External video mixing control

• US 10,455,283 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Higgins, Kevin, Little, William C., Marcu, Adrian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Larsen, Carl V
• Application Number:
  US15/424,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20170150216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Techniques for allowing a gaming machine to exercise control over a picture-in-picture device (PIP mixer). A gaming machine includes a display device, a master game controller, the PIP mixer, and a PIP control interface. The master gaming controller is configured to execute a wager game, send a first video signal for the wager game to the PIP mixer, and send control instructions for controlling a display of one or more PIP windows to the PIP mixer via the PIP control interface. The PIP mixer receives the first video signal and a second video signal from an external source. The PIP mixer is configured to create a composite video image that includes display data of first video signal and the second video signal in PIP windows based on the control instructions. The composite video image is displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A picture-in-picture mixer comprising:

a gaming machine video input configured to receive a gaming machine video signal from a gaming machine;

an external source video input configured to receive an external source video signal from an external source separate from the gaming machine and any components supported by a housing of the gaming machine; and

a picture-in-picture controller configured to;

create a composite video signal based on the external source video signal and the gaming machine video signal;

transmit the created composite video signal to a display device of the gaming machine; and

responsive to receipt of touch screen input data from a touch screen of the gaming machine;

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the gaming machine video signal, transmit, via a picture-in-picture control interface distinct from any player tracking component, the touch screen input data to a gaming machine controller of the gaming machine without transmitting the touch screen input data to the external source; and

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the external source video signal, transmit, via a player user interface board interface distinct from any player tracking component and distinct from the picture-in-picture control interface, the touch screen input data to the external source without transmitting the touch screen input data to the gaming machine controller of the gaming machine.

2. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 1, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to determine whether the touch screen input data is associated with the gaming machine video signal or the external source video signal.

3. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 1, wherein the external source video signal comprises display data for an external source image and the gaming machine video signal comprises display data for a wagering game image.

4. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 3, wherein the composite video image comprises both the wagering game image and the external source image.

5. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 4, wherein the wagering game image is in a first window and the external source image is in a second window.

6. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 5, wherein the touch screen input data is associated with a touch received at a position on the touch screen that corresponds to the first window, in which case the touch screen input data is associated with the gaming machine video signal, or the second window, in which case the touch screen input data is associated with the external source video signal.

7. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 1, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to, responsive to receipt of instructions from the gaming machine controller, create the composite video signal in accordance with the instructions.

8. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 7, further comprising a picture-in-picture control interface configured to receive the instructions from the gaming machine controller.

9. The picture-in-picture mixer of claim 1, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to, responsive to receipt of instructions from the external source, request approval from the gaming machine controller to use the instructions and, responsive to receipt of approval, create the composite video signal in accordance with the instructions.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine comprising;

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a touch screen supported by the housing, said touch screen configured to receive touch inputs;

a gaming machine controller configured to provide a play of a wagering game; and

a gaming machine video output configured to transmit a gaming machine video signal; and

a picture-in-picture mixer comprising;

a gaming machine video input communicatively connected to the gaming machine video output to receive the gaming machine video signal;

an external source video input configured to receive an external source video signal from an external source separate from the gaming machine and any components supported by the housing of the gaming machine;

a picture-in-picture controller communicatively connected to the gaming machine controller and configured to;

create a composite video signal based on the external source video signal and the gaming machine video signal;

transmit the created composite video signal to the display device; and

responsive to receipt of touch screen input data from the touch screen;

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the gaming machine video signal, transmit, via a picture-in-picture control interface distinct from any player tracking component, the touch screen input data to the gaming machine controller of the gaming machine without transmitting the touch screen input data to the external source; and

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the external source video signal, transmit, via a player user interface board interface distinct from any player tracking component and distinct from the picture-in-picture control interface, the touch screen input data to the external source without transmitting the touch screen input data to the gaming machine controller of the gaming machine.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to determine whether the touch screen input data is associated with the gaming machine video signal or the external source video signal.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the external source video signal comprises display data for an external source image and the gaming machine video signal comprises display data for a wagering game image.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the composite video image comprises both the wagering game image and the external source image.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the wagering game image is in a first window and the external source image is in a second window.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the touch screen input data is associated with a touch received at a position on the touch screen that corresponds to the first window, in which case the touch screen input data is associated with the gaming machine video signal, or the second window, in which case the touch screen input data is associated with the external source video signal.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to, responsive to receipt of instructions from the gaming machine controller, create the composite video signal in accordance with the instructions.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, further comprising a picture-in-picture control interface communicatively connected to the gaming machine controller and to the picture-in-picture controller to receive the instructions from the gaming machine controller and transmit the instructions to the picture-in-picture controller.

18. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the picture-in-picture controller is further configured to, responsive to receipt of instructions from the external source, request approval from the gaming machine controller to use the instructions and, responsive to receipt of approval, create the composite video signal in accordance with the instructions.

19. A method of operating a picture-in-picture mixer, the method comprising:

creating a composite video signal based on a received external source video signal and a received gaming machine video signal, said external source video signal being received from an external source separate from a gaming machine and any components supported by a housing of the gaming machine;

transmitting the composite video signal to a display device of the gaming machine; and

responsive to receipt of touch screen input data from a touch screen of the gaming machine;

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the gaming machine video signal, transmitting, via a picture-in-picture control interface distinct from any player tracking component, the touch screen input data to a gaming machine controller of the gaming machine without transmitting the touch screen input data to the external source; and

responsive to the touch screen input data being associated with the external source video signal, transmitting, via a player user interface board interface distinct from any player tracking component and distinct from the picture-in-picture control interface, the touch screen input data to the external source without transmitting the touch screen input data to the gaming machine controller of the gaming machine.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining whether the touch screen input data is associated with the gaming machine video signal or the external source video signal.