SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUGMENTED REALITY GAMING USING A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120122528A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Lyons, Martin S., Kelly, Bryan M., Sommer, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,821,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0074 Game concepts, rules or strategies
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0093 characterised by the game theory or winning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/359 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for enabling a user in an augmented reality gaming venue to use an augmented reality gaming venue component and a mobile device to find a particular game or gaming machine. The method includes: controlling a camera on the mobile device using the augmented reality gaming venue component, once the component is activated; determining the location of the mobile device; determining the orientation of the mobile device; querying a casino management system to retrieve data for the augmented reality gaming venue; generating a list of gaming machines and other objects currently visible to the camera; rendering a camera-captured image on a display of the mobile device; and overlaying icons on the image for each visible object to display additional visual information to a user on the display of the mobile device in response to the user aiming the mobile device at gaming machines or other objects of interest in the augmented reality gaming venue.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a user in an augmented reality gaming venue to use an augmented reality gaming assistance component and a mobile device to find additional gaming options or information for a game displayed on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

controlling a camera on the mobile device using the augmented reality gaming assistance component, once the component is activated;

enabling a user to capture an image of a pay table of the game or the game title;

enabling a user to capture an image of a current game state;

sending the images via a network to a server;

determining possible strategies for use by a player of the game title in the current game state;

transmitting the possible strategies for use by a player of the game title in the current game state to the user of the mobile device; and

displaying the possible strategies for use by a player of the game title in the current game state to the user via a display on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible strategies include a theoretical best choice for the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible strategies include information concerning possible outcomes to the game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is enabled to experiment with the possible strategies by selecting and de-selecting potential cards to hold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein odds are presented to the user below the cards, as the potential cards to hold are being updated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein odds which are presented to the user below the cards account for progressive jackpots which cause possible strategies to vary depending upon the current progressive amount.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible strategies include links to tutorials that offer context-sensitive help.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible strategies include links to discussion forums or social networking sites specific to the game.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a camera, gyroscope, location tracking components, and optical recognition components.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gyroscope provides orientation derivation capabilities.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the location tracking components include a digital compass and a GPS system (Global Positioning System).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the location tracking components enable accurate position and orientation of the mobile device and its user to be derived.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmented reality gaming assistance component is activated by a Bluetooth or wireless message that is received by the mobile device when the device passes through a portal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the portal is a casino entrance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone that includes a built-in camera.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device displays a message to the user on the display of the mobile device instructing the user to aim the mobile device at a game of a gaming machine in the augmented reality gaming venue.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a pop-up window containing information about a game or gaming machine is activated by selecting an icon on the display of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a pop-up window containing information regarding gaming machine availability is activated by selecting an icon on the display of the mobile device.

19. A method of enabling a user in an augmented reality gaming venue to use an augmented reality gaming assistance component and a mobile device to find additional gaming options or information for a game displayed on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

controlling a camera on the mobile device using the augmented reality gaming assistance component, once the component is activated;

enabling a user to capture the output from the gaming machine via the camera, wherein the output includes an image of a pay table of the game or the game title, and an image of a current game state;

sending the images via a network to a server;

determining, transmitting, and displaying possible strategies for use by a player of the game title in the current game state; and

overlaying virtual graphics on a display of the mobile device that either appear to be on a display of the gaming machine when viewed via the mobile phone, or augment the display of the gaming machine with elements that indicate points of interest on the gaming machine.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the gaming machine presents calibration marks at corners of the display of the gaming machine, once the augmented session has begun.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein as the player holds the camera to the gaming machine, the application-controlled camera captures an image of the gaming machine, including the game output.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein an object recognition system of the augmented reality gaming assistance component extracts the calibration marks from the image of the gaming machine.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein an object recognition system of the augmented reality gaming assistance component extracts data marks which transmit varying intensive light, and wherein the data marks are used as a one-way communication method from the gaming machine to the augmented reality gaming assistance component.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the possible strategies include a theoretical best choice for the user.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the possible strategies include information concerning possible outcomes to the game.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the user is enabled to experiment with the possible strategies by selecting and de-selecting potential cards to hold.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein odds are presented to the user below the cards, as the potential cards to hold are being updated.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein odds which are presented to the user below the cards account for progressive jackpots which cause possible strategies to vary depending upon the current progressive amount.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the possible strategies include links to tutorials that offer context-sensitive help.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the possible strategies include links to discussion forums or social networking sites specific to the game.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device includes a camera, gyroscope, location tracking components, and optical recognition components.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the gyroscope provides orientation derivation capabilities.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the location tracking components includes a digital compass and a GPS system (Global Positioning System).

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the location tracking components enable accurate position and orientation of the mobile device and its user to be derived.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the augmented reality gaming assistance component is activated by a Bluetooth or wireless message that is received by the mobile device when the device passes through a portal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the portal is a casino entrance.

37. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone that includes a built-in camera.

38. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device displays a message to the user on the display of the mobile device instructing the user to aim the mobile device at a game of a gaming machine in the augmented reality gaming venue.

39. The method of claim 19, wherein a pop-up window containing information about a game or gaming machine is activated by selecting an icon on the display of the mobile device.

40. The method of claim 19, wherein a pop-up window containing information regarding gaming machine availability is activated by selecting an icon on the display of the mobile device.

41. A method of enabling a user in an augmented reality gaming venue to use an augmented reality gaming assistance component and a mobile device to find additional gaming options or information for a game displayed on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

controlling a camera on the mobile device using the augmented reality gaming assistance component, once the component is activated;

enabling a user to capture the output from the gaming machine via the camera, wherein the output includes an image of a pay table of the game or the game title, and an image of a current game state;

sending the images via a network to a server;

determining, transmitting, and displaying possible strategies for use by a player of the game title in the current game state; and

overlaying virtual graphics on a display of the mobile device that either appear to be on a display of the gaming machine when viewed via the mobile phone, or augment the display of the gaming machine with elements that indicate points of interest on the gaming machine,

wherein an object recognition system of the augmented reality gaming assistance component extracts data marks from the display of the gaming machine which transmit varying intensive light, and wherein the data marks are used as a one way communication method from the gaming machine to the augmented reality gaming assistance component.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the data marks may be used to communicate a state of the game.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the data marks may cause the phone to augment the display with extra graphical effects during free spins.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the data marks may be used to provide secret hints to the player via their mobile phone with regard to choices to make during a game.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein secret hints are constructed such that the hints do not affect the overall hold over time, or simply decrease the hold by a known amount.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein players may be targeted for receiving secret hints who have a consistent record of betting larger.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the data marks may be used to enable game play statistics to be encrypted and sent via the data marks and augmented reality gaming application to a secure web service.