System and digital table for binding a mobile device to a position at the table for transactions

• US 10,643,423 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Lyons, Martin, Hilbert, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/713,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20180108207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 463 34
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A system, digital table and method for binding a mobile device to a location on the digital table are disclosed. The digital table has a transparent substrate, a diffuse cloth layer having the feel of felt and suitable for backlighting with an interposed compressible layer. A wireless table transceiver is provided to detect a mobile device on the table and to cause the mobile device to emit a code with its camera flash detected by an optical receiver to bind the mobile device to a specific location on the gaming table surface. Content such as digital images or lighting arrangements are directed through the substrate and compressible layer to the underside of the cloth where they are visible at the cloth layer adjacent to the mobile device location. In an embodiment the orientation of the mobile device may be determined for configuring content. Interaction between the mobile device and table is supported to move virtual items such as gaming chips between the mobile device and the digital table.

Claims

1. A system for identifying and binding a mobile device to one of a plurality of player positions at a gaming table, the gaming table including a playing surface, the playing surface including light transmissive locations associated with the respective player positions, the mobile device including a flash device and said mobile device resting on the playing surface, the system comprising:

an optical receiver configured to receive, through one of the light transmissive locations, flash signals from the flash device, the flash signals identifying the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the optical receiver and configured to;

determine, via wireless electronic access to utilities of an accelerometer and a gyroscope of the mobile device, that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

electronically instruct the flash device to initiate the flash signals in response to determination that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

determine, in response to receipt of the flash signals via the optical receiver, which of the plurality of player positions is associated with the one of the light transmissive locations through which the flash signals were received;

bind the mobile device to the determined player position; and

automatically animate movement of wagering game content presented on the playing surface in relation to a rotational orientation of a digital footprint of the bound mobile device relative to the determined player position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the playing surface is non-opaque at the location of each of the light transmissive locations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the light transmissive locations comprises a non-opaque window.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a projector disposed to project content on the playing surface at each of the plurality of player positions.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the content highlights each light transmissive location.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the flash signals identify the mobile device via a series of short and long flashes corresponding to respective binary zeroes and ones of a code associated with the mobile device.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising a radio transceiver for establishing initial communication with the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

project, through the playing surface from a projector positioned below the playing surface, a halo image around the one of the light transmissive locations before automatic animation of the movement of the wagering game content;

automatically detect, via a camera positioned below the playing surface, a shadow image of the bound mobile device produced by projection of the halo image; and

determine, based on electronic analysis of the shadow image, the rotational orientation of the digital footprint of the bound mobile device relative to a game presentation area on the playing surface associated with the determined player position;

wherein the processor configured to automatically animate the movement of the wagering game content is configured to automatically animate the movement of the wagering game content in the game presentation area according to the rotational orientation of the digital footprint of the bound mobile device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to animate the movement of the wagering game content in the game presentation area according to the rotational orientation of the digital footprint of the bound mobile device is configured to:

determine, based on the electronic analysis of the shadow image, the digital footprint of the mobile device on the playing surface; and

digitally animate the movement of the wagering game content around one or more sides of the digital footprint, without said wagering game content being obscured by the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor configured to automatically animate the movement of the wagering game content is configured to:

detect player input from the bound mobile device; and

animate the movement of the wagering game content on the playing surface according to the player input.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to animate the movement of the wagering game content on the playing surface according to the player input is configured to:

determine a vector of a swipe touch gesture applied to a display of the bound mobile device; and

project, via electronic communication with a projection device, an animation of the movement of the wagering game content on the playing surface based on the vector.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the swipe touch gesture is applied to a first instance of a virtual gaming chip presented on the display of the bound mobile device, and wherein the processor configured to project the animation of the movement of the wagering game content is configured to:

determine, in response to electronic communication with the bound mobile device after the swipe touch gesture, that the first instance of the virtual gaming chip moves, according to at least a direction of the vector, to a location at an extent of the display of the bound mobile device; and

animate, at a location on the playing surface adjacent to the location of the extent of the display of the bound mobile device, a second instance of the virtual gaming chip, wherein animation of the second instance moves based on the at least the direction of the vector.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a monetary value associated with the first instance of the virtual gaming chip, wherein the monetary value is stored in an electronic account associated with the mobile device;

electronically transfer the monetary value from the electronic account to virtual funds associated with the determined player position; and

use at least a portion of the virtual funds as a wager amount in a wagering game administered at the gaming table.

14. A system for identifying and binding a mobile device including a flash device, the system comprising:

a gaming table including a playing surface and a plurality of player positions, the playing surface including light transmissive locations associated with the respective player positions, the mobile device resting on the playing surface;

an optical receiver configured to receive, through one of the light transmissive locations,

flash signals from the flash device, the flash signals identifying the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the optical receiver and configured to;

determine, via wireless electronic access to utilities of an accelerometer and a gyroscope of the mobile device, that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

electronically instruct the flash device to initiate the flash signals in response to determination that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

determine, in response to receipt of the flash signals via the optical receiver, which of the plurality of player positions is associated with the one of the light transmissive locations through which the flash signals were received;

bind the mobile device to the determined player position; and

automatically animate movement of wagering game content presented on the playing surface in relation to a rotational orientation of a digital footprint of the bound mobile device relative to the determined player position.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the playing surface is non-opaque at the location of each of the light transmissive locations.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the light transmissive locations comprises a non-opaque window.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising a projector disposed to project content on the playing surface at each of the plurality of player positions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the content highlights each light transmissive location.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the flash signals identify the mobile device via a series of short and long flashes corresponding to respective binary zeroes and ones of a code associated with the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a radio transceiver for establishing initial communication with the mobile device.

21. A method for identifying and binding a mobile device to one of a plurality of player positions at a gaming table, the gaming table including a playing surface, the playing surface including light transmissive locations associated with the respective player positions, the mobile device including a flash device and resting on the playing surface, the method comprising:

receiving, at an optical receiver via one of the light transmissive locations, flash signals from the flash device, the flash signals identifying the mobile device;

determining, by a processor, which of the plurality of player positions is associated with the light transmissive location through which the flash signals were received;

determining, via wireless electronic access to utilities of an accelerometer and a gyroscope of the mobile device, that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

electronically instructing the flash device to initiate the flash signals in response to determination that the mobile device is resting on the playing surface;

binding the mobile device to the determined player position; and

automatically animating movement of wagering game content presented on the playing surface in relation to a rotational orientation of a digital footprint of the bound mobile device relative to the determined player position.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the playing surface is non-opaque at the location of each of the light transmissive locations.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the light transmissive locations comprises a non-opaque window.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising a projector disposed to project content on the playing surface at each of the plurality of player positions.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the content highlights each light transmissive location.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the flash signals identify the mobile device via a series of short and long flashes corresponding to respective binary zeroes and ones of a code associated with the mobile device.