Methods of receiving electronic wagers in a wagering game via a handheld electronic wager input device

• US 9,520,030 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Gronkowski, Timothy T., Lesley, Paul M., Loose, Timothy C., Motyl, Jim, Rasmussen, James M., Shi, Victor T., Thomas, Alfred, Smith, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US14/596,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• 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 system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player'"'"'s account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Claims

1. A method of capturing a code to play a casino wagering game, comprising:

providing the code for wireless capture by a portable electronic device;

wirelessly receiving, at a freestanding gaming terminal from the portable electronic device, the code or a representation of the code, the code being indicative of a casino wagering game, wherein the gaming terminal includes a video display device and a value input device for detecting a physical item associated with a monetary value;

decoding, by the gaming terminal or by the portable electronic device, the code and determining from the decoded code the casino wagering game associated therewith;

receiving a wager to initiate the casino wagering game, the wager being indicative of a wager input to the portable electronic device or to the gaming terminal;

responsive to the wager being received, initiating the casino wagering game on the gaming terminal and displaying at least a portion of the casino wagering game on the video display device of the gaming terminal;

determining, by a controller device, an outcome of the casino wagering game based, least in part, on one or more random elements generated with a random element generator;

displaying the outcome on the video display device of the gaming terminal; and

awarding, by the controller device, an award in response to the outcome satisfying a predetermined award criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager input is inputted via a physical input to the portable electronic device, and the wager is received by the gaming terminal without requiring any physical connection or contact between the portable electronic device and the gaming terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wager is in the form of encoded data, the method further comprising decoding the data into a corresponding wager placed on the casino wagering game.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data representing the wager is part of the code.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the initiating, receiving data representing the wager input from the portable electronic device using an RF sensor configured to sense an RF signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the RF signal is outputted by a transmitter external to the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, concurrently with the displaying the at least a portion of the casino wagering game on the video display device of the gaming terminal, displaying on a video display device of the portable electronic device at least a further portion of the casino wagering game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless capture is carried out by a digital camera of the portable electronic device or by a RF interface of the portable electronic device.

9. A gaming system used to play at least one casino wagering game, comprising:

a gaming housing that houses components associated with the casino wagering game;

an electronic display device coupled to the gaming housing;

an electronic value input device coupled to the gaming housing, the electronic value input device being configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to initiate the casino wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal;

a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements;

a wireless receiver configured to receive from a portable electronic device a code or a representation of the code, the code being indicative of the casino wagering game;

one or more decoders configured to decode the code;

one or more controllers configured to;

provide the code for wireless capture by the portable electronic device;

determine from the decoded code the casino wagering game associated therewith;

receive a wager to initiate the casino wagering game, the wager being indicative of a wager input to the portable electronic device or via the electronic input device coupled to the gaming housing;

responsive to the wager being received, initiate the casino wagering game and display at least a portion of the casino wagering game on the electronic display device;

determine an outcome of the casino wagering game based, least in part, on one or more random elements generated with the random element generator;

display the outcome on the video display device of the gaming terminal; and

award an award in response to the outcome satisfying a predetermined award criterion.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wager input is inputted via a physical input to the portable electronic device, and the code is received from the portable electronic device without requiring any physical connection or contact between the portable electronic device and the gaming housing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wager is in the form of encoded data, one of the one or more decoders decoding the encoded data into a corresponding wager placed on the casino wagering game.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data representing the wager is part of the code.

13. The system of claim 9, the one or more controllers being further configured to, before the initiating, receive data representing the wager input from the portable electronic device using an RF sensor configured to sense an RF signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the RF signal is outputted by a transmitter external to the portable electronic device.

15. The system of claim 9, the one or more controllers being further configured to, concurrently with the display of the at least a portion of the casino wagering game on the electronic display device, display on a video display device of the portable electronic device at least a further portion of the casino wagering game.