System and method for augmented reality using a user-specific card

• US 9,875,600 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arumugam, Murugeshun Arun, Lyons, Martin S., Kelly, Bryan M., Sommer, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US15/603,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20170256124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 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 user-specific 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 user-specific card through a display of a mobile device; acquiring user-specific identification information from the user-specific card; sending the user-specific identification information via a network to a server; retrieving user-specific information from the server using the mobile device; and displaying the user-specific information in conjunction with the user-specific card when viewing the user-specific card through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

Claims

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

acquiring user-specific identification information from the user-specific card;

sending the user-specific identification information via a network to a server;

retrieving user-specific information from the server using the mobile device; and

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

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

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

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

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific information is promotional or voucher information.

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 user-specific card when viewed through the display of the mobile device.

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

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

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific information is bonus game information.

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 user-specific card when viewed through the display of the mobile device.

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

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling the user to interact with the promotional or voucher information in conjunction with the user-specific card when viewing the user-specific 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 user-specific physical instrument having alpha-numerical or graphical information including user-specific identification information associable with the user, the method comprising:

providing for acquisition of the user-specific identification information from the user-specific physical instrument via the mobile device;

sending the user-specific identification information via a network to a server;

configuring the server to identify the user from the user-specific identification information;

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 user-specific physical instrument when viewing the user-specific physical instrument at the display of the mobile device.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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