Emailing or texting as communication between mobile device and EGM
AssigneeIgt
InventorsSteven G. LeMay, Dwayne R. Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. Via E-mailing or texting, a server can mediate communications between a user-controlled device, such as a mobile device, and an EGM. In one embodiment, for a transaction involving interactions with a user-controlled device and an EGM, the server can be configured to create a temporary e-mail or text message address. In particular embodiments, a transaction can involve transferring credits to or from the EGM or transferring game play related information from the EGM to a user specified location.
Claims31
A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving data associated with a request from an electronic gaming machine to initiate a gaming transaction, said electronic gaming machine being associated with a credit balance which is:
- (i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device;
- (b) in response to the received data associated with the request, causing a processor of a server to send a transaction message address to the electronic gaming machine, wherein the transaction message address is displayed by a display device of the electronic gaming machine and the server is distinct from the electronic gaming machine;
- (c) causing the processor of the server to open a gaming transaction record for the gaming transaction;
- (d) causing the processor of the server to store to the opened gaming transaction record:
- (i) the transaction message address,
- (ii) identification information for the electronic gaming machine,
- (iii) a time at which the transaction message address was sent to the electronic gaming machine;
- (iv) at least one time parameter, wherein the time parameter is used to determine whether to close the gaming transaction before it has been completed and
- (v) a first status indicator indicating the gaming transaction is open;
- (e) receiving, from a mobile device, a text message or an e-mail message addressed to the transaction message address, said mobile device being distinct from the electronic gaming machine and distinct from the server;
- and
- (f) in response to receiving the text message or the e-mail message, causing the processor of the server to complete, the gaming transaction by:
- (i) updating the first status indicator to indicate the gaming transaction is closed, and
- (ii) setting a second status indicator to indicate the gaming transaction was completed.
A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executed by a processor to perform a gaming transaction involving an electronic gaming machine, the computer readable medium comprising:
- (a) computer code for receiving a request from the electronic gaming machine to initiate the gaming transaction, said electronic gaming machine being associated with a credit balance which is:
- (D increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device;
- (b) computer code for in response to the received request, sending a transaction message address to the electronic gaming machine, wherein the transaction address is displayed by a display device of the electronic gaming machine;
- (c) computer code for opening a gaming transaction record for the gaming transaction;
- (d) computer code for storing to the gaming transaction record:
- (i) the transaction message address,
- (ii) identification information for the electronic gaming machine,
- (iii) a time at which the transaction message address was sent to the electronic gaming machine;
- (iv) at least one time parameter, wherein the time parameter is used to determine whether to close the gaming transaction before it has been completed and
- (v) a first status indicator indicating the gaming transaction is open;
- (e) computer code for receiving a text message or an e-mail message addressed to the transaction message address from a mobile device, said mobile device being distinct from the electronic gaming machine;
- and
- (f) computer code for completing, in response to receiving the text message or the e-mail message, the gaming transaction by:
- (i) updating the first status indicator to indicate the gaming transaction is closed, and
- (ii) setting a second status indicator to indicate the gaming transaction was completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.