Mobile applications and wagering game machines

• US 9,235,953 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Earley, Edward Q., Gagner, Mark B., Gura, Damon E., Louie, Daniel P.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US13/804,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20130337890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method includes presenting a wagering game at a wagering game machine. The method includes establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device. The method also includes, in response to a wagering game player satisfying a wagering game criteria when playing the wagering game, enabling access to content on the mobile device, wherein the content is based on a context resulting from the wagering game player playing the wagering game.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting at least one wagering game at a wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing the at least one wagering game, the wagering game machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices;

establishing, using a wireless communications device of the wagering game machine, a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device, after the mobile device is within a wireless communication range of the wagering game machine;

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

initiating the at least one wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

in response to a wagering game criteria being satisfied after initiation of the at least one wagering game and after establishing the wireless communication, authorizing access to content on the mobile device based on a context of the at least one wagering game at the wagering game machine, wherein the content is accessible on the mobile device while the at least one wagering game is currently being played at the wagering game machine; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizing access to the content comprises downloading a mobile application to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device, wherein the mobile application comprises an application that is executable on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the downloading of the mobile application comprises

downloading the mobile application from the wagering game machine to the mobile device via the wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the downloading of the mobile application to the mobile device comprises

transmitting an instruction from the wagering game machine to the mobile device via the wireless communication to cause the mobile device to download the mobile application from a remote server.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the at least one wagering game, wherein the mobile version comprises a version of the at least one wagering game that is executable on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile version of the at least one wagering game comprises a full version of the at least one wagering game, wherein the wagering game criteria comprises obtaining an achievement in the at least one wagering game on the wagering game machine.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a limited version of the mobile version of the at least one wagering game is available for download to the mobile device without the establishing of the wireless communication with the wagering game machine.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application comprises an application configured to record entries for wagering game activity at the wagering game machine, wherein the entries comprise an amount won or lost as a result of the wagering game activity, a date of the wagering game activity, and a serial number of the wagering game machine.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile application is configured to provide notification of availability of a different wagering game machine, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the mobile application, an identification of the different wagering game machine;

receiving at the wagering game machine notification that the different wagering game machine is available; and

providing, from the wagering game machine via the wireless communication, the notification to the mobile application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the establishing of the wireless communication, providing access to additional content of the at least one wagering game at the wagering game machine.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading content from the mobile device to the wagering game machine through the wireless communication wherein the content affects at least one of a visual element and an audio element of the at least one wagering game on the wagering game machine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises at least one of a type of the at least one wagering game, a current progress of play of the at least one wagering game, and a game play history of a wagering game player playing the at least one wagering game for the type of the at least one wagering game.

13. A wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing a wagering game, the wagering game machine comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one processor;

one or more electronic input devices coupled to the at least one processor; and

at least one memory device configured to store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wagering game machine to;

detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

initiate the wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

present the wagering game on the at least one display device;

present an outcome of the wagering game on the at least one display device, wherein the outcome is based on one or more random elements generated by a random number generator;

establish a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device;

in response to a wagering game criteria being satisfied during play of the wagering game and after establishment of the wireless communication, authorize access to content on the mobile device based on a context of the wagering game, wherein the content is accessible on the mobile device while the at least one wagering game is currently being played at the wagering game machine; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

14. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the instructions to authorizing access to the content comprise instructions to download a mobile application to the mobile device, wherein the mobile application comprises an application that is executable on the mobile device.

15. The wagering game machine of claim 14, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the wagering game, wherein the mobile version comprises a version of the wagering game that is executable on the mobile device.

16. The wagering game machine of claim 15, wherein, as more achievements are obtained in the wagering game, additional content of the mobile version is provided for play at the mobile device.

17. The wagering game machine of claim 16, wherein a limited version of the mobile version of the wagering game is available for download to the mobile device without the establishment of the wireless communication with the wagering game machine.

18. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the content on the mobile device updates for play-while-away activity for a community game that is separate from the wagering game at the wagering game machine.

19. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wagering game machine to:

in response to the establishment of the wireless communication, provide access to additional content of the wagering game at the wagering game machine.

20. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wagering game machine to:

upload content from the mobile device to the wagering game machine through the wireless communication wherein the content affects at least one of a visual element and an audio element of the at least one wagering game on the wagering game machine.

21. The wagering game machine of claim 13, wherein the context comprises at least one of a type of the at least one wagering game, a current progress of play of the at least one wagering game, and a game play history of a wagering game player playing the at least one wagering game for the type of the at least one wagering game.

22. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices of a wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one wagering game, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, presenting the at least one wagering game at the wagering game machine, wherein an outcome of the wagering game is based on one or more random elements generated by a random number generator;

establishing a wireless communication between the wagering game machine and a mobile device; and

in response to a wagering game criteria being satisfied during play of the at least one wagering game and after establishing the wireless communication, authorizing access to content on the mobile device based on a context of the at least one wagering game at the wagering game machine, wherein the content is accessible on the mobile device while the at least one wagering game is currently being played at the wagering game machine; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

23. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the operations for authorizing access to the content comprises operations for downloading a mobile application to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device, wherein the mobile application comprises an application that is executable on the mobile device.

24. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the mobile application comprises a mobile version of the at least one wagering game, wherein the mobile version comprises a version of the at least one wagering game that is executable on the mobile device.

25. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the mobile application is configured to provide notification of availability of a different wagering game machine, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, from the mobile application, identification of the different wagering game machine;

receiving at the wagering game machine notification that the different wagering game machine is available; and

providing, from the wagering game machine via the wireless communication, the notification to the mobile application.

26. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations further comprising:

in response to the establishing of the wireless communication, providing access to additional content of the at least one wagering game at the wagering game machine.

27. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the operations further comprising:

uploading content from the mobile device to the wagering game machine through the wireless communication wherein the content affects at least one of a visual element and an audio element of the at least one wagering game on the wagering game machine.

28. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the context comprises at least one of a type of the at least one wagering game, a current progress of play of the at least one wagering game, and a game play history of a wagering game player playing the at least one wagering game for the type of the at least one wagering game.