MULTI-USER INPUT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR SERVING MULTIPLE USERS

• US 20090084612A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Griswold, Chauncey W., Wilder, Richard L., Mattice, Harold E., Stockdale, James W., Gadda, Christian E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

Techniques for providing a common input for multiple users are disclosed. Two separate input detection systems can be provided. One input detection system detects the identity of user while the other detects the location of input for processing. The information provided by the two detection systems is effectively reconciled to determine whether a particular user identified by the first system has provided input in a particular location indicated by the second system. Information can be reconciled, for example, at least partially based on the timing information provided by the two systems (e.g., whether the times indicated by the two systems are within an acceptable range). The first input detection can be provided as a Radio Frequency (RF) system that detects a change in RF energy received by a RF receiver provided in the proximity of a user when the user touches a touchscreen. The second input detection can include an APR (Acoustic Pulse Recognition) or capacitive touchscreen (or multi-touch screen). It will also be appreciated that both input system can be integrated into a single device which can be presented, for example, as multi-user touchscreen. The multi-user touch screen can provide a common input surface to serve numerous applications. For example, a virtual roulette table with a touchscreen surface can be provided for multiple players. The players can interact with the game by touching the touch screen surface provided as a common playing area (e.g., players can place bets by touching various positions of the touchscreen).

Claims

1. A multi-user multi-touch input system for use by a plurality of users as an input device, said multi-user multi-touch input system comprising:

an input portion capable of being touched by said plurality of users;

a user-identifier component configured and/or operable to;

detect that a particular one of said plurality of users has touched said input portion of said multi-user input device; and

effectively provide a user-identification and an identification-time, wherein said user-identification effectively identifies said particular user, and said identification-time includes a first touch time indicating the time when a touch has been detected by said user-identifier component, whereby the combination of said user-identification and identification-time effectively indicate that a touch by said particular user at said first touch-time has been detected by said user-identifier component;

a touch-locator component configured and/or operable to;

detect a touch at a particular location of said input portion of said multi-user input device;

effectively provide a touch-location and a location-time, wherein said touch-location identifies said particular location of a touch detected by said touch-locator on said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch device, and said location-time includes a second touch time indicating the time when a touch has been detected by said touch-location component, whereby the combination of said touch-location and location-time effectively indicate that a touch at said location has been detected by said touch-locator component; and

a synchronizing/controller component configured and/or operable to;

receive from said user-identifier component said user-identification and identification-time;

receive from said touch-locator component said touch-location and a location-time;

determine, at least partly based on said identification-time and location-time, whether said particular user has touched said input portion at said particular location of said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch input system; and

generate as output an indication that effectively indicates that said particular user identified by said user-identifier component has touched said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch input system at said particular location identified by said touch-location when said determining determines that said particular user has touched said input portion at said location of said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch device.

2. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said user-identifier component is further configured and/or operable to:

detect a change in Radio Frequency (RF) energy received by a RF receiver associated with said particular user when said particular user touches said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch input system.

3. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing/controller component is further configured and/or operable to:

determine whether said first time of said identification-time and said second time of said location-time are within an acceptable range; and

determine that said particular users has touched said input portion at said particular location when it is determined that said first and second time are within said acceptable range.

4. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing component is further configured and/or operable to:

ignore touches detected by said touch-locator component when said user-identifier does not detect a touch by one of said plurality of users, thereby allowing touches of non-users to be effectively ignored.

5. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing/controller component is further configured and/or operable to:

ignore one or more touches detected by said touch-locator component when within a determined time period said user-identifier identifies two or more users that have touched said input surface.

6. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing/controller component is further configured and/or operable to:

detect that the same user identified by said user-identifier component has effectively touched said particular location multiple times during a determined period of time.

7. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 6, wherein said synchronizing/controller component is further configured and/or operable to detect that said particular user had held a said particular location.

8. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said acceptable range is about 10 milliseconds (10 ms).

9. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said user-identifier component comprises:

at least one RF generator; and

a plurality RF receivers capable of detecting RF energy from the RF generator, wherein for each of said plurality of users at least one RF receiver is provided to detect a change in the RF energy transmitted by said RF generator when a user touches said input portion of said multi-user multi-touch input system.

10. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 9, wherein all of said plurality RF receivers are tuned to the same RF frequency.

11. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 9, wherein said touch locator component includes an Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) and/or a capacitance touch screen configured to detect a touch at a particular location.

12. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 9, wherein said Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) and/or a capacitance touch screen are integrated with a gaming machine and/or apparatus.

13. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 9, wherein said Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touch screen and/or a capacitance touch screen are multi-touch screen capable of detecting multiple touches at the same time.

14. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 9, wherein said RF generator is operatively connected to a transparent conductive coating on a top surface of said Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touchscreen and/or capacitance touchscreen.

15. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 14, wherein said Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touchscreen is coated with a conductive layer of Indium Tin Oxide.

16. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said input device is provided for one or more gaming applications.

17. The multi-user multi-touch input system of claim 1, wherein said input device one or more gaming applications include one or more of the following:

a roulette game, a craps game, a card game, a poker game.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing a multi-user input system for use as input device by a plurality of users, said computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating a user-identifier component and a input-locator component, wherein said user-identifier and input-locator components operate independently from each other, and said user-identifier component is configured to identify a particular user of said plurality of users when said user-identifier component detects that said particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system, and said input-locator component is configured to identify a location for input provided to said multi-user input system when said input-locator detects that input has been provided at said particular location of said multi-user input system;

receiving a first indication from said user-identifier component that indicates a particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system, and a second indication from said input-locator component that input has been provided to said multi-user input system;

reconciling said first and second indications to determine whether said particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system at said particular location; and

reporting a touch by said particular user at said particular location of said multi-user input system.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said reconciling of said first and second indications comprises one or more of the following:

timing information provided by said first and second indications,

whether multiple users have been identified within a determined period of time by said user-identifier system;

whether multiple input has been detected by said input-locator within a determined amount of time that said user-identifier system has identified said particular user; and

whether multiple input has been detected at the same location by said input-locator within a determined amount of time that said user-identifier system has indicated that one or more users have provided input.

20. A computer readable medium for providing a multi-user input system for use as input device by a plurality of users, said readable medium comprising:

computer program code for initiating a user-identifier component and a input-locator component, wherein said user-identifier and input-locator components operate independently from each other, and said user-identifier component is configured to identify a particular user of said plurality of users when said user-identifier component detects that said particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system, and said input-locator component is configured to identify a location for input provided to said multi-user input system when said input-locator detects that input has been provided at said particular location of said multi-user input system;

computer program code for receiving a first indication from said user-identifier component that indicates a particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system, and a second indication from said input-locator component that input has been provided to said multi-user input system;

computer program code for reconciling said first and second indications to determine whether said particular user has provided input to said multi-user input system at said particular location; and

computer program code for reporting a touch by said particular user at said particular location of said multi-user input system.

21. A gaming apparatus for a plurality of players, comprising:

a touch-surface that serves as a common input area for playing said game by said plurality of players;

a touch-location component configured to detect touches on said common input area and communicate the location of the touch to a controller component; and

a user-identifier component configured to detect which one of said players has touched said common input area and communicate an identifier associated with said player to a controller component, wherein said controller is configured to determined whether said particular player identified by said user-identifier component has touched said common input area at the location indicated by said touch-location component.

22. A gaming apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said controller is effectively provided by a gaming server that is communication with said gaming apparatus.

23. A gaming apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said gaming server manages said game.

24. A gaming apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said controller is effectively provided by said gaming apparatus.