Event calendar at electronic gaming device

• US 20050215310A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mason, Shannon, Wilkins, Kevan, Boyd, Scott, Cobb, Perry, Patceg, Miles
• Granted Patent: US 7,744,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating networked gaming devices to display a calendar image within a promotions display on a gaming machine. The method includes configuring a promotion at a configuration workstation coupled over a network to a plurality of gaming devices. Players are permitted to play one of the gaming devices with each of said gaming device having a touch screen display. A calendar graphic is displayed within the touch screen display having of a plurality of day boxes, with the promotion associated with and displayed within one of the day boxes. Information about the promotion is communicated to the player via the touch screen display associated with the gaming device. The method and apparatus accepts a communication from the player via the touch screen display indicative of a player selection of the promotion displayed in one of the day boxes, and implements the promotion responsive to the selection.

Claims

1. A promotions apparatus operable over a network in conjunction with a gaming machine, said promotions apparatus including:

a configuration workstation coupled over a network to the gaming machine, said configuration workstation including a content manager program operable to transmit a promotion over the network to the gaming machine including a calendar day associated with said promotion;

display means on the gaming machine operable to display a calendar screen image having a plurality of day boxes including the calendar day associated with the promotion, with the promotion received from the configuration workstation being displayed in the associated calendar day box;

means at the gaming machine for allowing a player to make a selection of the day box associated with the promotion and displayed on the gaming machine display means; and

means for implementing the promotion responsive to the selection.

2. The promotions apparatus of claim 1, further including a second promotion associated with at least one of the day boxes, said second promotion being displayed by display means within the same calendar screen image as the first promotion, and means for implementing the second promotion responsive to the selection of the day box associated with second promotion.

3. The promotions apparatus of claim 2, the display means further being operable to rotate promotions within a single day box when the first and second promotions are associated with the same day box.

4. The promotions apparatus of claim 3, said display means being a touch screen display, and said means for allowing the player to make a selection of the day box including means for allowing the player to make a selection of the promotion by detecting which promotion is displayed in the day box when selected by the user and implementing that detected promotion.

5. The promotions apparatus of claim 1, said promotion being associated with more than one day and said display means displaying said promotion for selection in the plurality of day boxes associated with the promotion.

6. The promotions apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a player database including records of player-preferred promotions for each player;

means at the gaming machine for detecting a player identify;

wherein

said content manager program is adapted to transmit the player-preferred promotion associated with the detected player identity to the gaming machine where it is displayed in a calendar box at the gaming machine responsive to the detected player identify.

7. The promotions apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for implementing the promotion responsive to the selection includes means for coupling the promotions apparatus with a hotel reservations system in order to allow the player to reserve a hotel room.

8. The promotions apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for implementing the promotion responsive to the selection includes means for coupling the promotions apparatus with a golf reservation system in order to allow the player to reserve a tee time.

9. A method for operating networked gaming devices comprising:

configuring a promotion at a configuration workstation coupled over a network to a plurality of gaming devices;

permitting a player to play one of the gaming devices, each of said gaming devices having a touch screen display;

displaying within the touch screen display a calendar comprised of a plurality of day boxes with the promotion associated with one of the day boxes;

communicating information to the player about the promotion via the touch screen display associated with the gaming device;

accepting a communication from the player via the touch screen display indicative of a player selection of the promotion displayed in one of the day boxes; and

implementing the promotion responsive to the selection.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of configuring a plurality of promotions and transmitting information about said promotions over the network to the gaming machines for display within calendar.

11. The method of claim 9, further including:

determining the identity of the player at a particular one of the gaming devices;

accessing a player account associated with the identified player to determine player preferences; and

displaying selectable promotions to the player based on information within a player account.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information within the player account includes information about prior promotional selections by the player.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the information within the player account includes registration information indicative of preferred promotions.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of displaying a calendar includes displaying different images within particular day boxes over time resulting in a rolling display of icons.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the images is a selection prompt icon.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein there are a plurality of promotions with each promotion associated with a single day box, each promotion including a plurality of images, each including a selection prompt icon, further including the step of displaying the selection prompt icons in offset display so that not all selection prompt icons are displayed at the same time.

17. The method of claim 10, further including the steps of tracking play of the player over a time period, allowing player selection of day boxes on the calendar displayed associated with the current day played, and awarding a bonus to a player after the time period responsive to the player'"'"'s selections.

18. Apparatus for communicating with a player of a gaming device on a network of gaming devices, said apparatus comprising:

a display associated with the networked gaming device, and on which is displayed calendar day boxes, said display being operatively connected to the gaming device network;

a computer operatively connected to the network, said computer generating information about promotions provided to the player;

a circuit associated with the display for creating images on the display responsive to such information; and

a touch screen associated with said display for accepting communications from the player through selection of a displayed calendar day box.