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  Gaming machine system with shared display of game eventsRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), In A Chance ApplicationGaming machine system with shared display of game events description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060229122, Gaming machine system with shared display of game events. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/670,448 entitled Shared Display of Game Events, which was filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Apr. 12, 2005, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to electronic gaming machines and, more particularly, to gaming machines displaying certain game events on both a primary and secondary display. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Gaming machines such as mechanically driven slot machines have been a staple of the gaming and entertainment industries for years. With the advent of computers, electronic forms of gaming machines such as video slots, video bingo, video poker, video keno and video blackjack have emerged and become increasingly popular. Such electronic devices continue to grow in popularity with the development of enhanced computer-generated graphics and sounds, making them more attractive to a wider audience of participants. [0004] With the recent growth in the electronic gaming machine market, competition between manufacturers to place their equipment in available venues has become fierce. When selecting which machines to put into their facilities, the operators of gaming establishments give paramount consideration to their patrons' perception of a game as entertaining and exciting. To this end, manufacturers and designers of video gaming machines have recently added secondary or bonus games to the base game which are typically triggered by an event during base game play. For example, in a video slot machine, a certain alignment of symbols may take the player to a bonus round where he or she can select one of several race cars appearing on a track. After the selection has been made, a computer generated race is displayed on the display screen. Depending upon the position the selected race finishes, the player is given a bonus such as a cash payout or additional game credits. Such bonus game plays are exciting to the player because the player is provided with a new level of competition that is not part of the base game. [0005] Other systems provide networked gaming machines functionality with a secondary game displayed on a large screen. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,567 discloses a system where a group of gaming machines is interconnected by a network and a primary game is played on the individual gaming machines. When an operating parameter of the gaming machines reaches a threshold value (e.g., total coins played) a secondary game is initiated form one of the gaming machines. The secondary game is displayed on a second screen above the gaming machines and is common to the group of gaming machines. In the embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,567 the primary game is a slot machine and the secondary game is a spinning wheel. While the secondary game is displayed on the screen that is common to all gaming machines, the primary game is not. As such, in the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,567 the secondary game is common to all the gaming machines, which limits the variety of events on the display common to the gaming machines to entice spectators to become new players. Further, in the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,567, it is the secondary game that shown to the players at the networked gaming machines through the common display, not the primary game, which is the game played the most at the gaming machines. [0006] Such approaches are of minimal effectiveness to entice potential players to play the primary game and to continue to play for an extended period of time due to the limited exposure of the primary game that individual game devices offer spectators who represent potential players of the games. For example, a typical video gaming machine has a display that can only be viewed by the player and a few individuals standing directly behind the player. Such limitations not only can lessen the effectiveness of attracting new players but can also lessen the effectiveness of retaining current players whose motivation and enthusiasm can be influenced by the viewing and reactions of spectators. [0007] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for new approaches to attract and retain players of gaming machines. Such approaches should, among other things, provide exposure of gaming events associated with a primary game to a large number of spectators to facilitate more effective attraction and retention of players to the game devices. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing shared display of game events between a gaming machine and a secondary display server. Game events are initially displayed on a primary display of the gaming machine and, on the occurrence of a triggering event during play of the game on the gaming machine, a connection is established via a network protocol between the gaming machine and a secondary display server remotely located from the gaming machine. Display data is then transferred across the connection causing the game events to be displayed on the secondary display as well as the primary display. [0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a gaming machine system for providing shared display of game events which includes a gaming machine having a primary display, a processor for controlling the game events displayed on the primary display using a software program stored in a memory storage device associated with the gaming machine and a secondary display server in communication with the gaming machine over a network and remotely located from the gaming machine. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event during play of the game played on the gaming machine, data is transferred between the gaming machine and the secondary display server. Upon the occurrence of the triggering event, the secondary display receives data from the secondary display server and displays the game events displayed on the primary display of the gaming machine. [0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, the secondary display displays a attract graphics prior to displaying the game events displayed on the primary display of the gaming machine. The attract graphics can include advertisements, progressive jackpot information and graphics associated with a game displayed on the primary display. [0011] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the gaming machine and the secondary display server are in communication via an Ethernet connection. [0012] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the secondary display is a large screen monitor [0013] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the game played on the gaming machine includes video bingo, video Blackjack, video poker, video keno and video slots. [0014] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the gaming machine includes at least one interface including a series of electromechanical buttons to control game events on the primary display of the gaming machine. [0015] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the primary display of the gaming machine includes at least one touch screen interface, wherein the touch screen interface accepts commands to alter game events occurring on the gaming machine. [0016] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the gaming machine includes a wager input interface such as a bill acceptor, a ticket reader or a magnetic card reader. [0017] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the data transferred between the gaming machine and the secondary display server is in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. [0018] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the network operates according to a network protocol selected from the group consisting of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP). [0019] According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a method of providing shared display of game events between a gaming machine and a secondary display server which includes the steps of accepting a wager at a gaming machine via a wager input interface and displaying a certain game events on the primary display of the gaming machine in response to the initiation of game play via the interface. Upon the occurrence of a triggering event occurring during play of the game on the gaming machine, the additional step of establishing a connection via a network protocol between the gaming machine and a secondary display server remotely located from the gaming machine is performed in which data, including the game events, is transferred across the connection, and the game events displayed on the primary display are simultaneously displayed on the secondary display. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Gaming machine system with shared display of game events... Full patent description for Gaming machine system with shared display of game events Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gaming machine system with shared display of game events patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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