US 9,311,770 B2 · Player controls

Abstract

The patent involves the use of a portable device with a universal serial bus connector and memory which can store the unique biometrics of its registered owner for the purposes of identification; record the biometrics of any person attempting to use the device; confirm whether the user is the registered owner of the device; control access to electronic devices; monitor and record the operational activity of its user; store pre-defined value, duration and budgetary constraints; compare activity to pre-defined values, durations and budgetary constraints; store monetary value; visually indicate when operative; be electronically locked and de-activated; and connect and communicate directly or remotely to other electronic devices. The device can be used for example in the identification and elimination of problem gamblers from gambling devices/services while either physically present at a gambling venue or through remote access via the internet, interactive television, intranets, extranets, telephones or other digital communication services.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A portable device to enable access to and regulate gambling, the portable device comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) connector configured to operatively couple with an input/output port of a remote device;
a biometric reader configured to validate a biometric authentication input of a user based on a stored authentication value;
a memory component;
a processor, in communication with the memory component, the biometric reader and the USB connector, the processor operable when the authentication input validates successfully to:
execute code to determine whether the user is prohibited from gambling;
and when the user is not prohibited from gambling to:
execute code to enable access to gambling via an interface of the remote device, to compare real-time gambling behaviour of the user against a stored profile for the user;
and to prevent the user from any further access to gambling via the or any other interface should the gambling behaviour of the player exceed that specified by the user's stored profile.

5 more elements

A system to enable access to and to regulate on-line gambling, the system comprising:

a gambling server operable under program control to facilitate regulation of on-line gambling, the gambling server in communication with one or more external servers each associated with an accredited gaming facility;
a master portal communicable with the gaming server by means of a communication network and further communicable with one or more remote computing devices on which registered users are able to access at least some of the accredited gaming facilities in order to gamble, wherein said remote computing devices are operable to communicate with a biometric enabled portable device to enable a registered user of said biometric enabled portable device to access gambling;
and
a database server in communication with the gambling server, the database server storing gambling behaviour information associated with registered users;
wherein on receiving notification of a valid biometric authentication input, a registered user is granted access to a selected external server which is associated with an accredited gaming facility, and said selected external server is operable to transmit data indicative of a summary of said registered user's gambling behaviour to at least one of said database server and to a memory of said biometric enabled portable device of said registered user.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Life of this patent

Player controls

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19