System and method for retrieving voucher information assigned to a player in a player tracking system

• US 20050075165A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: George, Jeffrey, Huber, Doug, Huang, Zhiguo, Pochin, John-Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/661,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A method and system as used with a gaming system. The gaming system implements a player tracking system. The player tracking system has at least one voucher assigned to a player. The voucher has an associated number of comp points. The system uses a remote device and a remote network interface coupled to the remote device for exchanging data between a host computer and the remote device. The data includes voucher information associated with the voucher assigned to the player in the player tracking system.

Claims

1. A remote system for use with a gaming system, the gaming system for implementing a player tracking system, the player tracking system having at least one voucher assigned to a player, the voucher having at least one of a goods and service, the remote system comprising:

a remote device; and

,

a remote network interface coupled to the remote device for exchanging data between host computer and the remote device, the data including voucher information associated with the voucher assigned to the player in the player tracking system.

2. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote device is coupled to the remote network interface by a wireless connection.

3. A remote system, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wireless connection uses an IEEE 802.11 standard.

4. A remote system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11b.

5. A remote system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11g.

6. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user.

7. A remote system, as set forth in claim 6, the web client for acquiring input from the user and formatting and presenting data to the user.

8. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the data including a request form, the remote network interface for sending the request form to the remote device.

9. A remote system, as set forth in claim 8, the data including player information, the request form being fillable with the player information by a user, the remote device for sending the player information to the remote network interface.

10. A remote system, as set forth in claim 9, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the request form being accessible through the web client.

11. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the host computer including a database for maintaining the player tracking system, the remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

12. A remote system, as set forth in claim 11, the database for storing data in database tables.

13. A remote system, as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of first data object coupled to the database tables for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

14. A remote system, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising at least one second data object coupled to the first data objects for assembling multiple first data objects into a third data object.

15. A remote system, as set forth in claim 14, the third data object coupled to the remote network interface for receiving queries from the remote network interface, retrieves responsive data from the database, formatting the responsive data and returning the responsive data to the remote network interface.

16. A remote system, as set forth in claim 15, the remote network interface for receiving the responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

17. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the remote network interface for formatting the responsive data into a hyper text mark-up language response for display by the web client.

18. A remote system, as set forth in claim 6, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to a user.

19. A remote system, as set forth in claim 18, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

20. A remote system, as set forth in claim 19, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

21. A remote system, as set forth in claim 20, the user having an assigned type, the menu layer for allowing accessing to servlets and restricting access to servlets as a function of the assigned type.

22. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the voucher information includes a voucher ID number.

23. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the voucher information includes a description of an associated product or service.

24. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the voucher information includes an expiration date.

25. A remote system, as set forth in claim 1, the remote device for accepting the voucher.

26. A method for use with a gaming system for implementing a player tracking system, the player tracking system having at least one voucher assigned to a player, the voucher having an associated number of comp points, the method including the steps of:

sending a fillable form to a remote device;

filling out the form with data, by a user, for identifying the player in the player tracking system; and

sending voucher information to the remote device, the voucher information being associated with the voucher assigned to the player in the player tracking system.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 26, the gaming system including a host computer and a remote network interface for coupling the remote device to the host computer, including the step of providing a wireless connection between the remote device and the remote network interface.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein the wireless connection uses an IEEE 802.11 standard.

29. A method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11b.

30. A method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the wireless connection is IEEE 802.11g.

31. A method, as set forth in claim 26, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the steps of:

acquiring input via the web client from the user; and

,

formatting and presenting data to the user.

32. A method, as set forth in claim 26, the data including a request form, the method including the step of sending the request form to the remote device.

33. A method, as set forth in claim 32, the request form being fillable with player information by the user, the method including the step of sending the player information to a remote network interface located on a host computer.

34. A method, as set forth in claim 33, the request form being accessible through the web client.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 26, data related to the player tracking system being stored in a database stored on a host computer, the method including the step of providing a remote network interface coupled to the database for retrieving and storing data therein.

36. A method, as set forth in claim 35, the method including the step of the storing data in the database in database tables.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 36, the method including the step of providing a plurality of first data object coupled to the database tables for retrieving and storing data in the database tables.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 37, the method including the step of providing at least one second data object coupled to the first data objects for assembling multiple first data objects into a third data object.

39. A method, as set forth in claim 38, the third object being coupled to the remote network interface, the method including the steps of receiving, by the third object, queries from the remote network interface, retrieving responsive data from the database, formatting the responsive data and returning the responsive data to the remote network interface.

40. A method, as set forth in claim 35, the method including the step of receiving, by the remote network interface, the responsive data and transmitting the responsive data to the remote device.

41. A method, as set forth in claim 40, the remote device having a processor and a web client for interaction with a user, the method including the steps of formatting, by the remote network interface, the responsive data into a hyper text mark-up language response for display by the web client.

42. A method, as set forth in claim 31, the web client including a plurality of servlets for providing functionality to a user.

43. A method, as set forth in claim 42, the web client including a login layer for identifying the user.

44. A method, as set forth in claim 43, the web client including a menu layer for allowing the user to navigate to and access the servlets.

45. A method, as set forth in claim 44, the user having an assigned type, the menu layer for allowing accessing to servlets and restricting access to servlets as a function of the assigned type.

46. A method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the voucher information includes a voucher ID number.

47. A method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the voucher information includes a description of an associated product or service.

49. A method, as set forth in claim 30, including the step of accepting the voucher.

48. A method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein the voucher information includes an expiration date.