Entertainment monitoring system and method

• US 20060052169A1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• 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: Guibord, Mark, Britt, Tim, Miller, Wayne
• Application Number:
  US11/264,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052169A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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

An entertainment monitoring system for the gaming industry is disclosed to provide real-time multi-site, slot accounting, player tracking, cage credit and vault, sports book data collection, and table game accounting. The system is operable on a computer network and is capable of displaying data in a plurality of different display languages selectable by a user of the system.

Claims

1. An entertainment monitoring system for a gaming environment, comprising;

a plurality of electronic gaming machines having computer based modules for processing electronic gaming data relating to play of said electronic gaming machines,

a plurality of gaming tables associated with at least one computer workstation for receiving table data relating to play at said gaming tables,

a computer network having a database computer coupled to said computer based modules and said at least one computer workstation for receiving the electronic gaming data and the table data and storing the electronic gaming data and the table data in a database;

at least one computer software module operable on said computer network for manipulating the electronic gaming data and the table data and configured for displaying information associated with the electronic gaming data and the table data in any of a plurality of different display languages selectable by a user; and

an employee workstation in communication with said computer network for accessing said at least one computer software module to select one of said plurality of different display languages as a default language for the user such that the default language is displayed each time the user accesses said at least one computer software module.

2. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 further including a video camera positioned near each of said gaming tables for viewing the play at said gaming tables and a video screen operatively connected to each of said video cameras for displaying the play at said gaming tables such that an operator at said at least one computer workstation can observe the play at said gaming tables and enter the table data into said at least one computer workstation.

3. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said computer network includes a middleware server.

4. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 3 further including an Ethernet switch coupling said middleware server and said database computer.

5. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 4 further including Ethernet hubs coupling said computer based modules and said at least one computer workstation to said Ethernet switch.

6. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said at least one computer software module is operated by said middleware server.

7. An entertainment monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one computer software module is further defined as including each of an asset management module, an accounting module, a human resources module, and a patron tracking module.

8. A method for monitoring a gaming environment having a plurality of electronic gaming machines and a plurality of gaming tables, said method comprising the steps of;

transmitting electronic gaming data relating to play of the plurality of electronic gaming machines to a computer network,

transmitting table data relating to play at the plurality of gaming tables to the computer network,

storing the electronic gaming data and the table data in a database,

manipulating the electronic gaming data and the table data stored in the database using at least one computer software module operable on the computer network,

displaying information associated with the electronic gaming data and the table data in any of a plurality of different display languages selectable by a user, and accessing the at least one computer software module and selecting one of the plurality of different display languages as a default language for the user such that the default language is displayed each time the user accesses the at least one computer software module.

9. An entertainment monitoring system for a gaming environment, comprising;

a plurality of electronic gaming machines having computer based modules for processing electronic gaming data relating to play of said electronic gaming machines,

a computer network having a database computer coupled to said computer based modules for receiving the electronic gaming data and storing the electronic gaming data in a database,

at least one computer software module operable on said computer network for manipulating the electronic gaming data and configured for displaying information associated with the electronic gaming data in any of a plurality of different display languages selectable by a user; and

an employee workstation in communication with said computer network for accessing said at least one computer software module to select one of said plurality of different display languages as a default language for the user such that the default language is displayed each time the user accesses said at least one computer software module.