Game presentation in a retail establishment

• US 8,109,438 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Gilman, Norman C., Fincham, Magdalena M., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Bemer, Keith, Golden, Andrew P., Alderucci, Dean P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung
• Application Number:
  US12/962,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20110073646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a game presentation such as a virtual slot machine may be displayed by a display device associated with a point of sale (POS) terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a point of sale terminal, a plurality of product identifiers, each corresponding to a respective product selected for purchase by a customer;

generating, by a central controller device in communication with a plurality of point of sale terminals, a plurality of random outcomes;

determining, by the central controller device, an upsell offer based on at least one of the random outcomes and based on at least one of the product identifiers; and

presenting the upsell offer to the customer,

in which presenting the upsell offer comprises;

displaying an image representing the upsell offer as an indicia on a virtual slot machine reel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product identifiers are received via a bar code scanner of the point of sale terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the random outcome to the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the random outcome to the customer.

5. The method of claim 4, in which displaying the random outcome comprises displaying the random outcome in an entertainment interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the entertainment interface includes an image of at least one of the products corresponding to the received product identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a customer identifier for identifying the customer.

8. The method of claim 7, in which receiving the customer identifier comprises receiving the customer identifier via a card reader of the point of sale terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an image that represents at least one of the products that correspond to the received product identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the random outcome to the point of sale terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying, via a shelf terminal, the image representing the upsell offer as an indicia on a virtual slot machine reel.

12. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying, via a portable computing device, the image representing the upsell offer as an indicia on a virtual slot machine reel.

13. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying at least three identical indicia of the upsell offer.

14. The method of claim 1, in which determining the upsell offer comprises:

selecting the upsell offer from a plurality of upsell offers, each upsell offer having a respective sponsor.

15. The method of claim 1, in which determining the upsell offer further comprises:

selecting the upsell offer from a plurality of upsell offers, each upsell offer having a respective likelihood of being awarded that is based on an amount paid by a corresponding sponsor of the upsell offer.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device,

in which the storage device stores a program which is operable to direct the processor to perform;

receiving a plurality of product identifiers, each corresponding to a respective product selected for purchase by a customer;

generating a plurality of random outcomes;

determining an upsell offer based on at least one of the random outcomes and based on at least one of the product identifiers; and

presenting the upsell offer to the customer,

in which presenting the upsell offer comprises;

displaying an image representing the upsell offer as an indicia on a virtual slot machine reel.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program which is operable to direct a processor to perform:

receiving, via a point of sale terminal, a plurality of product identifiers, each corresponding to a respective product selected for purchase by a customer;

generating, by a central controller device in communication with a plurality of point of sale terminals, a plurality of random outcomes;

determining, by the central controller device, an upsell offer based on at least one of the random outcomes and based on at least one of the product identifiers; and

presenting the upsell offer to the customer,

in which presenting the upsell offer comprises;

displaying an image representing the upsell offer as an indicia on a virtual slot machine reel.