Soft key hot spot activation system and method

Abstract

A gaming system includes one or more gaming machines, a display system, and a player input system. The display system includes a display screen that displays player interactive information, and the player input system includes a secondary input means. The secondary input means include soft keys that are mapped to particular coordinate-defined point or region (“hot spots”). In this regard, activation of a soft key replicates a mouse “click” or a touch screen “event.” The software implementation of the soft-keys is independent of the content being displayed, as long as the navigation buttons fall on the “hot-spots” associated with the soft-keys. In regard, when a soft-key is pressed it generates a mouse click event at its respective “hot-spot” coordinates. Soft-keys may be implemented with existing content since they require no code change. Accordingly, soft keys enable a content developer to develop content without requiring addition coding to implement the soft-keys themselves. In this manner, soft keys implementation is simplified due to their communication with the operating system of a generated mouse click event at a “hot-spot” coordinate.

1 . A gaming system, wherein the gaming system includes an operating system that operates on an operating system level, and wherein the gaming system includes one or more applications that operate at an application level above the operating system level, the gaming system comprising: 
 at least one gaming machine;    a display system for presenting player interactive information, wherein the display system includes a display screen; and    a player interface system including one or more soft keys, wherein each soft key is indirectly mapped to associated coordinate-defined point or region on the display screen, and wherein activation of a soft key sends a signal to a program at the operating system level which in turn signals an application at the application level to register an event at the associated coordinate-defined point or region on the display screen.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein activation of a soft key sends no direct signal to any application at the application level, but rather signals an application at the application level via the operating system level.  
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein a soft key press replicates a touch screen touch event.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein software implementation of the soft keys is independent of the software application at the application level due to soft keys being mapped through the program at the operating system level  
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein implementation of soft keys requires no addition software code at the application level due to soft keys being mapped through the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein a soft key is mapped to specific function via the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein a soft key is mapped to a keyboard key via the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein a soft key is mapped to an associated function table at the operating system level that determines an appropriate response to a soft key activation.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein a soft key is mapped to an associated function database at the operating system level that determines an appropriate response to a soft key activation.  
   
   
       11 . A method for user interface in a gaming system, wherein the gaming system includes an operating system that runs at an operating system level, and wherein the gaming system includes one or more applications that runs at an application level above the operating system level, the method comprising: 
 presenting player interactive information on a display system of a gaming machine, wherein the display system includes a display screen;    mapping one or more soft keys to associated coordinate-defined point or region on the display screen, wherein activating a soft key sends a signal to a program at the operating system level which in turn signals an application at the application level to register an event at the associated coordinate-defined point or region on the display screen; and    receiving user input via one or more of the soft keys.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein activating a soft key sends no direct signal to any application at the application level, but rather signals an application at the application level via the operating system level.  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein activating a soft key replicates a touch screen touch event.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein software implementation of the soft keys is independent of the software application at the application level due to soft keys being mapped through the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein implementation of soft keys requires no addition software code at the application level due to soft keys being mapped through the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a soft key is mapped to specific function via the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a soft key is mapped to a keyboard key via the program at the operating system level.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a soft key is mapped to an associated function table at the operating system level that determines an appropriate response to a soft key activation.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a soft key is mapped to an associated function database at the operating system level that determines an appropriate response to a soft key activation.  
   
   
       21 . A method for enabling user input in a gaming system, wherein the gaming system includes an operating system that runs at an operating system level, and wherein the gaming system includes one or more applications that runs at an application level above the operating system level, the method comprising: 
 providing at least one gaming machine, wherein the gaming machine includes a display screen and soft keys indirectly associated with coordinate-defined point or region on the display screen, wherein the soft keys are not directly associated with any application running at the application level;    receiving user input via one or more soft keys being activated in a player interface system;    generating an interrupt signal that is sent to a control module at the operating system level, in response to a soft key being activated;    sending a key code instruction to an application at the application level to register an event on the display screen, in response to an command from the control module at the operating system;    generating a signal at the application level to designate a received event at the associated coordinate-defined point or region, in response to received the key code instruction; and    recording the received event at the associated coordinate-defined point or region on a display screen.