Method and apparatus for communicating information about networked gaming machines to prospective players

• US 9,472,052 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/935,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/42, 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

On a network of electronic gaming machines, data regarding the performance of the machines or the players of the machines is collected and processed to make predictions of future jackpots and recommendations of games to play. The predictions and recommendations are delivered via at least one virtual persona that communicates with players or potential players via displays in a casino or on a web browser, via smartphone. Players can conduct conversations with the persona using cellular telephone, text messaging, or other types of Internet communications.

Claims

1. A method for promoting play of electronic gaming machines that when played generate random game outcomes, some of which result in an award, the electronic gaming machines being on a network, the method comprising:

receiving wagers via the electronic gaming machines from players playing games on the electronic gaming machines responsive to actuation of a wager input device by the player, the wager input device being associated with each electronic gaming machine;

making awards to players of the electronic gaming machines when the game outcome results in an award;

tracking awards made on at least some of the electronic gaming machines via a meter associated with each of the electronic gaming machines on which awards are tracked;

communicating the meter data over the network from each of the electronic gaming machines on which awards are tracked to a database that is operatively connected to the network;

accessing the database;

counting the awards stored in the database during a predefined time period;

generating a prediction for future awards as a function of the counted awards;

presenting a virtual persona on an electronic display that is operatively connected to the network; and

causing the persona to communicate the prediction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

counting the awards in a plurality of predefined time periods;

averaging the awards in each time period; and

generating the prediction based on the average.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein counting the awards comprises counting the number of awards.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein counting the awards comprises counting the amount of the awards.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a prediction for future awards comprises generating a prediction for a time period and wherein the method further comprises:

counting the awards in the time period; and

causing the persona to communicate the counted awards during the time period.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises causing the persona to periodically communicate the generated prediction and the counted awards during the time period.

7. A method for promoting play of electronic gaming machines that when played generate random game outcomes, some of which result in an award, the electronic gaming machines being on a network, the method comprising:

receiving wagers via the electronic gaming machines from players playing games on the electronic gaming machines responsive to actuation of a wager input device by the player, the wager input device being associated with each electronic gaming machine;

making awards to players of the electronic gaming machines when the game outcome results in an award;

tracking wagers and awards made on at least some of the electronic gaming machines via at least one meter associated with each of the electronic gaming machines on which wagers and awards are tracked;

communicating the meter data over the network from each of the electronic gaming machines on which wagers and awards are tracked to a database that is operatively connected to the network;

accessing the database;

generating a forecast related to at least one of the gaming machines as function of the information in the database;

presenting a virtual persona on an electronic display that is operatively connected to the network; and

communicating the forecast via the virtual persona.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the forecast comprises a recommendation.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the forecast comprises a prediction.