METHODS AND REGULATED GAMING MACHINES INCLUDING GAME GADGETS CONFIGURED FOR PLAYER INTERACTION USING SERVICE ORIENTED SUBSCRIBERS AND PROVIDERS

• US 20100227689A1
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: BRUNET de COURSSOU, Thierry, FILIPOUR, Cameron Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,602,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A regulated gaining machine including a touch-screen display is provided in a gaining system that includes a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network using a service oriented communication protocol. A plurality of game gadgets are provided, each enabling player interaction via respective predetermined interaction zones of the touch-screen display, and at least one of which is associated with a game that is selectable and playable on the gaming machine. A service oriented subscriber executes in a predetermined one of the plurality of computer nodes and a service oriented provider is associated with each of the plurality of game gadgets, each being configured to control its associated game gadget. Each of the provided game gadgets is configured to allow interaction between the player and the service oriented subscriber. At least some of the game gadgets are displayed on the touch-screen display, and a player selection of one of the game gadgets is detected on the touch-screen. Responsive to detecting the player selection, a selected interaction is carried out between the player and the service oriented subscriber with respect to the selected game gadget.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a regulated gaming machine in a regulated gaming system that includes a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network using a service oriented communication protocol, the gaming machine including a touch-screen display;

providing a plurality of game gadgets, each enabling player interaction via respective predetermined interaction zones of the touch-screen display, at least one of the game gadgets corresponding to a game that is selectable and playable on the gaming machine by the player;

providing a service oriented subscriber executing in a predetermined one of the plurality of computer nodes;

providing and associating a service oriented provider with each of the plurality of game gadgets, each service oriented provider being configured to control its associated game gadget, each of the provided game gadgets being configured to allow interaction between the player and the service oriented subscriber;

displaying at least some of the plurality of game gadgets on the touch-screen display;

detecting a selection on the touch-screen, by the player, of one of the displayed game gadgets, and

responsive to detecting the player selection, carrying out a selected interaction between the player and the service oriented subscriber with respect to the selected game gadget.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first predetermined motion, by the player, on the touch-screen display, and

responsive to detecting the first predetermined motion, scrolling through the provided plurality of game gadgets such that some of the displayed game gadgets disappear from view on the touch-screen display, such that some of the displayed game gadgets are shifted in position and such that others of the provided plurality of game gadgets appear on the touch-screen display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the provided service oriented providers executes in the gaming machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction includes one of:

enabling game play of the game corresponding to the selected game gadget, and

displaying a secondary menu of the game corresponding to the selected game gadget.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined motion is a sweeping motion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service oriented subscriber providing step is carried out with the predetermined computer node being outside of the regulated gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service oriented subscriber providing step is carried out with the predetermined computer node being within the gaming machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction between the player and the service oriented subscriber is carried out using the service oriented protocol, and includes showing at least one of information, animation, game options, and a game preview, and wherein the game gadget is further configured to enable the player to select options displayed by the game gadget to be sent to the service oriented subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction carried out includes showing a game preview of a game corresponding to the selected game.

10. The method of claim 1, further including configuring the action according to player demographics.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays game gadgets corresponding to the most popular games.

12. The method of claim 1, further including a step of reading a player tracking card provided by the player and wherein the displaying step displays game gadgets corresponding to the player'"'"'s favorite games.

13. The method of claim 1, further including a step of reading a player tracking card provided by the player and wherein the displaying step displays game gadgets corresponding to games likely to satisfy preferences of the player.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a player rotatable sphere displayed on the touch-screen display.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the scrolling step rotates the sphere on the touch-screen display.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a player rotatable surface of revolution.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a 3D surface.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling step is carried out at least one of from left to light, from light to left, from top to bottom, from bottom to top and diagonally.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of game gadgets is configured to enable the player to search for games by enabling the player to enter game characteristics and wherein the displaying step displays only those game gadgets corresponding to games satisfying the entered game characteristics.

20. The method of claim 1, further including displaying at least one dedicated button on the touch-screen display, the dedicated button being configured to cause the displaying step to only display game gadgets corresponding to games satisfying at least one predetermined game characteristic.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined game characteristic is selected from a group consisting of Poker Games, Slot Games, Casino Video Games and Scripted Multi-Act Games.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the search enabling step includes displaying a keyboard on the touch-screen display to enable the player to enter the game characteristics.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction includes the service oriented provider downloading a game corresponding to the selected game gadget from the service oriented subscriber over the network and enabling game play of the downloaded game on the gaming machine.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the video content rendered on the touch-screen display features a game that is playable on the gaming machine and wherein the method further includes at least one of initiating game play of the featured game, selecting a menu of the featured game and selecting from available game options of the featured game, rewinding the video content, forwarding through the video content and rewinding or forwarding through a plurality of previously shown videos.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the rendered video content features a product or service that is available for purchase via a selected one of the plurality of computer nodes using the service oriented protocol and wherein the method further includes a step of enabling purchase of the product or the service shown on the rendered video content.

27. The method of claim 23, further including dynamically rearranging the provided plurality of video gadgets as a 3D carousel or as an animated mosaic, using at least one of continuous resizing, full screen, horizontal panning, vertical panning, mixed panning and controlled alpha blending.

24. A method, comprising:

providing a regulated gaming machine in a gaming system that includes a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network using a service oriented protocol, the gaming machine including a touch-screen display;

providing a plurality of video service oriented subscribers coupled to the network and executing in one of the plurality of computer nodes;

providing a plurality of video gadgets, each video gadget enabling interaction between the player and one of the plurality of video service oriented subscribers over the network via a respective associated interaction zone on the touch-screen display;

providing a video service oriented provider executing in the gaming machine and coupled to the network;

detecting an interaction, by the player, within the interaction zone associated with one of the provided plurality of video gadgets, and

responsive to detecting the player interaction, the video service oriented provider requesting and obtaining a video streaming service from a selected one of the plurality of video service subscribers over the network and providing the obtained video streaming service to the touch-screen display to thereby enable the touch-screen display to render video content obtained from the selected video service oriented subscriber.