Granted Patent B2

US 8,500,534 · App. 11/983,148 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A method of conducting a wagering game on a wagering game machine, comprising the steps of:

displaying, on a display device of the wagering game machine, a plurality of selectable haptic outputs available for assignment to a visual game element selected from a predetermined set of visual game elements from which a random selection is performed in association with a wagering game to randomly determine a wagering game outcome;

receiving an association of the visual game element with one player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs;

storing the association of the visual game element with said one player-selected haptic output in a physical memory device operatively associated with the wagering game machine;

using a controller operatively associated with the wagering game machine, retrieving the association of the visual game element with one player-selected haptic output from the physical memory device in connection with the conducting of the wagering game on the wagering game machine; and

using the controller operatively associated with the wagering game machine, causing a haptic device to output the selected haptic output responsive to a corresponding display of a randomly determined wagering game outcome comprising the visual game element.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the haptic device is haptic display.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the visual game element must comprises a part of or an entirety of a winning outcome, as defined in a paytable associated with the wagering game, as a precondition for causing the haptic device to output the selected haptic output responsive to a corresponding visual game element.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the visual game element associated with the one player-selected haptic output is selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs consists of a single game symbol utilized in the wagering game.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the visual game element associated with the one player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs comprises a plurality of game symbols utilized in the wagering game.

6. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving an association of a plurality of interlocked visual game elements with one player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs;

storing the association of the plurality of interlocked visual game elements in a physical memory device operatively associated with the wagering game machine;

conditionally activating the haptic device to output the selected haptic output responsive to a display of the plurality of interlocked visual game elements on the wagering game machine display.

7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:

displaying on a display of the wagering game machine a plurality of user-selectable game elements comprising at least a first user-selectable visual game element and a second user-selectable visual game element; and

conditionally activating the haptic device, during subsequent wagering game play in a gaming session on the wagering game machine, in response to a user's concurrent selection of the first and second user-selectable visual game elements.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the haptic device is a haptic pushbutton and wherein the haptic pushbutton lacks a Z-axis actuator.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the haptic pushbutton comprises a floating lens.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving an association of a second visual game element with a second player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs;

storing the association of the second visual game element with the second player-selected haptic output in a physical memory device operatively associated with the wagering game machine;

using a controller operatively associated with the wagering game machine, retrieving the association of the second visual game element with second player-selected haptic output from the physical memory device in connection with the conducting of the wagering game on the wagering game machine; and

using the controller operatively associated with the wagering game machine, causing a haptic device to output the second selected haptic output responsive to a corresponding display of a randomly determined wagering game outcome comprising the second visual game element.

11. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a display device;

a haptic device connected to a gaming machine input device configured to receive a player input; and

a controller coupled to the display device and the haptic device configured, upon execution of associated instructions, to

display on the display device a visual game element;

display on the display device, or on another display device, a plurality of selectable haptic outputs available for assignment to the visual game element;

receive an association of the selectable game element with one player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs;

store the association in a physical memory device operatively associated with the wagering game machine;

use a controller operatively associated with the wagering game machine to retrieve the association of the visual game element with one player-selected haptic output from the physical memory device in connection with the conduct of the wagering game on the wagering game machine; and

cause a haptic device to output the player-selected haptic output responsive to a corresponding display of a randomly determined wagering game outcome comprising the visual game element.

12. The gaming machine according to claim 11 , wherein the haptic device comprises a display-integrated haptic device disposed adjacent a display surface of the display device.

13. The gaming machine according to claim 11 , wherein the visual game element must comprises a part of or an entirety of a winning outcome, as defined in a paytable associated with the wagering game, as a precondition for causing the haptic device to output the selected haptic output responsive to a corresponding visual game element.

14. The gaming machine according to claim 11 , wherein wherein the visual game element associated with the one player-selected haptic output is selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs comprises a game symbol utilized in the wagering game.

15. The gaming machine according to claim 14 , wherein the haptic device is a haptic pushbutton and wherein the haptic pushbutton lacks a Z-axis actuator.

16. A gaming machine according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a plurality of haptic devices, at least one haptic device being connected to a gaming machine user input device; and

a controller coupled to the at least one haptic device being connected to a gaming machine user input device, the controller being configured to activate the at least one haptic device in response to a user input using the user input device.

17. A gaming machine according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured, upon execution of associated instructions, to execute acts comprising:

receiving an association of a plurality of interlocked visual game elements with one player-selected haptic output selectable from a plurality of haptic device outputs;

storing the association of the plurality of interlocked visual game elements in a physical memory device operatively associated with the wagering game machine;

conditionally activating the haptic device to output the selected haptic output responsive to a display of the plurality of interlocked visual game elements on the wagering game machine display.

18. A gaming machine according to claim 11 , wherein the haptic device comprises a haptic button.

19. A gaming machine according to claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of haptic devices.

20. A wagering game system comprising a wagering game machine and a wagering game comprising an instruction set stored in a physical memory configured, upon processing by a processor of the wagering game system, to perform steps comprising:

associating a predetermined visual game element of the wagering game with one of a plurality of output signals to a haptic device of the wagering game machine;

randomly determining a wagering game outcome, using the processor;

displaying, on a display of the wagering game machine, a set of visual game elements corresponding to the randomly determined wagering game outcome;

outputting an output signal to the haptic device corresponding to an occurrence of said predetermined visual game element in the displayed wagering game outcome; and

activating the haptic device of the wagering game machine in response to the output signal corresponding to said predetermined visual game element to cause a corresponding predetermined physical output from the haptic device,

wherein the output signal to the haptic device is player-selectable from amongst said plurality of output signals.

21. A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

a display device;

at least one haptic device connected to a gaming machine input device configured to receive a player input; and

a controller coupled to the display device and the haptic device configured, upon execution of associated instructions, to

receive a wager to play a wagering game on the gaming machine;

receive a player input via a player input device,

randomly determine a wagering game outcome;

display on the display device the randomly determined wagering game outcome; and

synchronously output to the at least one haptic device a haptic output corresponding directly to the display of the randomly determined outcome,

wherein a different haptic output is associated with each of a plurality of different randomly determined outcomes that are each associated with a winning outcome of the wagering game and result in an award as defined in a paytable for the wagering game.

Assignments (11)