Accessing wagering game services by aiming handheld device at external device

• US 8,727,881 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ansari, Marwan, Gagner, Mark B., Sylla, Craig J., Thomas, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US12/679,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20100210352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39, 463/16, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A portable wagering game machine includes a signal receiver and motion sensors. The signal receiver receives signals from a signal emission device that are used to determine the position and orientation of the portable wagering game machine relative to a gaming establishment devices and locations. The position and orientation information may be used to determine a gaming establishment device or location aimed at by the portable wagering game machine. The portable wagering game machine may then access or interact with a service associated with the device or location, or interact with the device itself.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of conducting interactions between a wagering game played on a portable wagering game machine and a service, event or game displayed on one or more external display devices, the portable wagering game machine determining a current aiming direction based on a position and orientation of the portable wagering game machine, the method comprising:

displaying the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine, the wagering game including a randomly selected game outcome;

displaying a game image on at least one of the one or more external display devices coincident with the current aiming direction, the displayed game image being related to the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine; and

in response to the displayed game image coinciding with a designated target zone on the at least one of the one or more external display devices, causing an interaction between the wagering game and the service, event or game, wherein the interaction is responsive to the randomly selected game outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable wagering game machine is successively aimed at a first target zone and a second target zone, and wherein the method causes a first interaction in response to displayed game image coinciding with the first target zone and a second interaction in response to the displayed game image coinciding with the second target zone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first interaction and the second interaction are different interactions.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first interaction is between the wagering game and a first service, event or game, and wherein the second interaction is between the wagering game and a second service, event or game.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first service, event or game is different from the second service, event or game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service, event, or game is a progressive wagering game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the progressive wagering game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service, event, or game is a community game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the community game with at least one other wagering game on another wagering game machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an occurrence in the wagering game causes, via the interaction, a change to occur in the service, event, or game.

9. A gaming system configured to facilitate interaction between a portable wagering game machine and a service, event or game displayed on one or more external display devices, the portable game machine determining a current aiming direction based on a position and orientation of the portable wagering game machine, the gaming system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to;

display a wagering game being played on the portable wagering game machine;

display a game image on at least one of the one or more external display devices coincident with the current aiming direction, the displayed game image being related to the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine;

in response to the displayed game image coinciding with a designated target zone on the at least one of the one or more external display devices, causing an interaction between the wagering game and the service, event or game, wherein the interaction is responsive to a randomly selected game outcome.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the portable wagering game machine is successively aimed at a first target zone and a second target zone, and wherein the instructions cause the displayed game image to move from the first target zone to the second target zone in direct response to the successive aiming directions of the portable wagering game machine.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the service, event, or game is a progressive wagering game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the progressive wagering game.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the service, event, or game is a community game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the community game with at least one other wagering game on another wagering game machine.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein an occurrence in the wagering game causes, via the interaction, a change to occur in the service, event or game.

14. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium including executable instructions that, when executed by a gaming system, cause the gaming system to perform a method comprising:

displaying a wagering game including a randomly selected game outcome on a portable wagering game machine, the portable wagering game machine determining a current aiming direction based on a position and orientation of the portable wagering game machine;

displaying a game image on at least one of one or more external display devices coincident with the current aiming direction, the displayed game image being related to the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine; and

in response to the displayed game image coinciding with a designated target zone on the at least one of the one or more external display devices, causing an interaction between the wagering game and the service, event or game.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the interaction is responsive to the randomly selected game outcome.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the service, event, or game is a progressive wagering game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the progressive wagering game.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the service, event, or game is a community game, and the interaction includes enabling the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine to participate in the community game with at least one other wagering game on another wagering game machine.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the gaming system includes a gaming server connected to the portable wagering game machine via a communications network, and wherein the computer-readable medium resides on the gaming server.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the service, event or game is presented as a representational image on the at least one or more external display devices, and wherein the representational image is enhanced by the interaction.

20. A computer-implemented method of conducting interactions between a wagering game played on a portable wagering game machine and a service, event or game displayed on one or more external display devices, the portable wagering game machine determining a first and second aiming direction based on successive positions and orientations of the portable wagering game machine, the method comprising:

displaying the wagering game on the portable wagering game machine, the wagering game including a randomly selected game outcome;

displaying a first game image on at least one of one or more external display devices coincident with the first aiming direction, the first game image being related to the wagering game;

in response to the first game image coinciding with a target zone on the at least one of the one or more external display devices, causing a first interaction between the wagering game and at least one of the service, event or game;

displaying a second game image on at least one of the one or more external display devices coincident with the second aiming direction, the second game image being related to the wagering game; and

in response to the second game image coinciding with a target zone on the at least one of the one or more external display devices, causing a second interaction between the wagering game and at least one of the service, event or game.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first and second interactions is responsive to a randomly generated game outcome of the wagering game.