Universal system mediation within gaming environments

• US 7,780,526 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Stockdale, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel; Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US11/155,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 463/43, 463/46, 463/47, 380/251, 380 28- 30, 380/54, 705/50, 705/51, 705/54, 705/59
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

Gaming machines and networks capable of providing universal mediation between multiple disparate gaming systems are disclosed. In particular, multiple disparate gaming systems providing different services and features can be accessed by a player throughout a gaming session at a gaming device as a result of a single player transaction using a universal indicia of identification by the player. Such an indicia can include a card, token, PIN, biometric identifier and/or other identification source. A player identification device at the gaming device can accept such indicia, and can also facilitate protocol mediation and hardware mediation between the gaming device and each of the multiple disparate gaming systems. Enhanced DCUs may also be used to facilitate such mediations, and also to provide redundant communication paths between a LAN containing the gaming device and a WAN including the multiple disparate gaming systems.

Claims

1. A gaming machine configured for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and configured to control one or more aspects of said game;

at least one link configured to connect said gaming machine to a plurality of disparate gaming systems or at least one gateway thereto, said at least one link permitting data to be transmitted between said gaming machine and each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, a gaming system of the plurality of disparate gaming systems configured to provide services to the gaming machine selected from the group consisting of cashless services, loyalty program services, auditing/accounting services, web-hosting/internet services, entertainment content services, communication services, gaming software services, bonus game/linked game services, prize services, progressive game services, tax services, harm minimization services, security services, and jackpot verification services; and

a player identification device in communication with said master gaming controller and said at least one link, located within, about or in proximity to said exterior housing and configured to accept a universal indicia of identification from a player, wherein said player identification device is configured to;

facilitate protocol mediation between said gaming machine and the software of each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems,

facilitate hardware mediation between said gaming machine and the hardware of each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems,

facilitate eligibility mediation with respect to said player and to said gaming machine being eligible to receive one or more services from said plurality of disparate gaming systems,

facilitate the ability of said player to log in to more than one of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for a gaming session at said gaming machine via a single transaction using said universal indicia of identification by said player, and

allow access to only a subset of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for said player based on identification of said player, wherein at least a portion of said subset of disparate gaming systems available to said player is determined as a result of an affirmative selection of services or features by said player, wherein said subset is fewer than the entirety of said plurality of disparate gaming systems.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said universal indicia of identification comprises at least one item belonging to or assigned to said player.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein at least a part of said universal indicia of identification is assigned to said player by the gaming establishment where said gaming machine is located.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said universal indicia of identification comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a credit card, a debit card, a smart card, a magnetic striped card, a printed ticket, a room key, a keychain, a bracelet, a wristwatch, a lucky token, a portable wireless device, an RFID tag, a bar code, a thermal print, an infrared ink print, an electronic ink print, a personal identification number, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, a voiceprint and a digitized personal signature.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said link is configured to connect said gaming machine to said plurality of disparate gaming systems through a plurality of gateways thereto.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein at least two of said plurality of gateways comprise redundant gateway devices configured to connect a local area network including said gaming machine and a plurality of other gaming machines to a wide area network including one or more host servers for said plurality of disparate gaming systems.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein said redundant gateway devices comprise enhanced data collection units located at an interface between said local area network and said wide area network.

8. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein said redundant gateway devices comprise a first gateway device connected to said player identification device via a first transmission path and a second gateway device connected to said player identification device via a second transmission path and to said first gateway device via a third transmission path.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said single transaction using said universal indicia of identification by said player includes providing to said player identification device both an assigned object and a secondary personal identifier within the same approximate time frame.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein said secondary personal identifier is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal identification number, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, a voiceprint and a digitized personal signature.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said universal indicia of identification is configured to differentiate said player from all other players, but does not affirmatively provide the true identity of said player.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said player identification device is configured to facilitate access to only a subset of services provided by said plurality of disparate gaming systems for said player, wherein said subset of services is fewer than the entirety of services provided by said plurality of disparate gaming systems.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said subset of services available to said player is determined as a result of an affirmative selection of services or features by said player.

14. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said subset of services available to said player is determined based on the physical location of said gaming machine and the legal jurisdiction resulting therefrom.

15. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said subset of services available to said player is determined based on one or more particular eligibility factors of said player.

16. A gaming device configured for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

a display arranged to present said game to a player of the gaming device;

at least one input device configured to accept an input from said player;

a master gaming controller in communication with said display and said at least one input device, and configured to control one or more aspects of said game;

at least one link configured to connect said gaming device to a plurality of disparate gaming systems and permitting data to be transmitted between said gaming device and each of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, a gaming system of the plurality of disparate gaming systems configured to provide services to the gaming machine selected from the group consisting of cashless services, loyalty program services, auditing/accounting services, web-hosting/internet services, entertainment content services, communication services, gaming software services, bonus game/linked game services, prize services, progressive game services, tax services, harm minimization services, security services, and jackpot verification services; and

a player identification device in communication with said master gaming controller and said at least one link, located within, about or in proximity to said display or said at least one input device, and configured to accept a universal indicia of identification from said player, wherein said player identification device is configured to facilitate the ability of said player to log in to more than one of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for a gaming session at said gaming device via a single transaction using said universal indicia of identification by said player and to allow access to only a subset of said plurality of disparate gaming systems for said player based on identification of said player, wherein said subset is fewer than the entirety of said plurality of disparate gaming systems, wherein at least a portion of said subset of disparate gaming systems available to said player is determined as a result of an affirmative selection of services or features by said player.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein said universal indicia of identification is configured to differentiate said player from all other players, but does not affirmatively provide the true identity of said player.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein said player identification device is configured to facilitate service mediation between said gaming device and said plurality of disparate gaming systems.

19. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein said service mediation includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of protocol mediation, hardware mediation and eligibility mediation.