Player tracking communication mechanisms in a gaming machine

• US 20060252529A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Joseph R., Nguyen, Binh T., Kinsley, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a multimedia interface with a display and an interface to one or more sound projection devices and a multimedia board for processing digitally formatted program files for output on the multimedia interface. The player tracking unit may provide menus of audio and video programs, such as a menu for a musical jukebox or a menu for a video-on-demand service. Using a “TV-like” interface, a user may be able to select a program to output on the multimedia interface and control playback features of the program.

Claims

1. A player tracking unit comprising:

a multimedia interface comprising;

a video display;

an audio interface operable to connect to one or more sound projection devices;

one or more of the following player tracking interface devices;

a card reader, a key pad, a bonus button, a function button, a microphone, sound projection devices, a camera, a wireless interface device, a proximity sensor, selection buttons, an enter button, a bar-code reader, an RFID reader and a finger print reader;

a player tracking controller designed or configured to;

     1) communicate with the multimedia interface, the one or more player tracking interface devices, a master gaming controller that controls a game played on a gaming machine and one or more remote servers,

     2) output a program comprising one of audio content, video content and combinations thereof, to the multimedia interface;

     3) in response to a request initiated at the player tracking unit, receive a download of digitally formatted video content,

     4) determine whether one or more conditions for when to display the digitally formatted video content is met;

     5) in response to at least a first condition of the one or more conditions being met, display the digitally formatted video content,

     6) collect gaming data from the gaming machine and

     7) send the gaming data to one of the remote servers;

a multimedia board for processing digitally formatted program files including the digitally formatted video content for output on the multimedia interface;

a memory device for storing the downloaded digitally formatted video content coupled to the multimedia board.

2. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface device is capable of receiving input from a wireless remote control.

3. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the multimedia interface further comprises:

one or more input devices for selecting programs for output on the multimedia interface and for controlling playback features of the multimedia interface.

4. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to receive a program selection for playback on the multimedia interface.

5. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the program is selected from the group consisting of an advertisement, news, stock quotes, electronic mail, a web page, a message service, a locator service and a hotel/casino service, a movie, a musical selection or a broadcast event.

6. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to display a menu of programs on the display that are available for output on the multimedia interface.

7. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to download gaming software for execution by at least one of the player tracking controller and the master gaming controller from at least one of a player tracking unit, a gaming machine, a remote server, a portable input device and combinations thereof.

8. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the multimedia interface further comprises one or more sound projection devices connected to the audio interface.

9. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the multimedia interface further comprises a touch screen interface over the display.

10. The player tracking unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory device storing a plurality of attract programs for output on the multimedia interface wherein the attract programs are played according to a schedule.

11. The player tracking unit of claim 10, wherein the attract programs are downloaded to the player tracking unit from a first remote server and stored on the memory device.

12. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the program is selected from a video-on-demand menu which provides a plurality of video program selections.

13. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the multimedia board is capable of processing programs received by the player tracking unit in a streaming format.

14. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured for peer-to-peer communications with one or more other player tracking units.

15. The player tracking unit of claim 14, wherein the peer-to-peer communications allow a user of the player tracking unit to communicate with a second user on a second player tracking unit.

16. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to provide a feature used in one of competitive game play or cooperative game play on the multimedia interface.

17. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to control a game played on the multimedia interface.

18. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to provide one of a video player, an audio player and a web-browser on the multimedia interface.

19. The player tracking unit of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio input interface for inputting musical selections from a portable music device for output on the multimedia interface.

20. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein player tracking controller is further designed or configured to display a menu of audio program selections available for output on the multimedia interface.

21. The player tracking unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface.

22. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the multimedia board further comprises at least one of an Ethernet interface, a digital audio/video decoder, a NTSC/PAL decoder, a video output interface, a video input interface, a USB interface, a PCI interface, an IDE interface, an ISA interface, a CPU, a graphics card, a USB interface, a wireless interface, an audio output interface, an audio input interface, an audio codec (coder/decoder), a microphone input interface, a memory interface and combinations thereof.

23. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to send messages including one or more of video content, audio content and text for display on a multimedia interface on a second player tracking unit.

24. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the player tracking controller is designed or configured to communicate with the one or more player tracking interface devices using at least one of a USB communication standard, an IEEE 1394 communication standard or a Firewire communication standard.

25. The player tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the display is at least one of a LCD display, a plasma display and a CRT.

26. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured to control one or more games of chance played on the gaming machine; and

a player tracking unit comprising;

a multimedia interface comprising;

a video display;

an audio interface operable to connect to one or more sound projection devices;

one or more of the following player tracking interface devices;

a card reader, a key pad, a bonus button, a function button, a microphone, sound projection devices, a camera, a wireless interface device, a proximity sensor, selection buttons, an enter button, a bar-code reader, an RFID reader and a finger print reader;

a player tracking controller designed or configured to;

     1) communicate with the multimedia interface, the one or more player tracking interface devices, the master gaming controller that controls a game played on the gaming machine and one or more remote servers,

     2) output a program comprising one of audio content, video content and combinations thereof, to the multimedia interface;

     3) in response to a request initiated at the player tracking unit, receive a download of digitally formatted video content,

     4) determine whether one or more conditions for when to display the digitally formatted video content is met;

     5) in response to at least a first condition of the one or more conditions being met, display the digitally formatted video content,

     6) collect gaming data from the gaming machine and

     7) send the gaming data to one of the remote servers;

a multimedia board for processing digitally formatted program files including the digitally formatted video content for output on the multimedia interface; and

a memory device for storing the downloaded digitally formatted video content coupled to the multimedia board.

27. The gaming machine of claim 26, wherein the one or more games of chance is selected from the group consisting of video slot games, mechanical slot games, video black jack games, video poker games, video keno games, video pachinko games, video card games, video games of chance and combinations thereof.

28. The gaming machine of claim 26, further comprising:

an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless communications for the player tracking unit.

29. The gaming machine of claim 26, wherein the player tracking controller is further designed or configured to provide a feature that augments the game of chance generated by the master gaming controller on the gaming machine.

30. A player tracking system comprising:

one or more remote servers;

a plurality of gaming machines, said gaming machines each comprising;

a master gaming controller designed or configured to control one or more games of chance played on the gaming machine; and

a player tracking unit comprising;

a multimedia interface comprising;

a video display;

an audio interface operable to connect to one or more sound projection devices;

one or more of the following player tracking interface devices;

a card reader, a key pad, a bonus button, a function button, a microphone, sound projection devices, a camera, a wireless interface device, a proximity sensor, selection buttons, an enter button, a bar-code reader, an RFID reader and a finger print reader;

a player tracking controller designed or configured to;

     1) communicate with the multimedia interface, the one or more player tracking interface devices, the master gaming controller that controls a game played on the gaming machine and the one or more remote servers,

     2) output a program comprising one of audio content, video content and combinations thereof, to the multimedia interface;

     3) in response to a request initiated at the player tracking unit, receive a download of digitally formatted video content,

     4) determine whether one or more conditions for when to display the digitally formatted video content is met;

     5) in response to at least a first condition of the one or more conditions being met, display the digitally formatted video content,

     6) collect gaming data from the gaming machine and

     7) send the gaming data to one of the remote servers;

a multimedia board for processing digitally formatted program files including the digitally formatted video content for output on the multimedia interface;

a memory device for storing the downloaded digitally formatted video content coupled to the multimedia board; and

a network designed or configured to allow communication between the plurality of gaming machines, the player tracking units on the gaming machines and the one or more remote servers.