An intelligent magic cube, and a sensing shaft center structure and a timing method used thereby. The sensing shaft center structure comprises a main body; the main body comprises a core (1) having an internal cavity, and several tubular shafts (2) communicated with the core (1). An internal central control module (3) is provided inside the cavity, and comprises a state obtaining unit. Each tubular shaft (2) is provided with a state signal sending set (4). The state signal sending set (4) comprises a signal selector and multiple signal exciters. The signal selector may be paired with any signal exciter, and generate a corresponding state signal. The state obtaining unit is configured to be able to receive the state signal sent from the state signal sending set (4).

A gaming system may include: an infrared signal emitter configured to emit an infrared signal, the infrared emitter being configured to emit a predetermined number of emissions per a simulated reloading action, the infrared signal being configurable to be associated with one of at least a first team, a second team, and a neutral team, the infrared signal emitter including a handle to be grasped by a player and a trigger to effect emission of the infrared signal; and an infrared signal receiver configured to receive the infrared signal associated with one of the at least the first team, the second team, and the neutral team. Optionally, the gaming system may include a stationary receiver and emitter for integrated use with game players in a further modification of the methods and uses herein. The stationary receiver and emitter may receive and transmit signals, store a memory of activities, teams, players, and other game-playing benefits.

An electronic gaming machine (EGM) includes a display having a display surface configured to provide stereoscopic 3D viewing of at least a portion of the game. The portion of the game includes a 3D interface element. The EGM further includes a locating sensor that generates an electronic signal based on a player's location in a sensing space. The EGM includes an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit an ultrasonic field. At least a portion of the ultrasonic field is located in the sensing space. The EGM also includes one or more processors configured to: identify a location of one or more player features based on the electrical signal from the locating sensor; determine that the location of the player features is associated with the 3D interface element; and control one or more of the ultrasonic emitters based on the identified location to provide tactile feedback to the player.

An apparatus and method for a hide-and-seek game, of which the apparatus includes a housing, a gameplay status indicator coupled to the housing, interface elements coupled to the housing and configured to receive input from a user or provide output to the user, and a processor configured to execute operations. The operations include initiating a timer in response to a first player selecting to play a hide-and-seek game and entering a first input using the interface elements, the first input indicating that the apparatus is hidden, receiving a second input from a second player prior to the completion of the timer, the second input indicating that the second player has located the apparatus that was hidden, and executing a predetermined number of challenges, in response to receiving the second input from the second player, using the gameplay status indicator and the interface elements.

A board game system comprises a game board, having a surface adapted to receive a board game overlay, a detector array adapted to detect the respective positions of a plurality of game pieces placed on top of the board game overlay, and a transmitter adapted to transmit data indicating the respective positions to an entertainment device; and an entertainment device, having a receiver adapted to receive from the game board data indicating the respective positions of the plurality of game pieces, a game state analyser operable to update the state of a game in dependence upon the indicated respective positions of the plurality of game pieces, and an image generator operable to generate an image for output to a display, the content of the image being responsive to the detected state of the game.

User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a system includes a movement calibration system configured to determine qualification zones that qualify peak excursions in movement data associated with manipulation of a control mechanism in one or more axes. The movement calibration system is configured to establish updates to the qualification zones based on changes in the movement data, where the updates bias drift of the qualification zones outward in the one or more axes. The movement calibration system is configured to determine calibrated movement data based at least on the updates to the qualification zones. The calibrated movement data can be provided for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control mechanism.

Gaming systems and methods for integrated computer-related and physical game play interactions between a game player, a physical game piece character and an electronic device are defined. The physical game piece character may be a combination of smaller parts where each combination transmits a unique alphanumeric identifier and control signals to an electronic device game application, where the game application features the physical game piece character and is responsive to the signals from the physical game piece character and transmits control signals to the physical game piece, which responds with sensory signals.

User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a user input device includes a control mechanism configured to receive user manipulation in one or more axes. The user input device includes a movement calibration system that monitors movement data representative of user manipulation of a control mechanism, and determines calibrated movement data based at least in part on a movement space normalized using at least qualification zones that qualify peak excursions of the control mechanism in one or more axes. Responsive to the movement data, the movement calibration system establishes updates to the qualification zones that bias drift of the qualification zones outward in the one or more axes, and provides the calibrated movement data for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control mechanism.

Provided is a gesture recognition (GR) device that includes a circuit board on which a plurality of light sources are mounted. A first light source is side-mounted at a tip of a second unit of the circuit board, and the set of second light sources is mounted at right angles at top and bottom surfaces of the second unit. A first pair from the set of second light sources is positioned adjacent to the side-mounted first light source. The plurality of light sources are controlled to generate multiple lighting effects for the tip based on assertion signals generated at a first unit of the circuit board. A first lighting effect corresponds to a directional beam generated by the first light source. A set of second lighting effects, which remains unblocked by the side-mounted first light source, corresponds to a multi-color illumination generated by the set of second light sources.

Provided is a gesture-recognition (GR) device that includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a controller. The circuit board has an aspect ratio exceeding a threshold value that corresponds to at least a 70 percent difference between length and width of the PCB. The PCB includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit corresponds to a base unit to be grasped by hand of a user. The second unit corresponds to an elongate unit that extends outward from the first unit. The second unit is characterized by a minimal wand form factor. A rigid strength of the second unit is based on at least a shape of an outer shell and a structural attribute of the second unit. The controller controls illumination of a plurality of light sources mounted on the second unit of the circuit board based on assertion signals.