Gaming Device, Method and Virtual Button Panel for Selectively Enabling a Three-Dimensional Feature at a Gaming Device

1 . A gaming device presenting a game to be played by a player comprising:

a virtual button display to display player input buttons, said button display including a player touch input device;

apparatus for generating data determinative of the position of a player at the gaming device; and

a virtual button display controller configured for (i) in a first mode generating a two dimensional display of input icons at said button display, touching of an icon providing via said touch input device an input to the gaming device and (ii) in a second mode based upon said determination of the position of a player at the gaming device configuring said panel display to render for viewing by said player at said button display a three-dimensional image.

2 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said apparatus is an apparatus for generating data corresponding to position of the head of the player.

3 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said apparatus is an apparatus for generating data corresponding to position of the eyes of the player.

4 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said apparatus is an apparatus operative in the electromagnetic spectra.

5 . The gaming device of claim 4 comprising said apparatus is selected from group consisting of a digital camera and infrared camera.

6 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said apparatus operative to transmit and receive acoustic signals.

7 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said controller is configured to change the display of the image between said first and second states in response to a command.

9 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising a detection device to detect player interaction with said image.

10 . The gaming machine of claim 9 comprising said detection device includes one or more of said apparatus for generating data determinative of the position of a player and an electro-magnetic spectra camera disposed proximate said button display to generate data corresponding to the position of the player's hands or fingers.

11 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said controller is configured to render said image at said button display based upon the motion parallax.

12 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising said button display and controller are configured to generate said three-dimensional image through at least one of lenticular masking, lenticular lensing and motion parallax.

13 . A virtual button panel for a gaming machine comprising:

a virtual button display to display player input buttons, said button display including a player touch input device;

apparatus for generating data determinative of the position of a player at the button panel; and

a virtual button display controller configured for (i) in a first mode generating a two dimensional display of input icons at said button display, touching of an icon providing via said touch input device an input to the gaming device and (ii) in a second mode based upon said determination of the position of a player at the gaming device configuring said panel display to render for viewing by said player at said button display a three-dimensional image.

14 . The gaming device of claim 13 comprising said button display and controller are configured to generate said three-dimensional image through at least one of lenticular masking, lenticular lensing and motion parallax.

15 . The gaming device of claim 13 comprising a detection device to detect player interaction with said image.

16 . A method for selectively generating three-dimensional images at a gaming device virtual button panel display comprising:

configuring said button display to accommodate the rendering of two-dimensional and three-dimensional video images:

providing for player input at said button display through a touch input device associated with said button display;

enabling through a position location device determination of the position of the player relative to at least one of said button display and gaming device;

providing a button display controller to control said button display (i) in a first mode to display two-dimensional images to the player for selecting a game input through said touch input device and (ii) in a second mode to display a three-dimensional image at said button display.

17 . The method of claim 16 comprising configuring said button display and controller to render said three-dimensional image through at least one of lenticular masking, lenticular lensing and motion parallax.

18 . The method of claim 16 comprising arranging for the detection of a player's interaction with a rendered three-dimensional image.

19 . A gaming device presenting a game to be played by a player comprising:

a game display for presenting said game to a player;

a virtual button display to display player input buttons disposed spaced from said game display, said button display including a player touch input device;

apparatus for generating data determinative at least the approximate position of the eyes of a player at the gaming device;

a virtual button display controller configured for (i) in a first mode generating a two dimensional display of input icons at said button display, touching of an icon providing via said touch input device providing an input to the gaming device and (ii) in a second mode based upon said determination of the position of the player's eyes configuring said panel display to render for viewing by said player at said button display a three-dimensional image; and

a detector for detecting a player's interaction with said three-dimensional image to provide input to said gaming device without touching said touch input device.

20 . The gaming device of claim 19 comprising said detector is an infrared detector disposed proximate the virtual button display.