Wagering game account management system

• US 8,419,527 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Grabiec, Jacek A., Gura, Damon E., Rathsack, Erhard W., Thomas, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US12/513,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A wagering game account management system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations include determining that a trigger condition for an account rule has occurred, wherein the account rule specifies an account action to be performed upon satisfaction of the trigger condition, and wherein the account action is associated with a wagering game account and other financial accounts. In some embodiments, the operations also include initiating the account actions and indicating a result of the account actions.

Claims

1. A machine-readable memory device including instructions executable by a machine, the instructions comprising:

instructions to present a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes,

graphical representations of one or more game session accounts and other accounts, wherein the one or more game session accounts and other accounts are associated with a wagering game player, and wherein funds in the one or more game session accounts appear on a credit meter of a wagering game machine and are available for use in one or more wagering games presented on the wagering game machine, and

account rule controls, wherein the account rule controls allow selection of an account rule and a trigger condition, wherein the account rule specifies an account action to be performed upon satisfaction of the trigger condition, wherein the account action is associated with one of the one or more game session accounts and the other accounts, and wherein the action comprises a transfer of funds between one of the one or more game session accounts and at least one of the other accounts;

instructions to detect an account selection via the GUI, the account selection to indicate one of the one or more game session accounts and one of the other accounts;

instructions to present, in the GUI, a graphical representation of transaction options associated with the account selection; and

instructions to detect, via the GUI, a request to perform a transaction, the detection based on input associated with the graphical representation of transaction options.

2. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more game session accounts are associated with a different one of the one or more wagering games, and wherein each different one of the one or more wagering games is presented in the GUI at the same time.

3. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more game session accounts is associated with a different wagering game, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to determine, based on the one or more game session accounts, which of the different wagering games has awarded the most money; and

instructions to present a message in the GUI indicating the one of the different wagering games has awarded the most money.

4. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of transaction options includes icons, and wherein the input indicates drag-and-drop operations involving the icons and the graphical representation of the wagering game account.

5. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to transmit the request to perform a transaction; and

instructions to present an indication that the transaction was successfully completed.

6. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, wherein the wagering game account includes monetary value available for use in placing a wager on a wagering game.

7. The machine-readable memory device of claim 1, wherein the other accounts include one or more of a checking account, savings account, charity account, and education account.

8. A method comprising:

detecting player input specifying player initiated configuration of an account rule and a trigger condition for the account rule, wherein the account rule specifies an account action to be performed upon satisfaction of the trigger condition, wherein the account action is associated with a wagering game account and at least one other financial account, wherein the account action comprises a transfer of funds from the at least one other financial account to the wagering game account, and wherein the wagering game account includes monetary value available for use as credits on a wagering game machine;

detecting the player initiated configuration of the account rule and the trigger condition;

determining that the trigger condition for the account rule has occurred;

performing the account action; and

indicating a result of the account action on the wagering game machine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the account action prohibits some financial transactions for a specified duration.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the account action specifies a financial transaction involving the wagering game account and the at least one other financial account.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the account action includes contacting a financial institution computer associated with the at least one other financial account.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger condition is based on results of a wagering game.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger condition is selected from the set of trigger conditions comprising a time, a balance of the wagering game account, a balance of the at least one other financial account, and an amount wagered in a wagering game.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the account rule in a format suitable for presentation in a graphical user interface;

detecting a request to modify the account rule, wherein the request indicates changes to at least one of the trigger condition and the account action;

modifying the account rule based on the request.

15. A system comprising:

a wagering game machine including,

an account manager configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) including menus for creating an account rule, wherein the account rule includes a trigger condition, and wherein the account rule

specifies an account action to be performed upon satisfaction of the trigger condition, wherein the account action is associated with a wagering game account and other accounts, and wherein the action comprises a transfer of funds between the wagering game account and at least one of the other accounts,

account icons indicating the other financial accounts and currency icons indicating currency associated with the other financial accounts, wherein the account and currency icons are configured to, upon drag-and-drop activation, facilitate transfers of the currency between the other financial accounts and the wagering game account;

an external system interface configured to transmit the account rule; and

a wagering game unit configured to present wagering games in which funding for wagers is drawn from the wagering game account;

an account controller configured to receive the account rule and to initiate the financial transaction upon satisfaction of the condition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the account controller is further configured to detect when the financial transaction is complete and to transmit a notification that the financial transaction is complete to the wagering game machine.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the wagering game account is associated with a game session, and wherein the balance of the wagering game account appears in a credit meter that is visible during the wagering games.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the financial transaction is a transfer of funds between the wagering game account and one of the other financial accounts.

19. The system of claim 15, where the wagering game is further configured to notify the account manager about results of the wagering games, and wherein the condition is based on the results.

20. The system of claim 15, the condition indicates an amount of winnings.