Electronic gaming die

• US 9,908,037 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Muse, Danny W., Wicker, Ryan, MacDonald, Eric, Salas, Rodolfo, Medina, Francisco
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US14/327,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20150014923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 273146, 273276, 273156, 273157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0497 Manufacturing of dice
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2447 Motion detector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2454 with LED
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0415 Details of dice, e.g. non-cuboid dice
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49146 with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.

Abstract

An electronic gaming die includes an enclosure, a flexible substrate, a number of light emitting diodes, a sensor, a processor and a battery. The enclosure has N sides where N is equal to or greater than 4. The flexible substrate folds into N sides and fits into an interior of the enclosure, wherein each side has an inner face, an outer face and is assigned an integer from 1 to N. The light emitting diodes are disposed on the outer face of each side of the flexible substrate, wherein the number of light emitting diodes equals the integer assigned to the side of the flexible substrate. The sensor, processor and battery are disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming die comprising:

an enclosure having N sides where N is equal to or greater than 4;

a flexible substrate that folds into N sides and fits into an interior of the enclosure, wherein each side has an inner face, an outer face and is assigned an integer from 1 to N, said flexible substrate comprising a folded flexible substrate;

a number of light emitting diodes disposed on the outer face of each side of the flexible substrate, wherein the number of light emitting diodes equals the integer assigned to the side of the flexible substrate;

a sensor disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate;

an expanding foam sealant disposed within an interior of the folder flexible substrate;

a processor disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate and communicably coupled to the sensor and the one or more light emitting diodes; and

a battery disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the one or more light emitting diodes, the sensor and the processor.

2. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor, the processor and the battery are disposed on an outer face of one or more additional sides of the flexible substrate that fold inside the N sides.

3. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising an insert disposed within an interior of the folded flexible substrate and sized to maintain a position of the flexible substrate against the interior of the enclosure.

4. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 3, wherein the insert is rigid, semi-rigid, hollow.

5. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive or one or more connectors that attach one or more edges of the sides of the flexible substrate together to maintain a shape of the folded flexible substrate.

6. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein N equals 4, 6, 8, 10 or 20.

7. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein each light emitting diode represents a pip of the electronic gaming die.

8. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the number of light emitting diodes are greater than the number of the integer assigned to the side of the flexible substrate such that the number of light emitting diodes are arranged to display a numeric character corresponding to the integer.

9. The electronic gaming die as recited m claim 1, wherein the enclosure is transparent or semi-transparent.

10. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the enclosure proximate to the one or more light emitting diodes is transparent or semi-transparent, and the remainder of the enclosure is opaque.

11. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more inscriptions engraved on the enclosure.

12. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

13. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the insert is weighted to balance a weight of the die.

14. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the insert is weighted to unbalance the die to favor a specified orientation.

15. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the light emitting diodes stay lit for a specified period of time.

16. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the light emitting diodes flash to show which side of the enclosure is up when the electronic gaming die stops rolling.

17. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic gaming die enters a sleep mode whenever one or more sleep conditions occur.

18. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 17, wherein the electronic gaming die remains in the sleep mode until one or more wakeup conditions occur.

19. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery is replaceable or rechargeable.

20. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising an interface electrically connected to the battery and accessible from an exterior of the enclosure to recharge the battery.

21. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 20, whereas the interface which is accessible from an exterior of the enclosure is electrically connected to the processor and allows for external programming to establish its performance and allows for subsequent reprogramming to modify its performance.

22. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 20, wherein the interface comprises a port of the USB family:

mini USB-A, mini USB-b, micro USB-A, micro USB-b.

23. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising a wireless battery recharging circuit electrically connected to the battery and disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate.

24. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more photovoltaic cells electrically connected to the battery and disposed on or within the enclosure or the flexible substrate.

25. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor and sensor detect a roll, measure a direction of gravity and illuminate the light emitting diode(s) on the upward face.

26. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical conductors that traverse one or more folds of the flexible substrate.

27. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 26, wherein the plurality of electrical conductors comprise a plurality of printed conductive traces.

28. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet photocurable polymer coating disposed on one or more inner faces or one or more outer faces of the flexible substrate.

29. The electronic gaming die as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is fabricated using a conductive ink micro-dispensing process.

30. A method for manufacturing an electronic gaming die comprising the steps of:

fabricating a flexible substrate that folds into N sides where N is equal to or greater than 4, wherein each side has an inner face, an outer face and is assigned an integer from 1 to N, a number of light emitting diodes disposed on the outer face of each side of the flexible substrate such that the number of light emitting diodes equals the integer assigned to the side of the flexible substrate, a sensor is disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate, a processor is disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate and communicably coupled to the sensor and the one or more light emitting diodes, and a battery is disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the one or more light emitting diodes, the sensor and the processor;

coating one or more inner faces or one or more outer faces of the flexible substrate with an ultraviolet photocurable polymer;

providing an enclosure having N sides;

folding the flexible substrate such that the folded flexible substrate fits into an interior of the enclosure;

inserting the folded flexible substrate into the interior of the enclosure; and

sealing the enclosure.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the sensor, the processor and the battery are disposed on an outer face of one or more additional sides of the flexible substrate that fold inside the N sides.

32. The method as recited In claim 30, further comprising the step of placing an insert within an interior of the folded flexible substrate, wherein the insert is sized to maintain a position of the flexible substrate against the interior of the enclosure.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the insert is rigid, semi-rigid, or hollow.

34. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of attaching one or more edges of the sides of the flexible substrate together to maintain a shape of the folded flexible substrate using an adhesive or one or more connectors.

35. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of depositing an expanding foam sealant within an interior of the folded flexible substrate.

36. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein N equals 4, 6, 8, 10 or 20.

37. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein each light emitting diode represents a pip of the electronic gaming die.

38. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the number of light emitting diodes are greater than the number of the integer assigned to the side of the flexible substrate such that the number of light emitting diodes are arranged to display a numeric character corresponding to the integer.

39. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the enclosure is transparent or semi-transparent.

40. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein a portion of the enclosure proximate to the one or more light emitting diodes is transparent or semi-transparent, and the remainder of the enclosure is opaque.

41. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of engraving one or more inscriptions on the enclosure.

42. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the sensor comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

43. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the insert is weighted to balance a weight of the die.

44. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the insert is weighted to unbalance the die to favor a specified orientation.

45. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the light emitting diodes stay lit for a specified period of time.

46. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the light emitting diodes flash to show which side of the enclosure is up when the electronic gaming die stops rolling.

47. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of entering a sleep mode whenever one or more sleep conditions occur.

48. The method as recited in claim 47, further comprising the step of remaining in the sleep mode until one or more wakeup conditions occur.

49. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the battery is replaceable or rechargeable.

50. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising an interface electrically connected to the battery and accessible from an exterior of the enclosure to recharge the battery.

51. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein the interface comprises a port of the mini or micro USB family.

52. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising a wireless battery recharging circuit electrically connected to the battery and disposed on one of the inner faces of the flexible substrate.

53. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising one or more photovoltaic cells electrically connected to the battery and disposed on or within the enclosure or the flexible substrate.

54. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the processor and sensor detect a roll, measure a direction of gravity and illuminate the light emitting diode(s) on the upward face.

55. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising a plurality of electrical conductors that traverse one or more folds of the flexible substrate.

56. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the plurality of electrical conductors comprise a plurality of printed conductive traces.

57. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the flexible substrate is fabricated using a conductive ink micro-dispensing process.