Method and device for collecting and reporting data

• US 20040133485A1
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Acres Gaming Incorporated (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Schneider, Richard J., Schoonmaker, Rena M., Bartholomew, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a slot machine data collection and reporting system capable of operating with multi-denomination, multi-game machines. These machines allow the patron to select the denomination of the wager unit, the game type, and the exact game pay schedule to be played. Each possible combination of denomination, game type, and game pay schedule may result in a unique theoretical hold percentage. Each combination may also have differing levels of player acceptance. The described system allows for the computation and tracking of handle, game hold percentage, theoretical hold percentage, and net win for each of the possible combinations within a single slot machine cabinet, and for all the games coupled to a gaming network.

Claims

1. An accounting system, comprising:

a receiver for collecting first meter information from a first unique combination of a game and a denomination in a single game unit, and for collecting second meter information from a second unique combination of a game and a denomination in the single game unit; and

a database for storing the collected information.

2. The accounting system of claim 1 wherein the first meter information is coin-in for the first unique combination.

3. The accounting system of claim 2, wherein the receiver is structured to also collect coin-out information for the first unique combination.

4. The accounting system of claim 3 wherein the coin-out information does not include system bonus payments.

5. The accounting system of claim 3 wherein the coin-out information includes monetary value paid directly by the single game unit and monetary value generated by the single game unit for the first unique combination but paid in the form of a hand pay.

6. The accounting system of claim 1 wherein the first meter information and second meter information are subsets of all of the meters stored in the single game unit.

7. The accounting system of claim 1 wherein the first meter information is only collected if the first meter information is non-zero information.

8. The accounting system of claim 1 wherein the first meter information is collected at a regular interval.

9. The accounting system of claim 1 wherein the first meter information is collected at the end of a gaming session of the first unique combination of a game and a denomination.

10. The accounting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a calculator structured to generate additional information from the collected information.

11. The accounting system of claim 10 wherein the calculator is further structured to generate the additional information from other information.

12. The accounting system of claim 10 wherein the calculator is structured to generate a hold percentage for the first unique combination during a certain time period.

13. The accounting system of claim 10 wherein the calculator is structured to generate a hold percentage for all unique combinations in the single game unit.

14. The accounting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporter structured to gather and present portions of the stored information.

15. The accounting system of claim 10, further comprising:

a reporter structured to gather and present portions of the stored information and from the additional information.

16. A method of accounting for networked gaming devices, comprising:

accepting values from more than one unique combination of a game and a game denomination from a single game unit;

storing the accepted values; and

accepting queries to the accepted values to extract a subset of the stored values.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reporting the subset of stored values.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein reporting the subset of stored values comprises printing the subset of stored values.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein each unique combination has a unique identifier.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the single game unit has an identifier unique from any other game unit in the network of gaming devices.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein accepting values comprises accepting meter values.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein accepting meter values comprises accepting meter values only if they are non-zero values.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein accepting meter values comprises accepting fewer than all of the available meter values in the single game unit.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein accepting meter values comprises accepting meter values after an event.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein an event is the end of a session of the game and game denomination.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein accepting values comprises accepting values at established time intervals.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein an established time interval is once per day.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating calculated values from the stored accepted values.