Methods and apparatus for limiting access to games using biometric data

• US 8,123,616 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wells, William R., Mattice, Harold E., Griswold, Chauncey W., Wilder, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US10/395,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,262 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 13, 463 16- 19, 463/25, 463 40- 42, 273292-293, 273236-237, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• 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 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

In a method of facilitating the playing of a game via a gaming apparatus, a wager may be received via a value input device. Biometric data associated with a game play selection of a game may be received, and whether to permit the game play selection may be determined based on the received biometric data. A video image relating to the game may be displayed on a display unit, and a value payout associated with an outcome of the game may be determined.

Claims

1. A gaming system that allows players to play games via a plurality of remote player devices, said gaming system comprising:

a registration unit, said registration unit located in a controlled environment and configured to obtain first biometric data of a player to be registered;

a plurality of gaming servers, each gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers configured to facilitate play of a respective game of a plurality of games by a player utilizing one of said remote player devices, each gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers including a controller that includes a processor, a memory, and an input/output device to facilitate communication via a network, each respective controller of each gaming server being programmed to facilitate play of said respective game and said respective game being one of the following games;

poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;

a portable location determination device, said portable location determination device removably coupled to said one remote player device and movable between said remote player devices by said player; and

a website server, said website server capable of being operatively coupled via said network to said remote player devices, said website server comprising;

a controller that comprises a processor, a memory, and an input/output circuit to facilitate communication via said network, said input/output circuit allowing data to be communicated between said controller of said website server and said remote player devices,

said controller of said website server being programmed to cause data representing a game selection display to be transmitted to said one remote player device prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server, said game selection display comprising a plurality of images, each image representing a respective game of said plurality of games,

said controller of said website server being programmed to determine a game selection of a player at said one remote player device prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server,

said controller of said website server programmed to transfer operational control to one of said gaming servers based on said game selection and based on a comparison of second biometric data obtained via a biometric device operatively coupled to said one remote player device to said first biometric data, said biometric device being integrated with a button for making a game play selection within said one game such that operation of the button provides a single message,

wherein said single message automatically includes said second biometric data and automatically does not include said game play selection in response to being able to determine said game play selection based on a context provided by said game,

and wherein, second biometric data comprises multiple scans of a biometric feature averaged into a composite scan,

said controller of said website server being programmed to determine whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location based on a location determination by said portable location determination device, and

said controller of said website server being programmed to transfer operational control to one of said gaming servers further based on whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location.

2. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, further comprising an authentication server capable of being operatively coupled to said website server via said network;

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said authentication server data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player; and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to not transfer operational control to said one gaming server if said data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player indicates that said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device does not match said second biometric data of a registered player.

3. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said from said one remote player device data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player;

and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to not transfer operational control to said one gaming server if said data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player indicates that said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device does not match said first biometric data of a registered player.

4. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to determine whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location;

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to transfer operational control to one of said gaming servers further based on whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location; and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said one remote player device data indicative of a location of said one remote player device.

5. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein said biometric device comprises at least one of a fingerprint scanner, an eye scanner, a microphone coupled to a digital-to-analog converter, a camera.

6. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein a first game of a first gaming server and a second game of a second gaming server are the same type of game.

7. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein play of each game of said plurality of games is facilitated by only a corresponding one gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers.

8. A gaming system as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to select logon display data and to cause said logon display data to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices via said network when said one remote player device is operatively coupled to said website server;

and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to cause logon data received from said one remote player device to be stored in memory.

9. A gaming system as defined in claim 2, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said one remote player device said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device;

and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to transmit said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device to said authentication server.

10. A gaming system as defined in claim 2, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said authentication server data indicative of whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location.

11. A gaming system as defined in claim 10, wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to receive from said one remote player device said data indicative of a location of said one remote player device;

and

wherein said controller of said website server is programmed to transmit said data indicative of said location of said one remote player device to said authentication server.

12. A gaming system as defined in claim 6, wherein said first game comprises a single-hand poker game and wherein said second game comprises a multi-hand poker game.

13. A website server, comprising:

a controller that controls the operation of said website server, said controller comprising a processor, a memory, and an input/output circuit operatively coupled to said processor, said input/output circuit allowing data to be communicated between said website server and a plurality of remote player devices when said remote player devices are operatively coupled to said website server,

said controller being programmed to cause data representing a game selection display to be transmitted to said one remote player device prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server, said game selection display comprising a plurality of images, each image of said plurality of images representing a respective game of a plurality of games,

said controller being programmed to determine a game selection of a player at said one remote player device prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server, said game selection indicating one game of said plurality of games,

said controller being programmed to access first biometric data of a player to be registered obtained via a registration unit located in a controlled area;

said controller programmed to transfer operational control to a gaming server of a plurality of gaming servers based on said game selection and based on second biometric data obtained via a biometric device operatively coupled to said one remote player device, said one gaming server configured to facilitate play of said one game, said biometric device being integrated with a button for making a game play selection within said one game such that operation of the button provides a single message,

wherein said single message automatically includes said second biometric data and automatically does not include said game play selection in response to being able to determine said game play selection based on a context provided by said game,

and wherein said second biometric data comprises multiple scans of a biometric feature averaged into a composite scan, said second biometric data compared with the first biometric data of a registered player,

said controller programmed to determine whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location based on a location determination made by a portable location determination device removably coupled to said one remote player device and moveable between said remote player devices by said player, and

said controller programmed to transfer operational control to one of said gaming servers further based on whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location.

14. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from an authentication server operatively coupled to said website server data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player;

and

wherein said controller is programmed to not transfer operational control to said one gaming server if said data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player indicates that said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device does not match said first biometric data of a registered player.

15. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from said from said one remote player device data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player;

and

wherein said controller is programmed to not transfer operational control to said one gaming server if said data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player indicates that said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device does not match said first biometric data of a registered player.

16. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from said one remote player device data indicative of a location of said one remote player device.

17. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said biometric device comprises at least one of a fingerprint scanner, an eye scanner, a microphone coupled to a digital-to-analog converter, a camera.

18. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to transfer operational control to a first gaming server if said game selection is for a single-hand poker game and to transfer operational control to a second gaming server if said game selection is for a multi-hand poker game.

19. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to transfer operational control to a first gaming server if said game selection is for a first type of game and to transfer operational control to a second gaming server if said game selection is for a second type of game.

20. A website server as defined in claim 13, wherein said controller is programmed to select logon display data and to cause said logon display data to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices via said network when said one remote player device is operatively coupled to said website server;

and

wherein said controller is programmed to cause logon data received from said one remote player device to be stored in memory.

21. A website server as defined in claim 14, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from said one remote player device said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device;

and

wherein said controller is programmed to transmit said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device to said authentication server.

22. A website server as defined in claim 14, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from said authentication server data indicative of whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location.

23. A website server as defined in claim 22, wherein said controller is programmed to receive from said one remote player device said data indicative of a location of said one remote player device;

and

wherein said controller is programmed to transmit said data indicative of said location of said one remote player device to said authentication server.

24. A method of operating a website computing apparatus, comprising:

transmitting logon display data from said website computing apparatus to a remote player device via a network;

receiving player logon data from said remote player device via the network;

receiving first biometric data of a player to be registered via a registration unit located in a controlled environment;

transmitting data representing a game selection display to said remote player device via the network prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server, said game selection display comprising a first image representing a first game and a second image representing a second game;

determining a game selection of a player at said remote player device prior to the transfer of operational control to a gaming server, said game election indicating one game of said plurality of games;

transferring operational control to a gaming server of a plurality of gaming servers based on said game selection and based on a comparison of second biometric data obtained via a biometric device coupled to said remote player device to said first biometric data, said one gaming server configured to facilitate play of said one game, said biometric device being integrated with a button for making a game play selection within said one game such that operation of the button provides a single message,

wherein said single message automatically includes said second biometric data and automatically does not include said game play selection in response to being able to determine said game play selection based on a context provided by said game,

and wherein second biometric data comprises multiple scans of a biometric feature averaged into a composite scan;

determining whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location based on a location determination made by a portable location determination device removably coupled to said remote player device and moveable to other remote player devices by said player; and

transferring operational control to one of said gaming servers further based on whether said one remote player device is in a permitted location.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising receiving from an authentication server operatively coupled to said website server data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of a registered player;

and

wherein transferring operational control to said one gaming server comprises not transferring operational control to said one gaming server if said data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of the registered player indicates that said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device does not match said first biometric data of a registered player.

26. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

receiving data indicative of whether said remote player device is in a permitted location.

27. A method as defined in claim 24, receiving from said from said remote player device data indicative of whether said second biometric data obtained via said biometric device matches said first biometric data of the registered player.

28. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

receiving from said remote player device data indicative of a location of said remote player device.

29. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein said biometric device comprises at least one of a fingerprint scanner, an eye scanner, a microphone coupled to a digital-to-analog converter, a camera.

30. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein transferring operational control to said one gaming server comprises:

transferring operational control to a first gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers if said game selection is for a single-hand poker game; and

transferring operational control to a second gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers if said game selection is for a multi-hand poker game.

31. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein transferring operational control to said one gaming server comprises:

transferring operational control to a first gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers if said game selection is for a first type of game; and

transferring operational control to a second gaming server of said plurality of gaming servers if said game selection is for a second type of game.

32. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting logon data to said remote player device via said network;

receiving logon data from said remote player device via said network; and

causing logon data received from said remote player device to be stored in memory.

33. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising:

receiving from said remote player device said first biometric data obtained via said biometric device; and

transmitting said first biometric data obtained via said biometric device to said authentication server.

34. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising:

receiving from said remote player device data indicative of a location of said remote player device; and

transmitting said data indicative of said location of said remote player device to said authentication server.