INTERACTIVE GAME PLAYING PREFERENCES

• US 20080076548A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Paulsen, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,883,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine may be customized according to one or more player preferences. A player may view and modify player preferences stored in a player preference account as preference account information. The preference account information may include but is not limited to loyalty point account information, loyalty point account settings, promotional opportunities, preferred games, preferred game features for the preferred games, preferred gaming machine settings, preferred bonus games, preferred service options and preferred progressive games. The preference account information may be stored in a plurality of preference accounts on a preference account server. Using a preference account interface which may be compatible with a web-browser, a player may be able to view and modify preference account information stored on the preference account server from a number remote devices such as a gaming machine, a home computer, a hotel room video interface and a casino kiosk.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a master gaming controller that is designed or configured to control one or more games played on the gaming machine and to request preference account information from a remote server wherein each game played on the gaming machine comprises a) receiving a wager on an outcome for the game, b) determining the outcome for the game and c) displaying a game presentation of the outcome determined for the game;

a memory that is designed or configured to store gaming software that allows the master gaming controller to request one or more different portions of the preference account information from the remote server;

means for displaying a user interface configured to display preferences, to receive preference selections, to display a simulated game presentation of an entire game of chance available for wagering game play on the gaming machine, and to display information regarding one or more preferences in a group of available preferences, wherein the simulated game presentation allows a user to play an entire game of chance to determine the effects of different game feature settings on the game presentation for the game of chance prior to initiating the wagering game play on the gaming machine wherein a wager is not required to view the simulated game presentation;

means for reconfiguring the gaming machine using said preference account information; and

means for executing a game play on the reconfigured gaming machine wherein the game play comprises a) receiving a wager on an outcome for a game, b) determining the outcome for the game and c) displaying a game presentation of the outcome determined for the game;

wherein the preference account information includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of loyalty point account information, loyalty point account settings, promotional opportunities, preferred games, preferred game features for said preferred games, preferred gaming machine settings, preferred bonus games and preferred progressive games.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending a message including a request for preference account information to a remote server and receiving preference account information from said remote server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

means for sending a first message including a request for a first portion of the preference account information from a preference account on the remote server and sending a second message including a request for a second portion of the preference account information from the preference account on the remote server wherein the second portion is different from the first portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference account information is received from an input device on the gaming machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview and information regarding one or more preferences is displayed on one or more video displays.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to access the preference account and authenticating the request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access request is authenticated using biometric information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending preference account information to an external storage unit wherein said external storage unit is selected from the group consisting of a smart card, a magnetic striped-card, a paper print-out, a remote server and a personal digital assistant.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the user interface is compatible with a web browser.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more input devices designed or configured to input preference account information.

19. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of a video touch screen, a button panel, a track ball, a mouse, a microphone, a touch pad, a card reader, a joy stick, a wireless interface, and a key pad.

2. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for customizing a game play according to one or more player preferences, the method comprising:

selecting a preference account;

receiving preference account information;

displaying a user interface configured to display preferences, to receive preference selections, to display a simulated game presentation of an entire game of chance available for wagering game play on the gaming machine, and to display information regarding one or more preferences in a group of available preferences, wherein the simulated game presentation allows a user to play an entire game of chance to determine the effects of different game feature settings on the game presentation for the game of chance prior to initiating the wagering game play on the gaming machine wherein a wager is not required to view the simulated game presentation;

reconfiguring the gaming machine using said preference account information; and

executing a game play on the reconfigured gaming machine wherein the game play comprises a) receiving a wager on an outcome for a game, b) determining the outcome for the game and c) displaying a game presentation of the outcome determined for the game;

wherein the preference account information includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of loyalty point account information, loyalty point account settings, promotional opportunities, preferred games, preferred game features for said preferred games, preferred gaming machine settings, preferred bonus games and preferred progressive games.

10. A gaming system, comprising:

a preference account server having a memory to store preference account information for each of a plurality of players wherein the preference account information includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of loyalty point account information, loyalty point account settings, promotional opportunities, preferred games, preferred game features for said preferred games, preferred gaming machine settings, preferred bonus games, preferred service options and preferred progressive games;

a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the preference account server, each of the plurality of gaming machines, having;

a controller designed or configured to control one or more games played on the gaming machine and to request preference account information from the preference account server wherein each game played on the gaming machine comprises a) receiving a wager on an outcome for the game, b) determining the outcome for the game and c) displaying a game presentation of the outcome determined for the game;

a memory designed or configured to store gaming software that allows the controller to request one or more different portions of the preference account information from the preference account server,

a user interface configured to display preferences, to receive preference selections, to display a simulated game presentation of an entire game of chance available for wagering game play on the gaming machine, and to display information regarding one or more preferences in a group of available preferences,

wherein the simulated game presentation is for allowing a user to play the entire game of chance and determine the effects of different game feature settings on the game presentation for the game of chance prior to initiating the wagering game play on the gaming machine wherein the wager is not required to view the simulated game presentation.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein a first portion of the preference account information is requested from a preference account on the preference account server and wherein a second portion of the preference account information different from the first portion is requested from the preference account on the preference account server.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the loyalty point account information comprises at least one or more records that include an amount of loyalty points rewarded during a particular event.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the preferred gaming features for said preferred games is selected from the group consisting of game versions, game color schemes, game graphical features, a game presentation speed, game pay-out tables and game audio features.

14. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the preferred gaming machine settings is selected from the group consisting of a volume setting, an input interface configuration, a display setting, a denomination setting, a betting preference setting and a beverage setting.

15. The gaming machine of claim 10, further comprising:

biometric input device designed or configured to receive biometric information from the player.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the biometric input device is selected from the group consisting of a finger print reader, a retina scanner, a camera and a microphone.

20. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the loyalty point account settings are selected from the group consisting of a name, an address, contact information, tax information and preferred rewards.