PROVIDING SECONDARY WAGERING-GAME PLAY VIA A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20140378204A1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michel, Jeffrey E., Guinn, Andrew C., Gura, Damon E., Robbins, Richard B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 17/3244 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include obtaining a game code associated with a secondary game, wherein the game code was scanned from a physical game card. In some embodiments, the game code is scanned by a scanning mechanism of a mobile device. The physical game card is associated with a wagering game. The operations can further include determining an outcome for the secondary game based on the game code. The operations can further include providing, for presentation, an indication of the outcome. In some examples, the indication of the outcome is provided for presentation via the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a game code associated with a secondary game, wherein the game code was scanned from a physical game card by a mobile device, and wherein the physical game card is associated with a wagering game;

determining, via at least one of one or more processors, an outcome for the secondary game based on the game code; and

providing, via at least one of the one or more processors, an indication of the outcome for presentation via the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the game code is printed on the physical game card in a computer-readable format, and wherein the mobile device is configured to scan the game code in the computer-readable format.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating one or more of the outcomes for the secondary game and a prize associated with the outcome with an account associated with a user of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting information associated with an electronic purchase of the physical game card made via the mobile device; and

using the information associated with the electronic purchase to one or more of generate the game code, determine the outcome, and associate the outcome with a user account.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the game code and the outcome via a wagering game application of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the game code comprises:

receiving a first message from the mobile device, wherein the first message includes a copy of the game code;

verifying that the game code is valid for the secondary game;

generating a second message with a web link; and

sending the second message with the web link, wherein the mobile device is configured to open the web link in a browser application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a prize for the outcome based on a location of the mobile device.

8. One or more machine-readable storage devices having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

scanning a game code from a physical game card for a wagering game via a scanning mechanism of a mobile device, wherein the game code is configured for use in a secondary game;

providing the game code to a secondary game controller to determine an outcome for the secondary game based on the game code;

receiving from the secondary game controller an indication of the outcome for the secondary game; and

presenting an indication of the outcome via an output device of the mobile device.

9. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the secondary game controller is configured to one or more of decode the game code, verify that the game code is valid for the secondary game, look-up an outcome for the secondary game associated with the game code, and generate an outcome for the secondary game.

10. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise one or more of associating the outcome for the secondary game and associating a prize for the outcome with an account associated with a user of the mobile device.

11. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the game code is printed on the physical game card in a computer-readable format and wherein the input device is configured to scan the game code in the computer-readable format.

12. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the input device of the mobile device comprises one or more of a camera, a magnetic reader, an optical scanner, a radio-frequency detector, and a near-field communication sensor.

13. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise communicating the game code via a first application of the mobile device and receiving an indication of the outcome via a second application of the mobile device different from the first application.

14. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise communicating the game code via a text messaging application of the mobile device and one or more of receiving a link associated with the secondary game and receiving an indication of the outcome via the text messaging application.

15. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

scanning an image of the physical game card via the mobile device; and

presenting the outcome, via the mobile device, with game elements of the secondary game superimposed over a portion of the image of the physical game card.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one memory device configured to store instructions which, when executed by the at least one of the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations to,

conduct an electronic purchase of a physical game card for a wagering game, wherein the electronic purchase is made via an application of a mobile device,

use information associated with the electronic purchase in a secondary game,

determine an outcome for a round of play in the secondary game, and

provide an indication of the outcome for presentation via the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application is configured to access a user account configured to store electronic funds, and wherein the application is configured to initiate a transfer of a portion of the electronic funds to a merchant device at a point of sale for the physical game card.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the operation to use the information comprises operations to:

determine a second-chance game code based on the information; and

provide the second-chance game code for presentation via the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the operation to provide the indication of the outcome for presentation via the mobile device includes operations to:

determine a prize associated with the outcome; and

store an indication of the prize in a user account associated with a user of the mobile device.

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more computer-readable storage devices configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform operations to

receive a game code obtained via an input device of a mobile device, wherein the game code is from a physical game card for a wagering game,

determine an outcome for a secondary game based on the game code,

detect a location of the mobile device, and

select a prize for the outcome based on the location of the mobile device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operation to select the prize for the outcome based on the location of the mobile device includes operations to

detect a proximity of the location of the mobile device to a location of a business establishment for a sponsor of the prize, and

determine that the proximity is within a distance threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operation to select the prize for the outcome based on the location of the mobile device includes operations to:

indicate a requirement that a location of the mobile device must visit a sequence of geographic locations; and

detect that the mobile device has visited the sequence of geographic locations.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a code scanned from a lottery card via a scanning mechanism of a mobile device;

means for detecting a game level associated with the physical game card based on information from the code; and

means for controlling a secondary game based on the game level.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for controlling the secondary game based on the game level comprises:

means for determining, based on the game level, one or more of a value of an outcome for the secondary game, a value of a prize associated with an outcome for the secondary game, and a number of game-play rounds to provide for the secondary game.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

means for determining, based on the game level, that a plurality of game play rounds are available for the secondary game;

means for determining that a first of the plurality of game play rounds has a non-winning outcome; and

means for communicating scheduling information for presentation via the mobile device, wherein the scheduling information indicates when a second of the plurality of game play rounds will occur.