Gaming system including a gaming table and a plurality of user input devices

• US 9,640,027 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Rowe, Richard E., Nicely, Mark C., Wolf, Bryan D., Underdahl, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/834,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20150363994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3204 Player-machine interfaces
• 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 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

Intelligent gaming tables and methods of providing game play through the gaming tables are described herein. The gaming table includes a table having a table surface, a plurality of player stations, and a common display configured to display gaming content to a plurality of players. The gaming table further includes an interface configured to communicate with a plurality of user input devices. The gaming table includes a gaming controller. The gaming controller is configured to communicate with the plurality of user input devices through the interface, receive location information relating to touches or contacts detected on the table surface, analyze the information relating to the touches or contacts, identify a user performing each of the touches or contacts with the table surface, and implement player input instructions contained within the information relating to the touches or contacts.

Claims

1. An electronic table comprising:

a table surface;

a plurality of user stations;

a common display;

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

a controller configured to;

(a) communicate with the plurality of user input devices through the interface;

(b) receive location information relating to a location of a detected contact between one of the plurality of user input devices and the table surface at one of the plurality of user stations;

(c) analyze the location information relating to the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations;

(d) identify a user who caused the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations; and

(e) implement user input instructions contained within the location information relating to the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations, wherein the user input instructions are first user input instructions when the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a first location and the user input instructions are second user input instructions different from the first user input instructions when the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a second location different from the first location.

2. The table of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of docking regions, wherein each of the plurality of docking regions is associated with one of the plurality of user stations and each of the plurality of docking regions is configured to accept one of the plurality of user input devices.

3. The table of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of docking regions is coupled to the controller such that, for each docking region, one of the plurality of user input devices can communicate with the controller when positioned within said docking region.

4. The table of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to facilitate user input device registration with the table.

5. The table of claim 1, wherein each user station of the plurality of user stations includes a user display.

6. The table of claim 5, wherein each user station of the plurality of user stations includes a user input selection region configured to interact with one of the plurality of user input devices.

7. The table of claim 1, wherein the common display is a touchscreen display.

8. A method of operating an electronic table, said method comprising:

associating, by a controller of the table, a user input device with a user;

receiving, through a communication interface of the table, location data relating to a location of a detected contact between the user input device and a table surface of the table at one of a plurality of user stations, the detected contact being associated with an activity;

analyzing, by the controller, the received location data relating to the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface of the table at said one of the plurality of user stations; and

updating, by the controller, a display of the table based on the received location data relating to the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface of the table at one of the plurality of user stations, wherein the display is updated in a first manner when the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a first location and the display is updated in a second manner different from the first manner when the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a second location different from the first location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a confirmation from the user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting information relating to the activity to a remote server.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating, by the controller, the user input device with the user in response to determining, by the controller, that the user input device is within a designated physical proximity to the table.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the activity associated with the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface of the table includes a wager value and the location data includes the location of the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface of the table, wherein the location corresponds to a location of a wagering area displayed on the table surface of the table and the method further comprises interpreting, by the controller, the detected contact between the user input device and the table surface of the table as an indication that the user wants to place a wager having the wager value at the location of the wagering area.

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

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising validating, by the controller, the wager based on one or more of game rules, table wagering limits, and funds available to the user prior to updating the display.

15. A method of providing user interaction with an electronic table, the method comprising:

associating, by a controller of the table, a first user input device with a first user;

receiving, through a communication interface of the table and from the first input device, first batched data relating to a first plurality of event data records, wherein each event data record includes location information related to an input from the first user entered via contact between the first user input device and a table surface of the table at one of a plurality of different user stations;

transmitting, through the communication interface, an acknowledgment to the first user input device that the first batched data was received;

analyzing, by the controller, the first batched data to determine a first set of user instructions, wherein the first set of user instructions when the location of the detected contact between the first user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a first location is different from the first set of user instructions when the location of the detected contact between the first user input device and the table surface at said one of the plurality of user stations is a second location different from the first location; and

updating, by the controller, a display of the table based on the first set of user instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

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

receiving, through the communication interface of the table and from the second input device, second batched data relating to a second plurality of event data records, wherein each event data record includes location information related to an input from the second user entered via contact between the second user input device and a table surface of the table;

transmitting, through the communication interface, an acknowledgment to the second user input device that the second batched data was received;

analyzing, by the controller, the second batched data to determine a second set of user instructions; and

updating, by the controller, the display of the table based on the second set of user instructions.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a confirmation from the first user associated with the first set of user instructions.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting information associated with the first set of user instructions to a remote server.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising associating, by the controller, the first user input device with the first user in response to determining, by the controller, that the first user input device is within a designated physical proximity to the table.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising validating, by the controller, the first set of user instructions based on one or more of game rules, table wagering limits, and funds available to the first user prior to updating the display.