Dynamic casino tracking and optimization

• US 8,430,749 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne R., Williams, Richard C., Rowe, Richard E., Moser, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/655,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 39- 42
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• 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 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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

Gaming establishment patrons may be categorized and responsive services and features presented whether or not the patrons (or their companions) are known. Gaming and non-gaming activities of a patron may be identified and tracked. Information from various private and/or public databases accessible by a gaming establishment, may be used for patron ranking and to determine offers, goods and services that may be targeted to a patron.

Claims

1. A system for providing gaming services, comprising:

a plurality of biometric devices for obtaining biometric data regarding people in or near a gaming establishment, the biometric devices configured for communication with other devices via a network;

an RFID network configured to track, by receiving an RF signal from a player tracking media carried by a person, the person'"'"'s location as the person moves to any location within the gaming establishment; and

a server, comprising;

at least one network interface configured for communication with the network; and

at least one logic device configured to do the following;

obtain biometric data from the person via the network interface using at least one of the biometric devices;

obtain, from a database, player indicia relating to the biometric data;

dynamically determine a rank of the person according to the player indicia and the person'"'"'s location;

and

determine whether to provide a benefit to the person according to the dynamically determined rank.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one logic device is configured to determine the person'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment and to rank the person based, at least in part, on the expected economic value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of biometric devices comprises a plurality of cameras configured to transmit player images to facial recognition software.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of biometric devices comprises a plurality of fingerprint scanners.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is a player loyalty system database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one logic device assigns a rank to the patron, the rank depending at least in part on the patron'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment.

35. The system of claim 2, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data and wherein at least one logic device is configured to obtain relatively more facial image data for a first patron who is categorized as having a relatively higher expected economic value and to obtain relatively less facial image data for a second patron who is categorized as having a relatively lower expected economic value.

36. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to obtain facial image data from the person a number of times, the number of times being a function of estimated value of the person.

37. The system of claim 7, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data and wherein at least one logic device is configured to obtain relatively more facial image data for patrons having a relatively higher rank.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tracking device comprises a portable gaming device associated with the person.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data received from at least one camera, the first player indicia comprise player identity indicia identifying the person, and the at least one logic device is further configured to do the following:

obtain the player identity indicia by comparing selected facial features in the image data with stored facial recognition data; and

rank the person according to the player identity indicia.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the at least one logic device is further configured to determine an expected economic value of the person to the gaming establishment, wherein the expected economic value is based upon the first player indicia.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the expected economic value of the person is proportional to an amount of currency spent by the person at the gaming establishment.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the expected economic value of the person is proportional to an amount of currency wagered by the person at the gaming establishment.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the expected economic value of the person is based on at least one location visited by the patron.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one logic device is further configured to:

acquire additional biometric data when the expected economic value of the person is above a threshold value and the identity of the person is unknown; and

attempt to identify the person based on the additional biometric data.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one logic device is further configured to spend relatively more computational time and effort identifying the person when the person is categorized as having a relatively higher expected economic value, and to spend relatively less computational time and effort identifying the person when the person is categorized as having a relatively lower expected economic value.

8. A method of providing gaming services, comprising:

obtaining, from a database, first player indicia relating to biometric data, said biometric data being received from at least one of a plurality of biometric devices for obtaining biometric data regarding people in or near a gaming establishment, the biometric devices configured for communication with other devices via a network, the first player indicia identifying a person in or near the gaming establishment without reliance on the person'"'"'s voluntary participation in a player loyalty system;

tracking the person'"'"'s location based upon information received by an RFID network configured to track, via an RF signal from a player tracking media carried by the person, the person'"'"'s location as the person moves to any location within the gaming establishment;

dynamically determining a rank of the person according to the first player indicia and the person'"'"'s location; and

determining whether to provide at least one of a good or a service to the person according to the dynamically determined rank.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining biometric data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the player loyalty system comprises a card-based player tracking system.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining from a database second player indicia corresponding to the first player indicia; and

categorizing the person according to the second player indicia.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the good or service comprises a comp or enhanced personal service.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first player indicia include one or more of clothing indicia, jewelry indicia, personal association indicia, tipping indicia and purchasing indicia.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the ranking step comprises a determination of the person'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the ranking step comprises assigning a rank to the person, the rank depending at least in part on the person'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising tracking the person'"'"'s location outside the vicinity of the gaming establishment within range of the RFID reading device.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating a code with the first player indicia.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the ranking and determining steps are performed dynamically.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the first player indicia include one or more of automobile indicia, clothing indicia, jewelry indicia, personal association indicia, tipping indicia and purchasing indicia.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the database is a voluntary player loyalty system database.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the database is a publicly available database.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of obtaining second player indicia is performed in response to obtaining the first player indicia.

46. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one tracking device comprises a portable gaming device associated with the person.

47. The method of claim 8, wherein the first player indicia comprise facial image data received from at least one camera, the method further comprising:

obtaining player identity indicia regarding the person by comparing selected facial features in the image data with stored facial recognition data; and

rank the person according to the first player indicia and the player identity indicia.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising spending relatively more computational time and effort identifying the person when the person is categorized as having a relatively higher expected economic value, and spending relatively less computational time and effort identifying the person when the person is categorized as having a relatively lower expected economic value.

49. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one biometric device comprises at least one camera.

50. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one biometric device comprises at least one fingerprint scanner.

24. A system for providing gaming services, comprising:

means for obtaining, from a database, first player indicia relating to biometric data, said biometric data being received from at least one of a plurality of biometric devices for obtaining biometric data regarding people in or near a gaming establishment, the biometric devices configured for communication with other devices via a network, the first player indicia obtained from a person in or near the gaming establishment without reliance on the person'"'"'s voluntary participation in a player loyalty system;

means for tracking the person'"'"'s location based upon information received by an RFID network configured to track, via an RF signal from a player tracking media carried by the person, the person'"'"'s location as the person moves to any location within the gaming establishment;

means for dynamically determining a rank of the person according to the first player indicia and the person'"'"'s location; and

means for determining whether to provide at least one good or service to the person according to the dynamically determined rank.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the player loyalty system comprises a player tracking system.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for obtaining from a database second player indicia corresponding to the first player indicia; and

means for ranking the person according to the first player indicia and the second player indicia.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the ranking means comprises means for determining the person'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the ranking means comprises means for assigning a rank to the person, the rank depending at least in part on the person'"'"'s expected economic value to the gaming establishment.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for tracking the person'"'"'s location while the person is within, or in the vicinity of, the gaming establishment.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for associating a code with the first player indicia.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the biometric data comprise facial image data.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the database is a voluntary player loyalty system database.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the database is a publicly available database.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for obtaining second player indicia is activated in response to obtaining the first player indicia.