PROJECTING AND CONTROLLING WAGERING GAMES
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include projecting an image of wagering game content onto a physical surface and controlling a wagering game, associated with the wagering game content, using player interaction with the image. The operations can further include modifying the image in response to the player interaction with the image. The operations can further include controlling the wagering game using physical objects in a physical environment around the image. The operations can also include modifying the image based on detected characteristics of the physical environment. The operations can further include modifying the image based on player-specific information.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
presenting wagering game content for a wagering game during a wagering game session;
projecting an image of a wagering game control onto a physical surface via a laser beam, wherein the wagering game control affects the wagering game;
detecting player interaction at a location on the physical surface where the image of the wagering game control appears;
performing a wagering game function associated with the wagering game control in response to the detecting the player interaction at the location on the physical surface; and
modifying the presenting of the wagering game content in response to the performing the wagering game function.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the projecting the image of the wagering game control onto the physical surface includes projecting the image via the laser beam through air at approximately standard atmospheric conditions.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the player interaction at the location on the physical surface includes
projecting an invisible infrared beam at a location where the image of the wagering game control appears, and
detecting player input that interrupts the infrared beam at the location.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the player interaction at the location on the physical surface includes detecting a specific finger motion by a player's finger at the location on the physical surface.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein performing the wagering game function includes performing one or more of transacting a bet and activating the game play in response to detecting that a player's finger touches the location on the physical surface.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein the projecting the image of the wagering game control onto a physical surface includes
accessing a wagering game application from a wagering game server, and
projecting an additional image of one or more wagering game elements used in the wagering game application onto the physical surface,
wherein performing the wagering game function includes determining a wagering game outcome from the wagering game server, and
wherein modifying the presenting of the wagering game content includes modifying the projecting of the additional image on the physical surface based on the wagering game outcome.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting an additional player interaction that authorizes the player interaction; and
performing the wagering game function based on the combination of the player interaction and the additional player interaction.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the physical surface is on a flatted portion of one or more of a wagering game machine, a fixture associated with of a wagering game machine, a chair of a wagering game machine, and a station at an electronic wagering game table.
9 . One or more machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
initiating a wagering game session;
accessing wagering game content associated with the wagering game session;
projecting an image of the wagering game content via a laser beam, through air, onto a physical surface, during the wagering game session;
detecting a physical object in proximity to the physical surface;
detecting one or more physical attributes of the physical object; and
modifying the projecting of the image of the wagering game content based on the one or more physical attributes of the physical object.
10 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , said operations further comprising projecting the image of the wagering game content onto the physical surface to have three-dimensional characteristics.
11 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , said operations further comprising:
making the image appear to interact with the physical object in accordance with one or more physical dimensions of the physical object.
12 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , wherein the physical object is a player card associated with a player account, and said operations further comprising
detecting movement of the player card in relation to the physical surface, and
controlling access to the wagering game, by a wagering game player account, based on the movement of the player card.
13 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , said operations further comprising:
detecting player interaction with the image via the physical object, and
modifying the projecting of the image in response to the player interaction.
14 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , said operations further comprising
detecting a change in a condition of the physical object that occurs from player interaction with the physical object; and
controlling a wagering game function using the change in the condition of the physical object.
15 . The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 , wherein the operation for detecting the one or more physical attributes of the physical object include operations further comprising:
scanning a code presented on the physical object, wherein the code is associated with an amount of money available for use during the wagering game session via a financial account; and
adding the amount of money to a wagering game session balance in response to the scanning the code.
16 . A system comprising:
a wagering game controller configured to provide wagering game content;
an account server configured to provide player information associated with a wagering game player account; and
a gaming projection device configured to
receive the wagering game content from the wagering game controller,
generate a light beam from one or more projectors,
project the light beam through air onto a location on a physical surface that can reflect the light beam,
present images of the wagering game content, using the light beam, on the physical surface,
receive the player information from the account server, and
modify presentation of the wagering game content based on the player information.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the wagering game content includes a first of the images representing a first wagering game content object and a second of the images representing a second wagering game content object, and wherein the gaming projection device is further configured to
determine from the player information a player preference for a first wagering game content object, and
present the first of the images larger in size than the second of the images based on the player preference for the first wagering game content object.
18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the gaming projection device is further configured to
determine a value associated with the wagering game content, and
modify presentation of some characteristics of the images according to the value associated with the wagering game content.
19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the gaming projection device is attached to a fixture, wherein a wagering game player can interact with the wagering game content on the physical surface, and wherein the gaming projection device and is further configured to present the graphical projection on a flat portion of the fixture.
20 . An apparatus comprising:
a gaming projection module configured to
project wagering game content during a wagering game session,
project a graphical image of a session balance for the wagering game content onto a playing surface of a playing station using a projected beam of light,
detect a physical object in proximity to the physical surface,
scan information presented on the physical object, wherein the information identifies an amount of money available for use during the wagering game session,
add an amount of money to a wagering game session balance in response to scanning the information, and
modify a presentation of the information on the physical object using the projected beam of light, indicating that the amount of money has been used.
21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the gaming projection module is configured to
scan a barcode on the physical object using a laser beam, wherein the bar code indicates a unique identification value;
determine the unique identification value from the barcode, and
present an indicator on the physical object, using the laser beam, of an amount of money associated with the unique identification value.
22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the gaming projection module is configured to present an image on the physical object that indicates the amount of money.
23 . An apparatus comprising:
means for initiating a wagering game session;
means for accessing wagering game content associated with the wagering game session;
means for projecting an image of the wagering game content, through air, onto one of more surfaces of a physical environment during the wagering game session, wherein the physical environment is outside of a casino;
means for detecting one or more physical attributes of the physical environment; and
means for modifying the projecting of the image of the wagering game content based on the one or more physical attributes of the physical environment.
24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the means for detecting the one or more physical attributes of the physical environment comprises means for detecting textural variations of the one or more surfaces, and wherein the means for modifying the projecting of the image of the wagering game content comprises means for modifying light characteristics of the image at locations of the textural variations.
25 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the means for detecting one or more physical attributes of the physical environment comprises means for detecting changes in lighting conditions of the physical environment, and wherein the means for modifying the projecting of the image of the wagering game content comprises means for modifying a brightness of the image to in response to the changes in the lighting conditions.