Methods and systems for replaying a player's experience in a casino environment

• US 20050064926A1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Fincham, Magdalena M., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Tedesco, Robert C., Walker, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US10/946,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20050064926A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method and system is provided wherein an event experienced by a player is documented and the documentation of the event is stored (e.g., in association with an indication of the event). One example of an event experienced by a player is an outcome obtained by a player on a gaming device. In such an embodiment the documentation of the event may comprise an image of the player'"'"'s reaction to the outcome and/or a still or video image of the outcome. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention a player may subsequently access (e.g., purchase) an output of the documentation. In one embodiment an outcome of a prior game play that was documented is replayed. When the outcome of the prior game play is output, the outcome may be output in a manner that indicates to a viewer that the outcome is an outcome of a prior game play and not an outcome of a current game play.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining data associated with a game play that had occurred at a gaming device at a time prior to a current time, the data thereby being associated with a prior game play;

outputting the data via a device, the output data being output in a manner that indicates to a viewer of the data that the data is associated with the prior game play and not a current game play.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a payout, if any, that corresponds to the outcome; and

not outputting the payout, the payout having been output during the prior game play.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises data captured as documentation of an event experienced by a player and wherein outputting comprises:

outputting the data via a device, the output data being altered from an original version in a manner that indicates to a viewer of the data that the data is associated with the prior game play and not a current game play.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

altering the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the data comprises outputting an outcome of the prior game play.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the outcome is output in a form that is altered from a form in which the outcome was originally output.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein outputting the data comprises outputting the outcome in a form that is altered by adjusting at least one of a shade or contrast from a shade or contrast in which the outcome was originally output.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting at least one of a shade or contrast comprises adjusting at least one of a shade or contrast of the data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting at least one of a shade or contrast comprises adjusting at least one of a shade setting and a contrast setting of a gaming device via which the outcome is output.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the data is output in a form that is altered by including a text indication that the outcome is being replayed from a prior game play.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the data is output in a form that is altered by an inclusion of an indication of a time at which the prior game play occurred.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the data is output via a display device of the device, and further wherein outputting the data comprises adjusting at least one setting of the device from a setting via which an outcome of a current game play is output.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the device via which the data is output comprises the gaming device at which the prior game play occurred.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the device via which the data is output comprises a gaming device different from the gaming device at which the prior game play occurred.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for an output of the data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether to output the data in response to the request by determining whether a pre-condition to the output of the data has been satisfied.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the data comprises:

outputting the data via a device if a status of the device is a predetermined status.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the data from memory, the data having been stored substantially at the time of the prior game play.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data comprises graphical data representing an outcome generated during the prior game play and wherein outputting the data comprises outputting the graphical data.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an indication of the data to be output, the indication having been stored substantially at the time of the prior game play,

wherein the data comprises an outcome generated during the prior game.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein outputting the data comprises causing the outcome to be displayed.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein causing the outcome to be displayed comprises directing a processor of a gaming device to display the outcome.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a documentation of a person'"'"'s reaction to an outcome obtained during a prior game play.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises data indicative of at least one circumstance surrounding an occurrence of an outcome during the prior game play.

25. A system, comprising:

a controller operable to communicate with a plurality of gaming devices; and

the plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device being operable to output an outcome of a game in response to a paid play,

wherein the controller is operable to;

determine data associated with a prior game play at a gaming device;

cause the data to be output via a device, the output data being output in a manner that indicates to a viewer of the data that the data is associated with the prior game play and not a current game play.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller being operable to cause the data to be output comprises the controller being operable to:

alter the data such that the output data indicates to a viewer of the data that the data is associated with the prior game play and not a current game play.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the data comprises a representation of an outcome obtained during the previous game play.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the controller being operable to cause the data to be output via a device comprises the controller being operable to:

determine a request to view the data, wherein the request includes an identifier;

retrieve the data from a memory based on the identifier.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the controller is further operable to:

transmit the data to the device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the controller is further operable to:

direct the device to output the data.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the controller is further operable to:

provide to the device access to the data.

32. A method comprising:

displaying, via a display of a slot machine, an outcome of a prior game play, the outcome having been generated during the prior game play based on a random number and the outcome being currently displayed in response to a player'"'"'s request for an output of the outcome.

33. A slot machine, comprising:

a processor for directing operation of the slot machine, the processor being operable to;

determine an outcome of a prior game play based on an indication of the outcome stored in a memory accessible to the processor and not on a random number generated by a random number generator; and

display the outcome of the prior game play in a manner that conveys to a viewer that the outcome is an outcome of the prior game play and not an outcome of a current game play.

34. A system, comprising:

a controller operable to communicate with a plurality of slot machines; and

the plurality of slot machines, each slot machine comprising the slot machine of claim 33.