired game by
selecting the associated icon. When the number of available games
is far greater in number than ten, this system is inefficient and
will largely result in the player wasting valuable time looking for
a game to his liking. Additionally, the player may get frustrated
and leave a machine if he cannot find his desired game. The present
invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art method for
game selection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In the present invention the player is provided an improved
and new method of selecting one game from a library of several
games that are available for play on a gaming machine. This is
accomplished by first developing a database based on the library of
available games. The database and/or the library of available games
may be stored on the gaming machine, but preferably both the
library and the database are stored on a central server that may be
accessed by the gaming machine via a network. The database includes
such things as the game type, the game's title, descriptive words
associated with the game, general information about the game, such
as the number of lines, reel layout, denomination, bonus game
types, and may include mathematical information about the game such
as bonus game frequency, jackpot frequency, hit frequency and
volatility. The player may enter a search term or terms that will
be compared to the database to display to the player a list of the
available games that match the search term(s). Preferably the
search term is entered by the player using a full-size QWERTY
keyboard displayed on the video display of the gaming machine
coupled to a touch screen. Alternatively, an auxiliary screen, such
as a screen used for a player tracking system interface may be
used. The player's search may also be limited using pre-defined
search-limiting items preferably comprising some of the available
general and/or mathematical information.
[0010] In addition, the improved method of game selection may be
performed at a location remote from the gaming machine to be used.
For instance, the player may use a specialized kiosk provided by
the casino to access the database of available games. The casino
may even allow players to access its database of available games
over the Internet. In which case, the player can chose a game at
home to play on a future trip to a specific casino. When the
database is accessed remotely rather than from a gaming machine,
the game selected by the player may be associated with a player's
player ID number stored on the player's player tracking card such
that when the player inserts his card into a gaming machine capable
of playing the selected game, that game is automatically loaded for
play. Alternatively, the player may be provided with a ticket that,
upon insertion into a gaming machine, will load the desired game.
As another alternative, the player may be provided with a unique
number (i.e., PIN) that identifies the game that the player has
selected. The player may then enter the PIN at the gaming machine
to access his game.
[0011] In another alternative embodiment, a display booth is
provided that physically displays information about a large portion
of the game library and provides players with either tickets or
PINs for the games players wish to play.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a gaming machine that
may be used to employ the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the electronic
configuration of an embodiment of the gaming device of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a network with a plurality
of gaming machines and a central gaming server that may be used to
employ the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a gaming machine employing one
embodiment of the present invention to search a database for a
library of available games.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a gaming machine employing one
embodiment of the present invention to display available games that
correspond to the search entered in FIG. 4.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a gaming machine employing an
alternative embodiment of the present invention to search a
database for a library of available games.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a gaming machine employing the
alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 to
search a database for a library of available games.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a ticket that may be used in one embodiment of the
present invention.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a ticket stand that may be used in one embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] One embodiment of the present invention may be deployed on a
gaming machine or gaming device 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1.
Gaming machine 100 has the features of a conventional slot machine.
The gaming machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 is what is commonly referred
to as an upright slot machine and the player can operate it while
standing or sitting. Most often the gaming machine 100 is
preferably mounted on a cabinet. (Not shown.) Although an up-right
slot machine 100 is shown in FIG. 1, it can be appreciated that the
gaming machine 100 can be any other style of gaming machine known
in the art including, but not limited to a pub-style table-top or
slant-top game which a player can operate while sitting. The gaming
machine 100 can be constructed with varying cabinet and display
designs.
[0022] Gaming machine 100 can incorporate a variety of game types
including, but not limited to slots, video poker, blackjack, keno
or bingo. The symbols used on and in gaming machine 100 may be
displayed in mechanical, electrical, electronic or video form.
Gaming machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 has a video display 105 for
displaying symbols.
[0023] It should be appreciated that the display devices may
display any visual representation or exhibition, including but not
limited to video images or movement of physical objects such as
mechanical reels and wheels. The display devices can be a video
monitor or screen, a liquid crystal display or any other display
mechanism. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that these display
devices may preferably include touchscreens.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, gaming machine 100 preferably includes
one or more value accepting mechanisms. The primary value accepting
mechanism on the gaming machine 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be a bill
validator 110. The bill validator 110 may also accept other forms
of payment including, but not limited to tickets, smart cards,
debit cards and credit cards. Alternatively, some of these forms of
payment may be accepted through a card reader 130. The card reader
130 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic
card reader or an optical card reader. The player will insert a
card, such as a player tracking card or a credit card into the card
reader 130 which will then read data from the card. The card reader
130 may be used to read and/or write from and/or to the inserted
card. There is also a coin slot 120 on the gaming machine 100 in
which a player can insert coins or tokens.
[0025] After a player inserts money in the gaming machine 100,
either via the coin slot 120, the bill validator 1 10 or the card
reader 130, or other means a number of credits corresponding to the
amount deposited is shown in a credit display 140. After money is
credited to the machine 100 and shown on the credit display 140,
the player then determines the wager amount. The machine 100 may
have any number of mechanisms known in the art for allowing a
player to determine his wager. For example, in the case of a
multi-line slot game as shown in FIG. 1, the player may determine
the amount of paylines he wishes to wager on by pushing a bet one
line button 155 a number of times corresponding to the number of
paylines he wishes to bet. Then the player may determine the wager
amount per payline by pushing a bet one credit button 170 an
appropriate number of times. The product is the player's total
wager. As the player is selecting the wager amount, this wager
amount is displayed on a bet display 160. As the bet display 160
amount is incrementing, the credit meter 140 amount is decreasing
by the corresponding amount.
[0026] Although FIG. 1 displays a five reel video slot machine with
three rows of symbols, it can be appreciated that any configuration
of video or mechanical reels can be used in the gaming machine 100
according to the invention as well as any corresponding number of
paylines as known in the art. Each reel often displays symbols. The
symbols may include cherries, sevens, bars and the like
traditionally used on slot machines or any other symbol created by
the manufacturer. The specific display of the symbols after each
play determine the payout, if any made by the gaming machine
100.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the general electronic
configuration that may be incorporated in the gaming machine 100.
The configuration preferably includes a processor 200. The
processor 200 is preferably a microcontroller-based platform or
microprocessor which is capable of displaying images, symbols and
other symbol such as images of people, characters, places, things
and faces of cards. One or more secondary processors may also be
employed in conjunction with the primary processor 200 to control
certain aspects of the game function.
[0028] The gaming machine 100 also includes a memory device 210 for
storing program code or other data. This memory device 210 can
include both read only memory (ROM) 205 and random access memory
(RAM) 207 and preferably includes a mass storage device that can be
written to in situ, such as a hard drive 206. In addition to the
memory device 210, the electronic configuration of the gaming
machine 100 may also include one or more input devices 220, one or
more display devices 230, a sound card 240, and one or more
speakers 250.
[0029] The input devices 220 may include but are not limited to a
primary spin button 145, a bet one credit button 170, a max bet
button 150, a cash out button 180 and a bet one line button 155. In
situations where a touch screen 260 is used, a touch screen
controller 265 and touch screen 260 are connected to a video
controller 270 and the processor 200.
[0030] Although FIG. 2 shows the processor 200 and memory device
210 residing on the gaming machine 100, it should be appreciated
that it is possible for both the processor 200 and memory device
210 to reside at a central location instead of at the gaming
machine 100. In such a situation, a network server may be used to
communicate to the gaming machine over an Internet connection,
local area network (LAN), or wide area network (WAN). The processor
200 and memory device 210 are generally referred to herein as the
controller.
[0031] Once the player has finalized his wager amount, the player
may initiate play by pressing the primary spin button 145. In
response to play initiation, the gaming machine 100 randomly
displays a plurality of symbols on the video display 105. In the
video configuration of the gaming machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, the
symbols are displayed by simulating the spinning of the video reels
as is known in the art. As used herein, "reels" will thus include
both mechanical and video reels unless one type is specifically
referenced. The processor 200 evaluates the displayed symbols on
the selected paylines to determine if any winning combinations
occurred. For each winning combination the credit meter 140 is
incremented a predetermined amount.
[0032] In the preferred operation of the gaming machine, when a
player no longer wishes to play, he activates the cash out button
180, which results in any amount on the credit meter 140 being paid
to the player either by crediting a player's account, issuing a
ticket by a ticket printer 135 or by depositing coins or tokens
into a coin tray 190 through a coin chute 195.
[0033] The gaming machine 100 may also include an auxiliary video
screen such as a player tracking screen 40 and an associated player
tracking keyboard 50. These devices may be associated with the card
reader 130.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 3, a gaming system 305 with a number
of gaming machines 100a, 100b, 100c and 100d operatively connected
to a central gaming server 300 by a network connection 340 is
shown. The central gaming server 300 is also operatively connected
to a gaming database 310. The central gaming server 300 preferably
has an associated memory such as one or more hard drives and/or one
or more associated memory devices such as DVDs, CDs or the like.
The central gaming server 300 preferably maintains a library of
game programs on its accessible memory that may be downloaded to
the gaming machines 100a, 100b, 100c and 100d. The gaming database
310 may in fact be stored in the gaming server 300 or may merely be
operatively connected to the gaming server 300. Additionally, the
gaming database 310 may be connected to the Internet 320, such that
a player may access the gaming database 310 using a personal
computer 330. The gaming database 310, may also be accessed by a
kiosk 315. Preferably, the gaming machines 100a, 100b, 100c and
100d, the gaming server 300 and the kiosk 315 are all located on a
single casino property. However, the gaming machines 100a, 100b,
100c and 100d may be located on several different casino properties
and the gaming server 300 may be located at a secure location
controlled by either the game maker, a casino or a state gaming
control agency.
[0035] In the alternative embodiment where each gaming machine 100
stores a library of games in its memory 210 and there is no network
connection 340 to a central server 300. The memory 210 of each
gaming device 100 will also store a database 310 corresponding to
the games on the specific memory 210.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 4, the use of the present invention
will now be described in greater detail. FIG. 4 shows the video
display 105 of a gaming machine 100. The display has three main
areas. First, there is a search bar 400, where one or more search
terms may be displayed. On the example shown, the player has
entered a search term 405 of "greek." This search term 405 was
entered using the second area on the video display 105, a
touch-screen operable keyboard 410. Preferably, the keyboard 410 is
a full size QWERTY key board displayed on the video display 105.
The touch screen 260 allows the player to use the key board 410 to
enter search terms into the search bar 400. The third section in
the preferred embodiment is a pre-defined limitations section 420,
that the player may use to further limit his search. The
pre-defined limitations section 420 may use drop down type menus,
but it also may allow a player to select multiple limitations from
a variety of categories using check boxes. For instance, the
pre-defined limitations section 420 shown allows a player to
further limit his search by a "Game Type" category 430, a number of
"Lines" category 431, a "Denomination" category 432, and a
"Bonus/Secondary Game" category 433. Additionally, the pre-defined
limitations section 420 includes a "Hit Frequency" category 435 and
a "Volatility" category 436. These categories relate to the
specific mathematical qualities of the games in the library.
Because these two mathematical qualities may be nearly infinite in
variation, a pair of slider bars 437 and 438 may be used to
relatively select a game with a high or low hit frequency. In
alternative embodiments, a player may enter a specific value for a
desired hit frequency, e.g., 50%.
[0037] In addition to using search phrases and pre-defined
limitations to locate a desired game or list of possible games, the
gaming system 305 may provide the player the option of selecting
from a pre-arranged group of games. For instance, if the player
activates the "New Games" button 440 shown on FIG. 4, the player
may be presented with a list of the ten games most recently added
to the game library. While if the user selects the "My Old
Favorites" button 441, the player may be presented with a list of
the five games the player has played most frequently in the past
year. Such information may be tracked using the player's tracking
card and stored either locally at an individual casino or at a
central site accessible by multiple casinos. Additionally, if the
player selects the "Top Ten" button 443, the ten most popular games
in the game library, as determined by the playing public, may be
displayed. Finally, if the player selects the "Lucky Games" button
442, the player may be presented with, for instance, the ten games
that on this particular day have hit the most jackpots. This would
allow the player to make sure he is always playing what is
perceived as the "hot" or "loose" game. Of course, these are just a
few of the pre-arranged group of games that may be offered at the
player's request.
[0038] Also shown on FIG. 4 is a "Help" button 401. Activating the
Help button 401 may take the player to a second screen where the
various features of the gaming system 305 may be explained. Also,
this section may contain information that will be useful to the
novice player such as definitions for terms like Hit Frequency that
may be well understood by those familiar with the industry as well
as by experienced slot players.
[0039] As is evident on FIG. 4, the exemplar player has entered a
search term 405 of "greek" using the keyboard 410 and has further
limited the search using the pre-defined limitations section 420.
Specifically, the player has requested games with nine, fifteen or
twenty or more lines using the "Lines" category 431 and has
requested penny and nickel denomination games using the
"Denomination" category 432. In operation, these search
term(s)/limitations may be communicated to the gaming server 300
via the network connection 340. The gaming server 300 may then
compare the search terms and limitations against the database 310.
Once the gaming system 305 determines the games in the library that
match the search terms and limitations, the gaming server 300
communicates the results to the requesting gaming machine 100.
[0040] The results for the exemplar search are shown on FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 shows a plurality of descriptions 501, 502, 503 and 504 for
four games that match the search criterion. Each game description
shown includes the name of the game along with general information
describing the reel layout, maximum number of lines played and
denomination. The description also includes a brief description of
the game theme, which may include information about any available
bonuses or other features. Also included in the description is a
graphical representation of some of the game's mathematical
properties, specifically hit frequency and volatility. Other
information may be included and some of the information shown may
not be included in various embodiments of the present
invention.
[0041] It should be appreciated by those familiar with gaming
machines that the description 501 for the game "Greek Heroes"
differs from the description 502 for a game of the same name. One
noted difference is that the first description 501 is for a
nine-line game, while the second description 502 is for a twenty
line game. Although these are shown as two different entries, in
other embodiments, the gaming system 305 may be configured to
display games of the same title as a single entry. The player may
then select the entry and be presented with a sub-screen where he
chooses between, for instance, the nine-line and twenty-line
versions. Each description 501, 502, 503 and 504 in FIG. 5 has a
corresponding touch-screen "Play Now" button 505, 506, 507 and 508
that the player may activate to play the associated game.
Alternatively, the player may just tap the description
corresponding to the desired game to initiate play. Play initiation
may require that the game program be downloaded from the central
server 300 to the gaming machine 100 in order for the game to be
played. Or, if the program for the selected game is already stored
in the memory 210 of the gaming machine 100, play may begin
immediately.
[0042] It should be appreciated that the last two game descriptions
503 and 504 shown on FIG. 5 do not have the word "greek" in either
the title or the description of the game. However, because both
game descriptions 503 and 504 involve game themes involving the
Olympic Games, the game database 310 may have associated the word
"Greek" and/or "Greece" with the games. Thus the search returned
these two game descriptions 503 and 504 as matches to the search
term.
[0043] Although it is preferable that the games in the game library
are represented in a corresponding database of games, it would be
possible for the same information stored in the database to be
directly stored in the game programs themselves. Thus, in response
to a search query, the gaming server 300 may search the game
programs in its library rather than the corresponding database.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment will now
be described. In this embodiment the video display 105 is divided
into a results section 601 and a search section 602. The results
section 601 is showing a plurality of game icons 603 corresponding
to the search parameters in the search section 602. Thus, the
results section 601 in function closely resembles the second screen
of the prior embodiment shown on FIG. 5. One difference between the
results section 601 and FIG. 5 is that the results section 601 can
be constantly updated in response to new search parameters and/or
changed parameters in the search section 602. Additionally, when
the player first accesses the disclosed system by, for instance
pressing a "More Games" icon (not shown) on the gaming machine 100,
the results section 601 may display a plurality of game icons 603
that the casino/operator is suggesting to the player. Because these
games are chosen by the operator, additionally flexibility is
provided. Additionally, the layout shown in FIG. 6 has the
advantage of allowing a player to select a different game without
having to enter any search information. Also shown in the results
section are a "Next" button 604 and a "Previous" button 605 that
allow a player to scroll through additional results if the number
of game icons 603 corresponding to the search parameters exceeds
the number that can be displayed in the results section 601.
[0045] The search parameters are entered by the player using the
search section,602. As in the prior embodiment, the search section
602 includes an area of pre-defined limitations 420. While the
prior embodiment used check boxes to select the pre-defined
limitations 420, the present embodiment illustrates the use of drop
down selections. Initially these selections will contain a
non-limiting phrase such as "Any" as shown in the Lines category
431. The pre-defined limitations 420 may also include a
"Themes/List" category 606. This category may include the
preprogrammed groups such as New Games 440, My Old Favorites 441,
Top Ten 443 and Lucky Games 442 shown in FIG. 4. In addition, the
Themes/List category 606 may include other descriptors. One
preferred list of Theme categories is as follows: Animals; Board
Games; Cartoons; Famous People; Classic Games/Greatest Hits;
Historical; Humorous; Lucky Symbols; Magic/Fantasy; Money, Jewels
and Riches; Oceans/Water; Outdoors; Patriotic; Pop Culture;
Progressive; Sports; TV and Movies; Wild Symbols/Multipliers. Other
lists may of course be used without departing from the invention. A
single game may be found in multiple themes. As each of the drop
down limitations in the pre-defined limitations 420 is selected,
the gaming database 310 is queried and the corresponding game icons
603 are displayed in the results section 601.
[0046] If the player activates an "Advance Search" button 608 in
the search section 602 the search bar 405 and keyboard 410 are also
displayed on the video display 105 as shown in FIG. 7. By initially
hiding the keyboard 410 and search bar 405, it is submitted that
players who may not be as technically savvy as other players will
be less likely to find the disclosed interface overwhelming while
still being able to find games that interest them out of a large
library of games. As in the prior embodiment, the keyboard 410, in
conjunction with the touch screen 260 allows the player to enter a
search term 405a into the search bar 400. The game icons 603 that
meet search term 405a as well as any parameters as defined in the
pre-defined limitations area 420 are then displayed in the results
section 601. If no games in the gaming database 310 meet all of the
parameters entered, the gaming machine 100 may display close
matches or prompt the player on how to best broaden the search.
[0047] FIG. 8 shows a ticket 801 that may be used in one embodiment
of the present invention. The ticket 801 has a front 801a and a
back 801b. The front of the ticket 801a preferably includes an icon
802 identifying a game to a player as well as a machine readable
identification, such as a bar code 803 as shown. The back of the
ticket 801b preferably includes a description of the game
identified on the front 801 a and may also include a player
readable code 804 identifying the game such as the PIN shown. As
previously disclosed, such a ticket 801 may be printed by a player
either at home by accessing the gaming database 310 remotely or at
a kiosk 315 located in the casino. Additionally, the ticket 801 may
be a pre-printed ticket that is provided directly to the player for
instance as part of a direct mailing promotion run by the gaming
manufacturer and/or a casino/operator or that the player selects
from a game selection booth 900 such as the booth 900 shown in FIG.
9.
[0048] The game selection booth 900 preferably has the ability to
physically display a large number of game icons and descriptions
such as those found on the ticket 801 in a plurality of physical
display positions 901. Thus, a player who is either unfamiliar or
uncomfortable with the means provided for electronically searching
the gaming database 310 may use the booth 900 to search through at
least a portion of the gaming database 310 by reviewing the
physical display positions 901. Preferably the games represented by
the booth 900 will comprise at least one percent of the games
available in the game database 310, and even more preferably
between five and ten percent of the total games will be
represented. In the booth 900 shown in FIG. 9, the physical display
positions 901 are occupied by tickets 801. The tickets 801 are held
in a tray 902 or other suitable holder such that a plurality of
tickets 801 all corresponding to the same game title are stacked in
a single position 901 with the game icon 802 being visible on the
top most ticket 801 in the stack. The positions 901, and thus the
tickets 801, may be physically divided into themes just as they
were in the gaming database 310. However, in the booth 900 the
theme may be indicated by one or more theme signs 903. After a
player has located the ticket 801 indicating the game the player
desires to play, he may remove the ticket 801 from the booth 900
and take it to a gaming machine 100. At the gaming machine 100 the
ticket 801 may be fed into the bill validator 110 or some other
reading device. In response, the gaming machine 100 would activate
or download the game corresponding to the ticket 801. The ticket
801 may be returned to the player such that once the player finds a
game he enjoys, he can keep the ticket 801 with him and use it at a
number of different gaming machines 100. Alternatively, the ticket
801 may have a PIN 804 corresponding to the game such that the
player may manually enter the PIN 804 into the gaming machine 100
to activate the desired game this may be performed using either the
on-screen keyboard 410 and touch screen 260 or the player tracking
keyboard 50.
[0049] There are additional methods for a player to use the
physical display positions 901 to select a game and transport that
selection to any number of gaming machines 100. For instance the
display position 901 may contain game information that is
permanently or semi-permanently attached to the booth 900. In
response to a player touching a position 901 or an associated
button (not shown), the booth 900 may print a ticket 801 using a
ticket printer 906. Alternatively, the booth 900 may be equipped
with one or more card readers 904 such that a player inserts a
player tracking card, hotel key, credit card or the like and the
booth 900 associates a particular game with the information read on
the inserted card such that when the same card is inserted into the
card reader 130 of a gaming machine 100, the associated game is
activated/downloaded.
[0050] Additionally, the booth 900 may be combined with a kiosk 315
where the player may search the gaming database 310 and use the
card reader 904 or ticket printer 906 to transport information
about the select game to a gaming machine 100.
[0051] While this invention has been described with respect to
several specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood that
the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but
rather that the invention is intended to cover various
combinations, modifications and equivalent arrangements which will
be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is thus to be
understood that the invention should not be limited by the
description, and that modifications and variations in the present
invention may be made without departing from the novel aspects of
this invention as defined in the following claims.
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