Multi-user input systems and processing techniques for serving multiple users

A computer-implemented method for providing a multi-user input system for use as an input device by a plurality of users, said computer-implemented method comprising:

• initiating a user-identifier component and a touch-locator component;
• detecting that a particular user of the plurality of users has provided an input to the multi-user input system;
• identifying, by the user-identifier component, the particular user independent of a location of the input provided by the particular user to the multi-user input system;
• providing to a controller a first indication indicating that the input provided by the particular user has been detected at a first time by the user-identifier component;
• identifying, by the touch-locator component, an input at a particular location of the multi-user input system;
• providing to the controller a second indication indicating that the input at the particular location has been detected at a second time by the touch-locator component;
• reconciling, at the controller, the first and second indications to determine, based on the first and second times, whether the particular user has provided input to the multi-user input system at the particular location;
• and
• reporting, by the controller, an output including information about the input provided by the particular user at the particular location of the multi-user input system.

A gaming apparatus for a plurality of players, comprising:

• a touch-surface that serves as a common input area for playing a game by the plurality of players;
• a user-identifier component configured to:
• detect which one of the plurality of players has touched said common input area,
• determine an identity of the player that has touched said common input area independent of a location of a touch by the player on said common input area,
• provide a first indication indicating that the touch by the player has been detected at a first time;
• a touch-location component configured to:
• detect a touch at a particular location of the common input area,
• provide a second indication indicating that the touch at the particular location has been detected at a second time, and
• communicate the second indication to the controller;
• the controller being configured to:
• receive from the user-identifier component the first indication,
• receive from the touch-location component the second indication,
• determine, based on first and second indications, whether the player identified by the user-identifier component has touched said common input area at the particular location detected by the touch-location component, and
• generate an output indicating that the player identified by the user-identifier component has touched said common input area at the particular location when it is determined that the player has touched said common input area at the particular location detected by the touch-location component.