System and Method for Assisted Maintenance in a Gaming Machine Using a Mobile Device

• US 20120118947A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Lyons, Martin S., Kelly, Bryan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,469,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0074 Game concepts, rules or strategies
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0093 characterised by the game theory or winning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/359 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for enabling a technician to open a door of a gaming machine without needing a physical key using a gaming system having a biometric controlled door lock. The method includes: enabling the technician to scan a barcode on the gaming machine using a camera on a mobile device; sending the image of the barcode via a network to a server; determining a gaming machine ID using the barcode decoding module, wherein the gaming machine ID is used by a gaming machine ID database to determine which gaming machine has been scanned; enabling a picture to be taken of a technician that has presented itself to the camera of the mobile device; transmitting the picture of the technician; using facial recognition software to identify the technician and authorize the technician'"'"'s corresponding employee ID; receiving a mobile device identifier that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component; enabling receipt of a technician'"'"'s personal identification number that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component; after the gaming machine receives an unlock signal, causing the door solenoid to unlock the door; wherein four credentials are passed to the biometric lock component to unlock the door solenoid, the four credentials including the employee ID, the mobile device identifier, the gaming machine ID, and the technician'"'"'s personal identification number.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a technician to open a door of a gaming machine without needing a physical key using a gaming system having a biometric controlled door lock, the method comprising:

enabling the technician to scan a barcode on the gaming machine using a camera on a mobile device;

capturing the image of the barcode;

sending the image of the barcode via an encrypted link over the interne to a web server;

decoding the image of the barcode using the image analysis software;

determining a gaming machine ID using the barcode decoding module, which is used by a gaming machine ID database to determine which gaming machine has been scanned;

enabling a picture to be taken of a technician that has presented itself to a camera built into a mobile device using a biometric lock component;

transmitting the picture of the technician to a casino management system;

using facial recognition software on the casino management system to identify the technician as being authorized with a corresponding employee ID;

receiving a mobile device identifier that is transmitting from the mobile device to the biometric lock component;

receiving a technician'"'"'s personal identification number that is transmitting from the mobile device to the biometric lock component;

sending a signal to the gaming machine to unlock the door; and

after the gaming machine receives this signal, causing the door solenoid to be tripped using the associated controller;

wherein four credentials are required to be passed to the biometric lock component at the casino management system, the four credentials including the employee ID, the mobile device identifier, the gaming machine ID, and the technician'"'"'s personal identification number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming system has a solenoid attached to the door lock.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the solenoid is enabled to unlock the door under software control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming system removes the need for a casino to issue master keys to technicians.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an image of the barcode scanned by the camera on a display of the mobile device using a biometric lock component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile devices are smart phones that include a built-in camera.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is selectively downloadable only to authorized technicians.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the picture to a casino management system includes sending the photograph over a Secure Socket Layer connection to a web server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the web server and gaming system interact to provide context sensitive help documents to the mobile phone.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a barcode to a gaming machine that uniquely identifies the gaming machine.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a technician to take a photograph of a gaming machine display to analyze error messages on the gaming machine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an error message, lockup message, or menus display on the gaming machine display is read by the image analysis module.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein optical character recognition is used to enable context sensitive help functions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each peripheral device within the machine may also have a barcode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein by scanning the barcode of the peripheral device with the camera of the mobile device, context sensitive help information is retrieved for maintaining the peripheral device, determining a status of the peripheral device, or configuring the peripheral device.

16. A method of enabling a technician to open a door of a gaming machine without needing a physical key using a gaming system having a biometric controlled door lock, the method comprising:

enabling the technician to scan a barcode on the gaming machine using a camera on a mobile device;

sending the image of the barcode via a network to a server;

determining a gaming machine ID using the barcode decoding module, wherein the gaming machine ID is used by a gaming machine ID database to determine which gaming machine has been scanned;

enabling a picture to be taken of a technician that has presented itself to the camera of the mobile device;

transmitting the picture of the technician;

using facial recognition software to identify the technician and authorize the technician'"'"'s corresponding employee ID;

receiving a mobile device identifier that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component;

enabling receipt of a technician'"'"'s personal identification number that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component; and

after the gaming machine receives an unlock signal, causing the door solenoid to unlock the door;

wherein four credentials are passed to the biometric lock component to unlock the door solenoid, the four credentials including the employee ID, the mobile device identifier, the gaming machine ID, and the technician'"'"'s personal identification number.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gaming system has a solenoid attached to the door lock.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the solenoid is enabled to unlock the door under software control.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the gaming system removes the need for a casino to issue master keys to technicians.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting an image of the barcode scanned by the camera on a display of the mobile device using a biometric lock component.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile devices are smart phones that include a built-in camera.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the software application is selectively downloadable only to authorized technicians.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitting of the picture to a casino management system includes sending the photograph over a Secure Socket Layer connection to a web server.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the web server and gaming system interact to provide context sensitive help documents to the mobile phone.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising attaching a barcode to a gaming machine that uniquely identifies the gaming machine.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling a technician to take a photograph of a gaming machine display to analyze error messages on the gaming machine.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein an error message, lockup message, or menus display on the gaming machine display is read by the image analysis module.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein optical character recognition is used to enable context sensitive help functions.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein each peripheral device within the machine may also have a barcode.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein by scanning the barcode of the peripheral device with the camera of the mobile device, context sensitive help information is retrieved for maintaining the peripheral device, determining an status of the peripheral device, or configuring the peripheral device.

31. A gaming system for enabling a technician to open a door of a gaming machine without needing a physical key having a biometric controlled door lock, the system comprising:

one or more gaming machines, each gaming machine having a door solenoid to unlock the door;

one or more mobile devices that includes a camera and a wireless connection to the server, wherein each mobile device enables a technician to scan a barcode on the gaming machine using the camera on the mobile device, and the wireless connection to the server enabling the mobile device to send the image of the barcode to the server; and

a server connected to the one or more gaming machines via a network, wherein the server stores a biometric lock component, wherein a barcode decoding module of the biometric lock component determines a gaming machine ID, and wherein the gaming machine ID is used by a gaming machine ID database to determine which gaming machine has been scanned;

wherein each mobile device enables a picture to be taken of a technician, transmission of the picture of the technician, and identification of the technician using facial recognition software to facilitate authorization of the technician'"'"'s corresponding employee ID;

wherein a mobile device identifier is received that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component, wherein receipt is enabled of a technician'"'"'s personal identification number that is transmitted from the mobile device to the biometric lock component, and wherein the door solenoid unlocks the door after the gaming machine receives an unlock signal;

wherein four credentials are passed to the biometric lock component to unlock the door solenoid, the four credentials including the employee ID, the mobile device identifier, the gaming machine ID, and the technician'"'"'s personal identification number.