SIMULATION OF MECHANICAL REELS ON A GAMING MACHINE
A spinning reel slot machine has increased versatility, while having reels that are aesthetically similar to traditional mechanical reels. In one embodiment, the slot machine includes a plurality of optical fibers having first ends optically coupled to a surface of an image display device and seconds ends defining a curved display surface for displaying simulated mechanical reels to a player. In another embodiment, one or more of the mechanical reels has a transparent window at a location where a symbol would normally be present. A video display displays a video symbol in the transparent window. In yet a further embodiment, one of the plurality of mechanical reels has a miniature image display located at selected ones of the symbol regions for providing video symbols for the game. In yet further embodiments, a symbol region can produce more than one symbol in response to exposure at certain wavelengths or polarizations of light.
1 . A spinning reel slot machine, comprising:
a plurality of mechanical reels that, in response to a wager, are rotated and stopped to randomly place symbol regions on said plurality of reels in visual association with a display area; and
at least one video display for simulating a mechanical reel and displaying a plurality of video symbols adjacent to said plurality of mechanical reels, said video symbols, in response to said wager, moving across said video display and stopping on said video display at approximately the same time as said plurality of mechanical reels are stopped.
2 . The slot machine of claim 1 , wherein said video display also provides diagnostics.
3 . The slot machine of claim 1 , wherein said display area includes multiple symbols displayed in multiple symbol regions for each mechanical reel and multiple video symbols displayed for said at least one video display.
4 . A spinning reel slot machine, comprising:
at least one mechanical reel that, in response to a wager, is rotated and stopped to randomly place a symbol region on said at least one mechanical reel in visual association with a display area; and
at least one video display adjacent to and horizontally aligned with said at least one mechanical reel, said video display for simulating a mechanical reel and displaying a plurality of video symbols in visual association with said display area,
wherein said video symbols, in response to said wager, move across said video display.
5 . The slot machine of claim 4 , wherein said video display also provides diagnostics.
6 . The slot machine of claim 4 , wherein said display area includes multiple symbols displayed in said symbol region for said at least on mechanical reel and multiple video symbols displayed for said at least one video display.
7 . A wagering game apparatus, comprising:
a display region configured to present a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of a slots game;
at least one mechanical reel, disposed in said display region, having displayed thereon at least a portion of said plurality of symbols and, in response to a wager, said at least one mechanical reel configured to rotate and stop to display within said display region randomly selected symbols from said plurality of symbols; and
at least one video display, disposed in said display region, configured to display, in response to said wager, a simulated mechanical reel comprising images including at least a portion of said plurality of symbols,
wherein the combination of said symbols displayed by said at least one mechanical reel and said at least one video display together form a wagering game outcome responsive to said wager.
8 . The wagering game apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said video display is configured to display at least one diagnostic feature responsive to an associated input.
9 . The wagering game apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said display area includes multiple symbols displayed in said symbol region for said at least one mechanical reel and multiple video symbols displayed for said at least one video display.
10 . The wagering game apparatus of claim 7 , wherein at least one of said mechanical reels bears a fixed arrangement of symbols.
11 . A slot machine, comprising:
a plurality of mechanical reels bearing a plurality of symbols thereon; and
at least one video display configured to display a plurality of symbol images on a simulated mechanical reel;
wherein at least a portion of said symbols and symbol images are displayed in close proximity to each other and in visual association to a confined display region and define a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game.
12 . The slot machine of claim 11 , wherein said video display also provides diagnostics.
13 . The slot machine of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of said symbols and symbol images are horizontally aligned in said confined display region.