Gaming machine with proximity sensing touchless display

摘要

A device for providing a proximity sensing touchless display to a gaming machine is provided. The device includes a processor, a display coupled to the processor, and a touchless input interface coupled to the processor and being implemented by the display for receiving input from the player. The input interface employs proximity sensing technology, such as but not limited to proximity button activation. For example, the display can be operable to sense a player's approaching finger entering an electrical field (e.g., corresponding to one or more electrodes) such that a particular button or function on the interface can be activated without the player's finger having to ever physically contact a button, push pad, keypad, touch screen, and/or the like.

主权项

1. A player tracking device for providing a player interface to a player of a gaming machine, the player tracking device coupled to the gaming machine, comprising:
a processor; a touchless display coupled to the processor, the touchless display configured to display a plurality of images within a display area, the plurality of images including input images displaying corresponding gaming input parameters and non-input informational images displaying gaming information, the input images being displayed in a different area of the display area than the non-input informational images; and a touchless input interface including a proximity sensor, the touchless input interface coupled to the processor and being implemented by the touchless display, the touchless input interface configured to register a proximity of a player's finger with respect to the touchless display and sense the player's finger at a first proximity depth and at a second proximity depth that is nearer to the touchless display than the first proximity depth, the processor configured to: detect the player's finger being a predefined proximity depth away from the touchless display; determine a location of the player's finger within the display area; determine if the player's finger is positioned over a non-input informational image and responsively modify the non-input informational images to enlarge the gaming information being displayed with the non-input informational images when the player's finger is at the first proximity depth; and determine if the player's finger is positioned over an input image and responsively: initiate an activating feature including providing a tactile feedback to the player when the player's finger is at the first proximity depth; and indent the input image displayed by the touchless display, determine an input parameter associated with the input image, and generate and transmit the input parameter to a host computer to initiate a corresponding player command when the player's finger is at the second proximity depth.