Methods of Receiving Electronic Wagers in a Wagering Game Via a Handheld Electronic Wager Input Device

• US 20110111840A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Jesse, Motyl, Jim, Gagner, Mark B., Loose, Timothy C., Shi, Victor T., Thomas, Alfred, Rasmussen, James M., Gronkowski, Timothy T., Lesley, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• 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 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, linked to the respective player'"'"'s account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Claims

1-120. -120. (canceled)

121. A method of receiving a wager to play a wagering game, comprising:

displaying the wagering game on a display of a gaming terminal, the gaming terminal including a multipoint sensing device configured to sense multiple points simultaneously;

detecting an identification code associated with a handheld electronic wager input device held by a first player of the wagering game;

responsive to the detecting and responsive to the electronic wager input device being in proximity to the gaming terminal, determining a first wager amount associated with the first player;

storing a value representing the first wager amount;

randomly selecting an outcome of the wagering game from among a plurality of possible outcomes; and

responsive to the randomly selecting, awarding an award to the first player commensurate with the first wager amount.

122. The method of claim 121, wherein the multipoint sensing device includes a camera, the method further comprising:

detecting a second identification code associated with a second electronic wager input device held by a second player of the wagering game;

responsive to the detecting the second identification code and responsive to the second electronic wager input device being in proximity to the gaming terminal, determining a second wager amount associated with the second player;

storing a second value representing the second wager amount; and

responsive to the randomly selected outcome being a winning outcome, awarding an award to the second player commensurate with the second wager amount.

123. The method of claim 121, wherein the multipoint sensing device uses capacitive sensing to detect multiple touches on a surface thereof, and wherein the determining the first wager amount includes:

storing the identification code in the electronic wager input device;

sensing a touch on the multipoint sensing device by the electronic wager input device; and

responsive to the sensing, determining whether the electronic wager input device is positioned within one of a plurality of predetermined wager amount areas on the surface of the multipoint sensing device.

124. The method of claim 123, further comprising:

sensing a touch on the multipoint sensing device by the electronic wager input device held by a second player of the wagering game; and

responsive to the sensing, determining that a second wager amount is associated with the second player based on the identification code associated with the electronic wager input device.

125. The method of claim 121, further comprising:

accessing a player account, associated with the first player, based on the identification code, the player account storing an account balance and being remote from the gaming terminal; and

decrementing the account balance by the value representing the first wager amount.

126. The method of claim 121, further comprising receiving an indication of a switch actuation on the electronic wager input device, wherein the storing the value representing the first wager amount is carried out responsive to the receiving the indication of the switch actuation.

127. The method of claim 121, further comprising:

communicating the identification code to a player account server; and

identifying an identity of the first player based on the identification code.

128. The method of claim 121, wherein the detecting includes reading encoded information from an RFID tag or transponder in the electronic wager input device and decoding the encoded information to produce the identification code.

129. The method of claim 121, wherein the identification code is an indicia disposed on a bottom surface of the electronic wager input device, and wherein the detecting is carried out by imaging the indicia using a camera.

130. A computer program product, comprising one or more non-transitory tangible media having a computer readable program logic embodied therein, the computer readable program logic configured to be executed to implement a method of receiving a wager to play a wagering game, the method comprising:

displaying the wagering game on a display of a gaming terminal, the gaming terminal including a multipoint sensing device configured to sense multiple points simultaneously;

detecting an identification code associated with a handheld electronic wager input device held by a first player of the wagering game;

responsive to the detecting and responsive to the electronic wager input device being in proximity to the gaming terminal, determining a first wager amount associated with the first player;

storing a value representing the first wager amount;

randomly selecting an outcome of the wagering game from among a plurality of possible outcomes; and

responsive to the randomly selecting, awarding an award to the first player commensurate with the first wager amount.

131. The product of claim 130, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a player account, associated with the first player, based on the identification code, the player account storing an account balance and being remote from the gaming terminal; and

decrementing the account balance by the value representing the first wager amount.

132. The product of claim 131, wherein the player account is stored on a player account server and wherein the method further comprises:

communicating the identification code to the player account server; and

identifying an identity of the first player based on the identification code.

133. The product of claim 130, wherein the method further comprises receiving an indication of a switch actuation on the electronic wager input device, wherein the storing the value representing the first wager amount is carried out responsive to the receiving the indication of the switch actuation.

134. The product of claim 130, wherein the multipoint sensing device includes a camera and the identification code is embodied in indicia on a bottom surface of the electronic wager input device.

135. The product of claim 130, wherein the multipoint sensing device uses capacitive sensing to detect multiple touches on a surface of the multipoint sensing device, and wherein the identification code is stored in a memory in the electronic wager input device.

136. A method of receiving a wager to play a wagering game, comprising:

displaying the wagering game;

wirelessly detecting an identification code associated with a handheld electronic wager input device held by a first player of the wagering game and positioned in proximity to a gaming terminal, wherein the gaming terminal includes a multi-touch sensing device arranged relative to the surface for detecting simultaneously a plurality of touch inputs relative to the surface;

determining whether the handheld electronic wager input device is positioned within a predetermined wagering area on a surface of the multi-touch sensing device, and, if so, determining a first wager amount;

associating the identification code with a player account of the first player, the player account storing an account balance and being remote from the electronic wager input device;

randomly selecting an outcome of the wagering game from among a plurality of possible outcomes; and

responsive to the randomly selecting, awarding an award to the first player commensurate with the first wager amount.

137. The method of claim 136, further comprising storing the identification code in a memory of the electronic wager input device.

138. The method of claim 136, further comprising receiving an indication of the first wager amount by detecting that the handheld electronic wager input device is positioned within one of a plurality of a predetermined wager amount areas on the surface of the multi-touch sensing device, each of the plurality of predetermined wager amount areas representing a different wager amount.

139. The method of claim 136, wherein the wirelessly detecting is carried out without requiring the first player to touch any portion of the gaming terminal.

140. The method of claim 136, further comprising:

wirelessly detecting a second identification code associated with a second handheld electronic wager input device held by a second player of the wagering game and positioned in proximity to the gaming terminal;

determining whether the second handheld electronic wager input device is positioned within the predetermined wagering area on the surface of the multi-touch sensing device, and, if so, determining a second wager amount;

associating the second identification code with a second player account of the second player, the second player account storing an account balance and being remote from the electronic wager input device; and

responsive to the randomly selecting, adjusting the account balance of the second player account.

141. A method receiving a wager to play a wagering game, comprising:

displaying the wagering game on a display;

receiving an output signal in response to a movement associated with a handheld electronic wager input device by a player of the wagering game;

associating the output signal with a wagering function associated with the wagering game, the wagering function at least causing an amount to be wagered on the wagering game to be modified or confirmed;

receiving from the electronic wager input device an indication of a confirmation of the amount to be wagered on the wagering game;

accepting the amount to be wagered as a wager amount on the wagering game;

in response to accepting the wager amount, randomly selecting an outcome of the wagering game from among a plurality of possible outcomes; and

responsive to the randomly selecting, awarding an award to the player commensurate with the wager amount.

142. The method of claim 141, wherein the movement includes rotating a dial on the handheld electronic wager input device or tilting the handheld electronic wager input device.

143. The method of claim 141, wherein the receiving the indication of the confirmation of the amount to be wagered is carried out by detecting a press of a button on the handheld electronic wager input device.

144. A system for receiving a wager to play a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming terminal having a display and a multipoint sensing device configured to sense multiple points simultaneously, the gaming terminal being configured to display the wagering game on the display;

a handheld electronic wager input device having a memory storing therein a unique identification code; and

a controller configured to;

responsive to the detecting and responsive to the electronic wager input device being in proximity to the gaming terminal, determine a first wager amount associated with the first player,

store a value representing the first wager amount,

randomly select an outcome of the wagering game from among a plurality of possible outcomes, and

responsive to the randomly selecting, award an award to the first player commensurate with the first wager amount.

145. The system of claim 144, the electronic wager input device further including a button that, when actuated, causes an output signal to be generated, the controller being further configured to detect the output signal as a confirmation of the first wager amount.

146. The system of claim 144, the electronic wager input device further including an RFID tag or transponder encoding the unique identification code, the controller being further configured to decode the unique identification code encoded by the RFID tag or transponder.

147. The system of claim 144, the electronic wager input device further including a dial that, when rotated, causes an output signal to be generated, the controller being further configured to detect the output signal and increase or decrease an amount to be wagered in response to detecting the output signal.