Method and System for Localized Mobile Gaming

• US 20140274320A1
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Binh T. Nguyen
• Inventors: NGUYEN, BINH T.
• Granted Patent: US 11,398,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual 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

In one embodiment, a system and method for facilitating intra-casino mobile gaming, the method includes forming an intra-casino mobile gaming zone internal to a casino establishment; pairing a player ID tag with a PGD; determining whether one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using a zone specific local positioning system; and permitting the PGD to provide a wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone while wirelessly interacting with a gaming server if the determining determines that at least one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

Claims

6-1. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the permitting includes:

receiving the player ID tag information associated with the PGD; and

determining whether the PGD is permitted to play the games of chance based on the player ID tag information.

10. A method for facilitating intra-casino mobile gaming, the method comprising:

forming an intra-casino mobile gaming zone internal to a casino establishment;

pairing a player ID tag with a portable gaming device (PGD);

determining whether one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using a zone specific local positioning system;

associating the presence of the player ID tag with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if it is determined that the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone;

associating the presence of the PGD with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if it is determined that the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone;

permitting the PGD to provide a wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that at least one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone; and

denying the PGD from providing the wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that the PGD is not within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the zone specific local positioning system includes at least one registration site at the intra-casino mobile gaming zone to allow the PGD and/or the player ID tag to establish its presence within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the registration site allows registration of the PGD and/or the player ID tag by a physical action or by proximity detection at the registration site.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the method comprises:

periodically re-determining whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using the zone specific local positioning system.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if a wager is being placed using the wager gaming capability on the PGD; and

re-determining whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that a wager is being placed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the re-determining determines whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using the zone specific local positioning system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing the PGD to display an indication that location must be reestablished if the re-determining determines that the PGD or the player ID tag is not within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone uses a physical contact or proximity to a registration site included in the zone specific local positioning system;

and

wherein the re-determining determines whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using wireless signal strength of the PGD to a zone wireless network included in the zone specific local positioning system.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the intra-casino mobile gaming zone includes at least one camera for security and audit.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining whether the PGD or the player ID tag is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone is determined via Bluetooth, WiFi, near-field communication, or radio frequency.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for facilitating intra-casino mobile gaming, the method comprising:

forming an intra-casino mobile gaming zone internal to a casino establishment;

determining whether a portable gaming device (PGD) is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using a zone specific local positioning system;

permitting the PGD to provide a wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone; and

denying the PGD from providing the wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that the PGD is not within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for facilitating intra-casino mobile gaming, the method comprising:

forming an intra-casino mobile gaming zone internal to a casino establishment;

pairing a player identifier with a portable gaming device (PGD);

determining whether one of the player identifier or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using a zone specific local positioning system;

associating the presence of the player identifier with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if it is determined that the player identifier is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone;

associating the presence of the PGD with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if it is determined that the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone;

detecting the presence of the other paired device within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that one of the paired device is already within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone;

permitting the PGD to provide a wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone; and

denying the PGD from providing the wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone if the determining determines that the PGD or the player identifier is not within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.