Multi-player, multi-touch table for use in wagering game systems

A method of conducting a multi-player wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

• receiving a wager initiating a wagering game, the wagering game including one or more randomly selected game outcomes;
• displaying the wagering game on a display surface in proximity to a first and a second player;
• detecting, via a contact sensing device positioned adjacent to the display surface;
• contact by the first player on the display surface during the wagering game and generating, via the contact sensing device, first contact data associated with the first player;
• detecting, via the contact sensing device, contact by the second player on the display surface during the wagering game and generating, via the contact sensing device, second contact data associated with the second player;
• transmitting, to a first identification device associated with the first player, the first contact data, and transmitting, to a second identification device associated with the second player, the second contact data;
• determining, via one or more processors, a first wagering-game function and a second wagering-game function of a plurality of known functions, the first and second wagering-game functions corresponding to the first and second contact data, respectively;
• and
• executing, via the one or more processors during the wagering game, the first and second wagering-game functions;
• and associating the wagering-game functions with the first player or the second player based on the corresponding contact data.

A multi-player gaming system comprising:

• at least one input device for receiving a wager initiating a wagering game;
• a display surface displaying images associated with the wagering game;
• a first identification device associated with a first player and a second identification device associated with a second player;
• a multipoint sensing device adjacent the display surface, the multipoint sensing device detecting first contact data when the first player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the first contact data with the first player, the multipoint sensing device detecting second contact data when the second player contacts the display surface and associating the second contact data with the second player, the multipoint sensing device transmitting the detected first and second contact data to the first and second identification devices, respectively, the multipoint sensing device further producing, during the wagering game, gesture data indicative of at least one of the first and second players contacting the display surface at at least two distinct contact points on the display surface detected simultaneously by the multipoint sensing device;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the multipoint sensing device and to the display surface, the one or more processors being programmed to cause the gaming system to execute one or more wagering-game functions associated with one or more of the gesture data, the first contact data, and the second contact data during the wagering game.

A method of playing a multi-player wagering gaming comprising:

• receiving, via at least one input device, a wager to play the wagering game;
• displaying, via a display surface, images associated with the wagering game;
• detecting, via a multipoint sensing device, first contact data when a first player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the first contact data with the first player;
• detecting, via the multipoint sensing device, second contact data when a second player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the second contact data with the second player;
• producing, via the multipoint sensing device, gesture data indicative of at least one of the first and second players contacting the display surface at at least two distinct contact points simultaneously during the wagering game, the gesture data being associated with the corresponding at least one of the first and second players;
• transmitting, via the multipoint sensing device, the first and second contact data and associated gesture data to a first identification device associated with the first player and a second identification device associated with the second player, the transmitted data being transmitted to the respective identification devices based on the player associated with the transmitted data;
• and
• causing, via one or more processors connected for communication to the identification devices, the multipoint sensing device, and the display surface, one or more wagering-game functions associated with one or more of the transmitted gesture data, first contact data, and second contact data, to be executed during the wagering game.

A multi-player wagering game method, comprising:

• receiving, via at least one input device, a wager to play the wagering game;
• displaying, via a display surface, images associated with the wagering game;
• detecting, via a multipoint sensing device, first contact data when a first player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the first contact data with the first player;
• detecting, via the multipoint sensing device, second contact data when a second player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the second contact data with the second player;
• producing, via the multipoint sensing device, gesture data indicative of at least one of the first and second players contacting the display surface at at least two distinct contact points simultaneously during the wagering game, the gesture data being associated with the corresponding first or second player;
• detecting, via the multipoint sensing device, a physical object placed on the display surface;
• producing object data indicative of a characteristic associated with the physical object;
• transmitting, via the multipoint sensing device, the first and second contact data to a first identification device associated with the first player and a second identification device associated with the second player, respectively, the transmitted data being transmitted to the respective identification devices based on the player associated with the transmitted data;
• and
• causing, via one or more processors connected for communication to the identification devices, one or more wagering-game functions associated with one or more of the transmitted gesture data, first contact data, second contact data, and object data, to be executed in response to the detecting during the wagering game.

A multi-player wagering game method, comprising:

• receiving, via at least one input device, a wager to play the wagering game;
• displaying, via a display surface, images associated with the wagering game;
• detecting a portable electronic device placed on the display surface;
• wirelessly connecting, for communication with a memory device, the portable electronic device and the memory device;
• detecting, via a multipoint sensing device, first contact data when a first player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the first contact data with the first player;
• detecting, via the multipoint sensing device, second contact data when a second player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associated the first contact data with the second player;
• producing, via the multipoint sensing device, gesture data indicative of at least one of the first and second players contacting the display surface at at least two distinct contact points simultaneously during the wagering game, the gesture data being associated with the corresponding player;
• transmitting, via the multipoint sensing device, the first contact data, second contact data, and associated gesture data, to a first identification device associated with the first player and a second identification device associated with the second player, the transmitted data being transmitted to the respective identification devices based on the player associated with the transmitted data;
• and
• causing, via one or more processors connected for communication to the identification devices, one or more wagering-game functions associated with one or more of the transmitted gesture data, first contact data, and second contact data, to be executed in response to the detecting during the wagering game, wherein the one or more wagering-game functions includes communicating data between the memory device and the portable electronic device.

A multi-player wagering game method, comprising:

• receiving, via at least one input device, a wager to play the wagering game;
• displaying, via a display surface, images associated with the wagering game;
• detecting a physical object placed on the display surface during the wagering game;
• detecting, via a multipoint sensing device, first contact data when a first player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associating the first contact data with the first player;
• detecting, via the multipoint sensing device, second contact data when a second player contacts the display surface during the wagering game and associated the first contact data with the second player;
• producing, via the multipoint sensing device, gesture data indicative of at least one of the first and second players contacting the display surface at at least two distinct contact points simultaneously during the wagering game, the gesture data being associated with the corresponding player;
• transmitting, via the multipoint sensing device, the first and second contact data to a first identification device associated with the first player and a second identification device associated with the second player, respectively, the transmitted data being transmitted to the respective identification devices based on the player associated with the transmitted data;
• defining a plurality of regions on the display surface;
• defining an active first region of the plurality corresponding to which one of the plurality of regions the physical object was placed;
• storing a plurality of predetermined wagering-game functions in a memory device connected for communication to one or more processors;
• associating a different predetermined function of the plurality of predetermined wagering-game functions with each of the plurality of regions;
• and
• executing, via the one or more processors, the predetermined wagering-game function associated with the active first region during the wagering game.