HOST CONSOLE OF AN ELECTRONIC GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MOVING A GAME CONTROLLED BY THE SYSTEM

• US 20060287101A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pokertek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pokertek Incorporated
• Inventors: Crawford, James T. III, White, Gehrig Henderson, Lester, Jon
• Application Number:
  US11/419,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

An electronic gaming system has a plurality of tables each having a plurality of electronic player interaction areas (EPIA'"'"'s) spaced preferably about a table periphery so that a gaming player locates oneself in front of a respective EPIA to play a game. A controller of the system assigns any one of preferably a variety of games to any one table. The player is then free to choose what game he/she desires to play by picking a particular table. When playing of a game is being conducted by the controller at a particular table, the table is considered to be active. When a table is without players and thus a game is not being played, the table is considered to be inactive. The gaming system has a host console that communicates with each EPIA via the controller for managerial control of the plurality of tables. A host interface of the host console enables input by a host to move a game and the respective players from an active table to an inactive table.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming system for control of a game being played by at least one player, the system comprising:

first and second game tables each having a plurality of electronic player interaction areas for player communication and player input, wherein the first game table is active and thus locates each one of the at least one player at a respective one of the plurality of electronic player interaction areas of the first game table, and wherein the second game table is inactive; and

a host console being in communication with the plurality of electronic player interaction areas for managerial control of the first and second game tables, the host console having a host interface that enables host input to move a game from the active first game table to the inactive second game table.

2. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 1 further comprising a touch-screen display of the host console for displaying status of the first and second tables and controlling at least in part the game.

3. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 2 wherein the status is at least one of the first and second tables being active or inactive.

4. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of electronic player interaction areas has a computer being in communication with a computer or the host console.

5. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 4 further comprising a server computer communicating between the computer of the host console and the computer of the electronic player interaction area for running and controlling the game.

6. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 1 further comprising the host interface having a table representation for selection of the second table when moving the game.

7. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 6 further comprising the host interface having a move game button that when selected enables selection of the table representation.

8. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 7 further comprising the host interface having a pause game button that when selected enables selection of the move game button.

9. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 8 further comprising the host interface having a no delay button that when selected enables selection of the pause game button.

10. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 6 further comprising the host interface having a move now button that when selected after selecting the second table via the table representation deactivates the first table.

11. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 10 further comprising the host interface having a resume game button that when selected after selecting the move now button activates the second table.

12. The electronic gaming system set forth in claim 11 further comprising:

the host interface being a touch-screen display; and

wherein the move now button and the resume game button are virtual buttons on the touch-screen display.

13. A method of moving a game between a plurality of electronic gaming tables of an electronic gaming system, the method comprising the steps of:

playing a game controlled by a controller at an active table of the plurality of electronic gaming tables;

displaying table representations of the plurality of tables on an interface by the controller;

determining which of the plurality of tables are inactive via the table representations;

selecting a destination table from the inactive tables utilizing the interface;

deactivating the active table by the controller; and

activating the destination table by the controller.

14. The method set forth in claim 13 comprising the further step of activating only those electronic player interaction areas of a plurality of player interaction areas of the active table having a player when playing the game.

15. The method set forth in claim 14 comprising the further step of activating only those electronic player interaction areas of a plurality of player interaction areas of the destination table having the player when activating the destination table.

16. The method set forth in claim 15 comprising the further step of transferring player information from the respective plurality of player interaction areas of the active station to the respective plurality of player interactions areas of the destination table when activating the destination table.

17. The method set forth in claim 13 comprising the further step of selecting a move game button on the interface before selecting the destination table.

18. The method set forth in claim 17 comprising the further step of selecting a pause game button on the interface before selecting the move game button.

19. The method set forth in claim 18 comprising the further step of selecting a no delay button on the interface before selecting the pause game button.

20. The method set forth in claim 19 comprising the further step of selecting a move now button on the interface to deactivate the active table.

21. The method set forth in claim 20 comprising the further step of selecting a resume game button on the interface to active the destination table.

22. A method of moving a game from an active electronic gaming table to a destination electronic gaming table, the method comprising the steps of:

selection of a pause game option;

deactivation of the electronic gaming table;

selection of the destination electronic gaming table;

moving of game in mid-play to the destination electronic gaming table via software; and

resuming of game play by the players.