STORING INFORMATION FROM A VERIFICATION DEVICE AND ACCESSING THE INFORMATION FROM A GAMING DEVICE TO VERIFY THAT THE GAMING DEVICE IS COMMUNICATING WITH A SERVER

• US 20110201418A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A system includes a server, which provides activities and possibly other services to a player through a mobile gaming device. To verify that the mobile gaming device is communicating with the server, information received from a verification device is stored. Thereafter, in response to a request from the mobile gaming device, the stored information is determined and sent to the mobile gaming device via the server

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a verification server, from a verification device an indicator;

storing, by the processor, the indicator;

receiving, by the processor, from a mobile gaming device a request from a player of the mobile gaming device to verify that the mobile gaming device is in communication with a gaming server; and

in response to the request, sending, by the processor, the indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the verification device comprises a device operable to receive the indicator and to convey the indicator to a computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the verification device comprises at least one of:

a POTS phone,

a cellular phone,

an IP phone,

a personal computing device,

a pocket personal computer,

a PDA,

a kiosk,

a terminal, and

an input device to the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the verification device is provided by at least one of:

a gaming facility,

a gaming authority, and

a gaming service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the mobile gaming device comprises a device operable to provide at least one gaming activity to a player using the mobile gaming device.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the mobile gaming device is operable to provide the at least one gaming activity together with the gaming server.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the at least one gaming activity comprises at least one of:

a gambling activity,

wagering on an event,

a lottery activity, and

a non-gambling activity.

8. The method of claim 5, in which the mobile gaming device is also operable to provide to the player at least one convenience service.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the at least one convenience service comprises at least one of:

a restaurant service,

an entertainment service,

a hotel service,

a money management service,

a news service, and

a financial exchange service.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the verification device and the gaming device are integral.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the gaming server comprises a computing device operable to provide through the mobile gaming device at least one gaming activity to a player using the mobile gaming device.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the gaming server is also operable to provide through the mobile gaming device at least one convenience service to the player.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the indicator comprises at least one of:

an alphanumeric text value,

a plurality of alphanumeric text values,

an audible signal,

an audible tone,

an audible text value, and

a plurality of audible text values.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the indicator comprises personal information associated with a player using the mobile gaming device.

15. The method of claim 1, in which receiving from the verification device the indicator comprises receiving the indicator via at least one of:

a voice communications network, and

a data communications network.

16. The method of claim 1, in which storing the indicator comprises storing the indicator using identification information.

17. The method of claim 16, in which the identification information comprises at least one of:

a name of a player using the gaming device,

security information associated with the player using the gaming device,

a tracking value assigned to the gaming device, and

a name assigned to the gaming device.

18. The method of claim 16, in which storing the indicator using the identification information comprises storing the indicator in a database based on the identification information.

19. The method of claim 16, in which storing the indicator using the identification information comprises associating the indicator with the identification information.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving the identification information from the verification device.

21. The method of claim 1, in which receiving from the mobile gaming device the request comprises receiving the request via the gaming server.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving the request the step of determining the indicator.

23. The method of claim 22, in which determining the indicator comprises using identification information to determine the indicator.

24. The method of claim 23, in which using the identification information to determine the indicator comprises accessing a database based on the identification information to determine the indicator.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving the identification information from the mobile gaming device.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining the identification information based on communications with the mobile gaming device.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information to a player that is using the verification device such that the player may confirm that the verification device is in communications with a licensed server.