IP Library Granted Patent US 9,858,747
Granted Patent B2
US 9,858,747 · App. 15/135,204 · Granted Jan 2, 2018

Gaming terminal with an inclined input interface

Inventors: Christian L. Castro (Chicago, IL); Joel R. Jaffe (Glenview, IL); Paul M. Lesley (Blue Island, IL); Larry J. Pacey (Chicago, IL); Jesse Smith (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
G07F17/3209G07F17/3211G07F17/3216
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,858,747
App. No.
15/135,204
Granted
Jan 2, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gaming terminal includes a first display screen operative to display a wagering game that includes a lower section. A second display screen is operative to display images of input buttons and includes a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game. The second display screen is smaller than the first display screen. The second display screen is positioned forwardly relative to the lower section of the first display screen such that the second display screen is closer than the first display screen to a player position in front of the gaming terminal. The second display screen is inclined relative to horizontal such that an imaginary plane containing the second display screen intersects the lower section of the first display screen thereby creating an infinity pool effect when viewing the first display screen relative to the second display screen.

Claims (26)

1. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a game display screen operative to display a wagering game; and

an input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons, the input interface screen including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to a player position in front of the gaming terminal, the distal edge horizontally and physically spaced from a lower section of the game display screen by an offset distance, the input interface screen being inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that a plane defined by and extending from a top surface of the input interface screen intersects the lower section of the game display screen.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the input interface screen has a surface area that is less than or equal to forty percent of a surface area of the game display screen.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein a diagonal dimension of the input interface screen is less than or equal to half of a diagonal dimension of the game display screen.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , further including a frontal ledge extending forwardly from the game display screen towards the player position in front of the gaming terminal, the input interface screen being mounted to the frontal ledge.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4 , wherein the input interface screen is elevated above the frontal ledge.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 5 , further including a support structure forming hand-holds recesses adjacent to respective opposite sides of the input interface screen, the support structure forming a frame encompassing the input interface screen.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 4 , further including push-buttons for receiving inputs to play the wagering game, the push-buttons being mounted to the frontal ledge.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the game display screen is disposed at an angle in a range of 0 to 10 degrees relative to vertical and the input interface screen is inclined at an angle in a range of 14 to 30 degrees relative to the horizontal.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , further including game-logic circuitry having a central processing unit and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by the central processing unit, cause the gaming terminal to transfer a virtual object of the wagering game from the input interface screen to the game display screen based on a speed and direction of a touch gesture received on the input interface screen.

10. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the imaginary plane containing the input interface screen intersects the game display screen at an obtuse angle therewith.

11. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the distal edge of the input interface screen is at a higher elevation than a lower edge of the game display screen.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the distal edge of the input interface screen is horizontally offset from a lower section of the game display screen by a horizontal offset distance that is in a range of approximately 85 percent to 115 percent of the height of a front viewing area of the input interface screen.

13. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a game display screen operative to display a wagering game;

a frontal ledge extending forwardly from the game display screen towards a player position in front of the gaming terminal; and

an input interface screen mounted to the frontal ledge and elevated above the front ledge by a support structure, the support structure forming hand-holds adjacent to respective opposite sides of the input interface screen, the input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons, the input interface screen including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to the player position in front of the gaming terminal, the input interface screen being positioned relative to the game display screen such that the distal edge is horizontally and physically spaced from a lower section of the game display screen by an offset distance.

14. The gaming terminal of claim 13 , wherein the input interface screen has a surface area that is less than or equal to forty percent of a surface area of the game display screen.

15. The gaming terminal of claim 13 , wherein the support structure forms a frame encompassing the input interface screen.

16. The gaming terminal of claim 13 , further including push-buttons for receiving inputs to play the wagering game, the push-buttons being mounted to the frontal ledge.

17. The gaming terminal of claim 13 , further including game-logic circuitry having a central processing unit and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by the central processing unit, cause the gaming terminal to transfer a virtual object of the wagering game from the input interface screen to the game display screen based on a speed and direction of a touch gesture received on the input interface screen.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 13 , wherein the input interface screen is inclined upwardly relative to horizontal, from the proximal edge to the distal edge, such that an imaginary plane containing the input interface screen intersects the lower section of the game display screen.

19. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a game display screen operative to display a wagering game; and

an input interface screen operative to display images of input buttons, the input interface screen including a touchscreen operative to receive inputs at the input buttons to play the wagering game, the input interface screen including opposing proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being closer than the distal edge to a player position in front of the gaming terminal, the distal edge horizontally and physically spaced from a lower section of the game display screen by an offset distance and at a higher elevation than a lower edge of the game display screen.

Assignments (9)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: LNW GAMING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071340/0404 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 7, 2023
From: SG GAMING, INC.
To: LNW GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 062669/0341 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2022
From: SG GAMING INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 059793/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 20, 2020
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051649/0239 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045909/0513 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 10, 2018
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045967/0184 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044889/0662 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: WMS GAMING INC.
To: BALLY GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 039721/0190 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: CASTRO, CHRISTIAN L.; JAFFE, JOEL R.; LESLEY, PAUL M.; PACEY, LARRY J.; SMITH, JESSE
To: WMS GAMING INC.
Reel/Frame 039720/0954 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14454428 · Aug 7, 2014
Provisional Application 61880234 · Sep 20, 2013
Related Publication 20160300428A1 · Oct 13, 2016