Patent Grant
11562627
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights of copyright whatsoever.
This invention relates to wagering games, gaming machines, gaming systems, and associated methods. More particularly, the invention relates to gaming machines, systems, and related methods supporting competitive play.
Various gaming systems have been developed to facilitate competitive play on reel-type and other games which are traditionally operated in an individual play mode. In an individual play mode the player may make a wager in the game and then activate the game to obtain their individual result. In competitive play, a player or team of players, each at a respective gaming machine may activate the game repeatedly in order to produce a score which is compared to the scores of other players or teams to determine which player or team is the winner of the competition. There continues to be a need for innovative methods and gaming systems which present competitive games in different ways to generate player interest and excitement.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a gaming system includes a number of gaming machines that may be operated in a competitive play mode. Each gaming machine may include a video camera connected to provide a live video feed to one or more displays. During competitive play, the live video feed of the players and the player rankings/positions may be driven in real-time to an overhead display and to other gaming machines by a control center server operating as a tournament controller. In one or more embodiments, a player may opt for anonymity while playing. In such case, the player may select a player avatar from a set of available avatars and/or a pseudonym.
The competitive play may be offered in a convertible in-revenue and out-of-revenue gaming system. In such a gaming system, a gaming machine may be operated in an in-revenue configuration where a play at the gaming machine is initiated with a money (or equivalent) wager by a player. In out-of-revenue operation, game play at a gaming machine does not require a wager for each play at the gaming machine.
One aspect of the present invention encompasses methods of operating a gaming system including a number of networked player stations. Methods according to this first aspect of the invention include receiving a first station game activation input at a processor of a first networked player station included in the number of networked player stations. This first station game activation input is received from a player input device of the first networked player station. The first networked player station also includes a first station display system made up of one or more first station display devices configurable to provide a first display area and a second display area at the first networked player station. The processor of the first networked player station is operably connected to the first station display system to direct the operation of the first station display system. Methods according to this first aspect of the invention further include, initiating a competition in which (i) the processor of the first networked player station converts the first networked player station from an individual play operating mode for the first networked player station to a competition operating mode for the first networked player station, and (ii) a processor of a second networked player station included in the number of player stations converts the second networked player station from an individual play operating mode for the second networked player station to a competition operating mode for the second networked player station. This conversion to competition operating mode is performed under control of a tournament controller operatively connected to at least some of the number of networked player stations and including the first and second networked player stations and facilitates group play between the first and second networked player stations. During the competition operating mode, the processor of the first player station controls the first station display system to simultaneously display a leader board and a video feed of a player. The leader board includes relative positions of participants in the group play and is displayed in the second display area. The video feed of the player is displayed within the first display area together with an individual result of play in the competition operating mode.
A further aspect of the invention encompasses gaming systems which may be configured for tournament play. Gaming systems according to this aspect of the invention include a number of player stations which each include a respective player input device operable to communicate with a processor of the respective player station to initiate a game play at the respective player station. Each player station further includes a respective video camera and a respective display system. The video camera of a respective player station is configured to generate a player video feed of a player at the respective player station, while the display system of a respective player station is made up of one or more display devices configurable to provide a first display area and a second display area. Gaming systems according to this aspect of the invention further include a tournament controller configured to selectively communicate a tournament play instruction to the respective processor of one or more of the player stations. This instruction is operable to cause the display system of the respective player station (i) to display, within the second display area of the respective player station, leader board information including current relative positions of participants in tournament play at the player stations, and (ii) to display within the first display area of the respective player station at least one of the player video feeds. The first display area of the respective player station also displays an individual result of play in a tournament game presented at the respective player station.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of representative embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
As will be discussed further below, control center server 101 may be programmed to implement several different controllers providing functions or services for the gaming machines 103 and associated equipment (such as the overhead display 111 described below). In particular, control center server 101 may implement a tournament controller for controlling and facilitating the conversion of gaming machines 103 from individual in-revenue play to tournament play (either in-revenue or out-of-revenue) and back. During tournament play, the tournament controller communicates with the various gaming machines 103 participating in the tournament, maintains information on the conduct of the tournament, such as real-time standings and scores, and makes tournament information available to the gaming machines 103 or other system elements for display over the course of the tournament. In its operation as a tournament controller, control center server 101 also controls the conversion of gaming machines 103 back from tournament play mode (competition operating mode for group play) to individual play mode.
During in-revenue operational mode (such as shown for example in
Class II gaming machines include bingo-based, lottery and/or central determination gaming machines; for example, a player may initiated a game at a Class II gaming machine, a processor for the gaming machine may send a request for a game outcome which may be transmitted to the gaming machine from an external server (e.g. central determination server) based on a random determination, and a game presentation may be displayed by the gaming machine in accordance with the game outcome. Often Class II gaming systems include a network of connected gaming machines (player stations) and use a finite pool of outcomes wherein the pool of possible outcomes are reduced by one each time an outcome is selected from the pool.
Class III gaming machines may include a random or pseudo-random number generator operated by a processor which may be local or remote to the gaming machine. The processor may determine a game outcome using the random number generator and the gaming machine may display a game presentation in accordance with the determined game outcome.
In either Class II or III gaming machines or systems, the player may be paid an award by the gaming machine or gaming system in accordance with the determined game outcome and a paytable which may be stored on the gaming machine or may be accessible by the gaming machine.
Conversion of a selected set of gaming machines 103 connected to control center server 101 may be programmed to occur at one or more selected times during any period of time, e.g. a day, week, month, as may be elected by a user (operator). In accordance with programming as tournament controller, control center server 101 may transmit instructions to the selected set of gaming machines 103 concerning an impending conversion and subsequently to initiate a conversion from in-revenue operating mode for individual play to a competition operating mode for group play. The programming may be initiated automatically according to a schedule or may be initiated manually by a user. In one or more embodiments, control center server 101 may be programmed to transmit an impending conversion instruction or instructions to the selected set of gaming machines a selected period of time or times prior to the conversion, such as 15, 10, 5, and/or 1 minute. For example, control center server 101 may instruct each gaming machine 103 to display a fifteen-minute warning, ten minute warning, five minute warning, and then display a sixty second countdown. Control center server 101 may further instruct each gaming machine 103 to disable additional in-revenue play following the completion of the countdown and following completion of any current game play to automatically cash out the credit meter of any associated gaming machine 103. Following cash out, control center server 101 functioning as tournament controller may transmit instructions to each of gaming machines 103 to display respectively associated players names and to install the competition game for the group play session being initiated.
One example of an out-of-revenue operational mode may be a tournament event (such as shown for example in
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In the case where one of gaming machines 103 may operate as the control center server, the screenshot examples shown herein (e.g.
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Top glass display 113 may comprise a programmable portion of or a separate display (such as an LCD, LED, TFT, etc. display) or glass painted, etched, etc. presenting information related to the primary game or theme, such as a display of the paytable associated with the primary game and indicating the awards payable on the various winning primary game outcomes. Display 117 (such as an LCD, LED, TFT, etc. display) may be used to display alternative games (such as a bingo, lottery, card, mini-reel or other wagering game) or other feeds presented through the network, such as advertisements, where the alternative games may or may not require separate wagers or consideration, such as player points accumulated in a player account by a player.
Primary display 115 may display a primary game, such as the displayed Jambalaya Jackpot® reel game, and further display additional information such as lines wagered upon (“Lines”), bet per line (“Bet per Line”), total bet (“Total Bet”), credits on the gaming machine (“Credits”), and any winnings paid following a game play (which may include primary, feature, and community game play) (“Paid”). Display 402 may comprise a portion of display 115 or a separate display (such as an LCD, LED, TFT, etc. display) and display information, such as the player's status, player points, and/or enrollment in any group play (e.g. tournaments or competitions). User interface 405 generally includes a button deck for entering the selected number of lines the player wishes to wager upon, the number of credits per line plus a side bet, and to initiate play of the primary game. User interface may also include card reader 119 for receiving a player card and transmitting player information over a network, and, may include bill acceptor and printer 403 for receiving currency including tickets and printing tickets when a player desires to cash out from the gaming machine.
Referring to
Each reel displayed by or through display 115 includes a series of symbols visible in a display area; for example, in the case of mechanical reels, a portion of each reel is visible in a display area through a window or panel. With the reels in a stationary position, the symbols visible in the display may be viewed as an array of symbols. During a wagering game, such as may be initiated by a player, the reels may be spun about an axle or simulated to spin under the control of a game processor which may randomly or pseudo-randomly determine the game outcome (or obtain the game outcome from a central determination or game server) and cause the reels to stop in accordance with the determined game outcome. Alternatively, the game processor may cause the reels to stop at random or pseudo-random stop positions and then analyze the displayed symbols to identify the outcome for the play.
One or more paylines, combinations, or patterns of the symbols including those visible through the display area may be correlated to a game result payable in accordance with a paytable, such as may be displayed on display 113. The reel display area may thereby be used to display the game result to one or more patrons standing in front of gaming machine 103. While example gaming machine 103 includes a set of five reels, various numbers of reels may be selected or utilized in an implementation of one or more embodiments, such as one, two, three, four, five, six, seven reels, and so forth. In fact, the wagering game may not include reels, and may alternatively display, for example, a video card game (e.g. poker, blackjack), bingo, keno, or roulette. Panel dividers or frames may be painted, etched, virtualized, etc. onto the display area to provide a separate viewable area or window for each reel. The windows may serve to focus attention to the visible portion of the reels and, in the case of mechanical reels, to overlay reel dividers and/or the space between reels.
Alternatively to painting, etching, etc. onto the display area of the window or panel, display 115 may include a panel, such as a flat panel LCD or LED display, which may overlay the display area and be programmed to display an opaque frame image except over the display area (which may be transparent or translucent) during an operating mode when either the primary or group play game are operational, depending upon the selected design. In such case, the panel may be instructed by the game processor to display a bonus or feature game that may be triggered randomly or pseudo-randomly through a RNG, by a threshold count, by a countdown, or by the appearance of one or more special symbols (any of which may be triggers operable through programming executed by the game processor or a network-connected external server), and, may be programmed to enable player interactivity, such as requiring a player to select a displayed button or press an area of a touch sensitive panel overlaying an item, in order to cause the game to perform additional steps and provide one or more bonus or feature game outcomes and awards to the player.
Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the reels may be implemented using flexible reel strips, such as FOLED (flexible organic LED) reel strips, wherein one or more symbols may be programmed dynamically to vary the symbol and/or its appearance, either within a game or enabling conversion from a first game to a second game (i.e. in-revenue individual game to group play game and vice-a-versa). Additionally, one or more display panels may be implemented to present each reel virtually. In the case of virtual displays of the reels, the symbols may be fixed or animated on each of the simulated reels. Also, overlapping display panels may be implemented to generate video or display effects over reels; for example, display 115 may be implemented to include transmissive (e.g. Aruze or WMS transmissive display panels) or transparent (e.g. a Bally® transparent display panels) panels configured to display visual effects together with a set of reels (mechanical or virtual) under the control of the game processor during the operation of an in-revenue or out-of-revenue wagering game. In the case of virtual reels, the virtual reels may be recessed a distance from the front surface of the display area and segregated by dividers similar to dividers separating mechanical reels, which may provide a spatial characteristic (e.g. a PureDepth® display panel).
In one or more embodiments, the game processor operating the wagering game and controlling game lighting and effects in many instances is implemented as a microprocessor, such as an Intel Pentium® or Core® microprocessor, on a printed circuit board including one or more memory devices positioned within gaming machine 103. In alternative implementations, the game processor may be remote from gaming machine 103, such as on a server network connected to gaming machine 103 (e.g. gaming network 100,
Referring to
Generally, activity at gaming machine 103 may be initiated by a player inserting currency and/or a player card into a bill acceptor and card reader, respectively. Upon insertion, a signal is sent to game processor 411. In the case of the insertion of a player card, the card reader transmits card information which is directed through network controller 419 to a player tracking server connected to the network. Player data is transmitted to gaming machine 103, and, responsive to the data, game processor 411 may execute coding causing player data and a display (and possibly an audio) command to be transmitted to one of the video and/or audio controllers instructing the controllers to display player information on a respective display and possibly issue an audio greeting through one or more respective speakers. Concurrently, the bill acceptor sends a signal to game processor 411 which may include an identification of the currency that has been read, and game processor 411 in accordance with its coding may convert the currency amount to credits and transmit a store and display signal to a credit meter and its associated display (“Credits”). Once credits have been associated with the credit meter, the player may (for a reel-type game) select the number of paylines and credits per line that the player wishes to wager, whereupon game processor 411, in accordance with its coding, receives the wager information from user interface 417, transmits accounting and display information to the payline (“Lines”), credits per payline (“Bet per Line”), and total bet (“Total Bet”) meters and displays, transmits an update to the credit meter and display (“Credits”) deducting the amount of the total bet, and initiates the wagering game.
In the case of Class III gaming devices, when a game is initiated, a random number generator (RNG) is operated by game processor 411 to determine the game outcome. Commonly, game processor 411 is positioned within gaming machine 103 and configured to manage the operation of the gaming machine components, such as shown in
Program coding may be stored to execute and/or integrate gaming device operation with a tournament or competition, such as described herein, where a selected gaming machine 103 from a bank may be designated as control center server 101. For example, each gaming machine 103 of a bank may include coding executable by the designated host game processor to initiate and operate a tournament or competition game and also include coding to respond as a client gaming machine on the bank responsive to a primary controller. One of the gaming devices 103 may be designated as the primary controller responsible for converting operating modes of the selected banks of gaming machines 103, operating tournaments or competitions, and controlling content display on one or more displays, such as overhead display 111 and/or respective displays 113. In the case that the primary controller becomes unavailable, a second gaming machine may be designated as the backup primary controller and a rule of succession may be coded into each of gaming machines 103 of a respective bank. Each of the gaming devices may include monitoring coding executable on an ongoing periodic basis to ascertain which gaming device is the active primary controller during a given time period. Alternatively, the primary controller may be responsible to execute periodic polling of each of gaming machines 103 of the respective bank; and, in the event that the backup primary controller does not receive a poll within a designated period, the backup primary controller may commence operation as primary controller, commence polling operations, and commence execution of coding to randomly determine when to initiate the associated tournament game.
In one or more alternate embodiments, gaming machine 103 may have multiple games pre-loaded including a primary game (generally operational for in-revenue individual play) and a group play (tournament or competition) game, wherein either game may be operable by the game processor (depending on the setting or operating mode as may be controlled by control center server 101 through network commands) by executing respective of the game codes stored in memory. By example, the primary game may initially be operable for in-revenue individual play; the group play game may be initiated by a command from control center server 101 whereby gaming machine 103 may be converted from in-revenue individual play to group play (which may be in-revenue or out-of-revenue depending on the game rules and associated programming).
Once initiated, the group play game may be displayed on one of the displays operable by gaming machine 103, such as display 113 or 115 (reel display area), where a video representation of the group play game may be presented by either replacing or overlaying primary game display content. For example, if display 115 includes mechanical reels, display 115 may also include an overlaying panel (such as a flat panel display) which may be changed from a transparent mode during primary (or alternatively, group play) game operation to an opaque mode during group play (or alternatively, primary) game operation by instructions from the game processor instructing display 115 to mask the mechanical reels and display a video game associated with the group play (such as a reel-based game, video card game (e.g. poker or blackjack), bingo, keno, roulette or other wagering-type game). In the case where display 115 comprises two or more displays with or without mechanical reels, one or both displays may be used separately or together to display video content for the primary game and the group play game (for example, special effects or symbols may be rendered through an overlaying display while the underlying display displays the reels of the primary game or the field (or surface) of the group play game, depending upon which game is being shown or played).
Referring to
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In one or more embodiments, video feed may be delivered to each of displays 113 during an event to show video feeds of each of the participating players, such as by cycling every five seconds to rotate real-time or quasi-real-time images of the players, and/or to show a video feed of the respective player during the course of the event.
In one or more embodiments, the player video feeds and the leader board may be broadcast to wireless devices, such as cellular phones. For example, a gaming facility or operator may maintain a website server and website, enabling individuals to dial- or log-in to the website to receive audio-visual broadcasts of events occurring within the facility. The website server may receive updates through the network of various events that may be occurring simultaneously and update web pages associated with the website, enabling visitors to the website to view streaming and fixed content. The website may be maintained through a controlled-access intranet or broadly accessible internet service. In the case of controlled-access, each patron of a gaming facility may be provided a temporary username and password, such as may be provided during a patron's stay at a resort associated with the gaming facility. Patrons may thereby use their remote wireless device to enroll in a gaming event and pay an entry fee, monitor their time to attend the gaming event, and monitor their position within a gaming event in the case where there are more than one session or round associated with the gaming event.
Additionally, players enrolled in events may receive notifications, such as an automated phone call or text message, to advise the player of the time to attend the event, to advise the player of a player's position change within the event, or to advise the player of a delay in the event. Players may, for example, request notification at the time of enrollment or thereafter by using an identifying process, such as entering a username and password, to connect to a server and database with event and player information. Such notifications may also occur through a display and/or speaker at a gaming machine 103 being operated by a player. For example, if the player has requested a notification concerning an event and the player has a player card inserted in a gaming machine. The event server or the website server may query the player tracking server if the player's card is identified connected to a gaming machine 103, identify the gaming machine 103, and transmit an instruction to the gaming machine 103 to display the notification on one of the associated displays. In another alternative, player cards with embedded identifiers (and enrolled cellular phones) may be identified through positioning systems within a gaming facility, such as GPS or related systems or proximity detection systems. Once an enrolled player is detected, a notification may be transmitted to a nearby display and/or speaker.
Similar features may be provided through an internet portal enabling visitors or patrons to access a website and similar restrictions may be implemented, if desired. For example, different levels of access may be provided to general visitors to the site versus current or past patrons to the gaming facility and/or associated resort.
In an alternate embodiment, patrons or visitors may dial-in to an audio-visual broadcast that may be accessed through their respective wireless or network connected devices, such as cellular phones or personal computing devices (e.g. personal computers, electronic pads, personal organizers, etc.). The content may be provided similar to a television broadcast wherein a schedule of events may be provided along with broadcast times. The broadcast network may be implemented as a closed circuit broadcast providing restricted access or may be implemented as an open broadcast.
At the completion of the tournament event, a celebratory event may be displayed on overhead display 111 to name the winner and present fanfare. The celebratory event may be displayed on one or more of displays 113, for example at the winner's gaming machine 103. In one or more embodiments, the streaming videos of the event may be recorded along with the leader board updates for the duration of the event, such that each of the participating players may be provided a personalized copy of the event, such as a DVD. In other alternatives, the event may be re-broadcast or accessible on-demand, such as through the gaming facility's website as described above.
Referring to
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With reference to active tournaments control page 801, various fields are visible including: Tournament Control Header field 824, Tournament Info field 825, Status Alerts field 827, Tournament Control field 829, Session Control field 831, Rounds & Sessions field 833. Tournament Control Header field 824 includes the currently active tournament title, which in the example is the ‘Tuesday’ tournament. Tournament Info field 825 may display Tournament Status, Tournament Style, and Session Status headers and corresponding data or information accessed from memory (which may be automated to update periodically or in real-time through the server processor). For example, Tournament Status shows the currently programmed tournament is in play mode, Tournament Style shows that the current tournament is an out-of-revenue event, and Sessions Status shows that Round 1, Session 4 is ready to be played. Tournament Info field 825 also may include a selectable View Details icon which when selected causes the details of the Rounds & Sessions to be shown (current view) including the players enrolled for each session of the current round. Status Alerts field 827 displays the active tournament status, and in the example shows that the tournament is operating normally (OK) and that Session #4 for the Tuesday out-of-revenue tournament (ORT) is beginning play. Additionally, Status Alerts field 827 may display problems with any gaming machines 103 transitioning from in-revenue to out-of-revenue and vice-versa.
Tournament Control field 829 shows selectable control icons which may include Start Tournament, End Tournament, Resume Tournament, and Show Winners icons; in the example, only the End Tournament icon is active and selectable since the current tournament is in progress. In the event that the End Tournament icon is selected, the tournament would be stopped, the End Tournament icon would become inactive and the Start Tournament, Resume Tournament, and Show Winners icons would become active. If the Start Tournament icon was then selected, the current results of each session would be removed, and the tournament would begin play of Session 1. If, instead, the Resume Tournament icon were selected, the tournament would retain the results of the completed sessions and begin play of Session 4 which was the session that was indicated as beginning play in the Status Alerts field. Alternatively, if the Show Winners icon were selected, then the results of the completed sessions would be used to determine the winners and the winners would be displayed, such as on overhead display 111 and/or displays 113, along with any celebratory presentations.
Session Control field 831 shows selectable control icons which may include Ready Next Session, Start Next Session, End Current Session, and Replay Session icons; in the example, only the Start Next Session icon is active and selectable since Session 4 is ready to begin play. After the Start Next Session icon is selected, the End Current Session would become active. After the Current Session ends, then the Ready Next Session and Replay Session icons may become active to give an operator an option to replay the previous session, for example if one of the gaming machines 103 went down during play, or have the system prepare the next session for play.
Referring to Rounds & Sessions field 833, each of the sessions of a round may be displayed including the players' names. In the example, Round 1 has five sessions, and each session has seven players. Sessions may be added by selecting the Add Session icon and players may be added by selecting the Add Player icon. Additionally, the number of player slots (or gaming machines 103) per session may be specified, such as by selecting/de-selecting a bank from the floor or selecting/de-selecting gaming machines from the live floor display (e.g.
An option may be incorporated in Rounds & Sessions field 833, wherein each of the sessions may be color-coded through programming to enable a user to easily identify sessions that have been played, are ready to play, and are waiting to play. In the example, the display areas associated with: Sessions 1-3 (played) may be shaded a blue color, Session 4 (ready for play) may be shaded yellow, and Session 5 (waiting to play) may be shaded green.
In the example, Sessions 1-3 of Round 1 have been played and may be color-coded blue, while Session 4 is ready for play and may be color-coded yellow. In the header of Sessions 1-3, the session number, number of players/number of player stations, and ‘Session Played’ are shown. Below the header, a listing of the players and their final scores are shown for completed sessions only. In the header of Session 4, the number of players and player slots are shown as well as an indication that the session is ready for play. Below the header, each player's name is shown along with an initial (starting) score (e.g. 10,000 points or credits). In the header of Session 5, seven players are shown as signed up for seven slots. Additionally, selectable edit (pencil) and cancel (x) icons are provided enabling an operator to modify or cancel the session. Furthermore, an edit (pencil) and cancel (x) icon are provided beside each player's name enabling an operator to remove a player or replace a player. Additionally, each player in a session that has not yet been played can be dragged (by selecting a player name, dragging the name, and dropping) from one session to another session, or may be unassigned in instances where the player is no longer participating in the session or tournament.
In one or more embodiments the number of gaming machines 103 eligible for play in a tournament may be modified by accessing Floor Admin menu 807. For example, the number of eligible gaming machines 103 may be modified from seven (as shown) to eight. Also, the eligible gaming machines 103 on one or more banks may be individually selected using a selectable graphical interface virtually displaying one or more banks linked to convertible server 101. For example, if there are two banks of six gaming machines 103, the operator may select the inner four gaming machines 103 on each bank to participate in the Tuesday tournament. Once eight gaming machines 103 have been selected by the operator, convertible server may assign a number from one to eight to each gaming machine 103. As shown, Session 1 has gaming machines one through seven; once modified, an eighth gaming machine 103 may be shown available during each session. Prior to the tournament, as each player signs up for the tournament, they may be assigned to a session and a gaming machine. When the session is ready to play, control center server 101 may transmit an instruction to each of the eligible gaming machines with an assigned player and instruct the respective gaming machines to display a respective player's name on display 113. Alternatively, after the tournament has sent a message to the eligible gaming machines to display the assigned player, an additional message may be sent to instruct the gaming machine to change the name of the player based on actions that may be taken by a user such as by modifying the session players on the user display as in
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An example process for modifying a live floor view may include:
Following changes, a user may view the status of the floor after the targeted changes are applied by using commands available through the floor view section of the main menu. To cancel a targeted game change, the user may select applicable gaming machine 103 and select the Clear Target option.
An example of steps for managing gaming machines 103 may include:
By selecting Banks from the main menu, a user may group gaming machines 103 into a new or saved organizing unit, referred to as a bank, to conveniently modify gaming machines 103 as a group, e.g. set up an out-of-revenue event. Gaming machines 103 may easily be removed from a group, such as by selecting a respective gaming machine in a graphical view and selecting Remove selected PS from bank in the Banks menu.
Referring to
For example, advertisements on networked displays may be managed to add a new advertisement as follows:
Referring to
To add a new storyboard to display on TournEvent® signs (e.g. overhead display 111, displays 113 of selected gaming machines 103):
To edit a storyboard:
To delete a storyboard:
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Note: A user may click on a Camera IP to activate a window that shows the camera's view.
To edit the properties of a camera record:
To delete a camera record from the TournEvent® system:
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Alternatively to a pressure-sensitive display surface, a button on the button deck may be activated when the virtual balloon appears and the button may be illuminated to direct the player's attention to the button to press in order to obtain the additional credits. The button may additionally include a “POPIT!” inscription readable by the player.
During competitive play, such as during a tournament as depicted herein, a player is provided a predetermined amount of time to accumulate credits (or points) by playing the competition game as rapidly as the player is able, such as by repetitively pressing the “PLAY” button. The player that obtains the most credits wins first place, the player with the next most points wins second place, and so forth. Prizes or awards may be provided to the winning players according to their placement. Some competitive play may be provided in heats in which one or more winning players from each heat advance to a next heat and so forth until a final heat is conducted with the qualifying players.
Credits may be conventionally awarded according to a paytable; additionally, bonus credits may be accrued by the random appearance of interactive game feature 2801, such as the display of one or more virtual balloons with which the player may interact by ‘popping’ the balloons while the balloons are displayed. The ‘popping’ interaction may occur by the player pressing a pressure-sensitive display in the area of the displayed balloon or pressing an activated “POPIT!” button on the player's button deck.
In one or more examples, a balloon may initially appear in one area of primary display and appear to float to another area and/or grow from one size to another size. Additionally, while the credit value for popping the balloon may be a fixed amount for each balloon, the amount payable for popping the balloon may vary depending upon the balloon. For example, one balloon may have a value of ten credits, while another balloon may have a value of twenty credits. When popped the value of the balloon may be credited to the player's credit meter at the gaming machine 103. In one or more embodiments, the award amount for a balloon may be a pre-determined amount which may be reduced from the time the balloon appears until the balloon is ultimately ‘popped’ by the player. For example, an initial award associated with the appearance of a balloon may be ten credits, and the award amount may drop by one credit each second until either popped (e.g. if the balloon is popped after one second passes and prior to two seconds passing, the award to the player may be nine credits) or after ten seconds the balloon disappears from view if not popped (in which case, the balloon may either appear to float out of the display area or vanish from the display). In one or more cases, multiple balloons may be displayed simultaneously and each balloon may appear for different periods of time as well as have different associated award values.
In one or more embodiments, one or more bonus games may be randomly or pseudo-randomly triggered, such as by an RNG executed by the game processor or by the appearance of one or more bonus-activating symbols during play of the primary game (which may be a tournament game). In some embodiments the trigger may be generated at a location remote from the given gaming machine (such as at a tournament controller implemented through control center server 101 in
Other examples of interactive or non-interactive bonus game features may include the display of an animated wheel. The wheel may include various awards that may potentially be awarded depending upon the location of the wheel and a selector or indicator when stopped. In a non-interactive wheel-based bonus game, the wheel may be spun and stopped by the game processor in accordance with an RNG. In the case of a wheel-based bonus game provided as an interactive game feature, the player may either press the wheel to cause it to stop or press a designated button on the player's button deck. In the interactive case, the award may be skill-based. In the event that it is desired to reduce or eliminate skill as a variable in obtaining an award, then the award obtained through the wheel may be increased, such as with a surprise bonus award (e.g. a special exploding balloon or package bonus) which when totaled with the wheel-based award achieves a value pre-determined by an RNG or within a pre-determined percentage of the RNG-based value. The pre-determined percentage being the percentage variability permitted based on skill, for example, ten percent.
Another example bonus game may include the display of an animated character or object which represents an interactive game graphic (e.g. a person, animal, or item); for example, a frog or rabbit which may hop across the primary display and which the player may select (or capture) as by pressing the area of the pressure-sensitive display where the animated character is displayed or by pressing an activated button associated with the animated character. By selecting the animated character, the player may obtain bonus credits in addition to any award obtained based on the primary game.
In one or more alternative embodiments, competitive play may be conducted through individually timed trials, heats, or entries wherein each player may play at different times and post a score to compete against other players who may be provided the opportunity to play during a selected period of time, such as over the course of a morning, afternoon, evening, day, weekend, week, month, etcetera. Such competitive play may be conducted in-revenue or out-of-revenue, and may be initiated such as by a player electing to play a tournament that may be offered on a display menu. In the case of an in-revenue competition, there may or may not be an additional entry fee required. Once a competition is selected by a player at gaming machine 103, the leader board may be displayed on display 113 and player dashboard 2803 may be displayed on display 115.
One or more example embodiments may enable a player to qualify for a tournament at any time. For instance:
Another embodiment includes enabling the player to be paid based on what place they finish and there are fixed prizes for what place they finish in. For example, the player is playing on their own and they get 100,000 points in tournament play which is equal to 9th place and pays $25. First place could be a progressive. Thus the player is playing against established positions versus other players. For example, a player with a player card may play and earn a place in the tournament; after the tournament concludes, credits may be applied to the player account which may be accessed when the player returns to play or goes to a cage at the casino, provides identification and requests the credits to be cashed out. In some tournaments or competitions, the credits may be non-cashable so the player may only be able to obtain a non-cashable credit coupon. In the non-cashable credit coupon case, the credits may only be available for play on a gaming machine or possibly for other purchases or table wagering within the casino operator's premises.
The payments for any of the tournament or competition embodiments may be made from a percentage of coin-in from all the games or gaming machines (or all the eligible games or gaming machines eligible to participate in the tournament, competition, or qualifying) on the system. Alternatively, a casino operator or competition/tournament sponsor may fully fund a winnings pool from which winners may be paid; in which case, if entry fees are collected, they may be used to defray a tournament cost or potentially make the tournament profitable. Another alternative, the operator or sponsor may seed a pool (e.g. $10,000) and entry fees may be used to increase the pool from which winners may be paid; or the pool may simply be built with entry fees and/or a percentage or function of coin-in, coin-out or handle.
At any time during respective competition periods, tournament (or competition) leader boards may be posted for respective tournaments on one or more overhead displays or display panels which may be positioned at various locations, such as against a wall or near a player service center at one or more gaming facilities. Other locations where leader boards may be posted may include commercial websites, such as a gaming facility's website (e.g. Harrah's, Boyd Gaming, MGM, Wynn) or social network websites (e.g. Facebook®, Twitter®, You Tube®). Gaming operators may set up web pages on its website for its players or for the general public, may enter tournament information and updates, may enable tournament information (such as leader boards, remaining time for tournament participation, beginning times for upcoming tournaments, etc.) to be accessed by registered players and/or the general public, and may enable users (e.g. players or visitors) to establish user accounts and to use their accounts for various purposes (such as: to sign up for a tournament, to play a game or tournament online, to reserve a designated gaming machine at a facility at a specified time, or to receive tournament updates by voicemail, text and/or email to a telephone (e.g. a cell phone or land line), a personal computer, or, a voicemail, email, or text (e.g. SMS) account).
In cases when a player elects to sign up for a tournament, play a game or tournament online, or reserve a designated gaming machine, a fee may or may not be required to be paid. In cases when a fee is required, a user may use a credit card or player account to pay the associated fee. For example, a player may accrue player points in a player account that may be redeemable to use to pay a tournament fee. In the case when a player reserves a designated gaming machine at a pre-specified time, the operator may enable its server network to transmit information to the designated gaming machine that may disable the gaming machine until the player's card is entered into the card reader on the designated gaming machine or until a predetermined amount of time has passed, such as fifteen minutes. At the end of the predetermined time, the gaming machine may be re-enabled and the player may or may not forfeit a reservation fee. If the player enters the player's card into the card reader within the predetermined time period, a reservation fee paid at the time of making the reservation may or may not be credited to the credit meter or player account. If the reservation fee or a portion thereof is either added to the credit meter or the player's account, the credits may be redeemable for cash or may be used for play only.
In one or more embodiments, competitive play may be initiated on a conventionally provided primary game or a game specific to the competition (depending upon the competition rules), which may be stored onboard or remote to, executed by, and/or transmitted to gaming machine 103 in a similar manner as described herein.
Player dashboard 2803 may also include a message area wherein special wins (or prizes) and system communications to the player may be displayed, e.g. notification of player position changes or a message for the player to take some action. Player dashboard 2803 may be modifiable to display one or more custom designs associated with one or more tournament game themes. In addition during tournament mode, reels on display 115 may be enlarged and on-screen buttons which don't pertain to tournaments may be removed (i.e. select lines, bet per line, help, etc.). Additionally, the background color of player dashboard 2803 and top box 113 may change colors throughout the tournament when a player's position changes. For example, the following background colors and positions may be associated as follows: 1st place is red, 2nd place is green, 3rd place is purple and all other positions are blue. As background colors change in real-time, participants and spectators may easily note position changes. The color associated with a respective player and the player's gaming machine may also be displayed on overhead display 111 together with the player's image, fixed or video, and position in a given tournament; for example, the position and/or image may be displayed on overhead display 111 with the same background color as is displayed on one or more locations of the player's gaming machine 103.
In some implementations, gaming machine 103 may be configured to give the player certain control over the graphics displayed on display 115, and/or top box display 113. For example, gaming machine 103 may be configured so that the player may resize player dashboard 2803 and/or the game presentation area to the left showing the three reel facsimiles. In one implementation, display 115 is a touch sensitive display and a player may compress player dashboard 2803 to take up less area on the display by simply touching the area of the player dashboard or a designated control on the player dashboard (a designated control not shown in the figures). Alternatively, a player may compress or expand the game presentation area by touching some point in that area of display 115. It will be appreciated that any number of conventional controls may be included with gaming machine 103 to facilitate either compressing or expanding player dashboard 2803 and/or compressing or expanding the game presentation area shown to the left of player dashboard 2803 in the figures.
Referring to
Referring to
As network 3300 is configured in the figure, pairs of overhead displays 111 may be installed back-to-back and fixed between a set of back-to-back gaming machines 103 (which may be referred to as a bank); for example, system 100 as shown in
Each overhead display 111 includes two separate display areas (1) and (2) which may display different content. In tournament mode display area (1) may display a leader board (as shown in
Additional banks and overhead displays may similarly be connected and receive transmitted display content from SIGN server 3301. In the example shown, a second bank of gaming machines 103 and overhead displays 111 are connected to SIGN server 3301 enabling the second bank to participate in a given tournament with the first bank and to receive simultaneous content at the dual display areas of the associated back to back overhead displays 111. In this example configuration, HDMI splitters 3307, 3309 connect to HDMI boosters 3311, 3313, respectively, through substantially identical communication lines to carry the HDMI content simultaneously being transmitted to the first bank's overhead displays 111. HDMI boosters 3311, 3313 connect to HDMI splitters 3315, 3317 through substantially identical communication lines which in turn split the HDMI content and transfer the HDMI content through substantially identical communication lines and for display in the respective display areas (1), (2) of both overhead displays 111 associated with the second bank. In an alternate embodiment, HDMI communication may be effected by splitting additional lines from converters 3303, 3305 and through boosters 3311, 3313, splitters 3315, 3317 to respective overhead displays 111 of the second bank. In another alternate embodiment, SIGN server 3301 may incorporate a VGA-to-HDMI converter (and wireless transmitter (or transceiver) and each overhead display 111 (or at least each back-to-back pair) may include a corresponding wireless receiver (or transceiver) for receiving display content for the respective display areas (1), (2) of each overhead display. (See for example the alternative connections for network 3300 in
Network 3300 enables control of the output, timing and content display on overhead displays 111 to be managed through server 3301, which may be implemented as part of convertible server 101 and its associated programming as described herein. Through execution of its coding, server 3301 may maintain synchronous display of content on overhead displays 111 and associated displays of gaming machines 103 during out-of-revenue or in-revenue competition or tournament operation, monitor and provide selected content during in-revenue operation, and manage transitions between in-revenue and out-of-revenue operations. The overhead displays 111 (and/or displays 113 of associated gaming machines) may have content driven from SIGN server 3301 during various states including:
Optional Sub-States:
Referring to
Referring to
As previously referenced, the hard-wire connections of SIGN server 3301 to overhead displays 111 may be eliminated by implementing wireless transceivers for communication between SIGN server 3301 and overhead displays 111. Additionally, the functionality of SIGN server 3301 may be incorporated within control center server 101 to eliminate SIGN server 3301 as a separate hardware and software component.
Each video feed may be generated from operation of a decentralized IP camera. By using decentralized IP cameras, each may be added to a respective gaming machine 103 without changes to the respective gaming machine software. Additionally, the IP cameras and supporting electronics may be connected to and communicate over existing/required Ethernet cabling connecting respective gaming machine 103, overhead display 111, and control center server 101, to enable live video feed transmission and display on connected displays, such as overhead display 111 or selected of displays 113, 115. Operating as the gatekeeper, control center server 101 may control the flow of information and coordinate the display of each video feed on overhead display 111 and/or respective of displays 113 or 115. Sign server 3301 as shown may also be employed to offload processing power from the control center in-revenue/out-of-revenue (‘TournEvent® Server’) control center server 101 by acting as the conduit for the decentralized IP cameras data flow and display driver for overhead display 111.
Referring to
Referring to
Simultaneous with the execution of the tournament and related displays in display area (2), tournament service 3501 also transmits a tournament session status (‘Tournament SessionStatus’) data set for display in display area (1) which may be updated periodically, e.g. each three seconds. The tournament session status data set may also be displayed together with live video feed of the respective players, ranked 1-n on the leader board, which may be displayed on a rotational basis, e.g. each eight seconds.
Following the completion of all sessions, an end tournament signal may trigger tournament service 3501 to transmit a tournament end (‘Tournament Start/End’) display set for display in display area (2). Also, simultaneously with the end tournament signal, a show winners signal may trigger transmission of a winners dataset for display in display area (1). Additionally, tournament service 3501 may transmit a tournament session results and tournament round players advancing data sets for display in display area (1).
Referring to
As shown in
In one or more embodiments, game server 3721 may provide server-based games and/or game services to network connected gaming devices, such as gaming machines 103 (which may be connected by network cable or wirelessly). Progressive server 3710 may accumulate progressive awards by receiving defined amounts (such as a percentage of the wagers from eligible gaming devices or by receiving funding from marketing or casino funds) and provide progressive awards to winning gaming devices upon a progressive event, such as a progressive jackpot game outcome or other triggering event such as a random or pseudo-random win determination at a networked gaming device or server (such as to provide a large potential award to players playing the community feature game). Accounting server 3709 may receive gaming data from each of the networked gaming devices and perform audit functions. Player account server 3708 may maintain player account records and persistent data such as accumulated player points. With reference to
In one or more embodiments, networked gaming system 3700 may include web server 3711 connected to a public web network, such as worldwide web (WWW) network 3713. Community Website 3715 may externally connect through network 3713 to web server 3711 through a firewall in order to provide access by networked gaming system 3700 to player information, such as a player's community website game or associated points obtained from non-wagering gaming activity. Such a service, for example, may be offered to a casino operator on a fee basis or through a subscription service with the community website provider, whereby a casino operator may access a player's records, view a player's activity at community website 3715, and choose, based on the player's activity, to offer or provide promotional credits or incentives to the player at the casino operator's facilities.
Community website 3715 may offer players a variety of games to play including a tournament or other competitive game which may be operated substantially as disclosed above. For example, the website may include a menu of available games which may include tournament or tournament qualifying games that may be played at the request of a player-visitor to community website 3715. In these examples, one or more tournaments or competitions may be programmed, such as through control center server 101 as substantially described herein or a server hosting community website 3715, and made available for participants to enroll (such as by paying a fee using a credit card or, if no fee is required, by simply entering a player name) and play a game associated with a selected tournament or competition during an active period of the selected tournament or competition, such as during a 24 hour, 1 week, or 1 month period. The scores achieved by each of the participants during the active tournament or competition period may be posted on a leader board that may be displayed on Community Website 3715. Each participant may play the associated game on personal computer 3731 or wireless device 3733, such as an iPad® tablet or, an iPhone® or Blackberry® phone, personal data assistant, etc. which may connect through internet 3713 to Community Website 3715. Each participant may use the associated keyboard or touchpad of their internet device as a user interface to perform the functions of a button deck on gaming machines 103 and view the game (such as a five-reel video game, e.g.
While playing, if the participant has a video camera operational, the participant's video stream may be displayed on a webpage of Community Website 3715 along with a real-time updated score and position on the leader board. Also, any other participants who may be playing in the selected tournament or competition, may have their video, score, and position displayed either simultaneously with the other participants or on a rotational basis. Depending upon the size of the participant's display, a portion of the player's screen may be used for the game while another portion may show the leader board and participant videos.
After a participant's game play, each participant's score may be posted, along with a name (which may be a player selected pseudonym) and picture (which may be a captured image or images from the video camera, a player uploaded still image, or a player selected avatar still or video image such as from a set of avatar images available through Community Website 3715 or player uploaded). Once the period of the tournament or competition has passed, awards may be posted or credited to player accounts of winning participants and redeemed, such as by the winning participant requesting a credit be applied to a player's credit card account or a player card account associated with a gaming operator (e.g. MGM, Wynn, TI, Caesar's Palace, Mandalay Bay, etc.).
The tournaments or competitions as described may be played on demand by a participant, in which case players may be provided a window of time in which to play in the tournament or competition, such as a day, week, or month. Alternatively, the tournaments or competitions may be scheduled as described herein by programming such as through the use of control center server 101 and played on a scheduled basis with a fixed start and stop time. Tournaments or competitions may be played in sessions or at one time. Tournaments or competitions may include several heats, such that winners from sessions in a first heat may advance to play in a second heat and so forth until a final heat is completed to determine the winners.
In either the on-demand or scheduled tournaments or competitions, participants may qualify to participate in follow-on tournaments or competitions which may be played online (such as at Community Website 3715) or at a physical location, such as a designated casino facility (e.g. Wynn, Caesar's Palace, Mandalay Bay, etc.). For example, winners online may receive an expense paid trip to the Wynn for a weekend plus an invitation to play in a tournament at the Wynn with a chance to win various additional prizes and awards. Similarly, online winners may qualify to participate in further online tournaments with additional prizes and awards.
In one or more embodiments, as in system 100 shown in
In one or more embodiments, a selected tournament or competition may be programmed to play in-revenue. For example, at the beginning of the tournament or competition play, a player may be prompted to add a specified amount to the credit meter (e.g. $100). When tournament or competition play is initiated, maximum bets may be played until the designated time of play ends or the player's credit meter goes to zero. The leader board position may be determined by the amount of credits on a player's credit meter during course of play (for example, if the tournament or competition has a scheduled start and stop time) until the end of play when the winning players are determined based on ending positions. In the case of an on-demand tournament or competition, a player may select the tournament or competition to be played, apply the required credits to the credit meter, and play the game with maximum wagers until the game play time period expires. In one or more embodiments, a player may not be required to apply maximum bets to each game play. For example, if a player is able to determine that the player has sufficient credits on the credit meter to place in the tournament or competition, the player may adapt a strategy to make minimum bets needed to finish the tournament or competition. At the end of the tournament/competition, the player's credit meter may be incremented by an award from the tournament/competition based on the participant's place on the leader board in the case of a scheduled tournament/competition. In the case of an on-demand tournament/competition, a participant's account may be incremented at a later time based on the participant's placement at the end of the tournament/competition playing period.
In one or more embodiments, a selected tournament or competition may be programmed to play out-of-revenue. For example, a player may pay an entry fee to enroll in a selected tournament. When the tournament is ready to begin, either initiated by the player in an on-demand tournament/competition or by the server in a scheduled tournament/competition, the game display shows the tournament game (such as a five-reel video game, e.g.
In the case of out-of-revenue tournaments or competitions, awards may be provided by a sponsor (such as a casino operator) or the website operator from marketing funds, entry fees, or a combination thereof. In the case of in-revenue tournaments or competitions, the tournament or competition award pool may be similarly funded and/or be funded by a portion of coin-in, either during regular non-tournament/competition play, during tournament/competition play, or a combination thereof.
To utilize all the features and games of Community Website 3715, a player may have an opportunity to sign-up to establish an account. For example, a registered player may be provided free playing credits of no remunerative value (non-cashable credits) but which may be used to play various wagering games on Community Website 3715. By playing one or more of the games, the player may accumulate player points to establish a playing record which may later be accessed by a subscribing casino operator as described above. In one or more embodiments, the accumulated player points may have a remunerative value, such as for obtaining rewards. An example reward may be an all expenses paid trip to the Encore resort & casino in Las Vegas. Another example may be promotional credits for use at a designated gaming facility. Each of these rewards may be sponsored by the respective casino operator, or the community website provider may offer such rewards as part of its player incentive program.
In one or more embodiments, a casino operator may be able to program its player account server to provide player rewards (based on player online game play) through a player console (not shown, similar to a cash/ticket voucher kiosk or ATM) network connected to host server 3707. For example, a player may use a player console interface to enter the player's community website account information and request promotional credits or some other award made available by the casino operator. In such case, such rewards may automatically be applied to a player's account associated with the casino operator or the player console may print a ticket with an associated credit value. In either case, the player may access the rewards at a gaming machine by inserting the ticket and having the ticket value credited to the credit meter, or, by inserting the player card and requesting the credits be downloaded to the gaming machine. Alternatively, the player may obtain a player reward at a player window located at the operator's facility by providing identification information to the attendant and requesting a player reward.
Referring to
In one or more alternative embodiments, player awards may not be cashable, in which case, player may play for points and may accumulate awards redeemable through Community Website 3715 or an affiliated casino site (for example, promotional credits may be applied to patron account when player identifies self and opens (or has existing) player account). Also, Community Website server may store player information including accumulated points, and this information may be accessed by networked Casino Site when player identifies self at Casino Site player desk. Corresponding promo credits may be applied to Casino Patron Account.
Tournament service 3901 comprises a number of functions performed by a suitable data processing device. For example, tournament service 3901 may be implemented through control center server 101 shown in
It should be appreciated that all of the above-described options for switching and controlling the video feed displayed on overhead display 111 may be employed in the arrangement shown in
In system 4000 shown in
It will be noted that camera service 4010 is shown in
Although the example systems shown in
Referring generally to the forgoing description and to the following claims, as used herein the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).
The term “each” may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term “each” is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as “each” having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term “each” is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.
The above described example embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/363,805 filed Mar. 25, 2019, and entitled “Gaming System and Method With Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display,” issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,839,649, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/687,792 filed Aug. 28, 2017, and entitled “Gaming System and Method With a Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display,” now U.S. Pat. No. 10,275,992 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/263,044 filed Sep. 12, 2016, and entitled “Convertible In-Revenue and Out-of-Revenue Gaming System and Method with a Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,747,754, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,660 filed Jun. 24, 2013, and entitled “Convertible In-Revenue and Out-of-Revenue Gaming System and Method with a Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,443,394, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/241,043 filed Sep. 22, 2011, and entitled “Convertible In-Revenue and Out-Of-Revenue Gaming System and Method With A Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,469,788, which claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/388,590 filed Sep. 30, 2010, entitled “Convertible In-Revenue and Out-Of-Revenue Gaming System and Method With A Real-Time Streaming Video Feed and Display,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/405,652 filed Oct. 22, 2010, having the same title. The Applicant hereby claims the benefit of each of these prior U.S. provisional and nonprovisional patent applications. The entire content of each of these provisional applications and nonprovisional applications is incorporated herein by this reference.
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| 6908390 | Nguyen | Jun 2005 | B2 |
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| 20210074125 A1 | Mar 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 61405652 | Oct 2010 | US | |
| 61388590 | Sep 2010 | US |
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