INTEGRATED ACTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MANAGING GAMING DEVICES

• US 20120115616A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Reisdorph, Kent, Osburn, Lattamore D., Olive, Scott, Frerking, Gary, Topham, Jeffrey S., Dugan, Michael, Denlay, John, Phillips, Gareth Stuart, Denlay, Christine Judith
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• 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

Abstract

An integrated active control system includes gaming devices, a server, and a network connecting the server and gaming devices. The gaming devices include gaming terminals and gaming tables. The integrated active control system aggregates gaming transaction information from the gaming devices and determines, for example, the effectiveness of the gaming establishment'"'"'s floor configuration. Based on this effectiveness determination, at least one of the gaming devices are instructed to change their configuration. Staffing information may also be considered and reconfigured. The integrated active control system further monitors and configures gaming chips. The gaming chips are programmable, and may store monetary chip value and chip identification information. The programmable gaming chips are monitored for tracking the wagers made with the chips as well as for detecting their location.

Claims

1. A system for presenting games to players in a gaming establishment, the system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices each having a game display configurable between a plurality of game display states;

a controller for said devices, said controller configured to control said game display states;

a host processor configured to issue a command to said controller to change the display state of at least one device;

a data acquisition device to collect, for said devices, information related to at least one of current device state, device operation, and player identification;

a network providing communication between said data acquisition device, controller, and host processor, said host processor configured to process said collected information with respect to predetermined criteria and if said predetermined criteria is satisfied, issue said command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device operation information includes at least one of player wager information, device revenue information, and game play information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is a gaming table having a configurable game display defining a playing surface, wherein the controller is configured to change the game display from a first game to a second game in response to said predetermined criteria.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is a gaming terminal, wherein the controller is configured to change a game type from a first game to a second game in response to said predetermined criteria.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said device operation data includes data related to the profit of the device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the predetermined criteria relates to the profit of the device.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the predetermined criteria relates to an aggregated profit for a plurality of said devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition device interacts with a programmable gaming chip for collecting device operation data.

9. A configurable gaming table comprising:

a configurable game display defining a playing surface;

a data acquisition device collecting gaming transaction information;

a network interface transmitting the gaming transaction information to a remote server and receiving a configuration command in response; and

a processor for changing the game display from a first game to a second game in response to the configuration command.

10. The gaming table of claim 9, wherein the gaming transaction information includes at least one of player wager information, table revenue information, table staffing information, and table occupancy information.

11. The gaming table of claim 9 further comprising a sensor for identifying a player at a position relative to the playing surface.

12. A server for configuring a gaming device in a gaming establishment, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including;

selecting a configurable element of the gaming device;

setting a configuration parameter for the configurable element;

setting a configuration trigger;

detecting the configuration trigger; and

transmitting a configuration command to the gaming device in response to the detection of the configuration trigger, the configuration command including the configuration parameter, wherein the gaming device is programmed to receive the configuration command and configure the configurable element of the gaming device based on the configuration parameter.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the gaming device is a gaming terminal, and the configurable element is a physical component of the gaming terminal.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the gaming device is a gaming table having a display defining a playing surface, the configurable element is the display, and the configuration parameter identifies a particular game display.

15. A method for configuring a gaming device having a game display for displaying a game outcome selected by a game controller, the method comprising:

providing a configurable feature of the gaming device, said feature being independent of the game outcome selected by the game controller;

setting, under control of a configuration controller, a configuration parameter for the configurable feature;

setting, under control of the configuration controller, a configuration command associated with the configuration parameter; and

transmitting said configuration command to the gaming device, wherein the gaming device is programmed to receive the configuration command and configure the configurable feature of the gaming device based on the configuration parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configurable feature is a seat coupled to the gaming device, and the configuration parameter identifies a position of the seat.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the configurable feature is a display coupled to the gaming device, and the configuration parameter identifies a position of the display.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the configurable feature is a display setting for the gaming device, the display setting including at least one of size, color, and shape of images.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuration command is issued based on user profile information of one or more players at the gaming device.

20. A method for configuring a gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving user input from a user;

configuring the gaming device based on the user input;

storing the user input in a user record;

detecting the user at the gaming device;

retrieving the user record based on the detection of the user; and

automatically reconfiguring the gaming device based on the user input stored in the user record.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the reconfiguring of the gaming device includes reconfiguring a position of a seat coupled to the gaming device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the reconfiguring of the gaming device includes reconfiguring a position of a display coupled to the gaming device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the reconfiguring of the gaming device includes reconfiguring a game property of a game provided by the gaming device.

24. A method for managing a value instrument defining currency for play of games provided by a plurality of gaming devices in a gaming establishment, the method comprising:

activating the value instrument;

configuring the value instrument with a particular currency value;

detecting a trigger event; and

responsive to the detection of the trigger event, uploading the particular currency value to a player account and deactivating the value instrument.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the value instrument is a gaming chip.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger event is the value instrument leaving the gaming establishment.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the value instrument is remotely configurable from a first value to a second value.