Wireless gaming environment

• US 20020098888A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: International Game Technology
• Inventors: Rowe, Richard E., Oberberger, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,971,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A disclosed hand held device provides a game service system having a wire-less communication interface, a display screen and a microprocessor which generates a number of game service interfaces on the display screen. The hand-held device may input ticket voucher information and communicate with a remote transaction server such that a ticket voucher may be validated. Additionally, the hand-held device may be used to provide a variety of gaming services using different game service interfaces provided on the device. These hand-held devices may be checked out by a game service representative in a secure manner such that the game service representative may roam a game playing area and provide various game services to game players in the game playing area using the hand-held device. These game services may include ticket validation, a prize validation, food services, accommodation services or a gaming operations services.

Claims

1. A hand-held device for providing a game service in a game playing area comprising;

a wire-less communication interface;

a display screen;

a microprocessor;

wherein the microprocessor receives game service transaction information from an input mechanism and sends game service transaction information to an output mechanism using the wire-less communication interface and generates one or more game service interfaces on the display screen for providing a game service transaction that enables the game service.

2. The hand-held device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory storing the game service transaction information from one or more game service transactions.

3. The hand-held device of claim 2, wherein the memory is removable from the hand-held device.

4. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

5. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the wire-less communication interface is a spread spectrum or an infra-red communication interface.

6. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism is a card reader, a bar-code reader, a gaming machine, a transaction server, a storage device, a key board, a touch screen, a microphone or a personal digital assistant.

7. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the output mechanism is a card reader, a printer, a transaction server, a gaming machine, a personal digital assistant or a storage device.

8. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service is a ticket validation, a prize service, a food service, an accommodation service, or a gaming operations service.

9. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service is EZ pay ticket validation.

10. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service interface is a registration interface, a transaction reconciliation interface, a prize validation interface, a ticket validation interface, a food service interface, an accommodation service interface, a gaming operation interface, a login interface, voice interface, or an input/output interface.

11. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service interface is an EZ pay ticket validation interface.

12. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service transaction is a ticket validation request, a ticket validation reply, operator information, a prize validation request, a prize validation reply, a food service request, a food service reply, an accommodation request, an accommodation reply, a maintenance request, a maintenance reply, a print request, a print reply, or a transaction confirmation.

13. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service transaction is an EZ pay ticket validation request or an EZ pay ticket validation reply.

14. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game service transaction information is player tracking information, a bar code for an award, a bar code for a prize, a bar code for a food service, and a bar code for a accommodation service or a EZ pay ticket bar code.

15. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the game playing area is a casino, a restaurant, a hotel, a bar, or a store.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to contacting the game player, assigning a hand-held device to a game service representative.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a receipt for the game service transaction.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

unassigning the hand-held device to a game service representative.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reconciling a transaction history stored on a memory on the hand-held device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the game service interface is a registration interface, a transaction reconciliation interface, a prize validation interface, a ticket validation interface, a food service interface, an accommodation service interface, a gaming operation interface, a login interface, voice interface, or an input/output interface.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the game service transaction is a ticket validation request, a ticket validation reply, player tracking information, operator information, a prize validation request, a prize validation reply, a food service request, a food service reply, an accommodation request, an accommodation reply, a maintenance request, a maintenance reply, a print request, a print reply, or a transaction confirmation.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the game service transaction information is player tracking information, a bar code for an award, a bar code for a prize, a bar code for a food service, a bar code for an EZ pay ticket and a bar code for a accommodation service.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein game service transaction information is input from a card reader, a bar-code reader, a gaming machine, a transaction server, a storage device, a key board, a touch screen, a microphone or a personal digital assistant.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

outputting the game service transaction information to an output mechanism including a printer, a personal digital assistant, a smart card, a transaction server, a gaming machine, or a storage device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more data packets contain bar code information or player tracking information.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the transaction validation request is an EZ pay ticket validation request, a prize validation request, an award validation request, or a maintenance validation request.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein tile transaction validation reply approves the game service transaction.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the game service transaction is a EZ pay ticket validation, a prize ticket validation, an award ticket validation, a food service, an accommodation service, or a prize service.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the data packets are sent via a wire-less communication interface.

16. A method for providing a game service in a game playing area using a hand-held device, the method comprising:

contacting a game player in the game playing area;

selecting a game service interface on the hand-held device;

inputting game service transaction information;

validating the game service transaction information; and

providing a game service wherein the game service is comprised of one or more game service transactions.

26. In a hand-held device, a method for generating a game service transaction, the method comprising:

sending a game service transaction validation request to a transaction server wherein the transaction validation request is one or more data packets;

receiving a game service transaction validation reply from the transaction server;

when the game service transaction is completed, sending a transaction confirmation to the transaction server; and

when the game service transaction is cancelled, sending a transaction cancellation to the transaction server.

32. In a transaction server, a method for generating a game service transaction, the method comprising;

receiving a transaction validation request from a hand-held device;

marking the transaction request pending;

generating a transaction validation reply;

sending the transaction validation reply to the hand-held device;

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving a transaction confirmation from the hand-held device and marking the transaction complete.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the transaction validation request is a prize ticket validation, an EZ pay ticket validation, food ticket validation, or an accommodation service ticket validation.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising identifying the clerk validation terminal which owns the ticket and sending a pay request to the clerk validation ticket.

37. The game service transaction network of claim 36, further comprising one or more transaction relays that allow communications from the hand-held devices to be relayed to the one or more transaction server receivers.

38. The game service transaction network of claim 36, wherein the one or more gaming machines are each selected from the group consisting of video slot, mechanical slot, video blackjack, video pai gow poker, video poker and video keno.

36. A game service transaction network in a game playing area, the game service transaction network comprising;

one or more gaming machines;

one or more hand-held devices providing game service transactions in the game playing area using a wire-less communication interface;

one or more transaction servers; and

one or more transaction server transceivers allowing the transaction servers to receive communications from the wire-less communication interfaces on the one or more hand-held devices and send communications to the wire-less communication interfaces on the one or more hand-held devices

wherein the gaming machines generate tickets that are read by the hand-held devices.