Serving patrons in a wagering game environment

• US 9,536,390 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ehrlich, Dean A., Fowler, Andrew, Gagner, Mark B., Jaffe, Joel R., Joshi, Shridhar P., Pace, Mark C., Pacey, Larry J., Green, Christopher, Holmes, Kate H., Petras, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US12/527,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,248 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

Systems and methods for serving patrons in a wagering game environment are described herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving patron service information, wherein the patron service information indicates activities of a patron in a casino. The method can also include selecting, based on the patron service information, a service for the patron, wherein the patron has not requested the service. Additionally, the method can include presenting a service order instructing a service attendant to deliver the service.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers and a plurality of wagering game machines, each gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one respective casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:

receiving, from patron mobile phones, a plurality of text messages including page requests, wherein the page requests identify wagering game machines from the plurality of wagering game machines and indicate requests for notification when the wagering game machines are available, each wagering game machine including one or more electronic input devices configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, initiate the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, 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;

receiving status messages from the wagering game machines, the status messages indicating which of the wagering game machines are available and which of the wagering game machines are in-use;

determining, for each of the page requests, that one of the wagering game machines is available, wherein the determining is based on the status messages; and

transmitting, for each of the page requests, a notification to one of the patron mobile phones, the notification indicating that the one of wagering machines is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the page requests indicate a time period after which no notification should be sent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes directions to the one of the wagering game machines.

4. A system comprising:

one or more gaming machines primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, each gaming machine including an electronic display device, one or more electronic input devices, and one or more controllers, the one or more controllers configured 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 casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

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

a patron services server configured to;

receive, from patron mobile phones, a plurality of text messages including page requests, wherein the page requests identify wagering game machines and indicate requests for notification when the wagering game machines are available;

receive status messages from the wagering game machines, the status messages indicating which of the wagering game machines are available and which of the wagering game machines are in-use;

determine, for each of the page requests, that one of the wagering game machines is available, wherein the determination is based on the status messages; and

transmit, for each of the page requests, a notification to one of the patron mobile phones, the notification indicating that the one of the wagering game machines is available.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein one or more of the page requests indicate a time period after which no notification should be sent.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the notification includes directions to the one of the wagering game machines.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from patron mobile phones, a plurality of text messages including page requests, wherein the page requests identify wagering game machines from a plurality of wagering game machines and indicate requests for notification when the wagering game machines are available, each wagering game machine including one or more electronic input devices configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, initiate the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, 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;

receiving status messages from the wagering, the status messages indicating which of the wagering game machines are available and which of the wagering game machines are in-use;

determining, for each of the page requests, that one or the wagering game machines is available, wherein the determining is based on the status messages; and

transmitting, for each of the page requests, a notification to one of the patron mobile phones, the notification indicating that the one of the wagering game machines is available.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein one or more of the page requests indicate a time period after which no notification should be sent.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the notification includes directions to the one of the wagering game machines.