MOBILE APPLICATIONS AND WAGERING GAME MACHINES

• US 20130337890A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Earley, Edward Q., Gagner, Mark B., Gura, Damon E., Louie, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method includes presenting a wagering game at a wagering game machine. The method includes establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device. The method also includes, in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, enabling access to content on the mobile device, wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a wagering game at a wagering game machine;

establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device; and

in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, enabling access to content on the mobile device, wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling access to content on the mobile device comprises downloading a mobile application to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the downloading of the mobile application to the mobile device for execution comprises

downloading the mobile application from the wagering game machine to the mobile device via the wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the downloading of the mobile application to the mobile device for execution comprises

transmitting an instruction from the wagering game machine to the mobile device via the wireless communication to cause the mobile device to download the mobile application from a remote server.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the wagering game, wherein as more achievements are in the wagering game by the wagering game player, additional content of the mobile version is provided for play at the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile version of the wagering game comprises a full version of the wagering game, wherein the wagering game criteria comprises obtaining an achievement in the wagering game on the wagering game machine by the wagering game player.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a limited version of the mobile version of the wagering game is available for download to the mobile device independent of the wireless communication with the wagering game machine.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application comprises an application configured to record entries for wagering game activity by the wagering game player at the wagering game machine, wherein the entries comprise an amount won or lost as a result of the wagering game activity, the date of the wagering game activity, and a serial number of the wagering game machine.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application is configured to provide to the wagering game player notification of availability of a different wagering game machine, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the mobile application, an identification of the different wagering game machine;

receiving at the wagering game machine notification that the different wagering game machine is available; and

providing, from the wagering game machine via a wireless communication, the notification to the mobile application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to establishing the wireless communication between the wagering game machine and the mobile device, providing access to additional content of the wagering game at the wagering game machine.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading content from the mobile device to the wagering game machine through the wireless communication wherein the content affects at least one of a visual element and an audio element of the wagering game on the wagering game machine.

12. A wagering game machine comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device configured to store instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wagering game machine to;

present a wagering game on the at least one display device;

establish a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device; and

in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, enable access to content on the mobile device, wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

13. The wagering game machine of claim 12, wherein the instructions to enable of access to content on the mobile device comprise instructions to download a mobile application to the mobile device.

14. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the wagering game.

15. The wagering game machine of claim 14, wherein, as more achievements are in the wagering game by the wagering game player, additional content of the mobile version is provided for play at the mobile device.

16. The wagering game machine of claim 15, wherein a limited version of the mobile version of the wagering game is available for download to the mobile device independent of the wireless communication with the wagering game machine.

17. The wagering game machine of claim 12, wherein the content on the mobile device updates for play-while-away activity for a community game that is separate from the wagering game at the wagering game machine.

18. One or more machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

presenting a wagering game at a wagering game machine;

establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device; and

in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, enabling access to content on the mobile device wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

19. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the operations for enabling access to content for play on the mobile device comprises operations for downloading a mobile application to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device.

20. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the wagering game, wherein, as more achievements are in the wagering game by the wagering game player, additional content of the mobile version is provided for play at the mobile device.

21. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the mobile application is configured to provide to the wagering game player notification of availability of a different wagering game machine, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, from the mobile application, identification of the different wagering game machine;

receiving at the wagering game machine notification that the different wagering game machine is available; and

providing, from the wagering game machine via a wireless communication, the notification to the mobile application.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for presenting a wagering game at a wagering game machine;

means for establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device; and

means, in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, for enabling access to content on the mobile device wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for enabling access to content for play on the mobile device comprises means for downloading a mobile application to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the wagering game, wherein, as more achievements are in the wagering game by the wagering game player, additional content of the mobile version is provided for play at the mobile device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the mobile version of the wagering game comprises a full version of the wagering game, wherein the wagering game criteria comprises obtaining an achievement in the wagering game on the wagering game machine by the wagering game player.