Gaming environment including portable transaction devices

• US 7,927,211 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Ford, Brian, Lewis, Larry C., Kiely, Daryn, Rowe, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/886,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 43
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A gaming environment includes portable transaction/tracking devices for rendering services and tracking game play. In one embodiment, the gaming environment includes at least one table game and a portable transaction interface capable of receiving and sending information over a wireless communication link to/from a player tracking server adapted to store player identification and player game play data. One embodiment of a method comprises the tracking of player game play in such a gaming environment using the portable transaction device or interface. Player identification information and player game play data is input to the portable transaction device and transmitted to the player tracking server for association with a player'"'"'s rating file. Graphical information may be generated and displayed to the user of the portable transaction device regarding the gaming environment. This information may be used by the user to identify players or their location.

Claims

1. A method of tracking game activity, the method comprising:

receiving, at a portable transaction device, user identification information associated with a casino employee;

the portable transaction device;

generating a game service interface on a display screen coupled to the portable transaction device, said game service interface including one or more areas for inputting player characterization information;

receiving, via a manual input mechanism, from the casino employee, player characterization information for a player, wherein the player characterization information characterizes behaviors and preferences of the player that are at least observed by said casino employee while the player is in a game playing area;

transmitting said input player characterization information to a player tracking server over a wireless communication link; and

receiving a confirmation from the player tracking server via the wireless communication link that a player information file including the player characterization information has been updated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism comprises a touch screen interface generated on the display screen of the portable transaction device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism comprises a voice recorder for allowing the player characterization information to be entered using voice inputs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism comprises a camera for allowing player identity information in a digital photographic format to be input into the portable transaction device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

optically scanning an identification card to input player identity information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said input player characterization information is associated with player identity information received by scanning at least one of a driver'"'"'s license and a passport.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a photograph of the player on the portable transaction device for allowing the casino employee to identify the player.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable transaction device is further configured to receive a manual input of player characterization information that describes a relationship between the player and a person.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input relationship information indicates that the player and the person are one of friends, married, family or in a junket together.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the input relationship information between the player and the person indicates that the person is a preferred service provider of the player.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable transaction device is further configured to receive a manual input of the player characterization information that indicates whether the player is participating in a game playing activity with others or alone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable transaction device is configured to receive an input of the player characterization information to indicate at least one of the following a) whether the player smokes, b) where the player was born, c) whether the player is talkative d) how the player reacts upon winning, e) how the player reacts upon losing, f) whether the player tips a dealer, g) whether the player tips a cocktail waitress, h) how much the player tips, and i) profession of the player.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a message to enroll the player in a rewards program including a portion of the player characterization information received at the portable transaction device.

14. A method of tracking game activity, the method comprising:

receiving, at a transaction device, user identification information associated with a casino employee;

the portable transaction device;

generating on a display screen coupled to the portable transaction device, one or more areas for manually inputting information associated with at least one of an amount bet and an amount lost by a player;

receiving, via a manual input mechanism, from the casino employee, a player rating wherein the player rating characterizes an estimate of at least one of the amount bet and the amount lost by the player while the player is participating in the game activity in a game playing area, the game activity at least observed by the casino employee;

receiving via an input mechanism on the portable transaction device an input of player identification information identifying the player;

transmitting the player rating and the player identification information to a player tracking server over a wireless communication link;

receiving a confirmation from the player tracking server via the wireless communication link that a player rating file has been opened for the identified player; and

receiving notification information for the player wherein the notification information is for notifying the player of an event of interest to the player.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the event is that the player'"'"'s room is ready.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a digital photograph of the player and displaying the digital photograph on the portable transaction device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving location-tracking data that allows a location of the player in the game playing area to be determined and displaying a layout of the game playing area and the location of the player in the game playing area.