Radio direction finder for gaming chip and/or player tracking
First Claim
1. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
- a first processor;
memory;
at least one interface; and
a first antenna array including a first antenna and a second antenna;
the system being operable to;
detect, at the first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, wherein the detecting comprises receiving the first wireless signal at the first antenna at a first time T1 and receiving the first wireless signal at the second antenna at a second time T2;
detect a change in frequency of the first wireless signal using information relating to the wireless signal received at times T1 and T2;
generate, using information relating to the change in frequency of the first wireless signal, first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; and
determine, using at least a portion of the first bearing information, a first location of the first signal source.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various techniques are disclosed for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network. In at least one embodiment, an electronically switched Doppler antenna array may be utilized to detect a first wireless signal from a first signal source. Bearing information may be generated using information from the detected signal. In at least one embodiment, the bearing information may include a first directional bearing to the first signal source. Using at least a portion of the first bearing information, a first location of the first signal source may be determined. According to specific embodiments, the first signal source may correspond to a wireless communication device such as an RFID-enabled player tracking card or gaming chip. In at least one embodiment, a current location of the wireless communication device may be automatically tracked in real-time as the wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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a first processor; memory; at least one interface; and a first antenna array including a first antenna and a second antenna; the system being operable to; detect, at the first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, wherein the detecting comprises receiving the first wireless signal at the first antenna at a first time T1 and receiving the first wireless signal at the second antenna at a second time T2; detect a change in frequency of the first wireless signal using information relating to the wireless signal received at times T1 and T2; generate, using information relating to the change in frequency of the first wireless signal, first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; and determine, using at least a portion of the first bearing information, a first location of the first signal source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 37)
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9. A method for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the method comprising:
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detecting, at a first Doppler antenna array including a first antenna and a second antenna, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device, wherein detecting the first wireless signal from the first signal source comprises receiving the first wireless signal at the first antenna at a first time T1 and receiving the first wireless signal at the second antenna at a second time T2; detecting a change in frequency of the first wireless signal using information relating to the wireless signal received at times T1 and T2; generating, using information relating to the change in frequency of the first wireless signal, first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; determining, using at least a portion of the first bearing information, a first location of the first signal source; and automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 38)
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12. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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means for detecting, at a first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device; means for generating first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; means for detecting, at a second antenna array, the first wireless signal from the first signal source; means for generating second bearing information which includes a second directional bearing to the first signal source; means for determining, using at least a portion of the first and second bearing information, a first location of the first signal source, wherein the first location corresponds to a current, real-time location of the first wireless communication device; and means for automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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a first processor; memory; at least one interface; a first antenna array; and a second antenna array; the system being operable to; detect, at the first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source; generate first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; detect, at the second antenna array, the first wireless signal from the first signal source; generate second bearing information which includes a second directional bearing to the first signal source; and determine, using at least a portion of the first and second bearing information, the first location of the first signal source. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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a first processor; memory; at least one interface; and a first antenna array including a first antenna; the system being operable to; receive, at the first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source; determine first received signal strength data relating to the received first signal; determine, using the first received signal strength data, first range data relating to a first estimated range or distance to the first signal source; generate first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; and determine, using at least a portion of the first bearing information and first range data, a first location of the first signal source. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the method comprising:
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detecting, at a first Doppler antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device; generating first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; detecting, at a second Doppler antenna array, the first wireless signal from the first signal source; generating second bearing information which includes a second directional bearing to the first signal source; determining, using at least a portion of the first and second bearing information, a first location of the first signal source; and automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a first antenna of a first Doppler antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device; determining first received signal strength data relating to the received first signal; determining, using the first received signal strength data, first range data relating to a first estimated range or distance to the first signal source; generating first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; determining, using at least a portion of the first bearing information and first range data, a first location of the first signal source; and automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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a first processor; memory; at least one interface; and a first antenna array; a second antenna array; means for detecting a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device, wherein the detecting comprises receiving the first wireless signal at a first antenna array at a first time T1 and receiving the first wireless signal at a second antenna array at a second time T2; means for detecting a change in frequency of the first wireless signal using information relating to the wireless signal received at times T1 and T2; means for generating, using information relating to the change in frequency of the first wireless signal, first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; means for determining, using at least a portion of the first bearing information, a first location of the first signal source; and means for automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 39)
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34. A system for facilitating tracking locations of players and/or wireless communication devices in a casino network, the system comprising:
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a first processor; memory; at least one interface; a first antenna array; and a second antenna array; means for receiving, at the first antenna array, a first wireless signal from a first signal source, the first signal source corresponding to a first mobile wireless communication device; means for determining first received signal strength data relating to the received first signal; means for determining, using the first received signal strength data, first range data relating to a first estimated range or distance to the first signal source; means for generating first bearing information which includes a first directional bearing to the first signal source; means for determining, using at least a portion of the first bearing information and first range data, a first location of the first signal source; and means for automatically tracking, in real-time, a current location of the first wireless communication device as the first wireless communication device is moved through a first region of the casino. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification