Multi-touch gaming table with privacy controls and object detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming machines are limited by single-point input devices, which restrict players from interacting with the game and other players simultaneously, and lack privacy controls for sensitive information, reducing player engagement and operator profitability.
Innovation Solution
A multi-player gaming system with a multi-touch table that allows multiple simultaneous inputs and privacy controls, enabling players to interact with a display surface using multipoint sensing devices and maintaining confidentiality of private information through designated regions and projection technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If single-point input devices are used in gaming machines, then device complexity is reduced, but player interaction capability deteriorates because only one input can be received at a time
Solution Approach 1:
The touch-sensitive display surface is divided into multiple independently controllable regions, each capable of detecting and processing individual player inputs simultaneously. This segmentation allows multiple players to interact with different areas of the display at the same time, enhancing player interaction capability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular region control.
2Loss of information
If privacy controls are implemented for sensitive information, then information security is improved, but player engagement deteriorates due to reduced visibility and interaction
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the touch-sensitive display surface are assigned different privacy levels and access permissions. Sensitive information is displayed in regions accessible only to specific players or roles, while general information remains visible to all. This local differentiation maintains information confidentiality while preserving player engagement through appropriate visibility and interaction capabilities in each region.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multi-touch capability is added to gaming machines, then player interaction capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The touch-sensitive display surface serves multiple functions: it acts as both the visual display medium and the input sensing device. By integrating touch sensitivity into the existing display structure, the system achieves multi-touch capability without adding separate sensing hardware, thereby improving simultaneous input capability while minimizing increases in device complexity.
4Productivity
If traditional input devices are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to limited simultaneous player interactions
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical input devices such as buttons, levers, and switches are replaced with a touch-sensitive display surface that detects player inputs through contact or proximity. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple separate mechanical input components, enabling simultaneous multi-player interactions and improving game processing throughput while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of standardized touch-sensitive display technology.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-player gaming system sensing multiple simultaneous contacts on a surface of a gaming table, differentiating contacts by different players. Privacy controls selectively display private information visible to only one of the players on or near the display surface of the gaming table. The gaming system also detects physical objects placed on the surface of the gaming table, causing wagering game functions or peripheral functions to be performed as a result of the placement of the object on the display surface.