System for providing an interface for a gaming device

• US 9,367,985 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dempsey, Martin, George, Jeffrey, Sepich, Edward, Soukup, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/276,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,764 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463 29- 33, 463/42, 273/138.1, 273/148.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A device for providing an interface to a gaming machine. The device includes a processor, an ID Card reader coupled to the processor, a display coupled to the processor for displaying a bezel and information within the bezel. The device also including a keypad coupled to the processor for receiving input. The processor instructing the display to display media according to a predetermined set of rules.

Claims

1. A player tracking device for providing a player interface to a plurality of users of a plurality of gaming machines and displaying media from a media source, the plurality of users including a plurality of tracked players, a plurality of non-tracked players, and a plurality of employees, the media source providing a plurality of video streams including a plurality of media content, player information relating to the plurality of tracked players being included in a player tracking system being stored in a host computer, the player information including at least one group of player, where the players may either be within or not within the at least one group of players, each of the gaming machines including a coin-bill management device which accepts physical media associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance, a display unit for displaying a game, and a gaming controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a wager from a player via the input device, adjust the credit balance as a function of the wager, and initiate the game, the player tracking device coupled to one of the gaming machines, comprising:

a processor;

an ID Card reader coupled to the processor;

a speaker coupled to the processor for playing audio;

a display coupled to the processor for displaying information and displaying media; and

,

a keypad coupled to the processor for receiving input from one of the users, the input being used to establish if the one of the users is a member of at least one of the plurality of tracked players and the plurality of employees, the processor configured to;

display a first video stream on the display device when the player tracking device and the gaming machine are not being used, the first video stream including media for attracting a player to the gaming machine;

detect an initial input received from a user of the plurality of users via the gaming machine and responsively replace the first video stream with a second video stream, the second video stream including a request message, the request message being selectable by the user via the display device and including a request to input a user identification;

receive a user'"'"'s selection of the request message from the user via the display device, identify the user as a non-tracked player in response to the received selection, and replace the second video stream with a third video stream, the third video stream including a screen for allowing the non-tracked player to enroll in the player tracking system being stored in the host computer;

receive a user identification input from the user via the ID Card reader, identify the user as being included in one of the plurality of tracked players and the plurality of employees as a function of the received user identification input, and responsively replace the second video stream with a fourth video stream, the fourth video stream including media content being determined as a function of the identified user; and

if the user is a player that is a member of the plurality of tracked players, the processor for responsively establishing an identity of one of the tracked players as a function of the user identification input and for displaying the fourth video stream having a first media content as a function of the identity of the tracked player, and

if the user is a member of the plurality of employees, the processor for responsively establishing an identity of one of the employees as a function of the user identification input and for displaying the fourth video stream having a second media content as a function of the established employee identity.

2. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the display being a touch-screen display.

3. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 2, the keypad being implemented by the touch-screen display.

4. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second video streams includes at least one of local attractions, general in-house advertisements, paid advertisements by local merchants, show reviews, promotional alerts, security alerts, community service advisories, emergency directions, featured videos, and a Keno board.

5. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a speaker, at least one of the first and the second video streams including audio for playing through the speaker.

6. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the host computer for managing a database containing player information and employee information, the processor for establishing identification of at least one of a player and an employee through at least one of the keypad and the ID reader.

7. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the processor for playing an intermediate media content prior to display of the second video stream upon detecting the initial input from the user, the intermediate content including an advertisement.

8. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the second media content including technical instructions including an error code being associated with another one of the gaming machines.

9. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the processor configured to receive synchronous attract media from the media source and to display the first video stream including the synchronous attract media such that the attract media is simultaneously displayed with the plurality of gaming machines.

10. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second video streams are one of live video and stored video.

11. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, the first media content including live video feed of a remote location via a security camera.

12. A player tracking device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the input is actuation of a key on the keypad.

13. A gaming system, comprising:

a media source for providing a plurality of video streams including media content;

a host computer coupled to the media source for storing information related to a plurality of tracked players and an plurality of employees, the player information including at least one group of players, where each player may either be within or not within the at least one group of players; and

,

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the host computer, each of the gaming machines including a coin-bill management device which accepts physical media associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance, a display unit for displaying a game, and a gaming controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a wager from a player via the input device, adjust the credit balance as a function of the wager, and initiate the game, each gaming machine having a player tracking device capable to play media and to receive input from a plurality of users, the media source and the plurality of gaming machines being networked together, wherein each player tracking device includes;

a processor;

an ID reader coupled to the processor;

a display coupled to the processor for displaying information and displaying media; and

,

a keypad coupled to the processor for receiving input from one of the users, the input being used to establish if the one of the users is a member of at least one of the plurality of tracked players and the plurality of employees, the processor configured to;

display a first video stream on the display device when the player tracking device and the gaming machine are not being used, the first video stream including media for attracting a player to the gaming machine;

detect an initial input received from a user of the plurality of users via the gaming machine and responsively replace the first video stream with a second video stream, the second video stream including a request message, the request message being selectable by the user via the display device and including a request to input a user identification;

receive a user'"'"'s selection of the request message from the user via the display device, identify the user as a non-tracked player in response to the received selection, and replace the second video stream with a third video stream, the third video stream including a screen for allowing the non-tracked player to enroll in a player tracking system being stored in the host computer;

receive a user identification input from the user via the ID Card reader, identify the user as being included in one of the plurality of tracked players and the plurality of employees as a function of the received user identification input, and responsively replace the second video stream with a fourth video stream, the fourth video stream including media content being determined as a function of the identified user; and

if the user is a player that is a member of the plurality of tracked players, the processor for responsively establishing an identity of one of the tracked players as a function of the user identification input, responsively establishing whether the player is within the at least one group of players, displaying the fourth video stream having a first media content as a function of the identity of the tracked player,

if the user is a member of the plurality of employees, the processor for responsively establishing an identity of the one of the employees as a function of the user identification input and for displaying the fourth video stream having a second media content as a function of the established employee identity.

14. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, the display being a touch-screen display.

15. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 14, the keypad being implemented by the touch-screen display.

16. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and the second video streams includes at least one of local attractions, general in-house advertisements, paid advertisements by local merchants, show reviews, promotional alerts, security alerts, community service advisories, emergency directions, featured videos, and a Keno board.

17. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, the media source configured to transmit the first video stream to each of the plurality of player tracking devices, the first video stream including synchronous attract media that is simultaneously displayed on each of the player tracking devices.

18. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, the host computer for managing a database containing player information and employee information, the processor for establishing identification of at least one of a player and an employee through at least one of the keypad and the ID reader.

19. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, the processor for playing an intermediate media content prior to display of the second video stream upon detecting the initial input from the user, the intermediate content including an advertisement.

20. A gaming system, as set forth in claim 13, the second media content including technical instructions including an error code being associated with another one of the gaming machines.