Systems employing action buttons
View Patent ↗The claimed embodiments contemplate methods, systems and apparatuses directed to an active display button. In various embodiments, an active display button may generally be a button containing one or more elements that move when the button is engaged. By example, and not limitation, these elements may include one or more reels, be they mechanical or video, or perhaps a rotating indicator. The active display button may also include lights, vibratory motors and other experience-enhancing implements. The active display button may be installed on a gaming machine and operated in conjunction with the gaming device, separate from the gaming machine on which it is installed or perhaps as part of the operation of the gaming machine.
1. A game system with active display buttons comprising:
a plurality of games each provided with a game display having a field of play and with at least one active display button, physically separate from the game display, wherein the active display button includes a rotatable indicator;
a server coupled to the plurality of games and configured to control an active display of an active display button; and
a random number generator coupled to the server;
wherein the at least one active display button further includes:
a housing portion;
an engagement portion attached to the housing portion, the active display disposed within the housing portion and visible through the engagement portion; and
a switch mechanism coupled to the engagement portion to start and stop rotating of the rotatable indicator;
wherein the active display provides display of the rotatable indicator during play of the game having the at least one active display button;
wherein the at least one active display button is a skill-stop based button and engagement of the engagement portion of the active display button while the rotatable indicator is rotating causes activation of the switch mechanism of the active display button and in turn causes the rotatable indicator to stop rotating;
wherein the rotatable indicator is a game element included among the game elements in the field of play for wagering;
wherein an outcome of one or more games is at least partially influenced by the rotatable indicator of the one or more active display buttons; and
wherein the server causes the active display of the one or more active display buttons to display an initial game element of the rotatable indicator based on an outcome of the random number generator.
2. The game system as recited in claim 1 wherein the engagement portion is rigidly attached to the housing portion.
3. The game system as recited in claim 2 wherein the switch mechanism is capacitively coupled to the engagement portion.
4. The game system as recited in claim 2 wherein the switch mechanism is inductively coupled to the engagement portion.
5. The game system as recited in claim 2 wherein the switch mechanism is coupled to the engagement portion by a touch sensitive member.
6. The game system as recited in claim 1 wherein the engagement portion is movably attached to the housing portion.
7. The game system as recited in claim 1 wherein the rotatable indicator is rendered on a video display.
8. A game system with active display buttons comprising:
a plurality of games each provided with a game display having a field of play and at least one active display button wherein the active display button includes one or more lights and the active display button is physically separate from the game display;
a server coupled to the plurality of games and configured to control an active display of an active display button; and
a random number generator coupled to the server;
wherein the at least one active display button further includes:
a housing portion;
an engagement portion attached to the housing portion, the active display disposed within the housing portion and visible through the engagement portion to display a rotatable game element; and
a switch mechanism coupled to the engagement portion to start and stop rotating of the rotatable game element;
wherein the active display provides display of the rotatable game element during play of the game having the active display button;
wherein the active display button is a skill-stop based button and engagement of the engagement portion of the active display button while the rotatable game element is rotating causes activation of the switch mechanism of the active display button and in turn causes the rotatable game element to stop rotating;
wherein the rotatable game element is a game element included among the game elements in the field of play for wagering;
wherein an outcome of one or more games is at least partially influenced by one or more active display buttons; and
wherein the server causes the active display of the one or more active display buttons to display an initial rotatable game element based on an outcome of the random number generator.