Player specific network

• US 9,786,120 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Russell, Glen Keith, Hollister, David, Boyd, Scott, Schneider, Richard J., Jordan, R. Jeffrey, Glazier, Matt, Mason, Shannon, Wilkins, Kevan, Legler, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US15/344,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention allow a player to have a unique gaming experience, different than other players, even when playing on the same network. A game may span several gaming sessions. States of a game, for example a bonus game, may be stored when the player decides to stop playing the game. When the player initiates a next gaming session, at the same or another location, the previous state of the game is re-loaded onto the gaming machine and the player returns to the previous state. Further, additional bonuses can be implemented because the network knows the identity and other information about the player. The additional bonuses may be unique to that player. Messages particular to a player are exchanged between a gaming device and a gaming network.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a card reader configured to receive a player-tracking card and to read machine-readable indicia on the player-tracking card;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to

after the card reader receives the player-tracking card and reads the machine-readable indicia on the player-tracking card, send a player account identifier that is based on the machine-readable indicia and that is associated with a player account to a server to enable the server to initiate a gaming session;

receive a maximum value, a minimum value, and an increment rate from the server;

as activity occurs on the gaming system during the gaming session, increment an actual value associated with the player account towards a target value at the increment rate, wherein the target value is between the minimum value and the maximum value;

responsive to the actual value reaching the target value during the gaming session, cause a first award to be provided;

responsive to a second award condition being met, cause a second different award to be provided, wherein the second award condition being met depends on the first award having been provided; and

responsive to removal of the player-tracking card from the card reader, send a card out signal to the server to enable the server to terminate the gaming session.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first award includes a qualification to win the second award.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the second award condition is met when a designated period has passed after the first award has been provided and another gaming session is initiated based on receipt of the player-tracking card by the card reader.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to randomly determine an amount of the second award.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the second award includes one or more promotional credits.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first award includes an opportunity to win a drawing ticket.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, after the opportunity win the drawing ticket has been provided, determine whether to cause the drawing ticket to be provided based on a random determination.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the second award condition is met when one of the player'"'"'s drawing tickets is randomly selected during a drawing.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first award includes associating one of a plurality of spots of a game board with the player.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the second award condition is met when the spot associated with the player is randomly selected during game play.

11. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a card reader, a player-tracking card;

reading, by the card reader, machine-readable indicia on the player-tracking card;

sending, to a server, a player account identifier that is based on the machine-readable indicia and that is associated with a player account to enable the server to initiate a gaming session;

receiving, from the server, a maximum value, a minimum value, and an increment rate;

as activity occurs on the gaming system during the gaming session, incrementing, by at least one processor, an actual value associated with the player account towards a target value at the increment rate, wherein the target value is between the minimum value and the maximum value;

responsive to the actual value reaching the target value during the gaming session, causing, by the at least one processor, a first award to be provided;

responsive to a second award condition being met, causing, by the at least one processor, a second different award to be provided, wherein the second award condition being met depends on the first award having been provided

responsive to removal of the player-tracking card from the card reader, sending, by the at least one processor, a card out signal to the server to enable the server to terminate the gaming session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes a qualification to win the second award.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second award condition is met when a designated period has passed after the first award has been provided and another gaming session is initiated based on receipt of the player-tracking card by the card reader.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes randomly determining, by the at least one processor, an amount of the second award.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second award includes one or more promotional credits.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes an opportunity to win a drawing ticket.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes, after the opportunity win the drawing ticket has been provided, determining, by the at least one processor, whether to cause the drawing ticket to be provided based on a random determination.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second award condition is met when one of the player'"'"'s drawing tickets is randomly selected during a drawing.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first award includes associating one of a plurality of spots of a game board with the player.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second award condition is met when the spot associated with the player is randomly selected during game play.