Gaming apparatus incorporating targeted haptic feedback

• US 9,056,244 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lesley, Paul M., Loose, Timothy C., Massing, Scott A., Vann, Jamie W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEN, JASON TAHAI
• Application Number:
  US13/785,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming apparatus includes a processor, a display device with a video display and a touchscreen, and a bezel adjacent to the display device which has regions capable of providing haptic feedback. The haptic feedback can be provided to a specific region of the bezel as well as a transparent overlay which is positioned over a button on the touchscreen. The apparatus may have sensors allowing for haptic feedback to be targeted based on data detected by the sensors. Additionally, virtual input buttons can be displayed and repositioned on the touchscreen in response to sensor data.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus configured to conduct a wagering game comprising:

a fixed display device including a video display and a touchscreen associated therewith;

a bezel horizontally adjacent to the display device and incorporating one or more haptic feedback devices;

one or more processors; and

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

display on the video display a wagering game; and

activate at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices to impart haptic feedback to the bezel without imparting haptic feedback to the display device, and perform a game action related to the wagering game.

2. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices is disposed in a corner of the bezel proximate to a player using the gaming apparatus, and the bezel is facing a same direction as the display device.

3. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bezel includes a first pair of corners adjacent to a player using the gaming apparatus and a second pair of corners farther away from the player than the first pair of corners, a first haptic feedback device being disposed in one of the first pair of corners, the bezel including a second haptic feedback device disposed in the other of the first pair of corners.

4. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bezel has an associated first surface area, wherein the at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices, when actuated, provides haptic feedback to a discrete region of the bezel, wherein the discrete region of the bezel has an associated second surface area, and wherein the second surface area comprises less than 10% of the first surface area.

5. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein a virtual input button of a wagering game is displayed on the video display at a position adjacent to a region of the bezel incorporating a first of the one or more haptic feedback devices, and, in response to actuation of the virtual input button via the touchscreen, activating the first haptic feedback device and performing the game action, wherein the game action is associated with the virtual input button.

6. The gaming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the region of the bezel incorporating the first of the one or more haptic feedback devices is configured to be in contact with a player when the player actuates the virtual input button.

7. The gaming apparatus of claim 5, wherein one or more virtual reels of the wagering game are displayed on the video display, the virtual input button is a spin button, and the game action associated with the virtual input button is a spin of at least one of the one or more virtual reels.

8. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the game action includes at least one of initiating play of the wagering game or accepting a wager to play the wagering game.

9. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more haptic feedback devices is a plurality of haptic feedback devices, and wherein the bezel incorporates a plurality of sensors and the plurality of haptic feedback devices, each of the sensors being associated with a respective one of the one or more haptic feedback devices, and wherein the instructions cause the gaming apparatus to selectively activate the plurality of haptic feedback devices based on input received from the plurality of sensors.

10. The gaming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gaming apparatus is a handheld device.

11. The gaming apparatus of claim 9, wherein a virtual input button of a wagering game is displayed on the video display at a position adjacent to a first region of the bezel incorporating a first of the one or more haptic feedback devices, wherein input from the plurality of sensors indicates a body in contact with a second region of the bezel, and wherein the gaming apparatus is configured to reposition the virtual input button from the position adjacent to the first region of the bezel to a position adjacent to the second region of the bezel.

12. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device is inclined at an angle of approximately 15 degrees relative to horizontal, the bezel includes a first pair of corners adjacent to a player using the gaming apparatus, the at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices being disposed in one corner of the first pair of corners, and at least another one of the one or more haptic feedback devices being disposed in the other corner of the first pair of corners, the gaming apparatus being configured such that the player'"'"'s hands rest on the first pair of corners at the player'"'"'s option while the player is playing the wagering game.

13. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transparent overlay coupled to the bezel, the transparent overlay covering a portion of the display device, wherein the at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices, when actuated, provides haptic feedback via the transparent overlay.

14. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bezel is at least partially constructed from a high durometer thermoplastic elastomer.

15. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more haptic feedback devices, when actuated, cause the bezel to vibrate, and wherein the display device is separated from the bezel such that, when the one or more haptic feedback devices are actuated, the display device does not vibrate.

16. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device has an area of at least 40 square inches.

17. A computer-implemented method of conducting wagering games on a wagering game system, the wagering game system including a fixed display device and a bezel horizontally adjacent to the display device incorporating one or more haptic feedback devices, the method comprising:

displaying, via the display device, a wagering game;

activating at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices to impart haptic feedback to at least a portion of the bezel without imparting haptic feedback to the display device; and

performing a game action related to the wagering game.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

displaying, via the display device, a virtual input button of the wagering game, the virtual input button being displayed in a position proximate to a first haptic feedback device;

activating, in response to actuation of the virtual input button, the first haptic feedback device and performing a game action associated with the virtual input button.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

repositioning the virtual input button, in response to data received from a plurality of sensors, a first sensor of the plurality of sensors associated with a first section of the bezel, a second sensor of the plurality of sensors associated with a second section of the bezel, such that the virtual input button is repositioned from a position adjacent to the first section of the bezel to a position adjacent to the second section of the bezel, the first section of the bezel incorporating at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices, and the second section of the bezel incorporating at least one of the one or more haptic feedback devices.

20. A gaming apparatus configured to conduct a wagering game comprising:

a fixed display device including a video display and a touchscreen associated therewith;

a bezel horizontally adjacent to the display device including at least three discrete sections, wherein at least two of the at least three discrete sections are associated with a respective sensor and a respective haptic feedback device;

one or more processors; and

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

display on the video display a wagering game;

display on the video display a virtual input button of a wagering game at a position adjacent to a first of the at least three discrete sections;

responsive to activation of the virtual input button via the touchscreen combined with activation of the respective sensor associated with the first of the at least three discrete sections, activate the respective haptic feedback device associated with the first discrete section to impart haptic feedback to the first discrete section without imparting haptic feedback to the display device, and perform a game action related to the wagering game.