Automatic electronic display alignment

• US 7,161,589 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Muir, David Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US10/937,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138.1, 273/292, 273/293, 273/294, 273/148, 345/156, 345/157, 345/162, 345/172, 345/173, 345/178, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof

Abstract

An electronic device includes an electronic display, a touch screen overlay disposed over a display surface of the electronic display and a photosensor disposed adjacent to the touch screen overlay and the display surface. The device further includes a memory and a controller coupled to the electronic display, the touch screen overlay, the photosensor and the memory. The controller is programmed to display an alignment object having a plurality of electronically distinguishable regions on the display surface of the electronic display and to use the photosensor to detect a characteristic of one of the regions of the alignment object. Additionally, the controller is programmed to move the alignment object based on the detected characteristic along a search path toward an aligned condition with respect to the photosensor.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a display unit that is capable of generating video images and mounted in the housing,

the display unit having a display area;

a touch-sensitive input device disposed overlaying a portion of the display unit;

a sensor disposed overlaying a portion of the touch sensitive input device and having a field of view;

a value input device associated with the housing; and

a controller disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the display unit, the touch-sensitive input device, the sensor and the value input device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor,

the controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

the controller being programmed to cause a first video image to be generated on the display unit, the first video image representing a game and including at least one user input area,

the controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game;

the controller being programmed to cause a second video image to be generated on the display unit, the second video image being larger than the field of view of the sensor and smaller than the display area, having a spatial relationship to the at least one user input area of the first video image and including a plurality of regions each having at least one unique characteristic relative to the other regions of the plurality of regions, the plurality of regions with at least one target region;

the controller being programmed to receive a signal from the sensor;

the controller being programmed to determine if at least one of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor;

the controller being programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images until at least one of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor;

the controller being programmed to determine which of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor; and

the controller being programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor until the at least one target region is within the field of view of the sensor.

2. The gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one unique characteristic being at least one of an intensity, a color, a hue and a pattern; and

the controller being programmed to determine which of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor according to the at least one unique characteristic.

3. The gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller is programmed to receive a signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to determine the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to refer to a table for a change in position for the first and second video images that is dependent upon the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region; and

the controller is programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the change in position from the table.

4. The gaming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the controller is programmed to receive another signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to determine the identity of the at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to refer to another table for another change in position for the first and second video images that is directly dependent upon the identity of the at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region and indirectly dependent upon the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions; and

the controller is programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the another change in position from the another table.

5. The gaming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the change and the another change are in the form of a horizontal shift and a vertical shift.

6. The gaming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the at least one unique characteristic being at least one of an intensity, a color, a hue and a pattern; and

the controller being programmed to determine one of the identify of the at least one of the plurality of regions and the identity of the at least another of the plurality of regions according to the at least one unique characteristic.

7. The gaming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the controller is programmed to receive a signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to determined a characteristic of the at least one target region;

the controller is programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the characteristic of the at least one target region.

8. The gaming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the controller is programmed to receive a signal;

the controller is programmed to determine a dimension of the at least one target region within the field of view of the sensor according to the received signal; and

the controller is programmed to alter the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the dimension of the at least one target region within the field of view of the sensor.

9. The gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more charge coupled devices.

10. The gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to cause a first video image representing a game to be generated on the display unit, the video image representing one of the following games:

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,

the video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if the game comprises video poker,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the game comprises video slots,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if the game comprises video blackjack,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the game comprises video keno, and

the video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if the game comprises video bingo.

11. The gaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to cause a first video image to be generated on the display unit, the video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of the slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a wager,

causing a first video image to be generated on a display unit having a display area, the first video image representing a game and including at least one user input area,

determining a value payout associated with an outcome of the game;

causing a second video image to be generated on the display unit, the second video image being larger than the field of view of a sensor and smaller than the display area, having a spatial relationship to the at least one user input area of the first video image and including a plurality of regions each having at least one unique characteristic relative to the other regions of the plurality of regions, the plurality of regions with at least one target region;

receiving a signal from the sensor;

determining if at least one of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor;

altering the position of the first and second video images until at least one of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor;

determining which of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor; and

altering the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor until the at least one target region is within the field of view of the sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one unique characteristic being at least one of an intensity, a color, a hue and a pattern, the method comprising:

determining which of the plurality of regions is within the field of view of the sensor according to the at least one unique characteristic.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising

receiving a signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

determining the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

referring to a table for a change in position for the first and second video images that is dependent upon the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region; and

altering the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the change in position from the table.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

receiving another signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

determining the identity of the at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region;

referring to another table for another change in position for the first and second video images that is directly dependent upon the identity of the at least one other of the plurality of regions other than the at least one target region and indirectly dependent upon the identity of the at least one of the plurality of regions; and

altering the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the another change in position from the another table.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the change and the another change are in the form of a horizontal shift and a vertical shift.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one unique characteristic being at least one of an intensity, a color, a hue and a pattern, the method comprising:

determining one of the identify of the at least one of the plurality of regions and the identity of the at least another of the plurality of regions according to the at least one unique characteristic.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

receiving a signal from the sensor that is associated with at least one target region;

determining a characteristic of the at least one target region;

altering the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the characteristic of the at least one target region.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein

receiving a signal;

determining a dimension of the at least one target region within the field of view of the sensor according to the received signal; and

altering the position of the first and second video images relative to the sensor according to the dimension of the at least one target region within the field of view of the sensor.

20. The method according to claim 12, comprising causing a first video image representing a game to be generated on the display unit, the video image representing one of the following games:

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,

the video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if the game comprises video poker,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the game comprises video slots,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if the game comprises video blackjack,

the video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the game comprises video keno, and

the video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if the game comprises video bingo.

21. The method according to claim 12, comprising causing a first video image to be generated on the display unit, the video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of the slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols.