Intelligent player tracking card and wagering token tracking techniques

• US 8,616,984 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mattice, Harold E., Harris, Roger William, Moser, Timothy W., Schneider, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GARNER, WERNER G
• Application Number:
  US12/414,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/40, 463 42- 43, 463/47
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

Wireless communications among devices in a wager-based gaming environment are provided, including between an RFID-enabled player tracking card (or “smart card”) and an electronic wagering token. Wireless communications between the smart card and a plurality of electronic wagering tokens may be periodically initiated. Electronic wagering tokens which are detected as being within possession or control of a patron in possession of the smart card may be tracked during various events. Electronic wagering tokens which are within possession or control of the patron of the may be detected and identified. Token-owner association information which includes information relating to an ownership association between the patron and the electronic wagering token may be generated.

Claims

1. A system for use in a wager-based gaming environment, the system comprising:

an RFID-enabled smart card;

a first plurality of electronic wagering tokens each configured to engage in direct wireless communication with the smart card;

the smart card further comprising;

a first processor;

at least one transceiver;

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a first rechargeable, portable power source; and

a first charging circuit electrically coupled to the first rechargeable power source, the first charging circuit being configured to recharge the first rechargeable power source by distributing power acquired from an external source;

the smart card being configured to periodically initiate direct wireless communication with at least a portion of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the smart card is configured to periodically scan for a presence of electronic wagering tokens which are located within a predefined proximity of the smart card.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the smart card is configured to;

determine an identity of at least one electronic wagering token which is detected to be within the predefined proximity of the smart card; and

provide, to an external device, wagering token inventory information, wherein the wagering token inventory information includes information relating to at least one identity of the at least one electronic wagering token which was detected as being located within the predefined proximity of the smart card during a first time interval.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart card further comprises:

a memory; and

the smart card is further configured to;

periodically scan for a presence of electronic wagering tokens which are located within a predefined proximity of the smart card;

determine an identity of at least one electronic wagering token which is detected to be within the predefined proximity of the smart card;

generate wagering token inventory information, wherein the wagering token inventory information includes information relating to at least one identity of at least one electronic wagering token which was detected as being located within the predefined proximity of the smart card during a first time interval; and

store at least a portion of the wagering token inventory information in the memory.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first external device which is different from the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens, the first external device being configured to engage in wireless communication with the smart card;

the smart card being configured to;

receive data communications from at least one of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens; and

transmit, using the at least one transceiver, at least a portion of the received data communications to the first external device.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first remote device which is different from the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens, the first external device being configured to engage in wireless communication with the smart card;

the smart card being configured to;

receive a first data communication from a first electronic wagering token, wherein the first data communication includes signal strength information relating to at least one wireless signal generated by at least one external device which was detected by the first electronic wagering token during a first time interval; and

provide at least a portion of the received signal strength information to the first remote device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the smart card is configured to periodically detect and identify electronic wagering tokens which are within possession or control of a first person during a first time interval.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the smart card is configured to periodically detect and identify electronic wagering tokens which are detected as being within a given patron'"'"'s predefined personal space.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the smart card is configured to:

transmit instructions to an identified electronic wagering token for causing a first feature or component to be enabled at the identified electronic wagering token; and

transmit instructions to the identified electronic wagering token for causing the first feature or component to be disabled at the identified electronic wagering token.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region, and at least one non-gaming region, wherein

each of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens is configured to engage in direct wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment;

the system being configured to;

perform real-time tracking of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens throughout the live casino gaming environment, including the at least one authorized gaming region and the at least one non-gaming region.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region, and at least one non-gaming region, the system further comprising:

each of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens is configured to engage in wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment;

the system being configured to;

perform tracking of electronic wagering tokens which are detected as being within possession or control of a first patron during at least one event selected from a group consisting of;

an event relating to the first patron entering the at least one authorized gaming region of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the first patron exiting the at least one authorized gaming region of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the first patron initiating start of a first gaming session at a gaming device or gaming table of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to a location of the first patron being detected as being within a predefined proximity to the gaming device or gaming table of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the closing of the first gaming session, and an event relating to the location of the first patron being detected as no longer being within the predefined proximity to the gaming device or gaming table.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region, and at least one non-gaming region, the system further comprising:

each of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens is configured to engage in wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment;

the system being configured to;

determine an identity of a first patron whose presence is detected at the live casino gaming environment;

periodically detect and identify electronic wagering tokens which are within possession or control of the first patron of the live casino gaming environment during at least one time interval; and

generate, in response to detecting and identifying a presence of a first electronic wagering token which is determined to be within possession or control of the first patron, token-owner association information which includes information relating to a first ownership association between the first patron and the first electronic wagering token.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart card is a player tracking card.

14. A method comprising:

periodically initiating a direct wireless communication between a smart card and at least a portion of a first plurality of electronic wagering tokens, the smart card configured to operate as a multi-band frequency transceiver device;

wherein the operation of the smart card as the multi-band frequency transceiver device includes;

(i) transmitting, from the smart card, wireless signals associated with selected frequency bands of an electromagnetic spectrum; and

(ii) receiving, at the smart card, wireless signals associated with selected frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum; and

wherein the selected frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum include frequency bands selected from a group consisting of;

Low Frequency band signals having an associated frequency range of 30 kHz to 300 kHz, and High Frequency band signals having an associated frequency range of 3 MHz to 30 MHz.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

periodically scanning, using the smart card, for a presence of electronic wagering tokens which are located within a predefined proximity of the smart card.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

periodically scanning, using the smart card, for a presence of electronic wagering tokens which are located within a predefined proximity of the smart card;

determining, at the smart card, an identity of at least one electronic wagering token which is detected to be within the predefined proximity of the smart card; and

providing, from the smart card to an external device, wagering token inventory information, wherein the wagering token inventory information includes information relating to at least one identity of the at least one electronic wagering token which was detected as being located within the predefined proximity of the smart card during a first time interval.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

periodically scanning, using the smart card, for a presence of electronic wagering tokens which are located within a predefined proximity of the smart card;

determining, at the smart card, an identity of at least one electronic wagering token which is detected to be within the predefined proximity of the smart card;

generating, at the smart card, wagering token inventory information, wherein the wagering token inventory information includes information relating to at least one identity of at least one electronic wagering token which was detected as being located within the predefined proximity of the smart card during a first time interval; and

storing at least a portion of the wagering token inventory information at a local memory of the smart card.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, at the smart card, data communications from at least one of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens configured or designed to engage in direct wireless communication with the smart card; and

transmitting, using the multiband frequency transceiver device, at least a portion of the received data communications to a first remote device which is configured or designed to engage in wireless communication with the smart card.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, at the smart card, a first data communication from a first electronic wagering token, wherein the first data communication includes signal strength information relating to at least one wireless signal generated by at least one external device which was detected by the first electronic wagering token during a first time interval; and

providing at least a portion of the received signal strength information to a first remote device which is configured or designed to engage in wireless communication with the smart card.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

periodically detecting and identifying, using the smart card, electronic wagering tokens which are within possession or control of a first person during a first time interval.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

periodically detecting and identifying, using the smart card, electronic wagering tokens which are detected as being within a given patron'"'"'s predefined personal space.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, using the smart card, instructions to an identified electronic wagering token for causing a first feature or component to be enabled at the identified electronic wagering token; and

transmitting, using the smart card, instructions to the identified electronic wagering token for causing the first feature or component to be disabled at the identified electronic wagering token.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region and at least one non-gaming region, the live casino gaming environment including a first plurality of electronic wagering tokens configured to engage in wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment, the method further comprising:

performing real-time tracking of the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens throughout the live casino gaming environment, including the at least one authorized gaming region and the at least one non-gaming region.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region and at least one non-gaming region, the live casino gaming environment including the first plurality of electronic wagering tokens configured to engage in wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment, the method further comprising:

performing tracking of electronic wagering tokens which are detected as being within possession or control of a first patron during at least one event selected from a group consisting of;

an event relating to the first patron entering the at least one authorized gaming region of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the first patron exiting the at least one authorized gaming region of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the first patron initiating start of a first gaming session at a gaming device or gaming table of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to a location of the first patron being detected as being within a predefined proximity to the gaming device or gaming table of the live casino gaming environment, an event relating to the closing of the first gaming session, and an event relating to the location of the first patron being detected as no longer being within the predefined proximity to the gaming device or gaming table.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is implemented at a live casino gaming environment which includes at least one authorized gaming region and at least one non-gaming region, the live casino gaming environment including a first plurality of electronic wagering tokens configured to engage in wireless communication with at least one remote device at the live casino gaming environment, the method further comprising:

determining an identity of a first patron whose presence is detected at the live casino gaming environment;

periodically detecting and identifying electronic wagering tokens which are within possession or control of the first patron of the live casino gaming environment during at least one time interval; and

generating, in response to detecting and identifying a presence of a first electronic wagering token which is determined to be within possession or control of the first patron, token-owner association information which includes information relating to a first ownership association between the first patron and the first electronic wagering token.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the smart card is a player tracking card.