Gaming machine transitions

Abstract

A graphics system for changing images on a gaming machine display, having a transition library of transition types, a graphics engine and a control means. The graphics engine applies a selected transition type from the transition library to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs and initialises transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image. The control means modifies the transition data such that, when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.

1 . A graphics system for changing images on a gaming machine display, the system comprising: 
 a transition library of transition types;    a graphics engine to apply a selected transition type from the transition library to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs and for initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image; and    a control means for modifying the transition data such that, when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.    
   
   
       2 . A graphics system according to  claim 1  wherein a second of the images is initially placed behind a first of the images.  
   
   
       3 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the first image is incrementally removed by the transition type to reveal or expose at least a part of the second image until the first image has been entirely removed to reveal the second image.  
   
   
       4 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the transition library has any one or more of the following transition types: wipe, scatter, fade, iris, shrink, curtain, rotate.  
   
   
       5 . A graphics system according to  claim 4  wherein the selected transition type changes the first image to the second image using a shape.  
   
   
       6 . A graphics system according to  claim 5  wherein the iris transition type uses a circle.  
   
   
       7 . A graphics system according to  claim 5  wherein the wipe transition type uses a line.  
   
   
       8 . A graphics system according to  claim 5  wherein the scatter transition type uses a square.  
   
   
       9 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the selected transition type is drawn using any one or more of pixel operations, scaling operations, microclipping operations or OpenGL operations.  
   
   
       10 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the selected transition type has a predetermined duration.  
   
   
       11 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the selected transition type coincides with a sound or animation.  
   
   
       12 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the selected transition type starts and resets based on a predetermined time.  
   
   
       13 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein at least one of the images is an animation.  
   
   
       14 . A graphics system according to  claim 13  wherein the second image is an animation.  
   
   
       15 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the first image or the second image is a 2D image or a 3D image.  
   
   
       16 . A graphics system according to  claim 15  wherein the selected transition type is in 2D mode where either the first image or the second image is a 2D image.  
   
   
       17 . A graphics system according to  claim 15  wherein in 2D mode the first image or the second image is divided into small shapes.  
   
   
       18 . A graphics system according to  claim 17  wherein a predetermined number of small shapes are filled for each refresh period of the gaming machine display.  
   
   
       19 . A graphics system according to  claim 15  wherein the selected transition type is in 3D mode where either the first image or the second image is a 3D image.  
   
   
       20 . A graphics system according to  claim 19  wherein in 3D mode the transition data includes a callback function that is attached to the selected transition type.  
   
   
       21 . A graphics system according to  claim 20  wherein a Display Manager window is created for the callback function.  
   
   
       22 . A graphics system according to  claim 21  wherein the callback function draws the selected transition type on the gaming machine display using OpenGL calls.  
   
   
       23 . A graphics system according to  claim 22  wherein the callback function draws the selected transition type on the gaming machine display by incrementally exposing less of the first image for each refresh period of the gaming machine display.  
   
   
       24 . A graphics system according to  claim 18  wherein the first image exists in a scene list.  
   
   
       25 . A graphics system according to  claim 24  wherein the selected transition type is added in the same position of the first image in the scene list.  
   
   
       26 . A graphics system according to  claim 25  wherein a duplicate image of the first image is added to the scene list for modification.  
   
   
       27 . A graphics system according to  claim 26  wherein the transition data for the duplicate image is initialised.  
   
   
       28 . A graphics system according to  claim 27  wherein the transition data is the duplicate image of the first image.  
   
   
       29 . A graphics system according to  claim 28  wherein the transition data is generated or modified at every refresh period of the gaming machine display.  
   
   
       30 . A graphics system according to  claim 26  wherein an offscreen Device Context is created for receiving a copy of the duplicate image.  
   
   
       31 . A graphics system according to  claim 30  wherein the first image is removed after the Device Context is created.  
   
   
       32 . A graphics system according to  claim 30  wherein the duplicate image in the offscreen Device Context is added to a Display Manager.  
   
   
       33 . A graphics system according to  claim 32  wherein the duplicate image is removed from the Display Manager when the selected transition type is completed.  
   
   
       34 . A graphics system according to  claim 24  wherein each image in the scene list is checked to determine if the image has transition data.  
   
   
       35 . A graphics system according to  claim 34  wherein each image that has transition data has a draw handler.  
   
   
       36 . A graphics system according to  claim 18  wherein parts of the first image to be replaced per refresh period are determined such that the selected transition type is completed within a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       37 . A graphics system according to  claim 36  wherein the predetermined period of time is set by a user at run-time.  
   
   
       38 . A graphics system according to  claim 2  wherein the transition data includes any one or more of the transition type, the duration of the selected transition type or the current state of the selected transition.  
   
   
       39 . A method for changing images on a gaming machine display, the method comprising the steps of: 
 selecting a transition type from a transition library of transition types;    applying the selected transition type to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs;    initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image; and    modifying the transition data such that, when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.    
   
   
       40 . A method according to  claim 39  wherein a second of the images is initially placed behind a first of the images.  
   
   
       41 . A method according to  claim 40  further comprising the step of incrementally removing the first image using the transition type to reveal or expose at least a part of the second image until the first image has been entirely removed to reveal the second image.  
   
   
       42 . A method according to  claim 41  further comprising the step of the selected transition type using a shape to change the first image to the second image.  
   
   
       43 . A method according to  claim 40  further comprising the step of drawing the selected transition type using any one or more of pixel operations, scaling operations, microclipping operations or OpenGL operations.  
   
   
       44 . A method according to  claim 40  wherein the first image or the second image is a 2D image and the selected transition type is in a 2D mode, the method further comprising the step of dividing the first image or the second image into small shapes.  
   
   
       45 . A method according to  claim 44  further comprising the step of filling a predetermined number of the small shapes for each refresh period of the game machine display.  
   
   
       46 . A method according to  claim 40  wherein the first image or the second image is a 3D image and the selected transition type is in a 3D mode, the method further comprising the step of attaching to the selected transition type a callback function forming a part of the transition data.  
   
   
       47 . A method according to  claim 46  further comprising the step of creating a Display Manager window for the callback function.  
   
   
       48 . A method according to  claim 47  further comprising the step of the callback function drawing the selected transition type on the gaming machine display using OpenGL calls.  
   
   
       49 . A method according to  claim 48  wherein the step of drawing is performed by incrementally exposing less of the first image for each refresh period of the gaming machine display.  
   
   
       50 . A method according to  claim 40  wherein the first image exists in a scene list, the method further comprising the step of adding the selected transition type in the same position of the first image in the scene list.  
   
   
       51 . A method according to  claim 50  further comprising the step of adding a duplicate image of the first image to the scene list for modification.  
   
   
       52 . A method according to  claim 51  further comprising the step of initialising the transition data for the duplicate image.  
   
   
       53 . A method according to  claim 51  further comprising the step of generating or modifying the transition data at every refresh period of the gaming machine display.  
   
   
       54 . A method according to  claim 50  further comprising the step of creating an offscreen Device Context for receiving a copy of the duplicate image.  
   
   
       55 . A method according to  claim 54  further comprising the step of removing the first image after the Device Context is created.  
   
   
       56 . A method according to  claim 55  further comprising the step of adding the duplicate image in the offscreen Device Context to a Display Manager.  
   
   
       57 . A method according to  claim 56  further comprising the step of removing the duplicate image from the Display Manager when the selected transition type is completed.  
   
   
       58 . A method according to  claim 50  further comprising the step of checking each image in the scene list to determine if the image has transition data.  
   
   
       59 . A method according to  claim 58  wherein parts of the first image to be replaced per refresh period are determined such that the selected transition type is completed within a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       60 . Computer program means for directing a graphics engine and a control means to execute a procedure to change images in a graphics system on a gaming machine display, the graphics system having a transition library of transition types, the computer program means directing: 
 the graphics engine to apply a selected transition type from the transition library to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs and for initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image;    the computer program means further directing the control means to modify the transition data such that when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.    
   
   
       61 . Computer program means for directing a graphics engine and a control means to execute a procedure to change images on a gaming machine display by: 
 selecting a transition type from a transition library of transition types;    applying the selected transition type to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs;    initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image; and    modifying the transition data such that when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.    
   
   
       62 . (canceled)  
   
   
       63 . A computer readable memory, encoded with data representing a computer program for directing a graphics engine and a control means to execute a procedure to change images on a gaming machine display by: 
 selecting a transition type from a transition library of transition types;    applying the selected transition type to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs;    initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image; and    modifying the transition data such that when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.    
   
   
       64 . (canceled)  
   
   
       65 . A gaming machine having a gaming machine display, the gaming machine comprising: 
 a graphics system to change images on the gaming machine display, the graphics system including:    a transition library of transition types;    a graphics engine for applying a selected transition type from the transition library to at least one of at least two images for determining the way in which a substitution of one of the images by the other of the images occurs and for initialising transition data for effecting an incremental substitution of the one image by the other image; and    a control means for modifying the transition data such that, when the selected transition type is being effected, an incremental substitution of at least a part of the one image by the other image occurs serially until the one image has been substituted by the other image on the gaming machine display.