Alternative player tracking techniques

• US 7,617,151 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Rowe, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/927,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,018 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 45, 705110- 42
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for registering a player with a player tracking system on a gaming network. A player tracking account is created for the player using player information derived from an account card associated with the player. The account card corresponds to a remote account unrelated to the player tracking system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for registering a player with a player tracking system comprising a plurality of gaming machines associated with a plurality of player tracking units and a player tracking server for managing the player tracking system by interacting with the player tracking units, said system provided to track the activities of the player on a gaming network connected with the server, comprising:

receiving on a gaming machine an account card associated with a player, the account card corresponding to a remote account unrelated to the player tracking system of the gaming network;

deriving from the account card player information regarding the player;

creating on the player tracking server or the gaming machine, based on the player information derived from the account card, a player tracking account for tracking the activities of the player on the gaming network; and

thereby allowing the player to be registered with the player tracking system without requiring the player to specify the player information used to create the player tracking account.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling participation by the player in the player tracking system using the account card subsequent to creating the player tracking account.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein deriving the player information from the account card comprises reading encoded information form the account card.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein deriving the player information from the account card comprises requesting the player information from the remote account identified by the account card.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising effecting an electronic funds transfer from the remote account to the player tracking account.

6. The method of claim 1 further providing a player tracking card to the player subsequent to creating the player tracking account and enabling participation by the player in the player tracking system using the player tracking card.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the account card comprises any of a frequent flyer card, a frequent shopper card, a membership card, a credit card, a debit card, a driver'"'"'s license, and an identification card.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving encoded data from the account card via a card reading device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving data relating to the account card and manually entered by the player.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an account card type for the account card.

11. The method of claim 10 where the account card type is determined from encoded information read from the account card.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the account card type is determined from manually entered information.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing additional services associated with the remote account and in response to interaction between the player and the player tracking system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaming network is associated with a single gaming establishment.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaming network is associated with multiple gaming establishments.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaming network comprises a local area network.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaming network comprises a wide area network.

18. A player tracking system in a gaming network, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines;

a plurality of player tracking units associated with the gaming machines;

a network interconnecting the gaming machines and player tracking units;

a player tracking server connected to the network for managing the player tracking system by interacting with the player tracking units; and

wherein the player tracking system is operable to generate a player tracking account corresponding to a player upon presentation to one of said gaming machines player information derived from an account card associated with the player, the account card corresponding to a remote account unrelated to the player tracking system, thereby allowing the player to be registered with the player tracking system without requiring the player to specify the player information used to create the player tracking account.

19. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to enable participation by the player in the player tracking system using the account card subsequent to generation of the player tracking account.

20. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to derive the player information from the account card by reading encoded information from the account card.

21. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to derive the player information from the account card by requesting the player information from the remote account identified by the account card.

22. The player tracking system of claim 21 further being operable to effect an electronic funds transfer from the remote account to the player tracking account.

23. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to provide a player tracking card to the player subsequent to generation of the player tracking account and to enable participation by the player in the player tracking system using the player tracking card.

24. The player tracking system of claim 18 wherein the account card comprises any of a frequent flyer card, a frequent shopper card, a membership card, a credit card, a debit card, a driver'"'"'s license, and an identification card.

25. The player tracking system of claim 18 further comprising at least one card reading device for receiving encoded data from the account card.

26. The player tracking system of claim 18 further comprising at least one interface for receiving data relating to the account card and manually entered by the player.

27. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to determine an account card type for the account card.

28. The player tracking system of claim 27 further being operable to determine the account card type from encoded information read from the account card.

29. The player tracking system of claim 27 further being operable to determine the account card type from manually entered information.

30. The player tracking system of claim 18 further being operable to provide additional services associated with the remote account and in response to interaction between the player and the player tracking system.

31. The player tracking system of claim 18 wherein the network is associated with a single gaming establishment.

32. The player tracking system of claim 18 wherein the network is associated with multiple gaming establishments.

33. The player tracking system of claim 18 wherein the gaming network comprises a local area network.

34. The player tracking system method of claim 18 wherein the gaming network comprises a wide area network.

35. At least one computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein for effecting registration of a player with a player tracking system on a gaming network, the computer program instruction being operable to cause at least one computing device to create a player tracking account for the player upon presentation to said computing device player information derived from an account card associated with the player, the account card corresponding to a remote account unrelated to the player tracking system, thereby allowing the player to be registered with the player tracking system without requiring the player to specify the player information used to create the player tracking account.

36. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the computer program instructions are further operable to enable participation by the player in the player tracking system using the account card subsequent to creating the player tracking account.

37. A player tracking system configurable for a computing system operable in a gaming environment, wherein said player tracking system is operable to:

receive account information associated with an established account for a person, wherein said established account has not been established for tracking said person in said gaming environment;

determine, based on said account information, player tracking information for creating a player tracking account for tracking said person in said gaming environment; and

create, based on said player tracking information, said player tracking account in a player tracking database associated with said gaming environment in order to effectively track said player in said gaming environment, thereby creating said player tracking account for said player without requiring said person to specify said account information used to create said player tracking account.

38. A player tracking system as recited in claim 37, wherein said account information is effectively provided by an account card associated with said person, thereby allowing said person to effectively register for said player tracking by providing said account card to said player tracking system.

39. A player tracking system as recited in claim 37, wherein said account information is not for an account issued by or for said gamming environment, thereby allowing player tracking information to be effectively derived from an account issued by an entity other than a gaming entity that issues player tracking account for said gaming environment.

40. A player tracking system as recited in claim 37, wherein said computing system includes a gaming machine (or unit) configurable for game play in said gaming environment.

41. A computer-implemented method for registering a person with a player tracking system comprising a plurality gaming machines each associated with a player tracking unit, and a player tracking server for managing the player tracking system by interacting with the player tracking units, said system provided for tracking players of a gaming environment comprising the plurality of gaming machines, said method comprising:

receiving on a gaming machine account information associated with an established account for a person, wherein said established account has not been established for tracking said person in said gaming environment;

determining, based on said account information, player tracking information for creating a player tracking account for tracking said person in said gaming environment; and

creating on the player tracking server or the gaming machine, based on said player tracking information, said player tracking account in a player tracking database associated with said gaming environment in order to effectively track said player in said gaming environment, thereby creating said player tracking account for said player without requiring said person to specify said account information used to create said player tracking account.

42. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said method further comprises:

providing said account information by an account card associated with said person, thereby allowing said person to effectively register for said player tracking by providing said account card to said player tracking system.

43. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said account information is not for an account issued by or for said gamming environment, thereby allowing player tracking information to be effectively derived from an account issued by an entity other than a gaming entity that issues player tracking account for said gaming environment.

44. A computer readable medium including computer program code being executed on a computer for registering a person with a player tracking system provided for tracking players of a gaming environment, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving account information associated with an established account for a person, wherein said established account has not been established for tracking said person in said gaming environment;

computer program code for determining, based on said account information, player tracking information for creating a player tracking account for tracking said person in said gaming environment; and

computer program code for creating, based on said player tracking information, said player tracking account in a player tracking database associated with said gaming environment in order to effectively track said player in said gaming environment, thereby creating said player tracking account for said player without requiring said person to specify said account information used to create said player tracking account.