GAMING THROUGH MOBILE OR OTHER DEVICES

• US 20130225282A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Williams, Paul, Morrissette, Matthew, Minisini, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 9,489,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 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

Abstract

Various embodiments that may generally relate to mobile gaming, location determination, mobile devices, authentication, and so on are described. Various methods are described. Various apparatus are described. Further embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a first cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a first network that is known to the gaming service as being in an approved location;

in response to determining that the first cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the first network, allowing, by the computing device, the first cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;

determining, by the computing device, that a second cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a second network that is not known to the gaming service as being in the approved location;

in response to determining that the second cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determining, by the computing device, that a first confidence level that the second cellular telephone is in the approved location based on a first internet protocol address of the second cellular telephone is above a threshold confidence;

in response to determining that the first confidence level is above the threshold confidence, allowing, by the computing device, the second cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;

determining, by the computing device, that a third cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through the second network that is not known to the gaming service as being in the approved location;

in response to determining that the third cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determining, by the computing device, that a second confidence level that the third cellular telephone is in the approved location based on a second internet protocol address of the third cellular telephone is below the threshold confidence;

in response to determining that the second confidence level is below the threshold confidence, querying, by the computing device, a secondary location determination service for a location of the third cellular telephone;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of the location of the third cellular telephone from a secondary location determination service; and

allowing, by the computing device, the third cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service based on the location of the third cellular telephone being gin the approved location.

2. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, which of a plurality of geofences a device is located in, wherein a first of the plurality of geofences includes therein at least a second geofence, and wherein one or more gaming activities are available to a user of the device when the device is located in any of the plurality of geofences;

based on which of the plurality of geofences the device is located in, determining, by the computing device, a time at which a location of the device is to be re-determined, wherein when the device is located within the first geofence but not the second geofence, the time is a first value and wherein when the device is located within the first and second geofences, the time is a second value; and

at the determined time, determining, by the computing device, a location of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second time is greater than the first time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second time is less than the first time.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second time equals the first time.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second geofence includes therein at least a third geofence.

7. A method comprising:

registering, by a computing device, an application on a device, wherein one or more gaming activities are available to a user of the device, and wherein the application is at least configured to determine a location of the device, that the device has changed location, and/or a distance the device has moved;

receiving, by the computing device, from the application a report wherein the report includes at least one of a location of the device, an indication that the device has moved, and an indication of a distance the device has moved; and

in response to the report, determining, by the computing device, through geofencing a location of the device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining which of a plurality of geofences the device is located in, wherein a first of the plurality of geofences includes therein at least a second geofence, and wherein one or more of the gaming activities are available to the user when the device is located in any of the plurality of geofences; and

based on which of the plurality of geofences the device is located in, configuring the application to report location changes, wherein when the device is located within the first geofence but not the second geofence, the application is configured to report shorter distance movements of the device as compared to when the device is located within the first and second geofences.

9. A method comprising:

responsive to a user using a device to access a gaming service to engage in at least one gaming activity, determining by a computing device whether the user'"'"'s device is located within a pre-defined location, wherein the pre-defined location is defined by a non-circular geofence, and wherein determining whether the user'"'"'s device is located within the pre-defined location includes making the determination through the use of geofencing; and

allowing by the computing device the user to engage in the at least one gaming activity from the user'"'"'s device based upon the determination that the user'"'"'s device is located in the pre-defined location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-circular geofence is a polygonal geofence.

11. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, which of a plurality of geofences a device is located in, wherein a first of the plurality of geofences includes therein at least a second geofence, and wherein one or more gaming activities are available to a user of the device when the device is located in any of the plurality of geofences;

based on which of the plurality of geofences the device is located in, determining, by the computing device, a time at which a location of the device is to be re-determined, wherein when the device is located within the first geofence but not the second geofence, the time is a first value and wherein when the device is located within the first and second geofences, the time is a second value; and

at the determined time, determining, by the computing device, a location of the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second time is greater than the first time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second time is less than the first time.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second time equals the first time.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second geofence includes therein at least a third geofence.

16. A method comprising:

registering, by a computing device, an application on a device, wherein one or more gaming activities are available to a user of the device, and wherein the application is at least configured to determine a location of the device, that the device has changed location, and/or a distance the device has moved;

receiving, by the computing device, from the application a report wherein the report includes at least one of a location of the device, an indication that the device has moved, and an indication of a distance the device has moved; and

response to the report, determining, by the computing device, through geofencing a location of the device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining which of a plurality of geofences the device is located in, wherein a first of the plurality of geofences includes therein at least a second geofence, and wherein one or more of the gaming activities are available to the user when the device is located in any of the plurality of geofences; and

based on which of the plurality of geofences the device is located in, configuring the application to report location changes, wherein when the device is located within the first geofence but not the second geofence, the application is configured to report shorter distance movements of the device as compared to when the device is located within the first and second geofences.

18. A method comprising:

responsive to a user using a device to access a gaming service to engage in at least one gaming activity, determining by a computing device whether the user'"'"'s device is located within a pre-defined location, wherein the pre-defined location is defined by a non-circular geofence, and wherein determining whether the user'"'"'s device is located within the pre-defined location includes making the determination through the use of geofencing; and

allowing by the computing device the user to engage in the at least one gaming activity from the user'"'"'s device based upon the determination that the user'"'"'s device is located in the pre-defined location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the non-circular geofence is a polygonal geofence.