Communication between players at gaming terminals

• US 20040162144A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Rothschild, Wayne H.
• Application Number:
  US10/369,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A system and method for allowing players at gaming terminals to communicate with each other is disclosed. The gaming terminals are used to conduct wagering games. One of the gaming terminals generates a personal message in response to input of a player at the one of the gaming terminals. A least one other of the gaming terminals presents the personal message. The personal message may include text, audio, or video content and may be generated via such messaging technologies as electronic mail, instant messaging, a chat room, network telephony, conferencing, and an electronic message center.

Claims

1. A method for allowing players at gaming terminals to communicate with each other, the method comprising:

conducting wagering games on the gaming terminals;

generating a personal message at one of the gaming terminals in response to input of a player at the one of the gaming terminals; and

presenting the personal message at at least one other of the gaming terminals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message includes content selected from a group consisting of text, audio, and video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message is generated via a messaging technology selected from a group consisting of electronic mail, instant messaging, a chat room, network telephony, conferencing, and an electronic message center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the personal message being transmitted from the one of the gaming terminals to the at least one other of the gaming terminals via the network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of a wired network and a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network uses broadband transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting the personal message from the one of the gaming terminals to the at least one other of the gaming terminals.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the at least one other of the gaming terminals includes a plurality of gaming terminals;

and

wherein the transmitting step broadcasts the personal message from the one of the gaming terminals to the plurality of gaming terminals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message is created by the player.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a keyboard, the personal message being typed by the player with the keyboard.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message is selected by the player from a menu of predefined messages.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message includes the player'"'"'s voice.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating step includes capturing the player'"'"'s voice with a microphone at the one of the gaming terminals.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal message includes the player'"'"'s image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating step includes capturing the player'"'"'s image with a video camera at the one of the gaming terminals.

16. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of the at least one other of the gaming terminals at which the personal message is to be presented.

17. The method of claim 1, further including:

presenting the player at the one of the gaming terminals with a list of players playing at the gaming terminals; and

receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the presenting step presents the personal message at the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network;

and

wherein the list of players playing at the gaming terminals includes players logged into the network.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein the player at the one of the gaming terminals is logged into the network;

and

wherein the list of players playing at the gaming terminals includes players in a personal list associated with the player at the one of the gaming terminals.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, and further including:

permitting the player at the one of the gaming terminals to log into the network;

presenting the player at the one of the gaming terminals with a list of players logged into the network and included in a personal list associated with the logged-in player at the one of the gaming terminals; and

receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the presenting step presents the personal message to the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the player at the one of the gaming terminals being logged into the network, and further including:

presenting the player at the one of the gaming terminals with at least a partial list of players logged into the network via the gaming terminals; and

receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the presenting step presents the personal message at the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminals are linked to a central system over a network, the central system managing a plurality of personal messages transmitted over the network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of personal messages include electronic mail, the central system moving and storing the electronic mail over the network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the central system manages mailing lists.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of personal messages include real-time messages, the central system enabling players at the gaming terminals to exchange the real-time messages in real-time via a messaging technology selected from a group consisting of instant messaging, text messaging, chat rooms, network telephony, and conferencing.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of personal messages include posted messages, the central system enabling players to exchange the posted messages via a message center where the posted messages can be posted and viewed.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the player at the one of the gaming terminals and a player at the at least one other of the gaming terminals being logged into the network.

28. A system for allowing players at gaming terminals to communicate with each other, the system comprising:

the gaming terminals for conducting wagering games;

at least one of the gaming terminals for generating a personal message in response to input of a player at the one of the gaming terminals; and

at least one other of the gaming terminals for presenting the personal message.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message includes content selected from a group consisting of text, audio, and video.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message is generated via, a messaging technology selected from a group consisting of electronic mail, instant messaging, a chat room, network telephony, conferencing, and an electronic message center.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the personal message being transmitted from the one of the gaming terminals to the at least one other of the gaming terminals via the network.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of a wired network and a wireless network.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the network uses broadband transmission.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message is transmitted from the one of the gaming terminals to the at least one other of the gaming terminals.

35. The system of claim 34,

wherein the at least one other of the gaming terminals includes a plurality of gaming terminals;

and

wherein the personal message is broadcast from the one of the gaming terminals to the plurality of gaming terminals.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message is created by the player.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a keyboard, the personal message being typed by the player with the keyboard.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message is selected by the player from a menu of predefined messages.

39. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message includes the player'"'"'s voice.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a microphone for capturing the player'"'"'s voice.

41. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal message includes the player'"'"'s image.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a video camera for capturing the player'"'"'s image.

43. The system of claim 28, wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a user interface for receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of the at least one other of the gaming terminals at which the personal message is to be presented.

44. The system of claim 28,

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a display for presenting the player with a list of players playing at the gaming terminals;

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a user interface for receiving a selection from the player of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the personal message is presented at the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

45. The system of claim 44,

wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network;

and

wherein the list of players playing at the gaming terminals includes players logged into the network.

46. The system of claim 45,

wherein the player at the one of the gaming terminals is logged into the network;

and

wherein the list of players playing at the gaming terminals includes players in a personal list associated with the player at the one of the gaming terminals.

47. The system of claim 28,

wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network;

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a user interface for permitting the player at the one of the gaming terminals to log into the network;

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a display for presenting the player at the one of the gaming terminals with a list of players logged into the network and included in a personal list associated with the logged-in player at the one of the gaming terminals;

wherein the user interface receives a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the personal message is presented to the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

48. The system of claim 28,

wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the player at the one of the gaming terminals being logged into the network;

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a display for presenting the player at the one of the gaming terminals with at least a partial list of players logged into the network via the gaming terminals;

wherein the one of the gaming terminals includes a user interface for receiving a selection from the player at the one of the gaming terminals of at least one player from the list; and

wherein the personal message is presented at the at least one other of the gaming terminals associated with the at least one selected player.

49. The system of claim 28, wherein the gaming terminals are linked to a central system over a network, the central system managing a plurality of personal messages transmitted over the network.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of personal messages include electronic mail, the central system moving and storing the electronic mail over the network.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the central system manages mailing lists.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of personal messages include real-time messages, the central system enabling players at the gaming terminals to exchange the real-time messages in real-time via a messaging technology selected from a group consisting of instant messaging, text messaging, chat rooms, network telephony, and conferencing.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of personal messages include posted messages, the central system enabling players to exchange the posted messages via a message center where the posted messages can be posted and viewed.

54. The system of claim 28, wherein the gaming terminals are linked over a network, the player at the one of the gaming terminals and a player at the at least one other of the gaming terminals being logged into the network.

55. A method for allowing a player at a gaming terminal to communicate a message to a remote terminal, the method comprising:

generating a personal message at a gaming terminal in response to the input of a player at the gaming terminal;

selecting a remote terminal to which the personal message is to be delivered;

transmitting the personal message to a central system over a local area network, the central system in communication with a global computing network; and

transmitting the personal message from the central system to the remote terminal over the global computing network.

56. A method for allowing players at gaming terminals to communicate with each other, the method comprising:

conducting a wagering game on the gaming terminals;

selecting a gaming terminal to deliver an image of at least a portion of the wagering game display;

transmitting the image to the selected gaming terminal; and

displaying the image on the display of the selected gaming terminal.