Bally Gaming, Inc.

Lnw Gaming, Inc.

Progressive Gaming International Corporation

Rolland Steil

Martin S Lyons

Clyde Ruckle

John Lord

Bryan M Kelly

Robert William Crowder

Jeffrey Lee Allen

Scott Thomas Hilbert

Stephen Patton

Kiran Brahmandam

Vijay Krishna Kompella

Aimin Cong

Tim Richards

Mark S Ross

Eric Laurence Abbott

Robert J Randel

Gene Bond

Jay DeGarmo

A gaming machine includes at least one image sensor for capturing an image including a player area associated with the gaming machine and logic circuitry in communication with the image sensor. The logic circuitry establishes a facial image mask defining an area of interest within the player area, receives the captured image from the image sensor, applies the facial image mask to the captured image to extract player image data from the captured image data, detects any faces within the player image data, compares, in response to detecting a face of a player within the player image data, the detected face with a player database to identify a player account associated with the player, and links, in response to identifying a matching player account based on the comparison, the matching player account to activities of the player at the gaming machine.

Gaming systems and methods for adaptable player area monitoring

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gaming system with a chip tray positioned above a light-diffusion box. The chip tray has a transparent portion on its underside. A tracking controller illuminates the light-diffusion box with diffused light that shines through a transparent portion on an underside of the chip tray and illuminates the edge of one or more chips in a chip stack. An image sensor captures an image of the one or more chips in response to illumination of the light-diffusion box. The tracking controller analyzes a visible indicator on the edge of the one or more chips. The tracking controller associates the visible indicator with a denomination value for the chip stack. Further, the tracking controller computes a value of the chip stack based on the denomination value and a dimension of at least one of the one or more chips.

Chip tracking system

A method and system to integrate system-based content and game content. A system includes an electronic display manager configured to generate, in response to receiving user input, a video stream of system-based content. The system also includes an electronic game controller communicatively coupled to the electronic display manager via an external-system interface. The electronic game controller is configured to execute instructions that cause the system to perform operations to receive the video stream via the external-system interface, generate a video signal of game content for a wagering game, scale the video stream according to one or more scale values that relate a size of the system-based content to a size of the game content, and mix the video stream and the video signal into a composite image for presentation via a display device communicatively coupled to the electronic game controller.

Integrating system-based content and game content

A method and apparatus for a chip tracking system. A chip tray is positioned above a light-diffusion box. The chip tray has a transparent portion for a column of the chip tray One or more image sensors are positioned with a viewing perspective of chips through a transparent portion of an underside of the chip tray A tracking controller is configured to illuminate the light-diffusion box with diffused light that shines through the transparent portion of the chip tray and illuminates the edge of one or more chips in a chip stack visible via the transparent portion. The one or more image sensors capture an image of one or more chips in the column in response to illumination of the light-diffusion box. The tracking controller analyzes, via a neural network model, a color pattern on the edge of the one or more chips. The tracking controller associates the color pattern on the edge of the one or more chips with a denomination value for the chip stack. The tracking controller determines, using a range imaging device, a height of the chip stack. Further, the tracking controller computes a monetary value of the chip stack based on the denomination value, the height of the chip stack, and a known edge thickness of one of the one or more chips.

A gaming system includes an input interface, an output interface and processing circuitry. A data stream defining a VR environment is transmitted by the processing circuitry to a VR headset. The VR headset displays visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from a first viewpoint. The processing circuitry receives an input indicative of a selection of a second viewpoint and directs the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from the second viewpoint.

System, method and apparatus for virtual reality gaming with selectable viewpoints and context-sensitive wager interfaces

A method for presenting both content based video signals and secondary video signals over a multi-layer touch screen display using a multiple display manager system is disclosed. First and second display managers are configured to receive primary content video signals from a controller and secondary video signals from a secondary video source. The first display manager is in communication with a front layer of the touch screen display and the second display manager is in communication with a back layer of the touch screen display. The screen may be split between multiple signals, or one or more signals may overlay one or more background signals. The overlaid signals may completely obscure the background signals, or they may provide a level of transparency. A touch router device interprets touches at a touch screen shared display to transform coordinates to enable interpretation of the player's touch inputs.

Video switcher and touch router method for multi-layer displays

A gaming method for presenting both gaming content based video signals and secondary video signals over a multi-layer touch screen display using a multiple Display Manager system is disclosed. First and second display managers are configured to receive game content video signals from a gaming controller and secondary video signals from a secondary video source. The first display manager is in communication with a front layer of the touch screen display and the second display manager is in communication with a back layer of the touch screen display. The screen may be split between multiple signals, or one or more signals may overlay one or more background signals. The overlaid signals may completely obscure the background signals, or they may provide a level of transparency. A touch router device interprets touches at a touch screen shared display to transform coordinates to enable interpretation of the player's touch inputs.

Electronic gaming machines and gaming systems for allowing communication between the electronic gaming machines and a plurality of external systems are described. The electronic gaming machine is configured to provide gameplay of a wager-based game. The electronic gaming machine includes a processor and a memory. The electronic gaming machine further includes a slot accounting system port configured to allow communications between the EGM and a plurality of separate master control systems. The electronic gaming machine includes a universal game module (UGM) having a UGM SAS port, wherein the UGM SAS port is coupled to the SAS port of the EGM with a connector.

Gaming machine communication with external systems through a single communication port

A method and device for scaling audio content associated with first and second sources at a user apparatus such as a gaming machine. When the gaming machine is in a first condition displaying only game content speakers are controlled to produce game related audio content. In a second condition where the display is controlled to share game content and other content from a remote source in a picture-in-picture arrangement, the method and device control the speaker volumes to associate the audio content with the associated video content to provide audio directionality and primacy.

Method and apparatus for audio scaling at a display showing content in different areas

A game token having a counter system including a denomination value, a housing, and a token identification element at least partially contained within the housing is disclosed. The token identification element includes an antenna configured to receive and transmit a signal, a memory configured to store a plurality of different types of token data, a counter configured to modify and maintain a read attempt value, and a processor or control logic. The processor or logic control configured to, upon a read attempt of the memory by a reader, compare a signature of the reader against the one or more authorized reader signatures, and generate an alert when the signature does not match any one of the one or more authorized reader signatures.

Secure identification devices and methods for detecting and monitoring access thereof

A method, device and system are set forth for controlling a video switching device (VSD) configured to display video from multiple video streams at a video display. Where video signals are received which are unrecognized by the VSD a tuner is coupled to the VSD to control the same to extract video primitives adjust the configuration data so that the video stream will be properly displayed at the video display. In another embodiment the tuner may command the VSD to display a diagnostic dashboard for the gaming machine and its components and network connections.

Method, apparatus and system for video tuning of a video switching device for a gaming machine

Two-way communications between casino games and diverse master controllers using a universal game module there between allows routing event messages with standard protocols. The universal game module with a computer processor, circuitry, connection ports, interfaces and protocols allows the communications by evaluating, prioritizing, polling and routing communications. A jackpot group of differing games is possible because the win cycles of the various games can be equalized. The volatility of the games in the group is increased by randomly segregating a percentage of the machines to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot for a limited time period. A life changing jackpot is thus payable for a variety of games in a casino on a relatively frequent basis.

Growing community of inventors

Las Vegas, NV, United States of America

Rolland Steil