METHOD FOR SURVEYING A PLAYER OF A GAMING DEVICE

• US 20090239661A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Original Assignee: Acres Technology
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Application Number:
  US12/407,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239661A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

An incentive survey system can be used to enhance player enjoyment by presenting the player with a survey at a time when the gameplay experience is fresh in the player'"'"'s mind, or at other times when the player is willing to provide feedback information. Changes may be made to the player'"'"'s profile stored on the gaming network in response to the survey answers, which can be used to tailor future games. Incentives may be provided to the player to encourage participation in the survey.

Claims

1. A method for surveying a player of a gaming device comprising:

selecting a player of a gaming device;

presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device; and

receiving a response from the player at the gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to play of substantially all credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to the player cashing out substantially all of the credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to a winning outcome on the gaming device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to a losing outcome on the gaming device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to a credit balance on the gaming machine rising above a predefined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to a credit balance on the gaming machine falling below a predefined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

tracking the player'"'"'s play; and

presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to at least one predefined criterion related to the tracked play.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the survey question relates to game play experienced by the player.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an incentive for the player to respond to the at least one survey question.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the incentive comprises discounted game play on at least one of the gaming device being played by the player and a different gaming device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the gaming device is associated with a player-tracking network and wherein the incentive comprises player-tracking points added to an account associated with the player of the gaming device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises modifying at least one of a game played on the gaming device and a game played on a different gaming device based at least in part on the response received from the player at the gaming device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a first game is played on the gaming device and wherein the method further comprises recommending a second game to the player based at least in part on the response received from the player at the gaming device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the recommendation is made via at least one of a portable electronic communicator, a computing device connected to a computer network, a screen associated with the gaming device, a cell phone associated with the player, and a ticket printed at the gaming device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the method further comprises providing an incentive for the player to play the recommended game.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the incentive comprises discounted game play on at least one of the gaming device being played by the player and a different gaming device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the incentive is valid only during a predefined period of time.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the gaming device is associated with a player-tracking network and wherein the incentive comprises player-tracking points added to an account associated with the player of the gaming device.

20. A method for surveying a player of a gaming device on a network of gaming devices comprising:

identifying a player of a gaming device;

presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device;

receiving a response from the player at the gaming device;

tracking the player'"'"'s play on gaming devices on the network; and

modifying a game on at least one of the gaming devices based at least in part on the response received from the player.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to play of substantially all of the credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to the player cashing out substantially all of the credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the survey question relates to game play experienced by the player.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing an incentive for the player to respond to the at least one survey question.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the incentive comprises discounted game play on at least one of the gaming device being played by the player and a different gaming device.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the gaming device is associated with a player-tracking network and wherein the incentive comprises player-tracking points added to an account associated with the player of the gaming device.

27. A method for surveying a player of a gaming device on a network of gaming devices comprising:

identifying a player of a first game on a gaming device;

presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device;

receiving a response from the player at the gaming device;

tracking the player'"'"'s play on gaming devices on the network; and

recommending a second game to the player based at least in part on the response received from the player at the gaming device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to play of substantially all credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising presenting at least one survey question to the player at the gaming device in response to the player cashing out substantially all of the credits on a credit meter at the gaming device.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the survey question relates to game play experienced by the player.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising providing an incentive for the player to respond to the at least one survey question.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the incentive comprises discounted game play on at least one of the gaming device being played by the player and a different gaming device.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the gaming device is associated with a player-tracking network and wherein the incentive comprises player-tracking points added to an account associated with the player of the gaming device.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the recommendation is made via at least one of a screen associated with the gaming device, a cell phone associated with the player, and a ticket printed at the gaming device.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the method further comprises providing an incentive for the player to play the recommended second game.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the incentive comprises discounted game play on at least one of the gaming device being played by the player and a different gaming device.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the incentive is valid only during a predefined period of time.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein the gaming device is associated with a player-tracking network and wherein the incentive comprises player-tracking points added to an account associated with the player of the gaming device.