Modular entertainment and gaming system configured to capture raw biometric data and responsive to directives from a remote server

• US 20050233811A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Cyberview Technology, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gatto, Jean-Marie, Brunet De Courssou, Thierry, Beney, Pierre-Jean
• Granted Patent: US 8,608,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• 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

Abstract

A secure and modular architecture for monitoring and controlling clusters of pay entertainment and gaming devices. The architecture allows flexible and secure use of state-of-the-art multimedia and Internet technologies to attract the younger player generation used to flashy and networked games. Cash or cash-less entertainment and gaming devices are supported.

Claims

1-48. -48. (canceled)

49. A gaming system including:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the communication network, each being configured to enable player interaction and to receive and display video images, and

a central server coupled to the communication network, the central server including a separate player interaction and game engine associated with each of the plurality of gaming machines, each player interaction and game engine being configured to apply game rules, to provide game outcome and to generate video images in response to the player interaction on its associated gaming machine, each player interaction and game engine being further configured to transmit the video images at least to its associated gaming machine.

50. A gaming system according to claim 49, wherein the communication network is wireless.

51. A gaming system according to claim 50, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines is at least one of portable and mobile.

52. A gaming system according to claim 49, wherein the player interaction includes voice commands.

53. A gaming system according to claim 49, wherein the video images include television images and selectable TV channels.

54. A gaming system according to claim 49, wherein the central server is further configured to generate and transmit sound signals for each gaming machine over the communication network, and wherein each gaming machine is further configured to receive and render the transmitted sound signals.

55. A gaming system including:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the communication network, each being configured to enable player interaction and to receive and display video images, and

a central server system coupled to the communication network, the central server system including a farm of computer servers that are separate and distinct from the plurality of gaming machines, the farm including one computer server associated with each of the plurality of gaming machines, each computer server being configured to apply game rules, to provide game outcome and to generate video images in response to the player interaction on its associated gaming machine, each player interaction and game engine being further configured to transmit the video images at least to its associated gaming machine.

56. A gaming system according to claim 55, wherein the communication network is wireless.

57. A gaming system according to claim 55, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines is at least one of portable and mobile.

58. A gaming system according to claim 55, wherein the player interaction includes voice commands.

59. A gaming system according to claim 55, wherein the video images include television images and selectable TV channels.

60. A gaming system according to claim 55, wherein the central server system is further configured to generate and transmit sound signals for each gaming machine over the communication network, and wherein each gaming machine is further configured to receive and render the transmitted sound signals.

61. A gaming system including:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the communication network, each being configured to enable player interaction and to receive, decode and display video images, and

a central server coupled to the communication network, the central server including a separate player interaction and game engine associated with each of the plurality of gaming machines, each player interaction and game engine being configured to apply game rules, to provide game outcome and to create, compress and send video images over the communications network to its associated gaming machine in response to the player interaction on its associated gaming machine.

62. A gaming system according to claim 61, wherein the communication network is wireless.

63. A gaming system according to claim 62, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines is at least one of portable and mobile.

64. A gaming system according to claim 61, wherein the player interaction includes voice commands.

65. A gaming system according to claim 61, wherein the central server is further configured to generate and send sound signals for each gaming machine over the communication network, and wherein each gaming machine further includes means for receiving and rendering the sound signals.

66. A gaming system including:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the communication network and each being configured to capture player biometric data and to send the captured player biometric data over the communication network;

a central server coupled to the communication network, the central server including a separate player interaction and game engine associated with each of the plurality of gaming machines, each player interaction and game engine being configured to receive and process the player biometric data sent by its associated gaming machine,

wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines is further configured to receive the processed player biometric data from its associated player interaction and game engine.

67. A gaming system according to claim 66, wherein the communication network is wireless.

68. A gaming system according to claim 67, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines is at least one of portable and mobile.

69. A gaming system according to claim 67, wherein the player biometric data includes unprocessed fingerprint or palm print data.

70. A gaming system according to claim 67, wherein the player biometric data includes unprocessed voice data.

71. A gaming system according to claim 67, wherein the player biometric data includes at least one still picture or a video image stream of a player'"'"'s head or face.

72. A gaming system according to claim 67, wherein the processed player biometric data includes a software command event resulting from a player voice command.

73. A gaming system according to 67, wherein the player biometric data includes a video image of a player'"'"'s head or face and the processed biometric data includes a player avatar.

74. gaming system according to 66, wherein processing the player biometric data includes at least one of establishing a certified identity of the player and recognizing a command from the player.

76. A gaming system according to claim 74, wherein the communication network is wireless.

83. A gaming system according to 74, wherein processing the player biometric data includes at least one of establishing a certified identity of the player and recognizing a command from the player.

75. A gaming system including:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the communication network, each being configured to capture biometric data of a player;

a central server system coupled to the communication network, the central server system including a farm of computer servers that includes one computer server associated with each gaming machine, each of the computer servers being configured to receive and process the player biometric data sent by its associated gaming machine,

wherein each gaming machine is further configured to obtain processed biometric data from its associated computer server after sending the captured player biometric data to its associated computer server.

77. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming machines is at least one of portable and mobile.

78. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein the player biometric data includes unprocessed fingerprint or palm print data.

79. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein the player biometric data includes voice data.

80. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein the player biometric data includes at least one still picture or a video image stream of a player'"'"'s head or face.

81. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein the processed biometric data includes a software command event resulting from a player voice command.

82. A gaming system according to claim 75, wherein the player biometric data includes video image data of a player head or face and the processed biometric data includes a player avatar.