Remote input device for a wagering game

• US 8,864,580 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Pacey, Larry J., Schwartz, Richard T., Joshi, Shridhar P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ROSS A
• Application Number:
  US12/438,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20100240435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463 30- 33, 463 40- 42, 463/36, 463/37, 463/46, 463/47
• US Class Current: 463/30
• 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

Abstract

An input device dedicated for use with a wagering game is displayed on a display device. The display device is remote from the input device and includes outcome images of a randomly selected outcome and input images associated with player inputs for the wagering game. The input device includes a player input-receiving area and an interface. The player input-receiving area has a plurality of input elements associated with respective functions of the wagering game. The input elements replicate the input images of the player inputs. The interface is coupled to the input elements and transmits signals in response to the player activating the input elements.

Claims

1. An input device that interfaces with a display device to provide input signals for use in a wagering game being displayed on the display device, the display device being further operable to provide one or more non-gaming functions separately from and in addition to displaying the wagering game, the input device comprising:

a touch screen displaying a plurality of configurable input elements, the configurable input elements being operable to;

in response to a first wagering game being displayed on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the first wagering game, functionally and visually replicate a first set of corresponding first game input elements of a first dedicated gaming machine, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the configurable input elements to match the corresponding first game input elements;

in response to a second wagering game being displayed on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the second wagering game, functionally and visually replicate a second set of corresponding second game input elements of a second dedicated gaming machine, the second set being different from the first set, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the configurable input elements to match the corresponding second game input element; and

in response to a player selecting one of the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device, at least functionally replicate at least one non-gaming device input elements corresponding to the selected non-gaming function of the display device; and

an interface coupled to the configurable input elements, the interface transmitting signals directly to the display device in response to the player activating one of the first game, second game, and non-gaming input elements for either the non-gaming use of the display device or to play one of the first and second wagering games on the display device.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the display device is selected from a group consisting of a television set, a computer screen, and a phone, and the non-gaming input elements are selected from a group consisting of a television channel-changing control for changing television channels, a QWERTY keyboard for entering text, a DELETE key for deleting text or symbols, an ENTER key for issuing commands, and a SEND key for placing a telephone call or text message.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the interface provides a wireless connection.

4. The input device of claim 3, further comprising a mobile telephone including a motion sensor and a video display, wherein a player input of moving the telephone corresponds to a meaningful player action in the wagering game, and wherein the player input is detected by the motion sensor and displayed by the video display as an image of the meaningful action, and wherein the interface transmits signals to the display device to display a similar image of the meaningful action in the wagering game.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the configurable input elements functionally and visually replicate at least one of a pushbutton and a touch key input element that initiates a reel-spinning function on a first dedicated gaming machine.

6. The input device of claim 1, further comprising an output device selected from a group consisting of an integrated speaker, wired headphones, and wireless headphones.

7. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone integrated in a housing of the input device for receiving audio signals.

8. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a video camera integrated in a housing of the input device for receiving video images.

9. A method for implementing dual use of a display device that is operable to provide one or more non-gaming functions separately from and in addition to displaying a wagering game, the wagering game being conducted on the display device via a remote input device, the display device operable to display outcome images of a randomly selected outcome and input images associated with the wagering game, the remote input device including a touch screen displaying a plurality of configurable input elements for providing input to the wagering game, the method comprising:

in response to a first wagering game being displayed on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the first wagering game, functionally and visually replicating, via the configurable input elements, a first set of corresponding first game input elements of a first dedicated gaming machine, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the configurable input elements to match the corresponding first game input elements;

in response to a second wagering game being displayed on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the second wagering game, functionally and visually replicate, via the configurable input elements, a second set of corresponding second game input elements of a second dedicated gaming machine, the second set being different from the first set, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the configurable input elements to match the corresponding second game input elements;

in response to a player selecting one of the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device, reconfiguring the configurable input elements to at least functionally replicate at least one non-gaming device input element corresponding to the selected non-gaming function of the display device; and

transmitting signals from the remote input device to the display device in response to the player activating any of the first game, second game, and non-gaming inputs associated with the non-gaming use, the first game, or the second game.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting the input device to the display device using a wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote input device comprises a mobile telephone including a motion sensor and a video display, wherein a player input of moving the telephone corresponds to a meaningful player action on the first dedicated gaming machine, the player input being detected by the motion sensor and displayed by the video display as an image of the meaningful action, and wherein operating the display device to conduct the first wagering game further comprises transmitting signals from the mobile telephone to the display device to display a similar image of the meaningful action in the first wagering game.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the plurality of configurable input elements of the input device as sequentially ordered buttons, the buttons corresponding to the first game input elements of the first dedicated gaming machine.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the player of the input device with a unique identifier.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the configurable input elements functionally and visually replicate at least one of a pushbutton and a touch key input element that initiates a reel-spinning function on a first dedicated gaming machine.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more non-gaming functions include a function associated with an electronic item selected from a group consisting of a television set, a DVD player, a cable box, an audio receiver, and a video cassette recorder.

16. A gaming system for playing wagering games remotely via a display device, the gaming system comprising:

a display device operable to display images of a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game and further operable to provide one or more non-gaming functions separately from and in addition to displaying the wagering games, the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the wagering games; and

a remote input device comprising a touch screen displaying a plurality of configurable input elements operable to;

in response to a first wagering game being displayed on the display device, functionally and visually replicate corresponding first game input elements on a first dedicated gaming machine, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the input touch keys to match the corresponding first game input element;

in response to a second wagering game being displayed on the display device, functionally and visually replicate corresponding second game input elements of a second dedicated gaming machine, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape and a size of one or more of the input touch keys to match the corresponding second game input elements; and

in response to a player selecting one of the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device, at least functionally replicating non-gaming device input elements corresponding to the selected non-gaming function of the display device; and

an interface coupled to the configurable input elements that transmits signals associated with the input touch keys directly to the display device.

17. The wagering system of claim 16, wherein the configurable input elements functionally and visually replicate at least one of a pushbutton and a touch key input element that initiates a reel-spinning function on a first dedicated gaming machine.

18. The wagering system of claim 16, wherein the interface further receives signals from the display device.

19. The wagering system of claim 16, wherein the remote input device includes an integrated area displaying at least some of the images of the first and second wagering games.

20. The wagering system of claim 16, wherein the display device is selected from a group consisting of a television set, a computer screen, and a phone, and the non-gaming input elements are selected from a group consisting of a television channel-changing control for changing television channels, a QWERTY keyboard for entering text, a DELETE key for deleting text or symbols, an ENTER key for issuing commands, and a SEND key for placing a telephone call or text message.

21. A machine-readable, non-transitory medium operating with a gaming system that includes a display device operable to provide non-gaming functions separately from and in addition to displaying a wagering game, an input device having a touch screen displaying a plurality of configurable input elements, and an interface coupled to the configurable elements, the machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to operate with the gaming system to perform a method comprising:

displaying a randomly selected outcome as part of a first wagering game on the display device;

in response to displaying the first wagering game on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the first wagering game, functionally and visually replicating, via at least one of the plurality of configurable input elements, a first set of first game input elements of a first dedicated gaming machine, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape, and a size, of one or more of the configurable input elements to match a corresponding first game element;

displaying a randomly selected outcome as part of a second wagering game on the display device;

in response to displaying the second wagering game on the display device and the display device lacking input elements solely dedicated to providing player inputs to the second wagering game, functionally and visually replicating, via at least one of the plurality of configurable input elements, a second set of second game input elements of a second dedicated gaming machine, the second set being different from the first set, including changing at least one of a relative position, a shape, and a size, of one or more of the configurable input elements to match a corresponding second game element;

detecting a selection by a player of one of the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device;

in response to a player selection of one of the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device, reconfiguring at least one of the plurality of configurable elements to at least functionally replicate a non-gaming device input element corresponding to the selected non-gaming function of the display device; and

transmitting signals, via the interface, from the input device to the display device in response to the player activating any of the first game, second game, and non-gaming input elements associated with the first wagering game, the second wagering game, or the one or more non-gaming functions of the display device.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the display device is selected from a group consisting of a television set, a computer screen, and a phone, and the non-gaming input element is selected from a group consisting of a television channel-changing control for changing television channels, a QWERTY keyboard for entering text, a DELETE key for deleting text or symbols, an ENTER key for issuing commands, and a SEND key for placing a telephone call or text message.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the configurable input elements functionally and visually replicate at least one of a pushbutton and a touch key input element that initiates a reel-spinning function on a first dedicated gaming machine.