System and method for collecting and using player information

• US 8,246,466 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Hardy, Dow K., Acres, John F., Taylor, John E. Jr., Weller, Scott N., Lichtenberger, Francis Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Richards, N Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGAL, ANKUSH K
• Application Number:
  US12/345,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090170608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players

Abstract

A distributed computer system is provided for collecting player information. Further, a scoring system is provided that rates a player based on one or more elements of the collected information. Players may be rated with respect to a number of characteristics. Responsive to a determined rating or score, action may be taken by the distributed system with regard to the player. For instance, the player may be provided a complimentary offer, provided an award, and invitation to come to a gambling location, presented an advertisement, or other action may be performed involving the player. Further, the distributed computer system may permit a player to manage their frequent player accounts and receive complimentary offers based on a set of criteria specified by the player.

Claims

1. In a distributed computer system including a social network, a method for administering a social network, the method comprising acts of:

providing a component that is selectively associated with a member'"'"'s social networking content; and

providing at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to a determination of a quality level of the social network of the member associated with the component wherein the quality level of the social network is determined by the percentage of the number of relations the member has on the social network who have the component on their respective pages of the social network; and

further comprising an act of permitting another member to perform an act with respect to the component, and responsive to the act, providing at least one of an entry to a game or an award to the member.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the award includes loyalty points awarded to a loyalty program account of the member.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component includes a widget that is placed by the member on a member page accessible through the social network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game includes a sweepstakes.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to another member including the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s page on the another member'"'"'s page accessible through the social network.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of presenting an interface that permits an administrator of the game or the award to manage an administration of the game or the award.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an act of awarding the member one or more entries into the sweepstakes responsive to one or more actions performed with respect to the component.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an act of presenting an interface to the member that indicates information regarding the sweepstakes.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a processor performs a method for administering a social network in a distributed computer system, the method comprising acts of:

providing a component that is selectively associated with a member'"'"'s social networking content; and

providing at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to a determination of a quality level of a social network of the member associated with the component wherein the quality level of the social network is determined by the percentage of the number of relations the member has on the social network who have the component on their respective pages of the social network; and

further comprising an act of permitting another member to perform an act with respect to the component, and responsive to the act, providing at least one of an entry to a game or an award to the member.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the award includes loyalty points awarded to a loyalty program account of the member.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the component includes a widget that is placed by the member on a member page accessible through the social network.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the game includes a sweepstakes.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising an act of providing at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to another member including the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s page on the another member'"'"'s page accessible through the social network.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising an act of presenting an interface that permits an administrator of the game or the award to manage an administration of the game or the award.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, further comprising an act of awarding the member one or more entries into the sweepstakes responsive to one or more actions performed with respect to the component.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, further comprising an act of presenting an interface to the member that indicates information regarding the sweepstakes.

17. A computer system for administering a social network, the system comprising:

a social network;

a component that is selectively associated with a member'"'"'s social networking content in the social network; and

a component adapted to provide at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to a determination of a quality level of a social network of the member associated with the component wherein the quality level of the social network is determined by the percentage of the number of relations the member has on the social network who have the component on their respective pages of the social network; and

further comprising a component adapted to permit another member to perform an act with respect to the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s social networking content, and responsive to the act, providing at least one of an entry to a game or an award to the member.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the award includes loyalty points awarded to a loyalty program account of the member.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s social networking content includes a widget that is placed by the member on a member page accessible through the social network.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the game includes a sweepstakes.

21. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a component adapted to award the member one or more entries into the sweepstakes responsive to the one or more actions performed with respect to the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s social networking content.

22. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a component adapted to provide at least one of a game or an award to the member responsive to another member including the component selectively associated with the member'"'"'s social networking content on the another member'"'"'s page accessible through the social network.

23. The system according to claim 17, further comprising an interface that permits an administrator of the game or the award to manage an administration of the game or the award.

24. The system according to claim 20, further comprising an interface that indicates information regarding the sweepstakes.