Jackpot interfaces and services on a gaming machine

• US 9,640,035 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US15/080,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20160203679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3227 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a touch screen display with a touch screen controller integrated into the touch screen sensor assembly. Game service interfaces may be presented on the touch screen display that allow a user to obtain one or more game services. With the touch screen sensor, a user may navigate through the game service interface and supply information required to obtain a game service. Types of interfaces provided with the gaming machine include a jackpot interface for displaying one or more jackpots selected by the player or one or more jackpots that the player is eligible to win.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a player tracking unit supported by the housing and configured to identify a player;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the player tracking unit, the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) if a wager is placed in association with a play of a game;

(i) deduct the placed wager from the credit balance,

(ii) randomly determine a game outcome,

(iii) display the randomly determined game outcome,

(iv) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(v) display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome,

(c) cause the player tracking unit to wirelessly communicate data which enables a mobile device to display a game service interface, and

(d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game service interface displays information associated with at least one of:

player tracking identification information, player tracking account information, bank account information, player communication information, casino service personnel communication information, player tracking unit status information, metering information and player status information.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game service interface enables a selection of at least one of:

a prize to redeem player tracking points for, an operating instruction, an entertainment service reservation, an amount of credits to transfer to a cashless instrument, an amount of credits to transfer to a player account, a banking transaction, a casino promotion to participate in, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the player tracking unit, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the at least one display device, a game to play, a bonus game to play, a progressive game to play, a game service request, and a diagnostic menu.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game service interface enables a selection of a limit to an amount of game play.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the limit to the amount of game play is at least one of:

a time limit, a wager limit, an amount won, an amount lost, an amount banked, a quantity of games played, a rate of game play, a quantity of winning game outcomes, and a quantity of losing game outcomes.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the player tracking unit is in communication with at least one of:

a prize server, a reservation server and a bonus server.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of:

a hand-held device, a portable computing device, a personal digital assistant, and a cellular phone.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted via a Bluetooth communication standard.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted via at least one server in communication with the player tracking unit and the mobile device.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display device of the player tracking unit to display the game service interface.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player tracking unit to receive data wirelessly communicated from the mobile device, said wirelessly received data associated with at least one input of the game service interface.

12. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) if data is received in association with a receipt of a physical item via an acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) if data is received in association with a placement of a wager on a play of a game;

(i) deduct the placed wager from the credit balance,

(ii) randomly determine a game outcome,

(iii) cause at least one display device to display the randomly determined game outcome,

(iv) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(v) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome,

(c) cause a player tracking unit to wirelessly communicate data which enables a mobile device to display a game service interface, wherein the player tracking unit is configured to identify a player, and

(d) if data is received in association with a receipt of a cashout input via a cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

13. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the game service interface displays information associated with at least one of:

player tracking identification information, player tracking account information, bank account information, player communication information, casino service personnel communication information, player tracking unit status information, metering information and player status information.

14. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the game service interface enables a selection of at least one of:

a prize to redeem player tracking points for, an operating instruction, an entertainment service reservation, an amount of credits to transfer to a cashless instrument, an amount of credits to transfer to a player account, a banking transaction, a casino promotion to participate in, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the player tracking unit, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the at least one display device, a game to play, a bonus game to play, a progressive game to play, a game service request, and a diagnostic menu.

15. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the game service interface enables a selection of a limit of an amount of game play.

16. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein the limit of the amount of game play is at least one of:

a time limit, a wager limit, an amount won, an amount lost, an amount banked, a quantity of games played, a rate of game play, a quantity of winning game outcomes, and a quantity of losing game outcomes.

17. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the player tracking unit is in communication with at least one of:

a prize server, a reservation server and a bonus server.

18. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of:

a hand-held device, a portable computing device, a personal digital assistant, and a cellular phone.

19. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted via a Bluetooth communication standard.

20. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted via at least one server in communication with the player tracking unit and the mobile device.

21. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display device of the player tracking unit to display the game service interface.

22. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player tracking unit to receive data wirelessly communicated from the mobile device, said wirelessly received data associated with at least one input of the game service interface.