Using gaze detection to change timing and behavior

• US 10,561,928 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay Trent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rada, III, Alex F. R. P.
• Application Number:
  US15/720,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20190099660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Methods of operating an electronic gaming machine are provided. Methods may include displaying a game window associated with a wagering game on an electronic display screen of the electronic gaming machine, the game window including first content, receiving, using at least one data capture camera device, gaze direction data that corresponds to a player and that includes information corresponding to a location towards which a gaze of the player is directed, evaluating the gaze direction data to determine a triggering condition corresponding to the first content, and modifying the game window responsive to determining the triggering condition that is based on the gaze direction data.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, comprising:

operating a wagering game on the electronic gaming machine, wherein operating the wagering game on the electronic gaming machine comprises;

displaying a game window associated with the wagering game on an electronic display screen of the electronic gaming machine, the game window including a game element;

receiving, using at least one data capture camera device, gaze direction data that corresponds to a player and that includes information corresponding to a location towards which a gaze of the player is directed;

evaluating, using a processor, the gaze direction data to determine a triggering condition corresponding to the game element; and

modifying, using the display device, the game window responsive to determining the triggering condition that is based on the gaze direction data; and

determining, based on the gaze direction data, an emotional state of the player that corresponds to the player looking at the game element,

wherein, responsive to determining that the player has a positive emotional state corresponding to the game element, modifying the game window to increase a presence of the game element, and

wherein, responsive to determining that the player has a negative emotional state corresponding to the game element, modifying the game window to reduce the presence of the game element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element includes a first timing characteristic,

wherein the first timing characteristic comprises a game cycle time that is a time duration corresponding to a single play of the wagering game,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the player is not looking at the electronic display screen while the game window is being displayed, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises reducing the game cycle time by reducing a time corresponding to at least one game feature.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element includes a first timing characteristic,

wherein the game element comprises a video that includes an animation, a movie and/or an image sequence that is configured to be displayed for a first time duration,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is not directed at the game element, and

wherein the method further comprises modifying the first timing characteristic, wherein modifying the first timing characteristic comprises causing the game element to be displayed for a second time duration that is less than the first time duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element includes a first timing characteristic,

wherein the game element comprises a video that includes an animation, a movie and/or an image sequence that is configured to be displayed for a first time duration,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is directed at the game element, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises causing the game element to be displayed for a second time duration that is greater than the first time duration.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element comprises a first speed that corresponds to a rate of speed that the game element moves across the electronic display screen,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is moving across the electronic display screen at a second speed that is different from the first rate of speed, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises modifying the rate of speed that the game element moves across the electronic display screen.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising determining that player is looking at a mobile device,

wherein modifying the game window comprises including a game element to attract attention of the player or sending the player mobile device a message that provides an option to play the wagering game on the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element comprises a first speed that corresponds to a rate of speed that the game element moves across the electronic display screen,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is not directed to the game element, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises modifying the rate of speed that the game element moves across the screen to a second speed that is greater than the first speed.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window comprises a first game window and the electronic display screen comprises a first electronic display screen,

wherein operating the wagering game further comprises displaying the first game window on the first electronic display screen and a second game window on a second electronic display screen,

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is directed to the second game window, displaying content on both the first game window and the second game window that corresponds to the wagering game, and

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is not directed to the second game window, displaying content on the first game window that corresponds to the wagering game and displaying content on the second game window that does not correspond to the wagering game.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window comprises a first game window and the electronic display screen comprises a first electronic display screen,

wherein operating the wagering game further comprises displaying the first game window on the first electronic display screen and a second game window on a second electronic display screen, and

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that the gaze of the player is directed to the first game window, displaying content on the first game window that communicates a message to the player to look at the second game window.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window includes a plurality of game elements,

wherein ones of the plurality of game elements are spin animations of game reels that each include a plurality of symbols thereon, and

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that that player has an interest in a given symbol of the plurality of symbols, increasing a frequency that the given symbol is displayed during the spin animations.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window includes a plurality of game elements,

wherein ones of the plurality of game elements are spin animations of game reels that each include a plurality of symbols thereon,

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that that player has an interest in a given symbol of the plurality of symbols, generating outcomes that are near misses relative to a jackpot, wherein the jackpot comprises the given symbol.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element comprises a key element that includes information to the player that has a higher value than information corresponding to other game elements,

wherein the gaze direction data is evaluated to determine if the player has looked at the key element, and

wherein responsive to determining that the player has not looked at the key element, modifying the game window includes visually highlighting the key element to attract attention of the player.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game element comprises a key element that includes information to the player that has a higher value than information corresponding to other game elements,

wherein the gaze direction data is evaluated to determine that the player has not looked at the key element, and

wherein responsive to determining that the player has not looked at the key element, moving the key element to the location towards which the gaze of the player is directed.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window includes a plurality of game elements,

wherein ones of the plurality of game elements are spin animations of game reels,

wherein, responsive to the gaze direction data indicating that that player has an interest in a given reel of the plurality of reels while the given reel is still spinning, generating an anticipation event that increases the player excitement, and

wherein the anticipation event comprises an anticipation sound and/or a delay in stopping the given reel.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the triggering condition comprises determining that the player is confused about playing the wagering game, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises displaying information corresponding to playing the wagering game.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game window comprises a first game window and the electronic display screen comprises a first electronic display screen,

wherein operating the wagering game further comprises displaying the first game window on the first electronic display screen and a second game window on a second electronic display screen,

wherein receiving the gaze direction data comprises receiving, using a first data capture camera device, first gaze direction data corresponding to the first electronic display screen and receiving, using a second data capture camera device, second gaze direction data corresponding to the second electronic display screen,

wherein responsive to moving the game element in a path that goes from the first electronic display screen to the second electronic display screen, calibrating the first or second gaze direction data.

17. A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, comprising:

displaying a game window associated with a wagering game on an electronic display screen of the electronic gaming machine, the game window including first content;

receiving, using at least one data capture camera device, gaze direction data that corresponds to a player and that includes information corresponding to a location towards which a gaze of the player is directed;

evaluating the gaze direction data to determine a triggering condition corresponding to the first content;

modifying the game window responsive to determining the triggering condition that is based on the gaze direction data; and

receiving interest data that corresponds to associations between game elements and player interest data that corresponds to ones of the game elements and that is determined based on the gaze direction data,

wherein modifying the game window comprises providing second content that is different from the first content and that includes ones of the game elements that the player interest data indicates are interesting to the player.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the game window further comprises second content that is different from the first content,

wherein the first content is associated with a first game and the second content is associated with a second game,

wherein evaluating the gaze direction data comprises determining a first amount of time during a time interval that the player is looking at the first content and a second amount of time during the time interval that the player is looking at the second content,

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the gaze direction data indicating that the player is looking at the first content more than the second content, and

wherein modifying the game window comprises modifying a display order to display the first content at a higher position than the second content.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the game elements include at least one of a game feature type, a game element category, a game theme, a color, and a graphics property.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein modifying the game window comprises removing the first content that includes ones of the game elements that the player interest data indicates are not interesting to the player.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the game window comprises a game selection window that includes selection content corresponding to a plurality of games, and

wherein an arrangement of the plurality of games is based on the gaze direction data.

22. An electronic gaming machine, comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

a display controller coupled to the processor and the display device; and

a gaze detection unit coupled to the processor and configured to detect a gaze direction of the viewer;

wherein the processor is configured to;

operate a wagering game on the electronic gaming machine, wherein to operate the wagering game on the electronic gaming machine, the processor is further configured to;

display a game window associated with the wagering game on an electronic display screen of the electronic gaming machine, the game window including a game element;

receive, using at least one data capture camera device, gaze direction data that corresponds to a player and that includes information corresponding to a location towards which a gaze of the player is directed;

evaluate the gaze direction data to determine a triggering condition corresponding to the game element; and

modify the game window responsive to determining the triggering condition that is based on the gaze direction data; and

based on the gaze direction data, an emotional state of the player that corresponds to the player looking at the game element,

wherein, responsive to determining that the player has a positive emotional state corresponding to the game element, to modify the game window to increase a presence of the game element, and

wherein, responsive to determining that the player has a negative emotional state corresponding to the game element, to modify the game window to reduce the presence of the game element.

23. The electronic gaming machine according to claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that player is looking at a mobile device and include a game element to attract attention of the player or send the mobile device a message that provides an option to play the wagering game on the mobile device.