Granted Patent B2

US 8,864,584 · App. 13/249,339 · Granted Oct 21, 2014

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A networked gaming system, comprising:

a community display for presenting a community game having a community game element;

a plurality of wagering game machines in communication with the community display, each of the wagering game machines including one or more local speakers;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device having a plurality of instructions stored therein, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing community game sounds for the community game, and panning the community game sounds across the local speakers of multiple of the wagering game machines based on a movement of the community game element on the community display.

2. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , wherein panning the community game sounds across the local speakers includes panning a sound based on a location of each of the wagering game machines relative to the community display.

3. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the community game includes a second community game element and a second set of community game sounds, and wherein the second set of community game sounds is reproduced at the local speakers of at least one of the wagering gaming machines.

4. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each of the wagering game machines includes a respective local display, the local display separate from the community display.

5. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein at least one of the processors and at least one of the memory devices are located within the controller which provides the community game sounds for the community game, and which pans the community game sounds across the local speakers, and wherein the panning of the community game sounds comprises providing a plurality of sounds having specific volumes to each of the wagering game machines.

6. The networked gaming system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a plurality of community speakers; and

wherein the controller is configured to further pan sounds among the plurality of community speakers.

7. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the community game is initiated as a result of game play occurring on the wagering game machines.

8. The networked gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise applying one or more sound effects to the community game sounds.

9. A gaming system having one or more wagering gaming machines, comprising:

a community display providing a community game viewable by players of the wagering game machines;

one or more community speakers proximate the community display;

one or more local speakers proximate to each of the wagering game machines; and

a controller configured to coordinate playback of panned sounds by the local speakers in connection with the community game, wherein panning of the sounds is in reference to locations of game objects rendered on the community display during the community game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein the community speakers include a left speaker and a right speaker, and wherein panning of the sounds includes panning of the sounds between the left speaker and the right speaker.

11. The gaming system of claim 9 , further comprising: one or more peripheral speakers remote to the community display.

12. The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral speakers are located at a third dimension relative to the community speakers and the local speakers, and wherein the controller is further configured to use the peripheral speakers to provide audio panning in a third dimension at various depths among the wagering game machines.

13. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system, comprising:

presenting a community game displayed on a community display device, the community game including at least one moving image displayed on the community display device;

receiving interactions with the community game input through a plurality of wagering game machines; and

playing sounds having localized sound effects on selected speakers in a set of local speakers located proximate the wagering game machines, the sound effects played on the local speakers in connection with movement of an image on the community display device relative to locations of the local speakers.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein each local speaker is associated with a respective wagering game machine, and wherein the playing of sounds having localized sound effects includes changing the volume of the sounds based upon both the position of the image on the community display device and a position of the wagering game machine relative to the community display.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the playing of sounds having localized sound effects results in multiple volume levels of the sounds across sets of local speakers in the gaming system.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the community game provides simultaneous gaming interaction for a plurality of users at the plurality of wagering game machines.

17. A controller configured for use in a networked gaming system having a plurality of wagering game machines and a plurality of local speakers associated with the wagering game machines, comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more machine-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

controlling the playing of sounds associated with a community game by the plurality of local speakers, wherein at least one sound is panned across the local speakers, based on movement of a game element within the community game.

Assignments (10)