Roulette visual display for gaming systems

Abstract

A roulette wheel system and method of using are disclosed. A roulette wheel may include a stationary rim, a roulette wheel, a controller, and an optical display system. The optical display system may be configured to provide a plurality of lighting effects visible on a surface of the stationary rim and/or the roulette wheel. A lightguide may guide light for the lighting effects from the optical display system to the surface. The controller may provide signal content to the optical display system to produce a lighting effect corresponding to current gaming information. Lighting effects may indicate simulating rotation of numbers or symbols, provide real-time game information, track a position of a roulette ball, respond to various gaming events, or promote interest and excitement towards the game.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A roulette wheel system, comprising:
 a stationary rim upon which a roulette ball is launched during a game cycle;   a roulette wheel configured to rotate separate from the stationary rim, the stationary rim being positioned above and sloping downwards toward the roulette wheel;   a plurality of pockets configured to rotate with the roulette wheel, a pocket among the plurality of pockets configured to hold the roulette ball at an end of the game cycle;   an optical display system comprising a plurality of lighting elements configured to generate a lighting effect including gaming information corresponding to each pocket among the plurality of pockets during the game cycle;   a lightguide including a base and a plurality of lightguide elements, the lightguide extending from the optical display system to a surface area, each lightguide element among the plurality of lightguide elements positioned over a lighting element among the plurality of lighting elements; and   a controller providing signal content to the optical display system, the signal content producing the lighting effect.   
     
     
         2 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the surface is one of a surface of the stationary rim and a surface of the roulette wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the base is an opaque plate having a plurality of holes formed in the plate, each hole among the plurality of holes corresponding to a lighting element, each hole permitting light from the lighting element to pass through the hole without passing to an adjoining lighting element. 
     
     
         4 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of lightguide elements are transparent and each lightguide element among the plurality of lightguide elements corresponds to a hole in the base, wherein each lightguide element passes light from the corresponding hole to the surface. 
     
     
         5 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 4 , wherein each lightguide element is positioned in the corresponding hole. 
     
     
         6 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 4 , wherein each lightguide element is positioned over the corresponding hole. 
     
     
         7 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the lighting effect communicates at least one of a position of the roulette ball, a number, a symbol, a color, a bonus, a winning outcome, and an animation. 
     
     
         8 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical display system is one of an array and a continuous circle. 
     
     
         9 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lighting elements comprises at least one of: an LED array, a projection device, and a liquid crystal display. 
     
     
         10 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , wherein the lighting effect produces visible symbols along a perimeter of the plurality of pockets. 
     
     
         11 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cone covering a central portion of the roulette wheel, and wherein the optical display system further produces, based on the signal content from the controller, gaming information on the cone. 
     
     
         12 . The roulette wheel system of  claim 11 , wherein the gaming information shows at least one of a pocket symbol, a winning amount, and a bonus value. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 receiving gaming information from at least one sensor associated with a roulette wheel system, the roulette wheel system comprising a stationary rim upon which a roulette ball is launched during a game cycle, a roulette wheel configured to rotate separate from the stationary rim, the stationary rim being positioned above and sloping downwards toward the roulette wheel, and a plurality of pockets configured to rotate with the roulette wheel, a pocket among the plurality of pockets configured to hold the roulette ball at an end of the game cycle;   determining, by a controller, a lighting effect responsive to the gaming information; and   producing, by an optical display system and a lightguide the lighting effect on a surface, the optical display system comprising a plurality of lighting elements configured to generate the lighting effect including gaming information corresponding to each pocket among the plurality of pockets during the game cycle, the lightguide including a base and a plurality of lightguide elements, the lightguide extending from the optical display system to the surface area, each lightguide element among the plurality of lightguide elements positioned over a lighting element among the plurality of lighting elements.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the surface is one of a surface of the stationary rim and a surface of the roulette wheel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the base is an opaque plate having a plurality of holes formed in the plate, each hole among the plurality of holes corresponding to a lighting element, each hole permitting light from the lighting element to pass through the hole without passing to an adjoining lighting element. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of lightguide elements are transparent and each lightguide element among the plurality of lightguide elements corresponds to a hole in the base, wherein each lightguide element passes light from the corresponding hole to the surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each lightguide element is positioned in the corresponding hole. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each lightguide element is positioned over the corresponding hole. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the lighting effect communicates at least one of a position of the roulette ball, a number, a symbol, a color, a bonus, a winning outcome, and an animation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a cone covering a central portion of the roulette wheel, and wherein the optical display system further produces, based on the signal content from the controller, gaming information on the cone, wherein the gaming information shows at least one of a pocket symbol, a winning amount, and a bonus value.