INTERACTION WITH 3D SPACE IN A GAMING SYSTEM

• US 20100234094A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark, Landsman, Andrew, Gagner, Mark B., Pacey, Larry J., Greenberg, Jacob C., Moreno, Eleobardo
• Granted Patent: US 10,235,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen

Abstract

A gaming system for interacting with a wagering game in 3D space includes sensors positioned to define a 3D volume within which things may be introduced to make gestures that are detected in the 3D volume and associated with wagering-game functions Different 3D gestures cause different wagering-game functions to be earned out One gesture browses among selections involved in the game outcome while another gesture selects a wagering-game element 3D gestures change virtual camera angles to view hidden surfaces 3D wagering-game objects Gestures include throwing physical dice that transition to virtual dice whereupon the game software takes over to depict a randomly selected game outcome RFID-tagged chips are placed on tables to determine their value and location A fishing game detects a hook attached to a fishing rod held by the player and displays a virtual representation of the hook on four video displays

Claims

1. A wagering game interaction method, comprising:

receiving an input indicative of a wager to play a wagering game on a gaming device;

displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image that relates to the wagering game on a video display of the gaming device, the 3D image including a plurality of selectable 3D elements;

characterizing a physical gesture of a player of the wagering game in three-dimensional (3D) coordinate space to produce 3D gesture data indicative of at least a path taken by the physical gesture in the 3D coordinate space;

based upon the 3D gesture data, causing at least one of the plurality of selectable 3D elements to appear to change position to produce a modified 3D image, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable 3D elements becomes selectable in response to one of the selectable 3D elements changing position; and

displaying the modified 3D image on the video display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the physical gesture of the player without requiring the player to touch any part of the gaming device, the sensing including determining at least three coordinate positions of the physical gesture in the 3D coordinate space, each of the at least three coordinate positions lying along distinct axes of the 3D coordinate space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensing includes transmitting energy into the 3D coordinate space, the energy corresponding to radiation having a wavelength in an infrared or a laser range, or the energy corresponding to electromagnetic energy having a frequency in a radio frequency range.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensing the physical gesture is carried out without requiring the player to carry, wear, or hold any object associated with the gaming device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified 3D image relates to a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing at least one of the plurality of selectable 3D elements to appear to change position includes corresponding the physical gesture to a different viewing angle of the at least one 3D element, the modified 3D image being changed such that the at least one 3D element is visible from the different viewing angle based upon the 3D gesture data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the modified 3D image reveals at least one surface that was not viewable on the at least one 3D element.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

characterizing a second physical gesture of the player in the 3D space coordinate space to produce second 3D gesture data indicative of at least a direction of the second physical gesture in the 3D coordinate space, the second physical gesture being distinct from the physical gesture; and

based upon the second 3D gesture data, selecting the 3D image.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

characterizing a second physical gesture of the player in 3D coordinate space to produce second 3D gesture data indicative of at least one of a shape, location, orientation, and movement of the player in the 3D coordinate space; and

, based upon the second 3D gesture data, causing a second video image displayed on the video display to appear to be affected by the second physical gesture.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the second physical gesture is a hand cupping gesture, an open hand gesture, or a finger pointing gesture.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical gesture is a confirmation gesture causing the 3D image to be selected in the wagering game.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the confirmation gesture is distinct from every other valid gesture in the wagering game.

45. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the number of valid physical gestures available to the player the longer the player takes to reach a game outcome.

46. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a probability of the player winning an award the longer the player takes to reach a game outcome.

47. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a foreign object in the 3D coordinate space.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the detecting the foreign object includes mapping body parts of the player and associating adjacent body parts with one another to form a map of the player'"'"'s body.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising ignoring the foreign object.

54. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the physical gesture with an animation displayed on the video display.

55. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified 3D image has a perspective angle that is automatically modified relative to the 3D image based upon the 3D gesture data.

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensing is carried out via an infrared camera system, wherein the infrared camera system includes a plurality of infrared cameras positioned to detect at least a location in the 3D coordinate space of an object making the physical gesture.

8. (canceled)

13-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A wagering game interaction method comprising:

receiving an input indicative of a wager to play the wagering game at the gaming device;

displaying on the video display a graphic to the player, the graphic corresponding to a predetermined valid gesture that relates to the wagering game;

prompting the player to make a physical gesture in a predefined three-dimensional (3D) space in front of the video display that mimics the displayed graphic;

determining at least one gesture characteristic of the physical gesture and storing gesture characteristic data indicative of the at least one gesture characteristic; and

responsive to storing the gesture characteristic data, initiating the wagering game.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising calibrating the physical gesture to the graphic displayed on the video display by associating the gesture characteristic data with the predetermined valid gesture accepted by the wagering game.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one gesture characteristic includes a shape of a part of the player'"'"'s body, a location of the player'"'"'s body part, an orientation of the player'"'"'s body part, or a movement of the player'"'"'s body part within the predefined 3D space.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the movement includes at least one of a speed, velocity, and acceleration of the body part.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

displaying on the video display a second graphic to the player, the second graphic corresponding to a second predetermined valid gesture that relates to the wagering game;

prompting the player to make a second physical gesture in the predefined 3D space that mimics the second graphic;

determining at least one gesture characteristic of the second physical gesture and storing second gesture characteristic data indicative of the at least one gesture characteristic of the second physical gesture; and

calibrating the second physical gesture to the second graphic displayed on the video display by associating the second gesture characteristic data with the second predetermined valid gesture accepted by the wagering game.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing the gesture characteristic data on a storage device that is accessible locally or remotely via a player tracking card, the player tracking card storing identification information associated with the player.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein in response to the physical gesture being accepted by the wagering game, causing a wager amount to be indicated on the video display and decrementing the wager amount from a player account associated with the player.

36-37. -37. (canceled)

40-42. -42. (canceled)

50-53. -53. (canceled)

56. A wagering game interaction method comprising:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game on a gaming system that includes a video display that displays a virtual object;

producing first gesture data indicative of a first gesture associated with the player made in the 3D space;

producing second gesture data indicative of a second gesture associated with the player made in 3D space, the second gesture being distinct from the first gesture; and

displaying the virtual object via the video display, the virtual object being influenced by the first gesture and selectable by the second gesture, the virtual object being part of a randomly selected game outcome of the wagering game.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the first gesture and the second gesture are made without requiring the player to touch any part of the gaming system and without requiring the player to carry, wear, or hold any object associated with the gaming system while making the first or second gestures.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising, based on the second gesture data, selecting the virtual object.

59. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

displaying on the video display a graphic to the player, the graphic corresponding to a predetermined valid gesture that relates to the wagering game;

prompting the player to make a physical gesture in the 3D space in front of the video display that mimics the displayed graphic;

determining at least one gesture characteristic of the physical gesture and storing gesture characteristic data indicative of the at least one gesture characteristic; and

calibrating the physical gesture to the graphic displayed on the video display by associating the gesture characteristic data with the predetermined valid gesture accepted by the wagering game.

60. The method of claim 56, further comprising responsive to producing the second gesture data, producing third gesture data indicative of a confirmation gesture associated with the player made in the 3D space, the confirmation gesture being distinct from every other valid gesture recognized by the wagering game, the confirmation gesture confirming the selection of the virtual object by the player.

61. The method of claim 56, further comprising reducing the number of valid physical gestures available to the player the longer the player takes to reach a game outcome in the wagering game or reducing a probability of the player winning an award the longer the player takes to reach the game outcome.

62. A gaming system, comprising:

an input configured to receive a wager to play a wagering game on a gaming device of the gaming system;

a video display configured to display thereon virtual objects relating to the wagering game, a first of the virtual objects being capable of being influenced by a player of the wagering game and a second of the virtual objects being selectable by the player;

a sensor system configured to detect physical gestures made by the player in three-dimensional (3D) coordinate space in front of the gaming device; and

a controller configured to characterize (i) a first of the physical gestures to produce corresponding first 3D gesture data indicative of the first physical gesture in the 3D coordinate space and (ii) a second of the physical gestures to produce corresponding second 3D gesture data indicative of the second physical gesture in the 3D coordinate space, the second gesture being distinct from the first gesture, the first virtual object being influenced by the first physical gesture based on the first 3D gesture data, the controller causing the second virtual object to be selected based on the second 3D gesture data.

63. The gaming system of claim 62, wherein the first physical gesture and the second physical gesture are made without requiring the player to touch any part of the gaming device and without requiring the player to carry, wear, or hold any object associated with the gaming system while making the first or second gestures.

64. The gaming system of claim 62, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display on the video display a calibration graphic to the player, the calibration graphic corresponding to a predetermined valid gesture that relates to the wagering game;

prompt the player to make a third physical gesture in the 3D space in front of the video display that mimics the displayed calibration graphic;

determine a gesture characteristic of the third physical gesture and storing gesture characteristic data indicative of the gesture characteristic; and

calibrate the physical gesture to the calibration graphic displayed on the video display by associating the gesture characteristic data with the predetermined valid gesture accepted by the wagering game.

65. The gaming system of claim 64, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to producing the second 3D gesture data, produce third 3D gesture data indicative of a confirmation gesture associated with the player made in the 3D coordinate space, the confirmation gesture being distinct from every other valid gesture recognized by the wagering game, the confirmation gesture confirming the selection of the second virtual object by the player.

66. The gaming system of claim 62, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce the number of valid physical gestures available to the player the longer the player takes to achieve an outcome in the wagering game.