System for electronic game promotion

• US 8,348,750 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jordan, R. Jeffrey, Boyd, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US12/616,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463 16- 20, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A printer on a networked gaming device can be controlled by the network to generate awards. The printer can operate as both a typical printer in a gaming device and as a printer for the gaming network, or separate printers can be installed in the gaming device. If the particular player has identified himself or herself to the gaming network, then the gaming system has a very high probability that it is communicating to a known player. Therefore, the printer operates as a direct communication conduit to a player. Additionally, previously issued awards can be redeemed by a validator coupled to the gaming network.

Claims

1. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices coupled over a network;

an award server coupled to the network, the award server including non-player specific parameters and the award server configured to implement a procedure for making an award in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network based on the non-player specific parameters, wherein the non-player specific parameters are award types or trigger conditions associated with an unidentified player;

a player tracking device configured to determine an identity of a player at a selected gaming device;

a player database configured to store player tracking data associated with an identified player;

a game play tracker configured to track game play across the network of gaming devices and detect a trigger condition by accessing data on the network, said award server configured to send out a selection signal over the network to the selected gaming device responsive to the detected trigger condition to provide an award at the selected gaming device, in excess of any award established by a pay table of the selected gaming device, wherein the type of award or trigger condition is based on whether the identity of the player is known or not and wherein the non-player specific parameters in the award server are overwritten if there is player tracking data associated with an identified player stored in the player database such that the award or trigger condition is based on the identity of the player; and

a printer associated with the selected gaming device, said printer structured to generate printed output indicating said award responsive to receipt of said selection signal, said printer including a first port configured to receive, from game electronics of the selected gaming device, cash data indicative of information to be printed on a voucher and a second port configured to receive said selection signal from said award server for printing of said printed output.

2. The gaming machine award system of claim 1, wherein said printed output is a ticket having printed indicia on the ticket indicating said award and printed electronic identification associated with said printed indicia in a database coupled to the gaming network.

3. The gaming machine award system of claim 2, further including a ticket reader at each of the gaming devices adapted to read said printed electronic identification and redeem said award at said gaming device.

4. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, further including a validator configured to be used to add credits to a player account balance responsive to an insertion of the ticket into the ticket reader.

5. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits are redeemable.

6. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits can be used to reimburse a played wager.

7. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits can be used to play a game.

8. A method for printing tickets at gaming devices that are interconnected by a gaming network to a host computer, the method comprising:

using data accessible in the gaming network to create a trigger condition;

storing said trigger condition and non-player specific parameters for making an award in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network at the host computer, wherein the non-player specific parameters are award types associated with an unidentified player;

tracking game play across the network of gaming devices;

determining whether an identity of a player at a selected gaming device is known;

storing player tracking data associated with an identified player in a player database;

detecting said trigger condition and sending out a selection signal over the network to the selected gaming device responsive to the detected trigger condition, to provide an award at the selected gaming device not based on a pay table of a gaming device in the gaming network, wherein the type of award or trigger condition is based on whether the identity of the player is known or not and wherein the non-player specific parameters in the host computer are overwritten if there is player tracking data associated with an identified player stored in the player database such that the award or trigger condition is based on the identity of the player; and

generating printed output indicating said award responsive to receipt of said selection signal at a first port of a printer and generating a printed voucher indicative of cash data responsive to receipt of a signal from game electronics of the selected gaming device at a second port of said printer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating printed output comprises generating a ticket at the selected gaming device.

10. The method of claim 8, further including accepting the printed output at a gaming device and awarding a bonus associated with said printed output.

11. The method of claim 10, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account at the selected gaming device.

12. The method of claim 10, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a playable-only credits meter at the selected gaming device.

13. The method of claim 10, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account only if the printed output was accepted at the gaming device within a redeemable time period.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the redeemable time period includes a preestablished start time that occurs after a time at which the printed matter was generated at the selected gaming device.

15. A gaming device award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices coupled over a network;

an award server coupled to the network, the award server including non-player specific parameters and the award server configured to implement a procedure for making an award in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network based on the non-player specific parameters, wherein the non-player specific parameters are award types or trigger conditions associated with an unidentified player;

a player tracking device configured to determine an identity of a player at a selected gaming device;

a player database configured to store player tracking data associated with an identified player;

a game play tracker configured and arranged to track game play across the network of gaming devices and to detect a trigger condition created using data accessible in the gaming network wherein a selection signal is provided at the selected gaming device in response to the detected trigger condition to provide an award at the selected gaming device, in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network, wherein the type of award or trigger condition is based on whether the identity of the player is known or not and wherein the non-player specific parameters in the award server are overwritten if there is player tracking data associated with an identified player stored in the player database such that the award or trigger condition is based on the identity of the player; and

a printer associated with the selected gaming device, the printer structured to generate printed output responsive to receipt of the selection signal to indicate the award, said printer including a first port configured to receive, from game electronics of the selected gaming device, cash data indicative of information to be printed on a voucher and a second port configured to receive the selection signal for printing of said printed output.