System and method for dynamically managing sound in a gaming environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9737800-B1
Application number	US-201715408024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A gaming system is configured for dynamic and location-specific management of sound in a gaming environment. Various gaming stations, each including sound receivers and sound emitters, are disposed across multiple gaming zones. A server communicates with the gaming stations and is configured to sample ambient sounds with respect to the plurality of zones, and identify zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a dynamic noise threshold for at least a first of the plurality of zones, such as for example a jackpot or equivalent “hot spot” in the gaming environment. One or more gaming machines external to the first zone are directed to locally amplify sounds associated with the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures for the first zone. The server may further direct sound emitters external to the first zone to emit sound waves effective to locally suppress particular ambient sounds other than the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for dynamically managing sound in a gaming environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of gaming stations, wherein each of the gaming stations comprise a sound receiver and one or more sound emitters, and are disposed in a respective one of a plurality of zones;
a server in communication with each of the plurality of gaming stations and configured to
sample ambient sounds with respect to each of the plurality of zones,
analyze ambient sounds for at least a first of the plurality of zones with respect to a profile for the first zone,
identify one or more zone-specific sound exception signatures,
direct one or more of the gaming stations disposed in the first zone to disable local suppression of the one or more zone-specific sound exception signatures, and
direct the one or more of the gaming stations disposed in the first zone to emit sound waves associated with the one or more zone-specific sound exception signatures for which local suppression is not disabled.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to direct the one or more of the gaming stations disposed in the first zone to emit sound waves effective to locally amplify sounds associated with the one or more zone-specific sound exception signatures.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to:
identify one or more sampled ambient sounds as persistent external sounds or temporary external sounds with respect to each zone, and
automatically direct the emission of sound waves to locally suppress the persistent external sounds for a respective zone.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the persistent external sounds are periodically identified based on a date, a time of day and the current location of the device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the persistent external sounds are compared to respective ambient noise thresholds with respect to any one or more of the date, time of day or current location of the device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to analyze the ambient sounds for at least a first of the plurality of zones, and to dynamically identify abnormal ambient sounds with respect to a noise threshold for the first zone.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the server is configured to analyze a change in the ambient sounds over time corresponding to a dynamic noise threshold for the first zone, wherein the noise threshold is dynamic in view of the date, time of day and/or location of the zone with respect to a gaming floor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular sounds are associated with jackpots for one or more gaming stations within the first zone.

9. A system for dynamically managing sound in a gaming environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of gaming stations, wherein each of the gaming stations comprise a sound receiver and one or more sound emitters, and are disposed in a respective one of a plurality of zones;
a server in communication with each of the plurality of gaming stations and configured to
sample ambient sounds with respect to each of the plurality of zones,
identify zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a dynamic noise threshold for at least a first of the plurality of zones, and
direct one or more of the sound emitters disposed in at least one zone other than the first zone to locally amplify sounds associated with the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures for the first zone.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures are associated with jackpots for one or more gaming stations within the first zone.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to
direct the one or more of the sound emitters disposed in at least one zone other than the first zone to emit sound waves effective to locally suppress one or more ambient sounds other than the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to:
identify one or more sampled ambient sounds as persistent external sounds or temporary external sounds with respect to each zone, and
automatically direct the emission of sound waves to locally suppress the persistent external sounds for a respective zone.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the persistent external sounds are periodically identified based on a date, a time of day and the current location of the device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the persistent external sounds are compared to respective ambient noise thresholds with respect to any one or more of the date, time of day or current location of the device.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is configured to analyze the ambient sounds for at least a first of the plurality of zones, and to dynamically identify zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a noise threshold for the first zone.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to analyze a change in the ambient sounds over time corresponds to a dynamic noise threshold for the first zone, wherein the noise threshold is dynamic in view of the date, time of day and/or location of the zone with respect to a gaming floor.

17. A method for dynamically managing sound in a gaming environment comprising a plurality of gaming zones, each zone including one or more sound receivers and one or more sound emitters, the method comprising:
sampling ambient sounds with respect to each of the plurality of zones,
identifying one or more zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a dynamic noise threshold for at least a first of the plurality of zones, and
directing one or more of the gaming stations disposed in at least one zone other than the first zone to locally amplify sounds associated with the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures for the first zone.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the identified abnormal ambient sounds are associated with jackpots for one or more gaming stations within the first zone.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising directing one or more of the sound emitters disposed in at least one zone other than the first zone to emit sound waves effective to locally suppress one or more ambient sounds other than the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising analyzing a change in the ambient sounds over time for at least a first of the plurality of zones, to identify zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a noise threshold for the first zone that is dynamic in view of the date, time of day and/or location of the first zone with respect to a gaming floor.

Assignees

• Video Gaming Tech Inc

Inventors

• Milligan Dan
• Lechlitner Ben
• Jarrell Chris
• Thacker Chris
• Winzeler Scott

Classifications

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• A63F13/25 Primary

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title

• G10K11/175 Primary

  using interference effects; Masking sound · CPC title

• H04S7/30

  Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field · CPC title