Screen capture to a mobile device

• US 8,827,813 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lemay, Steven G., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, BACH V
• Application Number:
  US13/333,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users

Abstract

A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled mobile devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system can be configured to convert a presentation of an outcome of a wager-based game played on an electronic gaming machine (EGM) into a social media presentation that can be uploaded to a social media site. In one embodiment, a copy of an image showing the outcome of the wager-based that is output on an EGM can be incorporated into the social media presentation. Then, the social media presentation can be uploaded from the EGM to a player'"'"'s mobile device or directly to a social media site.

Claims

1. A method in a wager-based electronic gaming machine (EGM) including a game controller and a communication interface, the method comprising:

receiving in the game controller an input signal indicating a wager for a wager-based game by a player of the EGM;

determining in the game controller an outcome to the wager-based game including an award amount;

generating in the game controller a plurality of commands for controlling output devices coupled to the game controller to generate a presentation for the wager-based game on the EGM that reveals and outputs the determined game outcome to the wager-based game;

establishing a direct communication connection between an electronic device controlled by the player and the communication interface of the EGM through an application being executed on the electronic device, the application having account information relating to a social media account of the player for a social media site;

receiving, by the game controller and from the electronic device via the application, a request to generate a social media presentation based on the wager-based game, the request including a parameter that affects how the social media presentation will be processed by the social media site;

selecting in the game controller the wager-based game for the social media presentation wherein the social media presentation is configured so that it can be viewed on a device separate from the EGM;

generating in the game controller one or more social media presentation objects for use in the social media presentation wherein the one or more social media presentation objects include a visual representation of the outcome including the award amount, the visual representation similar to the outcome output on the EGM; and

sending electronically a copy of the one or more social media presentation objects via the direct communication connection to the electronic device for publishing the one or more social media presentation objects or the social media presentation to the social media site via the application on the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving social media account information and sending electronically the one or more social media presentation objects to a remote device hosting the social media account associated with the social media account information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selected social media account and receiving the social media account information for the selected social media account.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving player tracking account information, sending the player tracking account information to a remote server, wherein the social media account information is received from the remote server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output on mechanical reels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes photographic images of each of the mechanical reels as viewed through a front of the EGM in positions showing symbols corresponding to the determined outcome to the wager-based game displayed on the mechanical reels.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes graphical renditions of the mechanical reels as viewed through a front of the EGM in positions showing symbols corresponding to the determined outcome to the wager-based game displayed on the mechanical reels.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a bonus portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output on a mechanical device separate from the mechanical reels and wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes a photographic image of the mechanical device in a position corresponding to the bonus portion or a graphical rendition of the mechanical device in the position corresponding to the bonus portion.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a bonus portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output to a video display and wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes a copy of a frame output to the video display.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output on a video display and wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes a copy of a frame output to the video display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output on a video display and wherein the visual representation of the outcome output on the EGM includes a copy of a video clip output to the video display.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

an audio clip including corresponding sounds output on the EGM when the video clip is output.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the presentation for the wager-based game is output to at least two display layers aligned with one another such that a first layer is visible through a second layer wherein the one or more social media objects include a first visual representation of a first output in the first layer, a second visual representation of a second output in the second layer, or a combined visual representation of the outcome in both the first layer and the second layer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

combining the combined visual representation of the first output in the first layer and the second output in the second layer into a single image.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least two display layers are both output to video displays.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first layer is output to a mechanical reel display and the second layer is output to a video display.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating the social media presentation from the social media presentation objects and sending an electronic copy of the social media presentation to the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a threshold win amount from the portable electronic device;

determining that the outcome to the wager-based game exceeds the threshold win amount; and

in response to determining that the outcome to the wager-based game exceeds the threshold win amount, performing the step of selecting in the game controller the wager-based game for the social media presentation.

18. A wager-based electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:

a cabinet;

a communication interface configured to communicate with portable electronic devices of players of the EGM;

a game controller including a processor and a memory configured to;

receive an input signal from an input device on the EGM indicating a wager for a wager-based game by a player of the EGM;

determine an outcome to the wager-based game including an award amount;

generate a plurality of commands for controlling output devices coupled to the game controller to generate a presentation for the wager-based game that reveals the determined outcome to the wager-based game;

establish a direct communication connection between an electronic device controlled by the player and the communication interface through an application being executed on the electronic device, the application having account information relating to a social media account of the player for a social media site;

receive, from the electronic device via the application, a request to generate a social media presentation based on the wager-based game, the request including a parameter that affects how the social media presentation will be processed by the social media site;

select the wager-based game for the social media presentation wherein the social media presentation is configured so that it can be viewed on a device separate from the EGM;

generate one or more social media presentation objects for use in the social media presentation wherein the one or more social media presentation objects include a visual representation of the outcome including the award amount, the visual representation similar to the outcome output on the EGM; and

send an electronic copy of the one or more social media presentation objects or the social media presentation via the direct communication connection to the electronic device for publishing the one or more social media presentation objects or the secoial media presentation via the application on the electronic device;

at least one display for outputting the determined outcome to the wager-based game coupled to the cabinet.