VIRTUALIZED MAGNETIC PLAYER CARD

• US 20130225279A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: PATCEG, Miles M., SOMBERG, Reuven
• Granted Patent: US 8,876,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3204 Player-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A patron registered with a player tracking system (loyalty program) of a casino can use an app on a mobile device to log into the player tracking system, receive a virtual player card PIN from the system, and enter the PIN at a gaming machine at the casino to begin player tracked game play with the use of a physical player tracking card. The patron can log into the player tracking system from any location that has cellular data network coverage or Internet access. Once at the casino, the patron retrieves the virtual player card PIN from the app and enters it using a service window interface on the gaming machine to begin game play that credits the patron'"'"'s loyalty program account. This is done without having to insert a physical card into the card bezel at the machine.

Claims

1. A method of implementing a player tracking system on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

detecting a card-in activation;

receiving a virtual player tracking card PIN;

transmitting only the virtual player tracking card PIN to a gaming server;

receiving a validation that the virtual player tracking card PIN is associated with an authorized patron who previously logged into a player tracking system using a mobile device;

associating the patron with a specific gaming machine upon receiving said validation; and

detecting a card-out activation.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

transitioning to a player tracking system user screen on the gaming machine upon receiving the validation.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the gaming server stores a player tracking system wherein the gaming server stores a player tracking system database having a record for the patron, the record having a field for a virtual player tracking card PIN.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the gaming machine has a card-in soft key and a card-out soft key in a service window.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the patron enables player tracking functionality without causing the gaming machine to transmit player tracking data associated with the patron to the gaming server.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the authorized patron selects the virtual player tracking card PIN and submits the PIN to the player tracking system for approval.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

providing a virtual player tracking app that can be downloaded by patrons.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

terminating a player tracking session when there has been no activity for a threshold amount of time.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a biometric property of a patron; and

transmitting the biometric property to a gaming server for validating the patron in the player tracking system.

10. A method of implementing a player tracking system in a gaming network, the method comprising:

receiving a virtual player tracking card identifier and a virtual player tracking card password;

authenticating the identifier and the password;

receiving a virtual player tracking card PIN;

identifying a gaming machine that transmitted the virtual player tracking card PIN; and

crediting an account associated with the virtual player tracking card PIN based on game play on the gaming machine.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the virtual player tracking identifier and the virtual player tracking card password are received from a system app server in the gaming network.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting an authentication message to the system app server for transmission to a mobile device.

13. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

generating the virtual player tracking card PIN; and

associating the PIN with the virtual player tracking identifier.

14. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

providing a virtual player tracking card app in an app marketplace for downloading by patrons of a casino.

15. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a proposed PIN from a patron when the patron is registering for the virtual player tracking card feature.

16. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a biometric property of the patron.

17. A gaming network having a player tracking system and virtual player tracking card functionality, the network comprising:

a gaming server having a virtual player tracking card authentication module;

a data storage component storing player tracking data records, a record having at least one field used solely for enabling use of a virtual player tracking card;

a system app server connected to a mobile device network; and

a gaming machine having a virtual player card component.

18. A gaming network as recited in claim 17 wherein the virtual player card component in the gaming machine includes an interface having a card-in and card-out feature.

19. A gaming network as recited in claim 17 wherein the system app server receives a virtual player tracking card username and a virtual player card PIN from a mobile device.

20. A gaming network as recited in claim 17 wherein the at least one field is a virtual player tracking card PIN field.

21. A gaming network as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

a Web server connected to the Internet and to the system app server, wherein a virtual player tracking app executing on a mobile device directs a browser on the mobile to the Web server.