GAMING STATE OBJECT TRACKING

1 . A method of operating a gaming table system that comprises a processor, a camera, and a projector, the method comprising:

capturing, by the processor from a perspective of the camera, one or more images of wagering game played on a gaming surface;

identifying, by the processor via electronic analysis of pixels of the one or more images by a machine learning model, an object depicted in the one or more images;

determining, by the processor based on the identifying, that the object would interfere with projection of moving wagering game content within a portion of a designated area of the gaming surface;

mapping, by the processor, the pixels associated with a shape of at least a portion of the object to corresponding pixel locations in a virtual scene modeled according to a perspective of a projector that projects the moving wagering game content;

creating, by the processor, a mask at the corresponding pixel locations of the virtual scene, wherein the mask conforms to the shape of the at least a portion of the object depicted in the one or more images;

rendering, by the processor, the moving wagering game content off of the mask during the wagering game; and

projecting, by the processor from the perspective of the projector in response to rendering the moving wagering game content off the mask, the rendered moving wagering game content to prevent presentation in the portion of the designated area while the object interferes with the projection.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixels are associated with the shape of the at least a portion of the object, wherein the identifying the object comprises detecting, by the processor via electronic analysis of the one or more images by the machine learning model, a classification of the object, wherein the identifying further comprises determining that the detected classification of the object is not associated with a specific game state of the wagering game in which the designated area is required for presentation of the moving wagering game content.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining that the object would interfere with projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area comprises determining, via the processor based on the detected classification of the object being not associated with the specific game state, that the object would one or more of distort or physically obstruct projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area, and wherein rendering the moving wagering game content off of the mask during the game state comprises rendering the moving wagering game content off of the mask according to the detected classification of the object being not associated with the game state.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the object comprises detecting, by the processor via the machine learning model, that the object is located physically between the projector and the portion of the designated area.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the object is a shadow cast into the portion of the designated area, wherein the determining that the object would interfere with projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area comprises detecting that the shadow would distort or obstruct projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area, wherein mapping the pixels associated with the boundary of the shape of the object comprises mapping the pixels to corresponding pixel locations in the virtual scene associated with a boundary of the shadow, and wherein creating the mask comprises creating the mask to conform to the boundary of the shape of the shadow.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the projecting the rendered moving wagering game content to prevent presentation in the portion of the designated area comprises projecting the rendered moving wagering game content to appear to bounce off of a boundary of the shape of the at least the portion of the object into an additional portion of the designated area other than the portion of the designated area.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the shape of the at least a portion of the object corresponds to a hand shape that is oriented in the one or more images as originating from a participant of the wagering game, wherein the moving wagering game content comprises one or more virtual dice cast into the designated area via a detected hand motion of the participant, and said method further comprising, after the one or more virtual dice are cast into the designated area, preventing the virtual dice from being projected onto the hand.

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising, in response to one or more virtual dice being cast into the designated area, preventing the virtual dice from being projected onto the hand while the hand obstructs the projection.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, based on analysis of additional images of the object captured during the wagering game, a degree of change in position of the object during the wagering game;

computing a velocity vector associated with the degree of change; and

rendering the moving wagering game content to appear to move away from the mask based on the velocity vector.

10 . An apparatus comprising:

a gaming surface for presentation of gaming content associated with a wagering game;

an image sensor configured to capture one or more images at the gaming surface from a first perspective;

a projector configured to project one or more images toward the gaming surface from a second perspective; and

a processor configured to execute one or more instructions, which when executed cause the apparatus to perform operations to:

receive a captured image of the gaming surface taken by the image sensor from the first perspective during a game state of the wagering game;

identify, via image segmentation analysis of the captured image, a shape of an object depicted in the captured image;

detect an orientation of the object in the captured image;

map the shape of the object identified in the captured image to a mask of the object in a projection image of the gaming surface rendered from the second perspective, wherein the mask conforms to a boundary of the shape of the object depicted in the captured image;

render, based on detection of the orientation of the object, visual feedback in association with an activation orientation required for use of the object in the wagering game, wherein the visual feedback is rendered, relative to the mask, via at least one of at least two different indicators, wherein a first indicator of the at least one of at least two different indicators indicates when the object is not in the activation orientation, and wherein a second indicator of the at least one of at least two different indicators indicates when the object is in the activation orientation; and

animate, via the projection image, the wagering game content and the at least one of at least two different indicators relative to the mask based on a relevance of the object to the game state, wherein the projector is configured to project the projection image.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least two different indicators comprise one or more of at least two different colors, at least two different symbols, at least two different arrows, at least two different special effects, at least two different sizes, at least two different shapes, at least two different visual boundaries, at least two different visual instructions, at least two different visual characteristics, at least two different vector indicators, at least two different direction indicators, at least two different distance range indicators, at least two different game interaction options, or at least two different force indicators.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute additional instructions which, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform further operations to provide, based on detection of the orientation of the object, non-visual feedback in association with the visual feedback being rendered.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the non-visual feedback comprises presentation of at least one of at least two different sounds or at least one of at least two haptic effects.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to render the wagering game content relative to the mask in response to determination that a classification of the object, ascertained via the image segmentation analysis, corresponds to a game presentation feature associated with the classification of the object, and wherein the processor is configured to render the wagering game content onto at least a portion of the mask in response to determination that the game presentation feature requires projection of the wagering game content onto a surface of the object.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the orientation of the object matches the activation orientation for use of the object during the game state; and

render the wagering game content onto the mask in response to the determining that the orientation of the object matches the activation orientation.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the object in the captured image is of a hand of a participant of the wagering game at the gaming table, and wherein the activation orientation is an orientation of a hand presenting, from the first perspective, a given portion of a visible palm.

17 . A gaming system comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture one or more images of a designated gaming area of a gaming table;

a projector configured to project moving wagering game content during a wagering game played via the designated gaming area; and

an electronic processor configured to execute instructions, which when executed cause the gaming table system to perform operations to:

capture, via the image sensor, the one or more images;

identify, via electronic analysis of pixels of the one or more images by a machine learning model, an object depicted in the one or more images;

determine, based on the identification of the object, that the object would interfere with projection of moving wagering game content within a portion of a designated gaming area;

map the pixels associated with a shape of at least a portion of the object to corresponding pixel locations in a virtual scene modeled according to a perspective of the projector;

create a mask at the corresponding pixel locations of the virtual scene, wherein the mask conforms to the shape of the at least a portion of the object depicted in the one or more images;

render the moving wagering game content off of the mask; and

project, from the perspective of the projector, the rendered moving wagering game content to prevent presentation in the portion of the designated area while the object interferes with the projection.

18 . The gaming system of claim 17 , wherein identification of the object comprises detection, via electronic analysis of the one or more images by the machine learning model, of a classification of the object, wherein detection of the classification of the object further comprises determination that the classification of the object is not associated with a specific game state of the wagering game in which the designated area is required for presentation of the moving wagering game content, and wherein the moving wagering game content being rendered off of the mask during the specific game state comprises the moving wagering game content being rendered off of the mask according to the detected classification of the object being not associated with the specific game state.

19 . The gaming system of claim 17 , wherein the object comprises either a physical object located physically between the projector and the portion of the designated area or a shadow cast into the portion of the designated area, and wherein determination that the object would interfere with projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area comprises determination that the object would one or more of distort or physically obstruct projection of the moving wagering game content within the portion of the designated area.

20 . The gaming system of claim 17 , wherein projection of the rendered moving wagering game content to prevent presentation in the portion of the designated area comprises projection of the rendered moving wagering game content to appear to bounce off of a boundary of the shape of the at least the portion of the object into an additional portion of the designated area other than the portion of the designated area.