Differentiated audio

• US 8,184,824 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hettinger, Mark, Benbrahim, Jamal, Boyd, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US11/585,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/77, 381/382, 381/25, 381/27, 381/57, 381/107, 381 61- 63, 381/1, 381/18, 381/300, 381/303, 381/307, 381/309, 381/310, 381/74, 435/20, 435/35, 463/47, 463/25, 463/20, 463 35- 37, 273/317.1, 273/461, 725/38, 725/40, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• 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: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/344 Muting responsive to the amount of noise (noise squelch) H03G3/345 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides novel methods and devices for providing audio to players of a gaming machine and to nearby players. According to preferred implementations, sounds intended for a person currently using a gaming machine are distinguished from second sounds intended for persons who are not currently using the gaming machine. The former sounds are directed to the player of the gaming machine by one or more methods and/or devices. For example, the gaming machine may include a device for producing ultrasonic waves (e.g., in a beam) that produce the first sounds via interaction with a medium, a sound dome, a speaker array, or other devices for producing directional sound. The sound may be directed to a predetermined area near the gaming machine. Alternatively, the sound may be directed to an area at or near where the player is detected to be, where the player'"'"'s player tracking card is detected to be, etc.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

differentiating apparatus for differentiating first sounds intended for a first purpose for a first person currently using a gaming machine from second sounds intended for a second purpose for second persons who are not currently using the gaming machine wherein the first sounds and second sounds are provided according to the different purposes at substantially the same time;

reproducing apparatus for reproducing the first sounds and the second sounds; and

directional apparatus for directing the first sounds to a first area near one or more user interfaces of the gaming machine for the first purpose and for directing the second sounds to a second area different from the first area for the second purpose which is different from the first purpose wherein the first sounds are intended primarily for use by the first person currently using the gaming machine while the second sounds are intended primarily for the second persons not currently using the gaming machine.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an ambient noise level detector configured to detect an ambient noise level and to produce a detected ambient noise level signal; and

a dynamic volume controller configured to regulate a first volume of the first sounds in response to a detected ambient noise level signal.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reproducing apparatus comprises a device for producing ultrasonic waves that produce the first sounds via interaction with a medium.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reproducing apparatus comprises a device for producing a beam of ultrasonic waves that produces the first sounds via interaction with a medium.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reproducing apparatus comprises a sound dome.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the reproducing apparatus comprises a speaker array.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the differentiating apparatus comprises means for differentiating third sounds from the second sounds and the first sounds, the third sounds being equally intended for the first person and the second persons.

8. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the dynamic volume controller configured to regulate a second volume of the second sounds in response to the detected ambient noise level signal.

9. A gaming machine, comprising:

differentiating apparatus for differentiating and producing first sounds and second sounds wherein the first sounds are intended for a first purpose for a first person currently using a gaming machine while the second sounds are intended for a second purpose for a second person not currently using the gaming machine, and wherein the first sounds and second sounds are produced according to the different purposes at substantially the same time;

a directional audio device;

location-detecting apparatus for detecting a location of the first person or the second person;

controlling apparatus for controlling the directional audio device to direct sounds to the location of the first person or the second person, wherein the controlling comprises controlling a motor to change a direction towards which the sounds are directed according to the location detected by the location-detecting apparatus such that the first sounds are directed to a first location of the first person near one or more user interfaces of the gaming machine for the first purpose while the second sounds are directed to a second location of the second person different from the first location for the second purpose which is different from the first purpose and wherein the first sounds are intended primarily for use by the first person currently using the gaming machine while the second sounds are intended primarily by the second person not currently using the gaming machine; and

providing apparatus for providing a wagering game at the gaming machine.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the location-detecting apparatus comprises a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader.

11. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the second sounds comprise attraction sounds relating to the wagering game.

12. The gaming machine of claim 9, further comprising creating apparatus for creating a correction signal that acts to negate unwanted sound, wherein the directional audio device is configured to create a noise-canceling beam based on the correction signal, wherein the location-detecting apparatus is configured for detecting a location of a player'"'"'s head, and wherein the directional audio device is configured to direct the noise-canceling beam toward the player'"'"'s head.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the controlling apparatus controls the directional audio device to direct the second sounds towards the location of an RFID tag read by the RFID reader.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the second sounds comprise a personalized message directed to a person associated with the RFID tag.

15. The gaming machine of claim 9, further comprising:

a first transmitter for transmitting the second sounds as first attraction messages at a first frequency; and

a second transmitter for transmitting the second sounds as second attraction messages at a second frequency.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the first and second attraction messages correspond with first and second levels of a player tracking program.

17. A gaming method, comprising:

differentiating, by a gaming machine, first sounds intended for a first purpose for a first person currently using the gaming machine from second sounds intended for a second purpose for second persons who are not currently using the gaming machine;

reproducing, by the gaming machine, the first sounds and the second sounds according to the different purposes at substantially the same time;

directing, by the gaming machine, the first sounds to a first area near one or more input devices of the gaming machine for the first purpose; and

directing, by the gaming machine, the second sounds to a second area different from the first area for the second purpose which is different from the first purpose wherein the first sounds are intended for use by the first person currently using the gaming machine while the second sounds are intended for the second persons not currently using the gaming machine.

18. The gaming method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting an ambient noise level; and

modulating the first volume according to the ambient noise level.

19. The gaming method of claim 17, wherein a second volume of the second sounds is higher than a first volume of the first sounds.

20. The gaming method of claim 17, wherein the first sounds comprise instruction sounds.

21. The gaming method of claim 17, wherein the second sounds comprise attraction sounds.

22. The gaming method of claim 17, further comprising:

differentiating third sounds from the second sounds and the first sounds, the third sounds being equally intended for the first person and the second persons; and

reproducing the third sounds by directing the third sounds to the first area and the second area.

23. The gaming method of claim 17, wherein the second sounds comprise game-winning sounds.

24. The gaming method of claim 18, further comprising modulating the second volume according to the ambient noise level.

25. The gaming method of claim 22, wherein the third sounds comprise game-winning sounds.

26. The gaming method of claim 17, wherein the first sounds are associated with game events of a wagering game and wherein the second sounds are not directly associated with the game events, the method further comprising:

ascertaining when the first sounds and the second sounds are scheduled to be provided concurrently; and

determining when the first sounds and the second sounds should not be provided concurrently.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of muting the first sounds or the second sounds when it is determined that the first sounds and the second sounds should not be provided concurrently.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second sounds comprise player tracking sounds, advertising sounds, bonusing sounds or tournament-related sounds.