Patent Grant
10629023
This application is a 371 U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/SE2017/050053, filed Jan. 19, 2017, which claims priority to Swedish Application No. 1630018-8, filed on Jan. 30, 2016. The disclosures of each of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention generally relates to a compact multi-user gaming system, and specifically to a multi-user gaming system in the form of a gaming table, provided with an integrated automated mechanical gaming machine visibly viewable by the users during a gaming operation. The invention also relates to a corresponding control method and a computer program product.
Gaming systems for use in a gaming environment, such as a casino, have a limited maximum number of participants able to play the game simultaneously due to, for example, the size of the specific gaming site or other physical limitations to the gaming system. There is a general desire to allow for more players per each area unit within such a gaming environment.
According to an aspect of the invention, the above is at least partly alleviated by a gaming system, comprising a transmissive multi-user touch interface comprising at least two defined gaming portions provided for a first and a second user, respectively, a transmissive display screen, and an automated mechanical gaming machine, the automated mechanical gaming machine being a structural device providing a function of a game of chance and having at least a visual front portion, and a control unit connected to the multi-user touch interface, the transmissive display screen and the automated mechanical gaming machine, wherein the gaming system is provided as a gaming table, the multi-user touch interface and the transmissive display screen are adjacently configured above at least the front portion of the automated mechanical gaming machine allowing the users to view at least the front portion of the automated mechanical gaming machine through the transmissive multi-user touch interface and the transmissive display screen, and the control unit is arranged to receive at least an input from a user using the multi-user touch interface and an output from the automated mechanical gaming machine, and to control the transmissive display screen to display, within at least one of the defined gaming portions, a correlation between the user input and the output from the automated mechanical gaming machine.
By means of the invention, an integrated solution may be provided where the automated mechanical gaming machine is arranged “beneath” the user interface and the display, allowing users to have direct visible access to the automated mechanical gaming machine while at the same time moving away from the prior art solution where the automated mechanical gaming machine typically is arranged “on the side” of the gaming table. The presented solution greatly improve, as compared to prior art, the number of players that can play at a single table.
Preferably, the automated mechanical gaming machine may be a roulette wheel comprising a roulette ball. Alternatively, the automated mechanical gaming machine may be a dice-shaking device and comprising at least one dice. The automated mechanical gaming machine may also be an electronic card shuffler comprising a plurality of playing cards. Accordingly, different implementations may be possible in regards to the controllable externally arranged hardware random number generator for providing the random number.
In accordance to the invention, the automated mechanical gaming machine is provided away from the user in such a manner that the automated mechanical gaming machine may not be readily physically manipulated by the users. Thus, an improved safety of the gaming system is provided.
It should be understood that the user interface typically is a single user interface shared between the users (plurality of users). It is advantageous to configure the user interface and the control unit such that the different users may access the user interface simultaneously while being separately identified. In an embodiment the least two defined gaming portions are expected to be solely operated by the separate users.
Preferably, the information presented at the display screen and the input expected at the user interface may be updated, for example allowing different types of games to be played using the same type of automated mechanical gaming machine. In regards to the automated mechanical gaming machine being a dice-shaking device, it may for example be possible to adjust the information presented to be switched between e.g. the dice game Craps, “Sic Bo” (also sometimes referred to as “Cussec”, “Tai Sai”, “Dai Siu”, “Big and Small” or “Hi-Lo”), Fish-Prawn-Crab/Hoo Hey How, Grand Hazard/Chuck-a-Luck/Birdcage, etc. The same of course counts for an implementation where the automated mechanical gaming machine is a roulette wheel. Also, it could be possible to adapt the gaming system such that the type of automated mechanical gaming machine may be exchanged, e.g. between different types of roulette wheels (e.g. single or double zero), etc.
The expression “control unit” should be understood to include any type of computing device, such as an ASIC, a micro-processor, etc. It should also be understood that the actual implementation of such a processing circuitry may be divided between more than a single device/circuit.
Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled addressee realize that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The various aspects of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing, in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled addressee. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout.
Referring now to the drawings and to
Moreover, the gaming table 100 comprises an automated mechanical gaming machine 106 arranged at a position vertically below the multi-user touch interface and display 102, in an enclosed cavity formed beneath the multi-user touch interface and display 104. Thus, a user is able to visually monitor the automated mechanical gaming machine 106 when standing next to the gaming table 100. The automated mechanical gaming machine 106 is in the illustrated example embodiment in
Other automated mechanical gaming machines are of course conceivable such as e.g. a dice gaming machine for playing the so-called dice game “Sic Bo” as will be described below in relation to the description of
Although the automated mechanical gaming machine 106 can be visually monitored by the users, there are situations which will be described further below, when it is desirable to prevent a user to visually monitor the automated mechanical gaming machine 106. In these situations, the multi-user touch interface and display 102 may be arranged in an opaque mode, or lighting thereof may be arranged to prevent user(s) from temporarily visually monitoring the automated mechanical gaming machine 106. Preferably, a plurality of controllable light sources are connected to and controlled by means of the control unit, where a mode (fully active to non-active) may be allowed to dependent on a state of the game presented by the gaming system.
Furthermore, the gaming table 100 comprises a plurality of side panels 108 arranged on side portions of the gaming table 100. Hereby, the vertical long sides and vertical short sides comprise the side panels 108 for preventing the users to gain physical access to the automated mechanical gaming machine 106. This improves the safety of the gaming system since it is not possible for a user to manipulate with the automated mechanical gaming machine 106. Also, the gaming table 100 comprises user terminals 110 at the side panels in the vicinity of the respective gaming portions 104. The user terminals allow the user to buy markers or cash out acquired money/markers.
For allowing the different players to place bets, the multi-user touch interface and display 102 may comprise identification means (not shown) for differentiate the different users from each other. Such identification means may comprise a multitude of sensors, and the results captured by the sensor may in turn be correlated for determining the identity of the user. Other types of technology may also be provided, where the control unit and combination with the user interface are configured to allow differentiation between different users.
In
In
For automatic determination of the outcome once the time for shaking the dice 312 has ended, a symbol recognition arrangement (not shown) is provide. The symbol recognition arrangement comprises an image capturing device connected to the control unit 306. The image capturing device may be a camera, for example comprising a CCD or a CMOS sensor. Additionally, for providing illumination that may be used by the image capturing device in capturing an image, the symbol recognition arrangement may be provided with one or a plurality of light sources, such as a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs may emit light within a visible wavelength, but may also, or instead, emit light within with an infrared wavelength. Accordingly, the image capturing device may be provided with a filter for only allowing light within a specific, corresponding, wavelength range to be allowed to reach the capturing means of the image capturing device.
In addition, the control functionality of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
Although the figures may show a sequence the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. Also two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps. Additionally, even though the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments thereof, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art. Further, a single unit may perform the functions of several means recited in the claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting to the claim. Furthermore, in the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1630018 | Jan 2016 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2017/050053 | 1/19/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/131572 | 8/3/2017 | WO | A |
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| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/SE2017/050053 dated Apr. 5, 2017, 12 pages. |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190035204 A1 | Jan 2019 | US |
