Methods of receiving electronic wagers in a wagering game via a handheld electronic wager input device

• US 9,361,755 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Gronkowski, Timothy T., Lesley, Paul M., Loose, Timothy C., Motyl, Jim, Rasmussen, James M., Shi, Victor T., Thomas, Alfred, Smith, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US14/872,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• 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 for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player'"'"'s account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a table having a table surface;

a display configured to display a wagering game to a plurality of players;

an interface configured to communicate with a plurality of input devices;

a gaming controller configured to;

communicate with the plurality of input devices through the interface;

receive location information relating to a detected location of a detected contact between one of the plurality of input devices and the table surface;

identify which one of the plurality of players caused the detected contact between the input device and the table surface;

implement instructions including a first instruction when the location of the detected contact is a first location and a second instruction when the location of the detected contact is a second location different from the first location.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to facilitate input device registration with the table.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display is a touchscreen display.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to:

detect, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

initiate the wagering game in response to one or more inputs indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first instruction relates to a wagering game purpose and the second instruction relates to a non-wagering game purpose.

6. A computer-implemented method of providing game play of a wagering game by a plurality of players through a table having a controller, the method comprising:

associating, by the controller, a user input device with a player;

receiving, through a communication interface of the table, location information relating to a location of a detected contact between the user input device and a table surface of the table;

identifying which one of the plurality of players caused the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface; and

updating, by the controller, a display of the table based on the received location information such that the display is updated in a first manner responsive to the location of the detected contact being a first location and in a second manner different from the first manner responsive to the location of the detected contact being a second location different from the first location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising associating, by the controller, the user input device with the player responsive to determining, by the controller, that the user input device is in proximity to the table surface.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a confirmation from the player.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting information relating to the wagering game to a remote server.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first manner relates to a wager amount and the first location corresponds to a wager amount area on the table surface, and wherein the second manner relates to a non-wagering game purpose.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

associating, by the controller, the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface with a wager having a wager amount at the location of the wager amount area.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the display based on the wager.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising checking, by the controller, whether the player has sufficient funds in a player account to fund the wager.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

initiate the wagering game in response to one or more inputs indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.