DYNAMIC PALPABLE CONTROLS FOR A GAMING DEVICE

• US 20140235320A1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Bryan M., Patton, Stephen E., Martin, Sean C., Lyons, Martin S., Mitchell, Michael J., Wadleigh, William R., Schultz, David B., Cohn, Kimberly J., Vallejo, John R., Musick, Joanna, Hilbert, Scott T., Austin, Dougal, Monette, Amy Lynn, Childs, Julia M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,589,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a gaming machine touch screen system incorporating a flat transparent or nearly transparent layer that contains a series of active elements/actuators/chambers that enable a vertical displacement of the touch screen top surface. These active elements displace the top surface of the touch screen upon command of the gaming machine to provide features perceptible to the player'"'"'s touch.

Claims

1. A device with a button panel comprising:

a touch interface display including a flat surface and having structure enabling vertical displacement of the flat surface, displaying one or more palpable buttons;

a processor in communication with said display;

at one of said touch screen interface and processor configured to change the configuration of at least one displayed palpable button in response to interaction between the user and the display.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising at least on of said touch screen interface and said processor is configured to change one or more of the size, shape or location of the at least one displayed palpable button in response to interaction between the user and the display.

3. The device of claim 1 comprising at least one of said touch screen interface display and said processor is configured to alter one or more of the size, shape or location of the touch interface display parameters associated with at least one displayed palpable button in response to a sampling of touch positions by the user of said at least one displayed palpable button.

4. The device of claim 3 comprising at least one of said touch screen interface display and said processor is configured to alter one or more of the size, shape or location of the touch interface display parameters associated with at least one displayed palpable button in response to a sampling of touch positions over time by the user of said at least one displayed palpable button.

5. The device of claim 1 comprising at least one of said touch screen interface display and said processor is configured to alter one or more of the size, shape or location of the touch interface display parameters associated with at least one displayed palpable button in response to a sampling of touch positions over time by the user of said at least one displayed palpable button, said processor configured to alter the said at least one displayed palpable button in incremental dimensional steps.

6. The device of claim 1 comprising at least one of said touch screen interface display and processor are configured to provide sensory feedback to the user substantially responsive to the position of the users interaction with at least one displayed palpable button in response to interaction between the user and the display.

7. The device of claim 6 comprising said at least one of said touch screen interface and processor are configured to provide sensory feedback to the user substantially responsive to the position of the users interaction with a target associated with said at least one displayed palpable button.

8. The device of claim 7 comprising said at least one of touch screen interface and processor are configured to provide sensory feedback to the user substantially responsive to the position of the users interaction with a target associated with said at least one displayed palpable button, at least one of said touch screen interface and processor configured to alter the haptic response responsive to the position of the user'"'"'s interaction relative to said target.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein at least one of said touch screen interface and said processor are configured to provide said sensory feedback as at least one of a haptic and auditory feedback.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the palpable button is dynamic.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the palpable button is static.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the flat layer is transparent.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the flat layer contains a series of active elements.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the active elements provide button shapes.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the active elements provide button outlines.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the active elements provide reference lines demarcating regions or boundaries of a touch surface.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the active elements provide braille characters.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the active elements provide one or more of figures, game pieces and characters.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising a gesture enhanced game play system, wherein the gesture enhanced game play system further includes:

a display subsystem configured to display images related to one or more games to be played on at least a first game playing surface, the images including a virtual game layout including a number of demarcations of at least one area associated with the play of the one or more games;

a sensor subsystem configured to detect at least one physical aspect of at least one game related piece when the game related piece is at least proximate the virtual game layout; and

at least one computing subsystem, the at least one computing subsystem communicatively coupled to the display subsystem to control the images displayed by the display subsystem, the at least computing subsystem communicatively coupled to the sensor subsystem to receive information indicative of the at least one physical aspect of the game related piece sensed by the sensor subsystem;

wherein the sensor subsystem is configured to detect multiple touch gestures, wherein gestures include simultaneous touches by multiple fingers, consecutive touches by a single finger, touching and sliding of a finger, touching and sliding of multiple fingers, and combinations thereof.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the multiple touch gesturing is used to spin one or more wheels, spin one or more reels, turn a pay table virtual page, turn a game instruction related virtual page, or combinations thereof.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the system further includes a sound effects package that synchronizes sound effects with use of a button.