Applying graphical characteristics to graphical objects in a wagering game machine
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for providing programs on wagering game machine peripherals are described. The programs may be shader programs for execution by one or more programmable shaders on a graphics processing unit. The programs may provide a graphical result, e.g. an output on a display, or may provide a non-graphical result of a computation to a general purpose processor on the wagering game machine.
1. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system having a processor, a main memory, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled to the processor, the GPU having a memory and a plurality of graphics pipelines, the method comprising:
loading a wagering game program into the main memory for execution by the processor;
transferring commands or data from the main memory to the memory of the GPU for rendering by at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines;
receiving image data from at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines at a video output, the image data being derived from the transferred commands or data defining a graphical object of a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered; and
displaying the graphical object via the video output.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising: transferring commands or data from the main memory to the memory of the GPU for parallel rendering by the plurality of graphics pipelines.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GPU includes a shader program, and at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines includes a programmable shader processor.
4. The method of claim 3 , comprising transferring a shader program from the processor to the GPU.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shader program includes at least one type of shader selected from a group consisting of: vertex shaders, geometry shaders, and pixel shaders.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical object is an element of the wagering game selected from a group consisting of: a reel, a die, a card, a character, a vehicle, and a token.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical object is an animation, a background, or a three-dimensional object.
8. A gaming system comprising:
a processor operable to present a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered;
a main memory coupled to the processor configured with a program operable to execute the wagering game on the processor;
a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled to the processor, the GPU having a memory and a plurality of graphics pipelines;
a video output coupled to the GPU; and
an interface configured to transfer commands or data from the main memory to the memory of the GPU for rendering by at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines;
wherein, in response to the commands or data, image information from the at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines is provided to the video output, the image information defining a graphical object of the wagering game.
9. The gaming system claim 8 , wherein commands or data transferred from the main memory to the memory of the GPU are rendered in parallel by the plurality of graphics pipelines.
10. The gaming system claim 8 , wherein the GPU includes a shader program, and at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines includes a programmable shader processor.
11. The gaming system claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to transfer a shader program to the GPU.
12. The gaming system claim 11 , wherein the shader program includes at least one type of shader selected from a group consisting of: vertex shaders, geometry shaders, and pixel shaders.
13. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the graphical object is an element of the wagering game selected from a group consisting of: a reel, a die, a card, a character, a vehicle, and a token.
14. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the graphical object is an animation, a background, or a three-dimensional object.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for causing one or more processors, and one or more graphics processing units coupled to the processors, to perform a method, the method comprising:
loading a wagering game program for execution by at least one of the one or more processors;
transferring commands or data from a main memory coupled to the at least one of the one or more processors to a memory of a graphics processing unit (GPU) for rendering by at least one of a plurality of graphics pipelines of the GPU;
deriving image data from the transferred commands or data defining a graphical object of a wagering game upon which monetary value may be wagered;
transferring the image data from at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines to a video output; and
displaying the graphical object via the video output.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , the method comprising:
transferring commands or data from the main memory to the memory of the GPU for parallel rendering by the plurality of graphics pipelines.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the GPU includes a shader program, and at least one of the plurality of graphics pipelines includes a programmable shader processor.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , the method comprising: transferring a shader program from the processor to the GPU.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the shader program includes at least one type of shader selected from a group consisting of: vertex shaders, geometry shaders, and pixel shaders.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the graphical object is an element of the wagering game selected from a group consisting of: a reel, a die, a card, a character, a vehicle, and a token.
21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the graphical object is an animation, a background, or a three-dimensional object.