# US 10,373,421 B2 · Electronic gaming machine with stress relieving feature

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- Number: US 10,373,421 B2
- Document ID: US10373421B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/458,064
- Filed: 2017-03-14
- Published: 2018-09-20
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14
- Assignees: Igt
- Applicants: Igt
- Inventors: Georgette M. Pan; Neil Abrams
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373421B2

## CPC

- G07F 17/3206: {Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics}
- G07F 17/323: {wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions}
- G07F 17/3239: {Tracking of individual players}
- G07F 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

A method of operating a gaming machine includes receiving a deposit of wagering credits from a player, determining a threshold stress level for the player, initiating a gaming session, wherein the gaming session includes a plurality of plays of a primary game on the gaming machine, and wherein in at least one of the plurality of plays of the primary game, the gaming machine receives a wager by the player from the deposited wagering credits, monitoring a performance of the player in the gaming session, generating a player stress metric in response to the performance of the player in the gaming session, wherein the player stress metric is indicative of a stress level of the player, comparing the player stress metric to the threshold stress level, and in response to the player stress metric exceeding the threshold stress level, activating a stress relieving feature of the gaming machine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a gaming machine, comprising:
receiving a deposit of wagering credits from a player;
determining a threshold stress level for the player;
initiating a gaming session, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of plays of a primary game on the gaming machine, wherein in at least one of the plurality of plays of the primary game, the gaming machine receives a wager by the player from the wagering credits;
measuring, by a biometric sensor, a physiological condition of the player;
monitoring a performance of the player in the gaming session;
generating a player stress metric in response to the physiological condition of the player and the performance of the player in the gaming session, wherein the player stress metric is indicative of a stress level of the player;
comparing the player stress metric to the threshold stress level; and
in response to the player stress metric exceeding the threshold stress level, activating a stress relief feature of the gaming machine to allow the player to relieve stress.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological condition comprises a skin temperature of the player, a pulse rate of the player, a breathing rate of the player, a skin conductivity of the player and/or a blood oxygen level of the player.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring performance of the player comprises monitoring monetary gains or losses of the player, a total number of wins and losses of the player, and/or a number of losses in a row by the player.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the threshold stress level for the player comprises obtaining a baseline stress level for the player and calculating the threshold stress level in response to the baseline stress level.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the threshold stress level for the player comprises obtaining the threshold stress level from a player tracking server based on player tracking information provided by the player.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stress relieving relief feature comprises a striking target, and wherein activating the stress relief feature comprises prompting the player to physically hit the striking target.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the striking target comprises a sensor to detect when the player strikes the striking target, the method further comprising:
detecting that the player has struck the striking target.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether or not the player has utilized the stress relief feature; and
in response to determining that the player has not utilized the stress relief feature, terminating the gaming session.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether or not the player has utilized the stress relief feature; and
in response to determining that the player has utilized the stress relief feature, awarding a prize to the player.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stress relieving feature comprises a secondary game.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising collecting biofeedback data indicative of a stress level of the player as part of the secondary game, wherein an outcome of the secondary game is based at least in part in response to the biofeedback data indicating a reduction in the stress level of the player.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating the player stress metric as part of the secondary game wherein the reduction in the stress level of the player is determined in response to a reduction in the player stress metric.

### Claim 13

A gaming machine comprising:
a processor;
a display device;
an input device;
a biometric sensor to measure a physiological condition of the player; and
a memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device, for a play of a wagering game, to:
receive a deposit of wagering credits from a player;
determine a threshold stress level for the player;
initiate a gaming session, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of plays of a primary game on the gaming machine, wherein in at least one of the plurality of plays of the primary game, the gaming machine receives a wager by the player from the deposited wagering credits;
determine a physiological condition of the player measured by the biometric sensor;
monitor a performance of the player in the gaming session;
generate a player stress metric in response to the physiological condition of the player and the performance of the player in the gaming session, wherein the player stress metric is indicative of a stress level of the player;
compare the player stress metric to the threshold stress level; and
in response to the player stress metric exceeding the threshold stress level, activate a secondary game of the gaming machine.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The gaming machine of claim 13, further comprising a sensor to collect biofeedback data indicative of a stress level of the player, wherein the player stress metric is generated in response to the biofeedback data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the processor monitors performance of the player by monitoring monetary gains or losses of the player, a total number of wins and losses of the player, and/or a number of losses in a row by the player.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the processor determines the threshold stress level for the player by obtaining a baseline stress level for the player and calculating the threshold stress level in response to the baseline stress level.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the secondary game comprises a striking target, and wherein the processor prompts the player to physically hit the striking target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The gaming machine of claim 17, wherein the striking target comprises a sensor to detect when the player strikes the striking target.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the secondary game collects biofeedback data indicative of a stress level of the player as part of the secondary game, wherein an outcome of the secondary game is based at least in part in response to the biofeedback data indicating a reduction in the stress level of the player.

### Claim 20

A gaming machine comprising:
a processor;
a display device;
an input device; and
a memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device, for a play of a wagering game, to:
receive a deposit of wagering credits from a player;
determine a threshold stress level for the player;
initiate a gaming session, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of plays of a primary game on the gaming machine, wherein in at least one of the plurality of plays of the primary game, the gaming machine receives a wager by the player from the deposited wagering credits;
monitor a performance of the player in the gaming session;
generate a player stress metric in response to the performance of the player in the gaming session, wherein the player stress metric is indicative of a stress level of the player;
compare the player stress metric to the threshold stress level; and
in response to the player stress metric exceeding the threshold stress level, activate a secondary game of the gaming machine.