System and method for augmented reality using a player card

• US 9,697,676 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Sommer, John, Lyons, Martin S., Kelly, Bryan M., Arumugam, Murugeshun Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US14/828,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of displaying augmented reality gaming information associated with a player card using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system. In one embodiment, the method includes: enabling a user to view a live image of a player card through a display of a mobile device; acquiring player identification information from the player card; sending the player identification information via a network to a server; retrieving player specific information from the server using the mobile device; and displaying the player specific information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

Claims

1. A method of displaying augmented reality gaming information associated with a player card using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system, the method comprising:

enabling a user to view a live image of the player card through a display of a mobile device;

acquiring player identification information from the player card;

sending the player identification information via a network to a server;

retrieving player specific information from the server using the mobile device; and

displaying the player specific information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality, wherein the player virtually views information associated with the player card using augmented reality graphical representations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein player specific information includes messages to the player, available credits, promotional points available to the player, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the player specific information is displayed using one or more icons presented in association with player card when viewed through the display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring player identification information from the player card using optical character recognition of information visible on the player card.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the player to interact with the player specific information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

6. A method of displaying augmented reality gaming information associated with a player card using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system, the method comprising:

enabling a user to view a live image of the player card through a display of a mobile device;

acquiring player identification information from the player card;

sending the player identification information via a network to a server;

retrieving promotional or voucher information from the server using the mobile device; and

displaying the promotional or voucher information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality, wherein the player virtually views information associated with the player card using augmented reality graphical representations.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein promotional or voucher information includes a complementary drink icon, movie ticket icon, restaurant voucher icon, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the promotional or voucher information is displayed using one or more icons presented in association with player card when viewed through the display of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein acquiring player identification information from the player card using optical character recognition of information visible on the player card.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising enabling the player to interact with the promotional or voucher information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

11. A method of displaying augmented reality gaming information associated with a player card using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system, the method comprising:

enabling a user to view a live image of the player card through a display of a mobile device;

acquiring player identification information from the player card;

sending the player identification information via a network to a server;

retrieving bonus game information from the server using the mobile device; and

displaying promotional or voucher information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality, wherein the player virtually views information associated with the player card using augmented reality graphical representations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein bonus game information includes a virtual bonus game, virtual promotional game, virtual base game, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the bonus game information is displayed using one or more icons presented in association with player card when viewed through the display of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein acquiring player identification information from the player card using optical character recognition of information visible on the player card.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling the player to interact with the promotional or voucher information in conjunction with the player card when viewing the player card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

16. A method of displaying user specific augmented reality features at a user'"'"'s mobile device in association with a physical instrument having alpha-numerical or graphical information including information associable with the user, the method comprising:

enabling a user to view a live image of instrument through a display of a mobile device;

providing for acquisition of the information from the physical instrument via the mobile device;

sending the information via a network to a server;

configuring the server to identify the user from the information, to store user-specific account information and to provide user-specific augmented reality features to a user'"'"'s mobile device in association with the physical instrument;

retrieving user-specific augmented reality features from the server and providing the features to the user'"'"'s mobile device over said network; and

enabling a display at the mobile device to present the user-specific augmented reality features in conjunction with the physical instrument when viewing the physical instrument at the display of the mobile device, wherein the user virtually views user-specific information associated with the physical instrument and stored in the user-specific account using augmented reality graphical representations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical instrument is a player card for a player of gaming machines and the user-specific augmented reality features include information stored in the user-specific account.

18. A system for displaying user specific augmented reality features at a user'"'"'s mobile device in association with a physical instrument having alpha-numerical or graphical information including information associable with the user, the system comprising:

a server storing data representing user-specific account information and user-specific augmented reality features;

a software application to (i) configure the user'"'"'s mobile device for acquiring the information when viewing a live image of the physical instrument using the mobile device camera and mobile device display and (ii) transmit through a communication network the acquired information to the server;

the server arranged to (i) identify the user from the information, (ii) access the user-specific account information and user-specific augmented reality features and (iii) provide user-specific augmented reality features to a user'"'"'s mobile device in association with the physical instrument,

the software application configuring the mobile device to display the user-specific augmented reality features in conjunction with the physical instrument when viewing the physical instrument at the display of the mobile device,

wherein the user virtually views user-specific information associated with the physical instrument and stored in the user-specific account using augmented reality graphical representations.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the physical instrument is a player card for a player of gaming machines and the user-specific augmented reality features include player account information stored in the user-specific account.