ANONYMOUS PLAYER TRACKING WITH MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140087853A1
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne R., LeMay, Steve G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A monitoring system for monitoring customer activities within a casino enterprise is described. The monitoring system can be used to determine a current utilization of casino activities so that an optimal mixture of activities can be offered by the casino. Further, the system can be used to identify customers, based on their utilization of the activities, whose loyalty that a casino enterprise may wish to cultivate. In particular embodiments, the monitoring system can be configured to passively track portable wireless devices and associate the portable wireless devices with activities within the casino enterprise that are not attributable to customers registered in a loyalty program. The identity of the person controlling a particular portable device can be unknown. A virtual customer account can be created where the first portable device is used to identify a virtual customer associated with the account. Based upon identification of the first portable device, activities can be associated with the virtual customer and store to the virtual customer account.

Claims

1. A method in a server including a processor, a memory, and a network interface, the method comprising:

receiving, via the network interface, transaction information regarding participation in an activity within a casino enterprise;

determining, based upon the transaction information, that the activity is not attributable to registered customers with loyalty program accounts in a loyalty program provided by the casino enterprise;

determining a location of a purchase of the activity;

receiving via the network interface wireless signal data from a plurality of portable wireless devices deployed within the casino enterprise;

determining, based upon the wireless signal data, a location for each of the plurality of portable wireless devices;

determining that at least a portable wireless device is within a threshold distance from the location of the purchase of the activity;

determining that the portable wireless device is associated with a registered customer with a loyalty program account in the loyalty program; and

assigning at least a portion of the activity to the registered customer having the loyalty program account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the loyalty program account based on the transaction information and the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the loyalty program account is updated by determining a value of the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer and determining a number of loyalty points to add to the loyalty program account based on the determined value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

reducing the number of loyalty points when the activity is not attributable to registered customers based upon the transaction information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the portion of the activity to be assigned to the registered customer prior to assigning the portion of the activity to the registered customer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the transaction information to the first loyalty program account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction information is received from a gaming device configured to allow a play of a wager-based game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction information is received from a point of sale terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking activity attributable to the registered customer based on one or more signals received from the portable wireless device.

10. A server, comprising:

a memory;

a network interface configured to receive transaction information regarding participation in an activity within a casino enterprise and wireless signal data from a plurality of portable wireless devices deployed within the casino enterprise; and

a processor configured to;

receive the transaction information and the wireless signal data via the network interface;

determine, based upon the transaction information, that the activity is not attributable to registered customers with loyalty program accounts in a loyalty program provided by the casino enterprise;

determine a location of a purchase of the activity;

determine, based upon the wireless signal data, a location for each of the plurality of portable wireless devices;

determine that at least a portable wireless device is within a threshold distance from the location of the purchase of the activity;

determine that the portable wireless device is associated with a registered customer with a loyalty program account in the loyalty program; and

assign at least a portion of the activity to the registered customer having the loyalty program account.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

update the loyalty program account based on the transaction information and the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the loyalty program account is updated by determining a value of the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer and determining a number of loyalty points to add to the loyalty program account based on the determined value.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

reduce the number of loyalty points when the activity is not attributable to registered customers based upon the transaction information.

14. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the portion of the activity to be assigned to the registered customer prior to assigning the portion of the activity to the registered customer.

15. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the transaction information to the first loyalty program account.

16. The server of claim 10, wherein the transaction information is received from a gaming device configured to allow a play of a wager-based game.

17. The server of claim 10, wherein the transaction information is received from a point of sale terminal.

18. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

track activity attributable to the registered customer based on one or more signals received from the portable wireless device.

19. A gaming machine, comprising:

a storage medium;

an interface configured to receive transaction information regarding participation in an activity within a casino enterprise and wireless signal data from a plurality of portable wireless devices deployed within the casino enterprise; and

a controller configured to;

receive the transaction information and the wireless signal data via the network interface;

determine, based upon the transaction information, that the activity is not attributable to registered customers with loyalty program accounts in a loyalty program provided by the casino enterprise;

determine a location of a purchase of the activity;

determine, based upon the wireless signal data, a location for each of the plurality of portable wireless devices;

determine that at least a portable wireless device is within a threshold distance from the location of the purchase of the activity;

determine that the portable wireless device is associated with a registered customer with a loyalty program account in the loyalty program; and

assign at least a portion of the activity to the registered customer having the loyalty program account.

20. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

update the loyalty program account based on the transaction information and the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the loyalty program account is updated by determining a value of the portion of the activity assigned to the registered customer and determining a number of loyalty points to add to the loyalty program account based on the determined value.

22. The gaming machine of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to:

reduce the number of loyalty points when the activity is not attributable to registered customers based upon the transaction information.

23. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine the portion of the activity to be assigned to the registered customer prior to assigning the portion of the activity to the registered customer.

24. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

store the transaction information to the first loyalty program account.

25. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the transaction information is received from a second gaming machine configured to allow a play of a wager-based game.

26. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the transaction information is received from a point of sale terminal.

27. The gaming machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

track activity attributable to the registered customer based on one or more signals received from the portable wireless device.