Mobile gaming devices for use in a gaming network having gaming and non-gaming zones

• US 8,858,323 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Underdahl, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/330,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20120094769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/29, 463 39- 42
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

Novel gaming networks, devices, and systems for enabling game play on wireless, mobile gaming devices based on the location of the device are described. A mobile gaming device can be used for wagering game play when the device is physically present in an authorized game play zone in a gaming environment and is used by an authorized and verified user. A gaming environment is divided into zones wherein a zone either allows wagering game play on a device or does not. A zone has multiple transmitters that transmit security signals that are detectable by a mobile device at all times while the device is in the zone. An appropriate wireless communication standard can be used to transmit the security signal, such as near-field magnetic communication. The device has at least one user identification and authentication mechanism to ensure that only an authorized user is using the device.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a wager gaming zone in the network including a first plurality of transmitters, wherein a mobile gaming device is configured to play a wagering game in the wager gaming zone, and wherein the first plurality of transmitters includes near-field magnetic transmitters;

a non-wager gaming zone in the network including a second plurality of transmitters, wherein the mobile gaming device is configured to be inoperable to play the wagering game in the non-wager gaming zone, wherein the mobile gaming device is configured for non-wager gaming activities in the non-wager gaming zone, and wherein the mobile device is configured to be disabled when not in a zone in the network; and

a mobile gaming server.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of transmitters further includes radio frequency transmitters.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of transmitters includes near-field magnetic transmitters.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of transmitters includes radio frequency transmitters.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the mobile gaming device includes a communication interface configured to detect a wireless signal.

6. The network of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is a radio frequency interface thereby enabling detection of a radio frequency signal by the mobile gaming device.

7. The network of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is a near-field magnetic interface thereby enabling detection of a near-field magnetic signal by the mobile gaming device.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the wager gaming zone is one or more of a casino floor, a bar in a gaming establishment, and a nightclub in the gaming establishment.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the non-wager gaming zone is one or more of a video arcade in a gaming establishment, a hotel room in the gaming establishment, and an area in the gaming establishment that is normally occupied by individuals over a legal wager gaming age and by individuals under the legal wager gaming age.

10. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a hub configured to operate between the first plurality of transmitters and the mobile gaming server.

11. The network of claim 10, wherein the hub is one of a near-field magnetic hub and a radio frequency hub.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein the mobile gaming server includes a first database configured to store associations between a user identifier and a mobile gaming device identifier.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the mobile gaming server includes a second database configured to store associations between the mobile gaming device identifier and one or more zones.

14. The network of claim 13, wherein the mobile gaming server includes a third database configured to store zone-specific data and to store device-specific data.

15. A network comprising:

a plurality of transmitters, a transmitter configured to transmit a wireless signal, wherein the plurality of transmitters includes near-field magnetic transmitters;

a plurality of mobile gaming devices, a mobile gaming device configured to receive the wireless signal;

a first zone in the network, wherein the first zone is a wager gaming zone, and wherein the mobile gaming device is operable for wager gaming activities in the first zone;

a second zone in the network, wherein the second zone is a non-wager gaming zone, wherein the mobile gaming device is operable for non-wager gaming activities in the second zone, wherein the mobile device is inoperable for wager gaming activities in the second zone, and wherein the mobile gaming device is configured to be disabled when not in a zone in the network; and

a mobile gaming server.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein the mobile gaming device includes a near-field magnetic communication interface configured to receive a near-field magnetic wireless signal.

17. The network of claim 15, wherein the mobile gaming device includes a radio frequency communication interface configured to receive a radio frequency wireless signal.

18. The network of claim 15, further comprising:

a third zone in the network, wherein the third zone is a temporary wager gaming zone; and

a fourth zone in the network, wherein the fourth zone is a partial wager gaming zone.

19. The network of claim 15, wherein the second zone is configured to enable access on the mobile gaming device to non-gaming services and to non-wagering games.

20. A method comprising:

transmitting a first zone near-field magnetic wireless signal to a mobile gaming device when the mobile gaming device is in a first zone of a network;

transmitting a second zone wireless signal to the mobile gaming device when the mobile gaming device is in a second zone of the network;

enabling wagering game play on the mobile gaming device when the mobile gaming device is in the first zone;

enabling non-gaming services and disabling wagering game play on the mobile gaming device when the mobile gaming device is in the second zone; and

disabling the mobile gaming device when the mobile gaming device is not in a zone of the network.

21. A network comprising:

a plurality of near-field magnetic transmitters, the plurality of near-field magnetic transmitters defining a first zone and a second zone;

a mobile gaming server; and

a plurality of mobile devices, a mobile device including a near-field magnetic receiver and configured to execute wagering games, wherein the plurality of near-field magnetic transmitters are configured to emit near-field magnetic signals configured to be received by the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is operable for wager gaming activities in the first zone, wherein mobile device is operable for non-wager gaming activities and inoperable for wager gaming activities in the second zone, and wherein the mobile device is configured to be disabled when not in a zone defined by the plurality of near-field magnetic transmitters.

22. The network of claim 21 further comprising:

a near-field magnetic hub configured to operate between a near-field magnetic transmitter and the mobile gaming server, and configured to convert a near-field magnetic signal from the gaming server to a near-field magnetic transmission to be transmitted by the near-field magnetic transmitter.

23. The network of claim 21, wherein the mobile device includes a near-field magnetic transmitter.