Ticket redemption using encrypted biometric data

• US 20060046842A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mattice, Harold E., Kaminkow, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US11/262,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods that improve the redemption integrity of portable gaming instruments such as tickets and magnetic cards. The systems and methods encrypt biometric data for a recipient of a portable gaming instrument and store the encrypted biometric data on the portable gaming instrument. When a person tries to redeem value on the portable gaming instrument, a comparison is made between: a) biometric data for the person trying to redeem the value, and b) the biometric data encrypted and stored on the portable gaming instrument.

Claims

1. A method of providing a portable gaming instrument for use with gaming machines, the method comprising:

assigning a value to the portable gaming instrument;

obtaining biometric data for a person that has interacted with a gaming machine;

encrypting the biometric data representative to produce encrypted biometric data; and

storing the value and the encrypted biometric data on the portable gaming instrument.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request from a person to produce the portable gaming device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric data is obtained from biometric information that is obtained from the person using a biometric reader associated with the gaming machine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the biometric data includes accessing the biometric data from a database according to a known identity of the person.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein obtaining the identity of the person is known from a player tracking card that the person has used with the gaming machine.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric data includes fingerprint data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable gaming instrument includes a printed ticket or a printed surface.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed in black and white on the portable gaming instrument.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed in gray scale on the portable gaming instrument.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed in two dimensions.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the encrypted biometric data is redundantly printed on the portable gaming instrument such multiple portions of the ticket each store the encrypted biometric data.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the encrypted biometric data is hidden within other information printed on the ticket.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the value includes one of:

cash value, player tracking points, and loyalty program points.

34. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the portable gaming instrument is selected from the group consisting of an RFID tag, a portable wireless device, a cell phone, a portable computation device and a portable communication device.

14. A method of redeeming value on a portable gaming instrument, the method comprising:

receiving a request to redeem the value on the portable gaming instrument;

decrypting encrypted biometric data stored on the portable gaming instrument, wherein the encrypted biometric data includes biometric data used to produce the encrypted biometric data and identifies a person who received the portable gaming instrument;

obtaining biometric data for a person trying to redeem the value on the portable gaming instrument;

comparing a) the biometric data for the person trying to redeem the value on the portable gaming instrument with b) the biometric data obtained from the portable gaming instrument; and

awarding the value on the portable gaming instrument to the person trying to redeem the value on the portable gaming instrument when the biometric data for the person trying to redeem the value on the portable gaming instrument matches the biometric data that was encrypted and stored on the portable gaming instrument.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the biometric data for the person includes receiving biometric information from the person.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein obtaining the biometric data for the person includes receiving a fingerprint from the person.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the fingerprint is received at a gaming machine.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the fingerprint is received at a payout station in a casino.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the biometric data for the person includes communicating with a server that stores the biometric data for the person.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein obtaining the biometric data includes accessing the biometric data from a database according to a known identity of the person.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the person is identified using person tracking information.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the portable gaming instrument includes a printed ticket or a printed surface.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed in gray scale on the portable gaming instrument.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed in two dimensions.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the encrypted biometric data is redundantly printed on the portable gaming instrument such multiple portions of the ticket each store the encrypted biometric data.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein the value includes one of:

cash value, player tracking points, and loyalty program points.

27. A gaming machine comprising:

an external cabinet defining an interior region of the gaming machine;

a display device adapted to display game play information, the display device being located within or about the external cabinet;

a biometric reader located within or about the external cabinet and configured to read biometric information from a person;

a portable gaming instrument reader, located within or about the external cabinet, configured to read encrypted biometric data stored on a portable gaming instrument, wherein the encrypted biometric data includes biometric data used to produce the encrypted biometric data and identifies a person who received the portable gaming instrument; and

a gaming machine controller designed or configured to i) provide a game play sequence comprising a presentation of one or more games of chance on the gaming machine, ii) decrypt the encrypted biometric data stored on a portable gaming instrument, iii) compare a) the biometric data for the person with b) the biometric data obtained from the portable gaming instrument, and iv) award the value on the portable gaming instrument to the person when the biometric information for the person matches the biometric information that was encrypted and stored on the portable gaming instrument.

28. The gaming machine of claim 27 further including a network communications link that is configured to communicate with a server that stores biometric data for a plurality of people to obtain the biometric data for the person.

29. The gaming machine of claim 28 wherein the person is identified using personal identification information stored on the portable gaming instrument.

30. The gaming machine of claim 27 wherein the biometric reader includes a fingerprint reader configured to read a fingerprint from the person.

31. The gaming machine of claim 27 wherein the value includes one of:

cash value, player tracking points, and loyalty program points.

32. The gaming machine of claim 27 further including a printer configured to print the encrypted biometric data on the portable gaming instrument.

33. The gaming machine of claim 32 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed on the portable gaming instrument using one of:

a 1-D bar-code, a 2-D bar-code, a symbol.

35. The gaming machine of claim 27 wherein the portable gaming instrument reader is a bar-code reader.

36. A gaming system for providing portable gaming instruments, said gaming system comprising:

a plurality of portable gaming instruments, each portable gaming instrument including encrypted biometric data that identifies a person that received the portable gaming instrument;

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including

a biometric reader located within or about the external cabinet and configured to read biometric information from a person,

a portable gaming instrument reader configured to read the encrypted biometric data stored on a portable gaming instrument,

a network interface that permits communication across a network; and

a server including a network interface that permits communication across the network and configured to distribute a private key to each of the gaming machines.

37. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the server is configured to assign a private key to each of the gaming machines.

38. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the server is configured to assign a private key to each of the portable gaming instruments.

39. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the biometric reader includes a fingerprint reader configured to read a fingerprint from the person.

40. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the value includes one of:

cash value, player tracking points, and loyalty program points.

41. The gaming system of claim 36 further including a printer configured to print the encrypted biometric data on the portable gaming instrument.

42. The gaming system of claim 41 wherein the encrypted biometric data is printed on the portable gaming instrument using one of:

a 1-D bar-code, a 2-D bar-code, a symbol.

43. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the portable gaming instrument is selected from the group consisting of an RFID tag, a portable wireless device, a cell phone, a portable computation device and a portable communication device.

44. The gaming system of claim 36 wherein the portable gaming instrument reader is a bar-code reader.