Gaming machine user interface

• US 20050282603A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Parrott, Greg, Paulsen, Craig A., Hua, Dung K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

A gaming machine having a non-contact user interface and methods for receiving input to the gaming machine using the non-contact user interface are described. The gaming machine described can receive player tracking information associated with a player, where the player tracking information can include personalization information associated with the player. The gaming machine can receive a signal provided by the player at a non-contact interface device. Next, the gaming machine can decode the signal.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a player tracking device configured to receive player tracking information associated with a player;

a non-contact interface device configured to receive input signals from the player wherein the input signals are used to play a game of chance on the gaming machine; and

a master gaming controller configured to present one or more games of chance, wherein the master gaming controller is configured to receive the input signals and decode the input signals.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the input signals are decoded using personalization files stored as player tracking information associated with the player.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the non-contact interface device is an eye motion recognition device, a hand motion recognition device, a voice recognition device, image recognition system, virtual keyboard, virtual touch screen, or a combination thereof.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the eye motion recognition device includes a video image processing system.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the video image processing system includes a camera, lens, and LED.

6. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the hand motion recognition device is a sensor curtain.

7. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the hand motion recognition device can detect motion in two dimensions or three dimensions.

8. The gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the image recognition system can read lip movements, sign language, or other movements.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the non-contact interface device is configured to receive signals from a peripheral device.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the peripheral device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), cell phone, haptic interface, pointer, a hand-held computing device or a combination thereof.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the player tracking information includes a player tracking identification number.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the player tracking device further comprises one or more of a card reader, a wireless interface, a smart card reader, an RFID tag reader, a bar-code reader, a camera coupled to character recognition software, a microphone coupled to voice recognition software or combination thereof for transmitting player tracking information.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is configured to decode input signals based on calibration information obtained during a gaming session.

14. A method for receiving input to a gaming machine comprising:

receiving player tracking information associated with a player;

receiving signals at a non-contact interface device, wherein the signals are provided by the player for playing a game of chance on the gaming machine;

decoding the signal and;

generating a game of chance using the signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the player tracking information includes personalization information associated with the player.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying input options to the player, wherein the input options allow the player to select a mode of non-contact input to the gaming machine.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising calibrating the non-contact interface for a gaming session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing calibration information as player tracking information.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing the player to provide personalization information for input to the non-contact interface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing personalization information as player tracking information.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising authenticating the player using personalization information or calibration information stored as player tracking information associated with the player.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal is a cursor signal.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal is a selection signal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining whether the selection signal was decoded correctly based on personalization or calibration files associated with the player.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising allowing a player to confirm the selection signal.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the player with an option to cancel the selection signal.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising processing the selection signal as input to the gaming machine.

28. The method of claim 14, further comprising saving the selection signal as game state information.

29. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the signal.

30. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating the player tracking information associated with the player based on one or more signals received by the non-contact interface device.

31. A method for receiving input to a gaming machine comprising:

receiving player tracking information associated with a player, wherein the player tracking information includes personalization information, calibration information, or a combination thereof;

receiving a signal at a non-contact interface device, wherein the signal is provided by the player; and

decoding the signal using the personalization information, calibration information, or a combination thereof.