US 7,780,526 B2Granted

Universal system mediation within gaming environments

AssigneeIgt

InventorsBinh T. Nguyen, James W. Stockdale

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Gaming machines and networks capable of providing universal mediation between multiple disparate gaming systems are disclosed. In particular, multiple disparate gaming systems providing different services and features can be accessed by a player throughout a gaming session at a gaming device as a result of a single player transaction using a universal indicia of identification by the player. Such an indicia can include a card, token, PIN, biometric identifier and/or other identification source. A player identification device at the gaming device can accept such indicia, and can also facilitate protocol mediation and hardware mediation between the gaming device and each of the multiple disparate gaming systems. Enhanced DCUs may also be used to facilitate such mediations, and also to provide redundant communication paths between a LAN containing the gaming device and a WAN including the multiple disparate gaming systems.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A gaming machine configured for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and configured to control one or more aspects of said game;
at least one link configured to connect said gaming machine to a plurality of disparate gaming systems or at least one gateway thereto, said at least one link permitting data to be transmitted between said gaming machine and each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, a gaming system of the plurality of disparate gaming systems configured to provide services to the gaming machine selected from the group consisting of cashless services, loyalty program services, auditing/accounting services, web-hosting/internet services, entertainment content services, communication services, gaming software services, bonus game/linked game services, prize services, progressive game services, tax services, harm minimization services, security services, and jackpot verification services;
and
a player identification device in communication with said master gaming controller and said at least one link, located within, about or in proximity to said exterior housing and configured to accept a universal indicia of identification from a player, wherein said player identification device is configured to:
facilitate protocol mediation between said gaming machine and the software of each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems,
facilitate hardware mediation between said gaming machine and the hardware of each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems,
facilitate eligibility mediation with respect to said player and to said gaming machine being eligible to receive one or more services from said plurality of disparate gaming systems,
facilitate the ability of said player to log in to more than one of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for a gaming session at said gaming machine via a single transaction using said universal indicia of identification by said player, and
allow access to only a subset of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for said player based on identification of said player, wherein at least a portion of said subset of disparate gaming systems available to said player is determined as a result of an affirmative selection of services or features by said player, wherein said subset is fewer than the entirety of said plurality of disparate gaming systems.

7 more elements

A gaming device configured for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

a display arranged to present said game to a player of the gaming device;
at least one input device configured to accept an input from said player;
a master gaming controller in communication with said display and said at least one input device, and configured to control one or more aspects of said game;
at least one link configured to connect said gaming device to a plurality of disparate gaming systems and permitting data to be transmitted between said gaming device and each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, a gaming system of the plurality of disparate gaming systems configured to provide services to the gaming machine selected from the group consisting of cashless services, loyalty program services, auditing/accounting services, web-hosting/internet services, entertainment content services, communication services, gaming software services, bonus game/linked game services, prize services, progressive game services, tax services, harm minimization services, security services, and jackpot verification services;
and
a player identification device in communication with said master gaming controller and said at least one link, located within, about or in proximity to said display or said at least one input device, and configured to accept a universal indicia of identification from said player, wherein said player identification device is configured to facilitate the ability of said player to log in to more than one of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for a gaming session at said gaming device via a single transaction using said universal indicia of identification by said player and to allow access to only a subset of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for said player based on identification of said player, wherein said subset is fewer than the entirety of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, wherein at least a portion of said subset of disparate gaming systems available to said player is determined as a result of an affirmative selection of services or features by said player.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/155,052Filed 17 Jun 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 28 Jun 2002
Published: US 2005/0261058 A124 Nov 2005
Granted: 24 Aug 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G07F 17/3206
Player-machine interfaces: player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
G07F 17/32
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
G07F 17/3239
About the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players: tracking of individual players
G07F 17/3255
Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes: incentive, loyalty and/or promotion…

Family

Application10/187,059Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Jun 2002
Application60/616,054Us provisional application · filed 4 Oct 2004
Application10/995,636Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Nov 2004
US 2005/0261058 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Nov 2005
US 7,455,591 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2004/0002385 A1Published application
US 2006/0111168 A1Published application
US 8,133,113 B2Related patent
US 7,780,526 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.