Multiple player gaming station interaction systems and methods

• US 10,169,957 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hightower, Aaron, McMaster, William, Parrott, Gregory H., Popovich, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhr, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/618,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

Systems and methods for transferring objects from a first player to a second player within a gaming system are described herein. The method includes receiving, via a first touchscreen of the first gaming machine, a selection of an object by the first player. The method further includes receiving, via the first touchscreen, gesture information relating to the object. The method includes analyzing, by a controller of the gaming system, the gesture information. The method further includes determining, by the controller, that the object is to be transferred from the first player to the second player based at least in part on the gesture information. The method includes transferring, by the controller, the object from the first gaming machine to the second gaming machine.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, via a first touchscreen of a first wagering gaming machine, a selection of an object by a first player;

thereafter, receiving, via the first touchscreen, a gesture associated with the selected object;

determining, by a controller of the gaming system and based at least in part on the received gesture, if the selected object is to be transferred to a second wagering gaming machine, wherein;

a first received gesture is associated with identifying the second wagering gaming machine and, when received, causes a transferring of the selected object to the second wagering gaming machine,

the first received gesture is not associated with identifying any wagering gaming machine different than the second wagering gamine machine and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to any wagering gaming machine different than the second wagering gaming machine,

a second, different received gesture is associated with and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to the second wagering gaming machine,

the first received gesture has a first swipe speed, a first swipe direction and a first touch pressure,

the second received gesture has a second swipe speed, a second swipe direction and a second touch pressure, and

at least one of the first and second swipe speeds, the first and second swipe directions and the first and second touch pressures are different; and

responsive to a determination that the selected object is to be transferred to the second wagering gaming machine, transferring, by the controller, data associated with the selected object from the first wagering gaming machine to the second wagering gaming machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a second player, via a second touchscreen of the second wagering gaming machine, for an acceptance of the selected object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the second player rejects the selected object, and

in response to determining that the second player rejects the selected object, transmitting data associated with the rejection of the selected object to the first wagering gaming machine.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the object requires a secondary action from the first player prior to transferring the data associated with selected object to the second wagering gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving information relating to the secondary action from the first player via the first touchscreen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected object is a message and the information relating to the secondary action is a text of the message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected object is a game credit and the information relating to the secondary action is an amount of the game credit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising debiting the amount of game credit from a first player account and crediting the amount of game credit to a second player account.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving spatial relationship information defining a spatial relationship between the first wagering gaming machine and the second wagering gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining that the selected object is to be transferred to the second wagering gaming machine is based at least in part on the spatial relationship.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller utilizes a physics engine in determining that the selected object is to be transferred to the second wagering gaming machine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received gesture relates to the first player swiping the selected object across the first touchscreen towards the second wagering gaming machine.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the received gesture relates to the first player dragging the selected object across the first touchscreen and dropping the selected object on an icon corresponding to the second wagering gaming machine.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of if the selected object is to be transferred to the second gaming machine is based on at least one characteristic associated with the selected object.

15. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, via a first touchscreen of a first playing station of a gaming table, a selection of an object by a first player at the first playing station;

thereafter, receiving, via the first touchscreen, a gesture associated with the selected object;

determining, by a processor of the gaming table and based at least in part on the received gesture information, if the selected object is to be transferred to a second playing station of the gaming table, wherein;

a first received gesture is associated with identifying the second playing station and, when received, causes a transferring of the selected object to the second playing station,

the first received gesture is not associated with identifying any playing station different than the second playing station and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to any playing station different than the second playing station,

a second, different received gesture is associated with and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to the second playing station,

the first received gesture has a first swipe speed, a first swipe direction and a first touch pressure,

the second received gesture has a second swipe speed, a second swipe direction and a second touch pressure, and

at least one of the first and second swipe speeds, the first and second swipe directions and the first and second touch pressures are different; and

responsive to a determination that the selected object is to be transferred to the second playing station, transferring, by the processor, data associated with the selected object from the first playing station to the second playing station.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising querying a second player, via a second touchscreen of the second playing station, for an acceptance of the selected object.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining that the second player rejects the selected object, and

in response to determining that the second player rejects the selected object, transmitting data associated with the rejection of the selected object to the first playing station.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining that the selected object requires a secondary action from the first player prior to transferring the selected object from the first playing station to the second playing station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving information relating to the secondary action from the first player via the first touchscreen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected object is a message and the information relating to the secondary action is a text of the message.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected object is a game credit and the information relating to the secondary action is an amount of the game credit.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving spatial relationship information defining a spatial relationship between the first playing station and the second playing station.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the determining that the selected object is to be transferred to the second playing station is based at least in part on the spatial relationship.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the processor utilizes a physics engine in determining that the selected object is to be transferred to the second playing station.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the received gesture relates to the first player swiping the selected object across the first touchscreen towards the second playing station.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the received gesture relates to the first player dragging the selected object across the first touchscreen and dropping the selected object on an icon corresponding to the second playing station.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the determination of if the selected object is to be transferred to the second playing station is based on at least one characteristic associated with the selected object.

28. A gaming table comprising:

a game table surface;

a plurality of player stations positioned about a periphery of the game table surface; and

a controller configured to;

receive a selection of an object by a player at a first player station of the plurality of player stations,

thereafter, receive, from the first player station, a gesture associated with the selected object,

determine, based at least in part on the received gesture, if the object is to be transferred to a second player station of the plurality of player stations, wherein;

a first received gesture is associated with identifying the second player station and, when received, causes a transferring of the selected object to the second player station,

the first received gesture is not associated with identifying any player station different than the second player station and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to any player station different than the second player station,

a second, different received gesture is associated with and, when received, does not cause any transferring of the selected object to the second player station,

the first received gesture has a first swipe speed, a first swipe direction and a first touch pressure,

the second received gesture has a second swipe speed, a second swipe direction and a second touch pressure, and

at least one of the first and second swipe speeds, the first and second swipe directions and the first and second touch pressures are different, and

responsive to a determination that the selected object is to be transferred to the second player station, transfer data associated with the selected object from the first player station to the second player station.

29. The gaming table of claim 28, which includes a main gaming display device coupled to the game table surface, wherein the main gaming display device is at least partially surrounded by the plurality of player stations.

30. The gaming table of claim 28, which includes a display device coupled to the gaming table, wherein each of the plurality of player stations is a separate area of the display.

31. The gaming table of claim 30, wherein the display device includes a main game play area positioned in a central area of the display device that is at least partially surrounded by the plurality of player stations.

32. The gaming table of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to query, via the second player station, an acceptance of the selected object.

33. The gaming table of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a player at the second player station rejects the selected object, and

in response to determining that the second player rejects the selected object, transmit data associated with the rejection of the selected object to the first player station.

34. The gaming table of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the selected object requires a secondary action from the first player prior to transferring the selected object from the first player station to the second player station.

35. The gaming table of claim 34, wherein the selected object is a message and the information relating to the secondary action is a text of the message.

36. The gaming table of claim 34, wherein the selected object is a game credit and the information relating to the secondary action is an amount of the game credit.

37. The gaming table of claim 28, wherein the controller is programmed with spatial information defining the spatial relationship between the plurality of player stations, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the selected object is to be transferred to the second player based at least in part on the spatial relationship.

38. The gaming table of claim 28, further including a physics engine, wherein the controller utilizes a physics engine in determining that the selected object is to be transferred to the second player station.

39. The gaming table of claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of player stations includes a touchscreen display.

40. The gaming table of claim 39, wherein the received gesture relates to the player at the first player station swiping the selected object across a touchscreen of the first player station towards the second player station.

41. The gaming table of claim 39, wherein the received gesture relates to the player at the first player station dragging the selected object across a touchscreen of the first player station and dropping the selected object on an icon corresponding to the second player station.

42. The gaming table of claim 28, wherein the determination of if the selected object is to be transferred to the second player station is based on at least one characteristic associated with the selected object.