AUTOMATED METHOD FOR SERVICING ELECTRONIC GAMING MACHINES

• US 20190318571A1
• Filed: 06/03/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: ACRES, JOHN F., McCurry, Andrea, Parker, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,997,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for creating an electronic log for documenting entries into electronic gaming machines on a network. The network is monitored by a network computing device. People who enter the machines carry mobile computing devices that communicate over a normally operating wireless network. Cooperating among the network computing device and the wireless network results in creating an entry that includes the identify of a person entering one of the gaming machines, the identity of the gaming machine entered, and the reason for entry. The entry is stored in an electronic log.

Claims

1. A system for locating a player on a network of gaming machines that is each associated with a unique identifier, the system comprising:

an acceptor that is associated with each of at least some of the gaming machines, the acceptor being configured to receive a physical item that is encoded with data that associates a player with a record for the player;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with a mobile communication device and a wireless network that operatively connects the mobile communication device to the network of gaming machines to;

receive the name of the player via the mobile communication device,

search a first list of player records in the at least one memory device, each record being associated with a unique player and including at least the player'"'"'s name,

create a second list of player records from the searched records of each player who has initiated a gaming session by receiving the physical item at one of the acceptors,

store the second list in the at least one memory device,

search a third list of the unique identifiers in the at least one memory device, and

if the player'"'"'s name matches at least one of the names in the second list;

determine the unique identifier associated with the gaming machine where the player has initiated the gaming session, and

display on a screen of the mobile computing device an indication that identifies the gaming machine where the player has initiated the gaming session.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein plurality of instructions further causes the at least one processor to display on the screen of the mobile computing device an indication that the player has not initiated a gaming session if the player'"'"'s name does not match one of the names in the second list.

3. A system for determining the name of a player on a network of gaming machines that is each associated with a unique identifier, the system comprising:

an acceptor that is associated with each of at least some of the gaming machines, the acceptor being configured to receive a physical item that is encoded with data that associates a player with a record for the player;

at least one processor;

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with a mobile communication device and a wireless network that operatively connects the mobile communication device to the network of gaming machines to;

receive data that specifies one of the unique identifiers via the mobile computing device,

search a first list of player records in the at least one memory device, each record being associated with a unique player and including at least the player'"'"'s name,

create a second list of player records from the searched records of each player who has initiated a gaming session by receiving the physical item at one of the acceptors,

store the second list in the at least one memory device, and

display on a screen of the mobile computing device an indication that identifies the player if the one unique identifier is associated with one of the records in the second list.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein plurality of instructions further causes the at least one processor to display on the screen of the mobile computing device an indication that the player'"'"'s name does not appear in one of the records in the second list if the one unique gaming machine identifier does not match one of the names in the second list.

5. A system for determining the name of an identified player on a network of gaming machines comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with a mobile communication device and a wireless network that operatively connects the mobile communication device to the network of gaming machines to;

establish communication with the network via a computing device that has a user interface,

identify the gaming device being played by the player,

look up the identified gaming device in a list of gaming devices contained in a memory that is operatively connected to the network,

determine if there is an identified player currently associated with the gaming machine, and

if there is an identified player currently associated with the gaming machine, display the player'"'"'s name on the user interface.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein plurality of instructions further causes the at least one processor to display information on the user interface indicating that there is not an identified player currently associated with the gaming device if there is not an identified player currently associated with the gaming device.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device that communicates wirelessly with the network.