AUGMENTED REALITY FOR WAGERING GAME ACTIVITY

• US 20120184352A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Detlefsen, David E., Gagner, Mark B., Gura, Damon E., Gamache, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,679,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• 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: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information

Abstract

A method includes capturing media content of a wagering game machine at a wagering game establishment with a camera of a mobile device. A location of the mobile device is determined when the media content is captured. A direction that a lens of the camera is facing when the media content is captured is determined. The wagering game machine is identified based on the location and the direction. Overlay imagery derived from wagering game activity of the wagering game machine is downloaded into the mobile device from a server. The overlay imagery is composited onto the media content to create a composited media content. The composited media content is displayed on a display of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

capturing media content of a wagering game machine at a wagering game establishment with a camera of a mobile device;

determining a location of the mobile device when the media content is captured;

determining a direction that a lens of the camera is facing when the media content is captured;

identifying one or more the wagering game machines based on the location and the direction;

downloading, into the mobile device from a server, overlay imagery derived from wagering game activity of the one or more wagering game machines;

compositing the overlay imagery onto the media content to create a composited media content; and

displaying the composited media content on a display of the mobile device.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device with a global positioning system module of the mobile device.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device using a cellular infrastructure to triangulate the location of the mobile device.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more wagering game machines comprises:

transmitting the location and the direction to the server; and

receiving an identification of the one or more wagering game machines from the server.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the overlay imagery is derived from at least one of past wagering game activity of the user of the mobile device and a statistic of past wagering game activity of the one or more wagering game machines.

6. The computerized method of claim 5, wherein the wagering game activity comprises past wagering game activity of the user of the mobile device, wherein the past wagering game activity is retrieved from at least one of a player tracking account provided by the wagering game establishment or a player account provided by a manufacturer of the one or more wagering game machines.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the overlay imagery is derived from a suggestion to play a different type of wagering game machine based on a type of the one or more wagering game machines.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the overlay imagery comprises an interface to enable a user of the mobile device to perform a side wager relative to the wagering game activity of the one or more wagering game machines.

9. A computerized method comprising:

capturing media content of a wagering game machine at a wagering game establishment with a camera of a mobile device of an operator of the wagering game establishment;

capturing media content of at least one display in the wagering game establishment with the camera of the mobile device;

locating a watermark embedded in the media content of the at least one display in the wagering game establishment;

decoding the watermark to determine a location and a position of the mobile device;

identifying the wagering game machine based on the location and the direction;

identifying a wagering game player playing a wagering game at the wagering game machine when the media content is captured;

downloading, into the mobile device from a server, overlay imagery derived from wagering game activity of the wagering game player;

overlaying the overlay imagery onto the image to create an overlaid media content; and

displaying the overlaid media content on a display of the mobile device.

10. The computerized method of claim 9, wherein identifying the wagering game machine comprises:

transmitting the captured media content to the server; and

receiving an identification of the wagering game machine from the server based on the media content transmitted to the server.

11. The computerized method of claim 9, wherein identifying the wagering game machine comprises:

transmitting the location and the direction to the server;

receiving an identification of the wagering game machine from the server.

12. The computerized method of claim 9, wherein identifying the wagering game player comprises identifying the wagering game player based an identification of the wagering game machine.

13. The computerized method of claim 9, wherein identifying the wagering game player comprises:

extracting an image, from the media content, of a display of the wagering game machine;

locating a watermark in the image; and

identifying the wagering game player based on the watermark in the image.

14. The computerized method of claim 9, wherein the overlay imagery is derived from an amount of money that the wagering game player has spent at the wagering game establishment over a time period.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of a wagering game machine at a wagering game establishment;

a global positioning system module configured to determine a location of the mobile device while the image is captured;

a compass configured to determine a direction that a lens of the camera is facing while the image is captured;

an overlay module configured to

identify the wagering game machine based on the location and the direction;

download, into the mobile device from a server, overlay imagery derived from at least one of past wagering game activity of the user of the mobile device, a statistic of past wagering game activity of the wagering game machine, and a suggestion to play a different type of wagering game machine based on a type of the wagering game machine; and

overlay the overlay imagery onto the image to create an overlaid image; and

display the overlaid image on a display of the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the overlay module is configured to identify based on a transmission of the location and the direction to the server, wherein the overlay module is configured to receive an identification of the wagering game machine from the server.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the overlay module is configured to retrieve the past wagering game activity of the user of the mobile device from at least one of a player tracking account provided by the wagering game establishment or a player account provided by a manufacturer of the wagering game machine.

18. One or more machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

capturing media content of signage, at a mercantile establishment that is remote from a wagering game establishment, with a camera of a mobile device;

determining a location of the mobile device with a global positioning system module of the mobile device when the media content is captured;

determining a direction that a lens of the camera is facing when the media content is captured, using a compass of the mobile device;

identifying the signage based on the location and the direction;

downloading, into the mobile device from a server, overlay imagery that provides a play-while-away update for a wagering game activity occurring at the wagering game establishment;

overlaying the overlay imagery onto the media content to create an overlaid media content; and

displaying the overlaid media content on a display of the mobile device.

19. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein identifying the signage is based on the location of the signage and comprises:

transmitting the location and the direction to the server; and

receiving an identification of the signage from the server.

20. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the play-while-away update comprises at least one of an amount of winnings and an amount of money remaining for a play-while-away game wherein a user of the mobile device is a wagering game player of the play-while-away game.

21. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the media content comprises an image of the signage.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for capturing media content of signage, at a sporting event, with a camera of a mobile device;

means for determining a location of the mobile device when the media content is captured;

means for determining a direction that a lens of the camera is facing when the media content is captured;

means for identifying the signage based on the location and the direction;

means for downloading, into the mobile device from a server, overlay imagery that provides a user interface to enable a user of the mobile device to enter a wager based on the sporting event;

means for overlaying the overlay imagery onto the media content to create an overlaid media content;

means for displaying the overlaid media content on a display of the mobile device; and

means for transmitting the wager entered by the user to the server.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for identifying the signage is based on the location of the signage and comprises:

means for transmitting the location and the direction to the server; and

means for receiving an identification of the signage from the server.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the signage comprises at least one of a scoreboard at the sporting event, a symbol on a field of play of the sporting event and a sign identifying a stadium where the sporting event is being played.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the user interface is to enable a selection of a type of wager, wherein the type of wager comprises a winner of the sporting event.