Virtual player tracking and related services

• US 20070270213A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan, Underdahl, Brian, Nguyen, Binh, LeMay, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,298 B2
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

Various gaming-related services are provided, including but not limited to security services, harm minimization services, player identification services, bonusing/progressive services, accounting services, financial/banking services, network tunneling services, cheating detection services, etc. Such services may be provided, at least in part, by software agents that can be configured for different platforms and/or operating systems. Some software-based player tracking methods of the invention can aggregate data from multiple devices used by a player for gaming.

Claims

1. A gaming method, comprising:

obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s Internet wagering games on a first device;

obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games on a second device;

combining at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information; and

crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on a combination of at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

2. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing first tracking software on the first device, wherein the first tracking software obtains the first gaming information.

3. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the second device is disposed within a gaming machine of a gaming establishment.

4. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are in locations other than gaming establishments.

5. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a first playing style of the first player.

6. The gaming method of claim 2, wherein the first tracking software comprises a player tracking software agent.

7. The gaming method of claim 3, wherein the second device is a wireless device.

8. The gaming method of claim 5, wherein the first playing style is based on at least one of play consistency indicia, reaction time indicia, wagering indicia, length of play indicia, frequency of play indicia, game preference indicia, win frequency indicia, win amount indicia or optimal play indicia of the first player.

9. The gaming method of claim 5, further comprising the step of determining whether the first device is being played according to the first playing style.

10. The gaming method of claim 9, further comprising the step of invoking countermeasures when it is determined that the first device is not being played according to the first playing style.

11. The gaming method of claim 10, wherein the countermeasures comprise at least one of requiring a proper response to a challenge, disabling the first device or sending a message to a game administrator.

12. A gaming method, comprising:

obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s wagering games from a first software agent executing on a first host device;

obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games from a second software agent executing on a second host device; and

crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

13. The gaming method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring a heartbeat from a third software agent.

14. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent monitors a heartbeat from another device.

15. The gaming method of claim 12, further comprising the step of determining third gaming information regarding a second player'"'"'s wagering games on a third device, the determining step being performed at least in part by the first software agent executing on the first host device.

16. The gaming method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring the first or second gaming information for indicia of cheating.

17. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides network access services.

18. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides progressive or bonusing services.

19. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides accounting services.

20. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides financial services.

21. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides auditing or controller services.

22. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent provides licensing services.

23. The gaming method of claim 12, wherein a third software agent executing on the first device obtains at least some of the first gaming information from the first software agent.

24. The gaming method of claim 13, further comprising the step of initiating countermeasures when an expected heartbeat is not received from the third software agent.

25. The gaming method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring the third gaming information for indicia of cheating, the monitoring step being performed by a software agent on the first device.

26. The gaming method of claim 16, wherein the monitoring step is performed by a third software agent executing on a third device.

27. The gaming method of claim 23, wherein the third software agent is an advertising software agent, further comprising the step of targeting advertisements to the first player based at least in part on the first gaming information.

28. The gaming method of claim 23, wherein the third software agent has a higher permission level than that of the first software agent.

29. The gaming method of claim 23, wherein the third software agent has a lower permission level than that of the first software agent.

30. A gaming network, comprising:

means for obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s Internet wagering games on a first device;

means for obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games on a second device;

means for combining at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information; and

means for crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on a combination of at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

31. Software stored on at least one machine-readable medium, the software comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following tasks:

obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s Internet wagering games on a first device;

obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games on a second device;

combining at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information; and

crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on a combination of at least some components of the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

32. A server, comprising:

means for obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s wagering games from a first software agent executing on a first host device;

means for obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games from a second software agent executing on a second host device; and

means for crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

33. Software stored on at least one machine-readable medium, the software comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following tasks:

obtaining first gaming information regarding a first player'"'"'s wagering games from a first software agent executing on a first host device;

obtaining second gaming information regarding the first player'"'"'s wagering games from a second software agent executing on a second host device; and

crediting a player tracking account of the first player based on the first gaming information and the second gaming information.

34. The software of claim 33, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to monitor a heartbeat from a third software agent.

35. The gaming software of claim 34, further comprising instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to initiate countermeasures when an expected heartbeat is not received from the third software agent.

36. A method of providing a game of chance on a gaming machine using a shared gaming device, the method comprising:

executing a plurality of gaming processes including a first gaming process, a second gaming process, a shared gaming device manager process wherein the first gaming process is designed to provide a first gaming function by controlling the shared gaming device and to take control of the shared gaming device and wherein the second gaming process is designed provide a second gaming function on the gaming machine and to take control of the shared gaming device; and

wherein the shared gaming device manager process is designed to determine, when the first gaming process and the second gaming process want to control the shared gaming device at the same time, which of the first gaming process or the second gaming process is allowed to control the shared gaming device and which of the first gaming process or the second gaming process is prevented from using the shared gaming device;

determining the first gaming function is to be provided;

assigning control of the shared gaming device to the first gaming process;

preventing the second gaming process from controlling the shared gaming device;

providing the first gaming function using the shared gaming device; and

generating the game of chance on the gaming machine.