U.S. patent application number 11/576453 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-20 for audio object location in a computerized wagering game.
Invention is credited to Eric M. Pryzby, Paul Radek, Alfred Thomas.
Application Number | 20080070685 11/576453 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36142881 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080070685 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pryzby; Eric M. ; et
al. |
March 20, 2008 |
Audio Object Location in a Computerized Wagering Game
Abstract
A computerized wagering game system has a gaming module
comprising a processor and gaming code which is operable when
executed on the processor to conduct a wagering game on which
monetary value can be wagered. An audio module comprising part of
the computerized wagering game system is operable to play sound
through two or more speakers, and is further operable to apply
audio object location processing to the sound so that it appears to
come from a specific location.
Inventors: |
Pryzby; Eric M.; (Skokie,
IL) ; Radek; Paul; (Naperville, IL) ; Thomas;
Alfred; (Las Vegas, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG & WOESSNER, P.A.
P.O. BOX 2938
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Family ID: |
36142881 |
Appl. No.: |
11/576453 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 29, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US05/34770 |
371 Date: |
March 30, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60614922 |
Sep 30, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3202 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/035 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A computerized wagering game system, comprising: a gaming module
comprising a processor and gaming code which is operable when
executed on the processor to present a wagering game on which
monetary value can be wagered; an audio module operable to play
sound through two or more speakers, and further operable to apply
audio object location processing to the sound so that it appears to
come from a specific location.
2. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
audio module is further operable to apply crosstalk cancellation to
the sound.
3. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
audio object location comprises application of a head-related
transfer function (HRTF).
4. The computerized wagering game system of claim 3, wherein
application of the head-related transfer function is operable to
change the perceived elevation of a sound.
5. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
two or more speakers comprise a surround sound speaker
configuration.
6. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
specific audio location the sound appears to come from moves during
presentation of the sound.
7. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
specific location from which the sound appears to come is
determined by receiving video object location data from a video
module, and applying the video object location to an associated
audio sound via the audio object location processing.
8. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
audio object location processing is applied based on object
location data provided to the audio module and associated with a
particular sound.
9. The computerized wagering game system of claim 1, wherein the
audio object location processing comprises panning an object
between two or more speakers of a surround sound speaker system
comprising three or more independent sound channels and associated
speakers.
10. The computerized wagering game of claim 1, wherein the audio
object location processing further comprises encoding the audio in
at least one of Dolby Digital, DTS, Qsound, CircleSurround, or
Logic 7.
11. A method of operating a computerized wagering game system,
comprising: presenting a wagering game on which monetary value can
be wagered; applying audio object location processing to the sound
so that it appears to come from a specific location; and playing
the sound through two or more speakers.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying crosstalk
cancellation to the sound.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio object location
comprises application of a head-related transfer function
(HRTF).
14. The method of claim 13, wherein application of the head-related
transfer function is operable to change the perceived elevation of
a sound.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the two or more speakers
comprise a surround sound speaker configuration.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific audio location the
sound appears to come from moves during presentation of the
sound.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific location from
which the sound appears to come is determined by receiving video
object location data from a video module, and applying the video
object location to an associated audio sound via the audio object
location processing.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio object location
processing is applied based on object location data provided to the
audio module and associated with a particular sound.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio object location
processing comprises panning an object between two or more speakers
of a surround sound speaker system comprising three or more
independent sound channels and associated speakers.
20. A machine-readable medium with instructions coded thereon, the
instructions when executed operable to cause a computerized
wagering game system operable to: present a wagering game on which
monetary value can be wagered; apply audio object location
processing to the sound so that it appears to come from a specific
location; and play the sound through two or more speakers.
21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, the instructions when
executed further operable to cause the computerized wagering game
system to apply crosstalk cancellation to the sound.
22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the audio
object location comprises application of a head-related transfer
function (HRTF).
23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein application of
the head-related transfer function is operable to change the
perceived elevation of a sound.
24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the two or
more speakers comprise a surround sound speaker configuration.
25. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the specific
audio location the sound appears to come from moves during
presentation of the sound.
26. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the specific
location from which the sound appears to come is determined by
receiving video object location data from a video module, and
applying the video object location to an associated audio sound via
the audio object location processing.
27. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the audio
object location processing is applied based on object location data
provided to the audio module and associated with a particular
sound.
28. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the audio
object location processing comprises panning an object between two
or more speakers of a surround sound speaker system comprising
three or more independent sound channels and associated
speakers.
29. A computerized wagering game system, comprising: a gaming
module comprising a processor and gaming code which is operable
when executed on the processor to present a wagering game on which
monetary value can be wagered; and an audio module operable to play
sound through two or more speakers, the sound comprising object
location information such that it appears to come from a specific
location.
30. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
object location information comprises application of crosstalk
cancellation to the sound.
31. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
object location information comprises application of a head-related
transfer function (HRTF) to the sound.
32. The computerized wagering game system of claim 31, wherein
application of the head-related transfer function is operable to
change the perceived elevation of a sound.
33. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
two or more speakers comprise a surround sound speaker
configuration.
34. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
specific location from which the sound appears to come is
determined by receiving video object location data from a video
module, and applying the video object location to an associated
audio sound via the audio object location processing.
35. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
audio object location information is based on object location data
provided to the audio module and associated with a particular
sound.
36. The computerized wagering game system of claim 29, wherein the
audio object location information comprises panning an object
between two or more speakers of a surround sound speaker system
comprising three or more independent sound channels and associated
speakers.
37. The computerized wagering game of claim 29, wherein the audio
object location information comprises audio information decoded via
at least one of Dolby Digital, DTS, Qsound, CircleSurround, or
Logic 7.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/614,922, filed 30 Sep. 2004,
the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to audio in wagering gaming
systems, and more specifically to audio object location in a
computerized wagering game system.
LIMITED COPYRIGHT WAIVER
[0003] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material to which the claim of copyright protection is made. The
copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by
any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it
appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office file or records,
but reserves all other rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A wide variety of gaming devices are now available to gamers
and to casino operators in computerized form, from slot machines to
games that are traditionally played live such as poker and
blackjack. These computerized games provide many benefits to the
game owner and to the gambler, including greater reliability than
can be achieved with a mechanical game or human dealer, more
variety, sound, and animation in presentation of a game, and a
lower overall cost of production and management.
[0005] Computerized video game systems must be designed with many
of the same concerns as their mechanical and table game
ancestors--they must be fair, they must provide sufficient feedback
to the gamer to make the game fun to play, and they must meet a
variety of gaming regulations to ensure that both the machine owner
and gamer are honest and fairly treated in implementing the game.
Further, they must provide a gaming experience that is at least as
attractive as the older mechanical gaming machine experience to the
gamer, to ensure success in a competitive gaming market.
[0006] Many computerized wagering game systems have a variety of
sound and graphical elements designed to attract and keep a game
player's attention, such as sound effects, music, and animation.
These game presentation features often include a variety of music,
sound effects, and voices presented to complement a video
presentation of the wagering game on a display.
[0007] Wagering game players typically stand or sit on one side of
a wagering game, and interact with the game such as by pushing
buttons, pulling levers, and operating a touchscreen. The wagering
game system in turn provides feedback to the game player via the
display and one or more speakers. Use of multiple speakers in some
wagering games allow playback of stereo audio in which each of the
two stereo audio channels plays a different signal.
[0008] In some wagering game machines, sound is played in
conjunction with a video object's motion or presentation, such as a
sound accompanying reel spin in a reel slot machine, or credit
bang-up sounds played as credits are counted up in a game player's
credit counter. Such sounds can help call the game player's
attention to the screen and can audibly indicate the occurrence of
particular events, enhancing presentation of the game to the
wagering game player.
[0009] But, some sounds can become repetitive and lose meaning to a
game player, and a game player may not associate a certain sound
with a particular game element or activity as is desired by the
wagering game designers. It is therefore desirable to more strongly
associate sounds presented in a wagering game system with their
associated wagering game objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides in one embodiment a
computerized wagering game system has a gaming module comprising a
processor and, gaming code which is operable when executed on the
processor to play a wagering game on which monetary value can be
wagered. An audio module comprising part of the computerized
wagering game system is operable to play sound through two or more
speakers, and is further operable to apply audio object location
processing to the sound so that it appears to come from a specific
location.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a computerized reel slot gaming system operable
to play a sound processed with audio object location processing,
consistent with an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a top view display diagram of a software
application to facilitate audio object location specification,
consistent with an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view display diagram of a software
application to facilitate audio object location specification,
consistent with an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a wagering game system employing a surround sound
speaker system and audio object location processing, consistent
with an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a head and torso model as is used to
derive a head-related transfer function in some example embodiments
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In the following detailed description of sample embodiments
of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings
which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of
illustration specific sample embodiments in which the invention may
be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail
to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and
it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and
that logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made
without departing from the spirit or scope of the present
invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to
be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is
defined only by the appended claims.
[0017] The present invention provides in one embodiment a
computerized wagering game system having a gaming module comprising
a processor and gaming code which is operable when executed on the
processor to present or conduct a wagering game on which monetary
value can be wagered. An audio module comprising part of the
computerized wagering game system is operable to play sound through
two or more speakers, and is further operable to apply audio object
location processing to the sound so that it appears to come from a
specific location.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a computerized wagering game machine, as
may be used in an embodiment of the present invention. The
computerized gaming system shown generally at 100 is a video
wagering game system, which displays information for at least one
wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered on video
display 101. Video display 101 is in various embodiments a CRT
display, an LCD display, a surface conducting electron emitter
display, or any other type of display suitable for displaying
electronically provided display information. Alternate embodiments
of the invention will have other game indicators, such as
mechanical reels instead of the video graphics reels shown at 102
that comprise a part of a video slot machine wagering game.
[0019] A game of chance is implemented as software within the
wagering game, such as via instructions stored on a
machine-readable medium such as a hard disk drive or nonvolatile
memory. In some further example embodiments, some or all of the
software stored in the wagering game machine is encrypted or is
verified using a hash algorithm or encryption algorithm to ensure
its authenticity and to verify that it has not been altered. The
game of chance takes various forms in different wagering game
machines, and includes such well-known wagering games as reel
slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, or hold'em games.
The wagering game is played and controlled with inputs such as
various buttons 103 or via a touchscreen overlay to video screen
101. In some alternate examples, other devices such as pull arm 104
used to initiate reel spin in this reel slot machine example are
employed to provide other input interfaces to the game player.
[0020] Monetary value is typically wagered on the outcome of the
games, such as with tokens, coins, bills, or cards that hold
monetary value. The wagered value is conveyed to the machine
through a changer 105 or a secure user identification module
interface 106, and winnings are returned via the returned value
card or through the coin tray 107. Sound is also provided through
speakers 108. In some further embodiments, the wagering game
machine is coupled to a network, and is operable to use its network
connection to receive wagering game data, track players and
monetary value associated with a player, and to perform other such
functions.
[0021] The wagering game in one example embodiment of the present
invention uses audio object location processing applied to sound
played through speakers 108 to make it sound to a game player as
though the sound were coming from a specific location. In some
embodiments, the location is based on the screen location of an
object associated with the sound, while in some other embodiments
the specific location is selected to provide a broader soundstage
of sounds or for special effects purposes.
[0022] The sounds are processed in one embodiment by application of
what is known as a head-related transfer function to the sounds
that are intended to sound as though they come from specified
directions or locations. The head related transfer function, or
HTRF, is derived from the way a listener's head, ear, and torso
affect the sound that is eventually heard. These head, ear, and
torso effects are largely responsible for the listener's ability to
determine the direction from which a sound is coming, and can be
characterized and applied to sounds to make them sound as though
they are coming from directions other than their true source.
[0023] The head-related transfer function is determined such as by
use of preexisting models, or by measuring a dummy head designed to
mimic the acoustic behavior of a human head. This function is then
applied to a sound signal by use of filters such as digital signal
processing filters that shape the frequency response of the sound
signal before the signal is routed to a speaker and converted to an
acoustic or audible sound signal. The game player then hears a
filtered version of the sound having frequency response filtering
applied such that the sound appears to come from a location
specific to the applied filtering process.
[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates one method of applying such filter
processing to a sound to make it appear to a game player as though
it comes from a specified direction. A screen diagram is shown
generally at 201 of a computer program designed to allow a game's
creator to specify the apparent position of sound in a horizontal
plane relative to a game player 202. The screen shot shows a
sequence of positions such as 203, each of which are connected and
have various attributes that can be specified. In one example, the
sound starts at position 203, and progresses second by second to
the other positions shown in FIG. 2. Time in between seconds is
interpolated, such that motion of the sound is smooth and appears
to follow the approximate paths shown in FIG. 2 linking points
rather than jumping second-by-second. In other embodiments, the
period of time and the change between positions is further
customizable or can be specified in other ways, such as by
specifying the amount of time a sound takes to travel from one
specified position to the next or the amount of time a sound spends
stationary at one point before proceeding on.
[0025] In some embodiments, the elevation of the sound is a
parameter that can be set along with other parameters for a
particular point such as point 203 of FIG. 2, while other systems
will use other methods of further specifying position such as the
screen diagram of FIG. 3. The screen shot 301 shown generally in
FIG. 3 shows a top view of a computer program screen designed to
allow a game creator to specify a sound's location in a vertical
plane, along with various points such as point 303 corresponding to
the points such as 203 of FIG. 2. This alternate view enables
visualization and configuration of the apparent elevation or height
of a sound relative to the head of a listener 302, enabling a
creator to fully visualize the position of a sound at a given time
when viewed in conjunction with the position view of FIG. 2.
[0026] In some embodiments of the invention, the specified sound
location is achieved not only with a head-related transfer
function, but by using a mutichannel speaker system, or what is
commonly known as a surround sound system. Such a system is shown
in FIG. 4, adapted to the two-speaker wagering game system shown in
FIG. 1. The speakers 108 of FIG. 1 are replaced with left, center,
and right channel speakers 401, 402, and 403. Additional surround
channel speakers are added, including left rear channel speaker 404
and right rear channel speaker 405. The use of multiple speakers
means that less head-related transfer function processing is needed
to make sound come from a certain direction or elevation. In some
example embodiments, simply directing sound to the appropriate
speakers can in a surround sound system having three or more
speakers located in different positions such as are shown in FIG. 4
can create the illusion of a sound being placed in a specific
location, and the audio processing involves specifying which
speakers are to play a sound, what volume each speaker is to play
the sound, or the like.
[0027] Sound having more than the traditional two stereo channels
can be encoded and decoded in many ways, including a few example
commercial embodiments discussed here in greater detail (all names
are trademarked property of their respective owners). Examples
include Dolby formats such as Dolby ProLogic and Dolby Digital,
Logic 7, and various embodiments of DTS such as DTS-ES and
DTS-NEO6.
[0028] Dolby ProLogic was one of the first commercially available
surround sound formats, and enabled analog derivation of a center
channel and two surround channels from a two-channel encoded
signal. Dolby Digital is a digitally encoded format, providing for
encoding and decoding of five full-range channels and a low
frequency channel (5.1 channels) from an encoded digital
signal.
[0029] Similarly, a variety of digital surround sound formats from
DTS, including DTS, DTS-ES, and DTS-NEO6 derive five or six
channels plus a low frequency effects channel from a digitally
encoded signal. DTS is a five channel discrete encoded signal that
also has an encoded low frequency effects channel. DTS-ES adds a
sixth channel, plus the ability to matrix encode a 5.1 channel
surround signal in addition to discrete channel encoding. DTS-NEO6
is a six channel matrix encoded format, incorporating a
low-frequency effects channel to provide a 6.1 channel matrix
encoded digital surround format.
[0030] Logic 7, also known as L7, is a proprietary seven-channel
decoding process developed by Lexicon, a subsidiary of Harman
International. Logic 7 in various embodiments is able to derive
seven channel surround sound from a two channel stereo or matrix
encoded source, and has various parameters optimized for film,
broadcast, reverberant environment, and other modes. It is further
able to derive up to seven channels of surround information from
other surround encoded formats, including matrix and discrete
multichannel surround formats such as Dolby Digital or DTS.
[0031] The Logic 7, Dolby Digital, DTS, and other surround sound
formats presented here are examples of ways in which various audio
processing can be applied to implement different surround sound
formats in an audio system having three or more discrete audio
channels and speakers.
[0032] Systems employing only two speakers will in many embodiments
rely on implementation of a head-related transfer function (HRTF)
as described earlier to provide the audio object location function
that causes an audible sound to sound to a game player like it's
coming from a specific location. FIG. 5 shows a typical example of
a dummy head as is often used to derive a head-related transfer
function.
[0033] The head and torso 501 are a three-dimensional model of a
human head and torso, made with materials having acoustic
absorptive and reflective properties similar to that of an actual
human. The head and torso 501 are also typically clothed with a
shirt work on the torso, to reflect the damping effect that audio
striking the clothed areas of a real person who is clothed would
experience. The ears of the head and torso model similarly are
designed to reflect a typical human ear, except that they contain
microphones 502 that are coupled to measurement equipment. The head
and torso of FIG. 5 is further mounted on a turntable apparatus 503
that is operable to turn the head and torso assembly during
measurement, so that a sound source at a particular elevation can
be measured from a variety of angles relative to the head in a
horizontal plane.
[0034] Measurements are typically conducted in an anechoic chamber
to minimize the effects of reflected and reverberation of sound.
Characterization of a head-related transfer function in three
dimensions will typically involve placing a sound source at various
heights and various distances from the head and torso assembly 501,
and rotating the head and torso assembly about a complete rotation
while taking measurements for each sound source position. The
resulting changes in frequency response observed characterize the
head-related transfer function, and can be applied to sounds
reproduced through speakers to make the sounds appear to come from
specific locations other than the speaker or speakers playing the
sound.
[0035] The examples shown herein have illustrated how audio
processing can be employed in a wagering game system to apply audio
object location processing to sound so that the sound appears to
come from a specific location. Although specific embodiments have
been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by
those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is
calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the
specific embodiments shown. This application is intended to cover
any adaptations or variations of the invention. It is intended that
this invention be limited only by the claims, and the full scope of
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *