Methods and regulated gaming machines including game gadgets configured for player interaction using service oriented subscribers and providers

• US 8,602,896 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brunet de Courssou, Thierry, Filipour, Cameron Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickey, Thomas L
• Application Number:
  US12/398,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/227, 463/31, 463/42, 703/204, 703/205, 703/206, 703/227
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A regulated gaming machine including a touch-screen display is provided in a gaming system that includes a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network using a service oriented communication protocol. A plurality of game gadgets are provided, each enabling player interaction via respective predetermined interaction zones of the touch-screen display, and at least one of which is associated with a game that is selectable and playable on the gaming machine. A service oriented subscriber executes in a predetermined one of the plurality of computer nodes and a service oriented provider is associated with each of the plurality of game gadgets, each being configured to control its associated game gadget. Each of the provided game gadgets is configured to allow interaction between the player and the service oriented subscriber. At least some of the game gadgets are displayed on the touch-screen display, and a player selection of one of the game gadgets is detected on the touch-screen. Responsive to detecting the player selection, a selected interaction is carried out between the player and the service oriented subscriber with respect to the selected game gadget.

Claims

1. A method for enabling player interaction with a gaming machine in a regulated gaming system, the regulated gaming system including a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network, the method comprising:

displaying on a touch-screen display of the regulated gaming machine a plurality of game gadgets, each of the game gadgets being an icon on the touch-screen display corresponding to a game that is selectable and playable on the regulated gaming machine;

associating each game gadget of the plurality of game gadgets with a corresponding service oriented provider, each service oriented provider being configured to control its associated game gadget and to provide a service related to the game to a service oriented subscriber, the service oriented subscriber controlling what is displayed on the touch-screen display and being configured to receive the service from the service oriented provider to thereby provide information related to the game on the touch-screen display;

detecting a selection on the touch-screen display of one of the displayed game gadgets;

responsive to detecting the selection, providing, via the service oriented provider, services for carrying out a selected interaction related to the game corresponding to the selected game gadget;

executing, via the service oriented subscriber, the services provided by the service oriented provider on the regulated gaming machine to allow information related to the game corresponding to the selected game gadget to be displayed on the regulated gaming machine and allow the game to be played by a player; and

displaying a promotional video during the executing, the promotional video occupying another interactive zone on the touch-screen display and capable of receiving an input, the other interactive zone associated with a video service oriented provider that provides video services to a video service oriented subscriber configured to consume the video services and present the promotional video on the touch-screen display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first motion, on the touch-screen display; and

responsive to detecting the first motion, scrolling through the provided plurality of game gadgets such that some of the displayed game gadgets disappear from view on the touch-screen display, such that some of the displayed game gadgets are shifted in position and such that others of the provided plurality of game gadgets appear on the touch-screen display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first motion is a sweeping motion.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the scrolling step rotates a sphere on the touch-screen display.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the scrolling step is carried out at least one of from left to light, from light to left, from top to bottom, from bottom to top and diagonally.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the provided service oriented providers executes in the gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction includes one of:

enabling game play of the game corresponding to the selected game gadget; and

displaying a secondary menu of the game corresponding to the selected game gadget.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service oriented subscriber is provided with the computer node being outside of the regulated gaming machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service oriented subscriber is provided with the computer node being within the gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction between the regulated gaming machine and the service oriented subscriber is carried out using a service oriented protocol, and includes showing at least one of information, animation, game options, and a game preview, and wherein the game gadget is further configured to enable the regulated gaming machine to receive a selection from the player to select options displayed by the game gadget to be sent to the service oriented subscriber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction carried out includes showing a game preview of a game corresponding to the selected game.

12. The method of claim 1, further including configuring the interaction according to player demographics.

13. The method of claim 1, further including a step of reading a player tracking card and wherein the displaying step displays game gadgets corresponding to the player'"'"'s favorite games.

14. The method of claim 1, further including a step of reading a player tracking card and wherein the displaying step displays game gadgets corresponding to games likely to satisfy preferences of the player.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a rotatable sphere displayed on the touch-screen display, and wherein the sphere is rotatable based on input to the touch screen.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a rotatable surface of revolution that is rotatable based on input to the touch screen.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step displays the game gadgets as if the game gadgets were projected on a 3D surface.

18. The method of claim 1, further including displaying at least one dedicated button on the touch-screen display, the dedicated button being configured to cause the displaying step to only display game gadgets corresponding to games satisfying at least one game characteristic.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of game gadgets is configured to enable a search for games by enabling the touchscreen to receive inputs from a player to enter game characteristics and wherein the displaying step displays only those game gadgets corresponding to games satisfying the entered game characteristics.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the game characteristic is selected from a group consisting of Poker Games, Slot Games, Casino Video Games and Scripted Multi-Act Games.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the search enabling step includes displaying a keyboard on the touch-screen display to enable the player to enter the game characteristics.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interaction includes the service oriented provider downloading a game corresponding to the selected game gadget from the service oriented subscriber over the network and enabling game play of the downloaded game on the gaming machine.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the rendered video content features a product or service that is available for purchase via a selected one of the plurality of computer nodes using the service oriented protocol and wherein the method further includes a step of enabling purchase of the product or the service shown on the rendered video content.

24. The method of claim 22, further including dynamically rearranging the provided plurality of video gadgets as a 3D carousel or as an animated mosaic, using at least one of continuous resizing, full screen, horizontal panning, vertical panning, mixed panning and controlled alpha blending.

25. A method for enabling player interaction with a regulated gaming machine in a gaming system that includes a plurality of distributed computer nodes communicating over a network, the regulated gaming machine including a touch-screen display, the method comprising:

displaying on the touch-screen display of the regulated gaming machine a plurality of game gadgets, each of the game gadgets being an icon on the touch-screen display corresponding to a game that is selectable and playable on the regulated gaming machine;

associating each game gadget of the plurality of game gadgets with a corresponding service oriented provider, each service oriented provider being configured to control its associated game gadget and to provide a service related to the game to a service oriented subscriber, the service oriented subscriber controlling what is displayed on the touch-screen display and being configured to receive the service from the service oriented provider to thereby provide information related to the game on the touch-screen display;

detecting a selection on the touch-screen display of one of the displayed game gadgets;

responsive to detecting the selection of the one of the displayed game gadgets, providing, via the service oriented provider, services for carrying out a selected interaction related to the game corresponding to the selected game gadget;

executing, via the service oriented subscriber, the services provided by the service oriented provider on the gaming machine to allow the information related to the game corresponding to the selected game gadget to be displayed on the regulated gaming machine and allow the game to be played by the player;

providing a plurality of video service oriented subscribers coupled to the network and each executing in a corresponding one of the plurality of computer nodes;

detecting an interaction, by the player, within the interaction zone associated with one of a plurality of video gadgets, each video gadget enabling interaction between an input at the regulated gaming machine and one of a plurality of video service oriented subscribers over the network via a respective associated interaction zone on the touchscreen display;

responsive to detecting the interaction and during the executing of allowing the information related to the game corresponding to the selected game gadget to be displayed on the regulated gaming machine and allowing the game to be played by the player, a video service oriented provider executing in the gaming machine and coupled to the network associated with the video gadget requesting and obtaining a video streaming service from a selected one of the plurality of video service subscribers over the network and providing the obtained video streaming service to the touch-screen display to thereby enable the touch-screen display to render video content obtained from the selected video service oriented subscriber, the video service oriented provider being one of a plurality of video service oriented providers each associated with a different one of the plurality of video gadgets.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the video content rendered on the touch-screen display features a game that is playable on the gaming machine and wherein the method further includes at least one of initiating game play of the featured game, selecting a menu of the featured game and selecting from available game options of the featured game, rewinding the video content, forwarding through the video content and rewinding or forwarding through a plurality of previously shown videos.

27. A method of enabling player interaction with a regulated gaming device of a regulated gaming system including a plurality of regulated gaming devices communicatively coupled to each other through a network, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of game icons on a touch screen display of the regulated gaming device, each game icon occupying a portion of an interactive zone of the touch screen display and each game icon associated with a corresponding game service oriented provider;

displaying video content on the touch screen display, during the displaying of the plurality of game icons, the video content occupying another portion of the interactive zone of the touch screen display and associated with a video service oriented provider;

receiving an input at one of the plurality of game icons; and

in response to the received input, providing, via the corresponding game service oriented provider, a service associated with a game corresponding to one of the plurality of game icons to the service oriented subscriber, and executing at the regulated gaming device, via the service oriented subscriber, the game on the touch screen display, while continuing to display the video content.