Gesture sensing enhancement system for a wagering game

• US 8,959,459 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Dion K., Gronkowski, Timothy T., Jaffe, Joel R., Loose, Timothy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US13/524,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and a method for conducting a wagering game that allows accurate determination of a player gesture input. A gaming terminal for playing the wagering game including a controller is disclosed. A touch surface is provided for actuation by a player gesture associated with an input to the wagering game. A sensor array underlies the touch surface to sense the motion of the gesture. The sensor array is coupled to the controller. The controller determines a trajectory represented by the gesture based on the sensed motion from the sensor array. A display is coupled to the controller to display movement of an object image based on the trajectory represented by the gesture.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, the gaming terminal comprising:

a controller;

a touch surface for actuation by a player gesture associated with an input to the wagering game;

a sensor array underling the touch surface to sense the motion of the gesture, the sensor array coupled to the controller, wherein the controller;

converts the sensed motion to corresponding gesture data indicative of the gesture made by the player, and

determines from at least a portion of the gesture data a trajectory of an intended gesture that differs from the gesture made by the player based on a criterion that includes an acceleration of at least a portion of the gesture made by the player,

wherein the determination of the trajectory includes breaking the gesture into segments of sensors of the sensor array underlying the touch surface, measuring the acceleration of the gesture on each segment, and determining the trajectory based on the segment having the fastest measured acceleration; and

a display coupled to the controller to display movement of an object image during the wagering game based on the trajectory of the intended gesture,

wherein the touch surface includes a launch boundary defining a first zone and a second zone, wherein the gesture made by the player in the first zone is sensed and the gesture made by the player in the second zone is ignored.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the trajectory by the tangent of a portion of a curved path of the gesture.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the trajectory based on a degree of curvature of an anticipated arc from the gesture.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the motion includes a pullback motion, and wherein the controller calculates the trajectory based on acceleration of the pullback motion.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 1 further comprising a memory storing the gesture data as gesture values in a table having a plurality of trajectories each associated with different set of predetermined gesture values, wherein the controller selects one of the trajectories from the table based on a comparison of the gesture values with the predetermined gesture values.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the trajectory is calculated based on the distance of the gesture on the touch surface and how much space an arc formed by the gesture occupies.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a deceleration motion in the gesture, wherein the controller interprets the deceleration to cancel the input from the gesture.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the touch surface includes a defined area of the possible output in the array, and the gesture is calculated based on the sensors of the senor array in the area and all contact points of the gesture outside the area are disregarded to constrain the maximum angle of the gesture.

9. A method of determining an intended gesture from an actual gesture made in a wagering game, comprising:

receiving, using a controller, gesture data indicative of an actual gesture made by a player within a defined coordinate space at a gaming terminal on which a wagering game is displayed;

displaying on the gaming terminal an object that is influenced by a gesture;

determining, using the controller or another controller, from at least a portion of the gesture data an intended gesture that differs from the actual gesture based on a criterion;

causing, using the controller or another controller, the object to be influenced by the intended gesture instead of the actual gesture and responsive to the causing, executing a wagering game function using the influenced object as an input,

wherein the criterion includes an acceleration of at least a portion of the actual gesture, the determining including;

defining a plurality of segments along the actual gesture;

calculating in each of the segments the acceleration of the actual gesture within the segment;

determining in which of the segments the calculated acceleration is the highest;

determining a trajectory of the actual gesture in the segment determined to have the highest calculated acceleration; and

using the trajectory to determine the intended gesture; and

wherein the touch interface includes a launch boundary defining a first zone and a second zone, wherein the gesture in the first zone is sensed and the gesture in the second zone is ignored.

10. The method of claim 9, the trajectory being determined by calculating a tangent of a curved portion of an initial part of the gesture.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the criterion includes whether the actual gesture is generally straight, the determining including determining a linear relationship between at least two points along the actual gesture responsive to the actual gesture being generally straight and using the linear relationship to determine the intended gesture.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the criterion includes whether a characteristic of the actual gesture corresponds to value in a weighted table of values, the method further comprising:

selecting the value in the weighted table; and

using the weighted table to determine an award for the wagering game based on a randomly determined winning outcome of the wagering game.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the criterion includes whether a characteristic of the actual gesture corresponds to value in a weighted table of values, the method further comprising:

randomly selecting the weighted table or one of at least two weighted tables adjacent to the weighted table, wherein each of the weighted table and the at least two weighted tables has the same expected value but a different volatility; and

using the randomly selected weighted table to determine an award for the wagering game based on a randomly determined winning outcome of the wagering game.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a trail of the actual gesture that persists after the actual gesture has completed; and

displaying an indication of the intended gesture overlaying the trail.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the wagering game function includes determining an award associated with the wagering game, the method further comprising:

displaying a plurality of further objects on a display of the gaming terminal, each of the further objects corresponding to an award to be awarded to the player responsive to a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game satisfying a criterion;

displaying an animation in which the influenced object follows a path defined by the intended gesture until the influenced object corresponds to a selected one of the further objects; and

awarding the player the award associated with the selected one of the further objects.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having an instruction set borne thereby, the instruction set being configured to cause, upon execution by a controller, the acts of:

receiving gesture data indicative of an actual gesture made by a player within a defined coordinate space at a gaming terminal on which a wagering game is displayed;

displaying on the gaming terminal an object that is influenced by a gesture;

determining from at least a portion of the gesture data an intended gesture that differs from the actual gesture based on a criterion;

causing the object to be influenced by the intended gesture instead of the actual gesture and responsive to the causing, executing a wagering game function using the influenced object as an input, wherein the criterion includes an acceleration of at least a portion of the actual gesture, the determining including;

defining a plurality of segments along the actual gesture;

calculating in each of the segments the acceleration of the actual gesture within the segment;

determining in which of the segments the calculated acceleration is the highest;

determining a trajectory of the actual gesture in the segment determined to have the highest calculated acceleration; and

using the trajectory to determine the intended gesture; and

wherein the touch interface includes a launch boundary defining a first zone and a second zone, wherein the gesture within the first zone is sensed and the gesture within the second zone is ignored.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the criterion includes whether a characteristic of the actual gesture corresponds to value in a weighted table of values, the instruction set being further configured to cause the acts of:

selecting the value in the weighted table; and

using the weighted table to determine an award for the wagering game based on a randomly determined winning outcome of the wagering game.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein the criterion includes whether a characteristic of the actual gesture corresponds to value in a weighted table of values, the instruction set being further configured to cause the acts of:

randomly selecting the weighted table or one of at least two weighted tables adjacent to the weighted table, wherein each of the weighted table and the at least two weighted tables has the same expected value but a different volatility; and

using the randomly selected weighted table to determine an award for the wagering game based on a randomly determined winning outcome of the wagering game.

19. The product of claim 16, wherein the wagering game function includes determining an award associated with the wagering game, the instruction set being further configured to cause the acts of:

displaying a plurality of further objects on a display of the gaming terminal, each of the further objects corresponding to an award to be awarded to the player responsive to a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game satisfying a criterion;

displaying an animation in which the influenced object follows a path defined by the intended gesture until the influenced object corresponds to a selected one of the further objects; and

awarding the player the award associated with the selected one of the further objects.