Gaming system having player-profile input feature for maintaining player anonymity

• US 7,384,338 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Richard T., Rothschild, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US10/744,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20050137006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/27, 463/29, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A method of operating a wagering game includes conducting a wagering game at a gaming terminal, and receiving inputs from a player that relate to a profile of the player. The inputs exclude a player'"'"'s true identity. The method includes comparing the player inputs with a plurality of player-profile data sets to match the player inputs with a particular player-profile data set. In response to this comparison yielding a matched player-profile data set, the method includes activating one or more personalized attributes at the gaming terminal associated with the matched player-profile data set. The method can be practiced within a gaming system comprising a database, a controller, and at least one gaming terminal. The database stores the player-profile data sets. Each data set is associated with and maintains anonymity of a respective player. An input device at the gaming terminal receives player-profile inputs for comparison to the player-profile data sets.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wagering game, comprising:

conducting said wagering game at a gaming terminal;

receiving inputs from a player that relate to a profile of the player, said inputs excluding a true identity of the player, wherein said true identity of the player is information that is absolutely unique to a person;

comparing said player inputs with a plurality of player-profile data sets to match said player inputs with a particular player-profile data set, said player-profile data sets including a plurality of player-chosen questions and player-chosen answers, said player-chosen questions selected by a player from a plurality of questions, and said player-chosen answers excluding said true identity of the player, said player-chosen answers each being an answer responsive to one of said plurality of player-chosen questions, and wherein the number of player-chosen questions is selected by a player; and

in response to said comparing yielding a matched player-profile data set, activating one or more personalized attributes at said gaming terminal associated with said matched player-profile data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said activating includes providing access to a restricted-access progressive wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a physical characteristic to verify said player inputs correspond to the player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include at least one of the group consisting of a favorite color, a favorite number, a favorite animal, a favorite sports team, a favorite musical artist, a favorite book, and a favorite pet'"'"'s name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include at least one of the group consisting of some, but not all, of the digits from a social security number, digits from a phone number, digits from a credit card, and digits from an address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include at least one of the group consisting of a first name, initials of a full name, a last name, certain letters of a first or last name, a parent'"'"'s first name, a parent'"'"'s middle name, and a mother'"'"'s maiden name.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include at least one of the group consisting of month of birth, day of birth, year of birth, city of birth, and age.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include at least one of the group consisting of gender, shoe size, waist size, hat size, height, eye color, hair color, and weight.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said personalized attributes includes displaying information at said gaming terminal in the player'"'"'s preferred language.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said gaming terminal is located within a gaming establishment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing occurs at a remote location relative to said receiving.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said player inputs include inputs from two or more of the groups consisting of a favorites category, a numerical category, a name category, a birth category, and a physical-characteristic category.

13. A method of customizing a wagering game conducted at a gaming terminal, comprising:

acquiring set-up inputs from a player that relate to a profile of the player, said set-up inputs including a plurality of player-chosen questions and player-chosen answers, said player-chosen questions selected by said player from a plurality of questions, and said player-chosen answers maintaining anonymity of the player, said player-chosen answers each being an answer responsive to one of said plurality of player-chosen questions, and wherein the number of player-chosen questions is selected by said player;

based on said set-up inputs, developing a player-profile data set within a database, said player-profile data set maintaining anonymity of the player;

after said acquiring and said developing, receiving inputs from the player at said gaming terminal;

comparing said inputs with said player-profile data set in said database;

in response to said comparing yielding a match, providing the player with personalized attributes of said wagering game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalized attributes relate to wagering games that are accessible by the player.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalized attributes relate to aesthetics or comfort of said gaming terminal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalized attributes relate to progressive wagering games that are accessible by the player.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalized attributes relate to audio preferences for sound being broadcast from said gaming terminal.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said acquiring set-up inputs occurs at said gaming terminal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said acquiring set-up inputs occurs at a remote terminal dedicated to receiving player inputs.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said acquiring set-up inputs occurs via the Internet.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include at least one of the group consisting of a favorite color, a favorite number, a favorite animal, a favorite sports team, a favorite musical artist, a favorite book, and a favorite pet'"'"'s name.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include at least one of the group consisting of some, but not all, of the digits from a social security number, digits from a phone number, digits from a credit card, and digits from an address.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include at least one of the group consisting of a first name, initials of a full name, a last name, certain letters of a first or last name, a parent'"'"'s first name, a parent'"'"'s middle name, and a mother'"'"'s maiden name.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include at least one of the group consisting of month of birth, day of birth, year of birth, city of birth, and age.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include at least one of the group consisting of gender, shoe size, waist size, hat size, height, eye color, hair color, and weight.

26. The method of claim 13, wherein said personalized attributes include aesthetics related to said inputs.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said input is a favorite color and said personalized attributes include changing a background color of a display of said gaming terminal to said favorite color.

28. The method of claim 13, wherein said comparing occurs at a remote location relative to said receiving and said acquiring.

29. The method of claim 13, wherein said set-up inputs and said inputs include inputs from two or more of the groups consisting of a favorites category, a numerical category, a name category, a birth category, and a physical-characteristic category.

30. The method of claim 13, wherein said acquiring set-up inputs includes acquiring alphanumeric inputs from the player in response to a predetermined set of questions.

31. The method of claim 13, wherein said receiving inputs includes receiving alphanumeric inputs from the player.

32. The method of claim 13, wherein said receiving inputs includes receiving multiple-choice inputs from the player.

33. A gaming system, comprising:

a database storing a plurality of player-profile data sets, each of said plurality of player-profile data sets being associated with and maintaining anonymity of a respective player, said player-profile data sets further including a plurality of player-chosen questions and player-chosen answers, said player-chosen questions selected by a player from a plurality of questions, and said player-chosen answers excluding said true identify of the player, said player-chosen answers each being an answer responsive to one of said plurality of player-chosen questions, and wherein the number of player-chosen questions is selected by a player;

a controller coupled to said database; and

at least one wagering gaming terminal coupled to said controller, said gaming terminal including an input device for receiving player-profile inputs from a player at said wagering gaming terminal, said wagering gaming terminal sending a player-profile signal to said controller, said player-profile signal containing information corresponding to said player-profile inputs for comparison to said plurality of player-profile data sets;

wherein said wagering gaming terminal activates one or more personalized attributes associated with a matched player profile input with one or of said plurality of player-profile data sets.

34. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said database includes a second plurality of non-anonymous player-identification data sets identifying other players by their true identity.

35. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said database and said at least one gaming terminal are located within a gaming establishment.

36. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said database is remotely located from said at least one gaming terminal.

37. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said at least one gaming terminal includes a plurality of gaming terminals for playing a plurality of different wagering games.

38. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said database and said controller are remotely located from said at least one gaming terminal.

39. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein said player-profile inputs include inputs from two or more of the groups consisting of a favorites category, a numerical category, a name category, a birth category, and a physical-characteristic category.

40. A gaming terminal capable of playing a wagering game, comprising:

at least one player-input device receiving, at the choice of a player, player-profile inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity remains anonymous or player-identity inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity is known, said player-profile inputs and said player-identity inputs providing information to said gaming terminal for determining personalized attributes for the player at said gaming terminal;

said player-profile inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity remains anonymous including a plurality of player-chosen questions and player-chosen answers, said player-chosen questions selected by said player from a plurality of questions, and said player-chosen answers maintaining anonymity of the player, said player-chosen answers each being an answer responsive to one of said plurality of player-chosen questions, and wherein the number of player-chosen questions is selected by said player; and

one or more displays for displaying a randomly selected outcome of said wagering game in response to the player inputting a wager amount at said gaming terminal, said one or more displays displaying information associated with said personalized attributes.

41. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said personalized attributes provide access to a restricted-access progressive wagering game.

42. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said player-profile inputs include inputs from two or more of the groups consisting of a favorites category, a numerical category, a name category, a birth category, and a physical-characteristic category.

43. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said player-identity inputs include a card that is inserted into and read by a card reader within said gaming terminal.

44. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said randomly selected outcome is determined by a controller located remotely from said gaming terminal.

45. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said personalized attributes relate to aesthetics or comfort of said gaming terminal.

46. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein said randomly selected outcome is determined by a controller located within said gaming terminal.

47. A kiosk for entering information for playing wagering games at gaming terminals connected via a network, comprising:

at least one player-input device receiving, at the choice of a player, player-profile inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity remains anonymous or player-identity inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity is known, said player-profile inputs and player-identity inputs providing information for determining personalized attributes for the player playing said wagering games at said gaming terminals;

wherein said player-profile inputs wherein the player'"'"'s true identity remains anonymous including a plurality of player-chosen questions and player-chosen answers, said player-chosen questions selected by said player from a plurality of questions, and said player-chosen answers maintaining anonymity of the player, said player-chosen answers each being an answer responsive to one of said plurality of player-chosen questions, and wherein the number of player-chosen questions is selected by said player;

a display for displaying an inquiry regarding entry of said player-identity inputs and said player-profile inputs; and

a connection for communicating data corresponding to said player-identity inputs and said player-profile inputs from said kiosk to a database in said network.

48. The kiosk of claim 47, wherein said player-profile inputs include inputs from two or more of the groups consisting of a favorites category, a numerical category, a name category, a birth category, and a physical-characteristic category.