SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED SERVICES TO A USER OF A GAMING APPLICATION

• US 20100197410A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cantor Index Limited (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: McNally, David G., LEEN, Fergus A, Lawrence, Sam B., O'Neal, Kevin R., McDowell, David M., Hetherington, Clive
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,924 B2
• 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 17/3225 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A system for providing enhanced services to users of a gaming application comprises a server and a platform remotely coupled to the server. The server executes a gaming application. The platform receives a request for enhanced services, and establishes an enhanced services session with a user of the gaming application in response to the request for enhanced services. The enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the gaming application. The platform further provides enhanced services to the user of the gaming application during the enhanced services session.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to;

receive first information associated with at least one event initiated by a first user within a context of playing a game, wherein the first information is received during the playing of the game by the first user;

receive second information associated with at least one event initiated by a second user within the context of playing the game, wherein the second information is received during the playing of the game by the second user;

based at least in part on the first information, generate first statistics information, wherein the first statistics information is associated with the first user with respect to the playing of the game;

based at least in part on the second information, generate second statistics information, wherein the second statistics information is associated with the second user with respect to the playing of the game; and

cause to be electronically displayed to a third user at least the first statistics information and the second statistics information.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the game comprises a game in which the first user and the second user play the game against one another.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the third user comprises a spectator not playing the game against either the first user or the second user.

41. The apparatus of claim 38,

wherein the first statistics information is generated during the playing of the game by the first user;

and

wherein the second statistics information is generated during the playing of the game by the second user.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the first statistics information and the second statistics information are displayed to the third user during the playing of the game by the first user and the second user.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the game comprises a game in which the first user and the second user play the game against one another.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the third user comprises a spectator not playing the game against either the first user or the second user.

45. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the game comprises a card game.

46. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the game comprises a poker game.

47. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the game comprises a game in which each of the first user and the second user wager.

48. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to;

receive information associated with at least one event initiated by a user within a context of playing a game, wherein the information is received during the playing of the game by the user;

based at least in part on the information, generate statistics information, wherein the statistics information is associated with the user with respect to the playing of the game; and

cause to be electronically displayed to another user at least the statistics information.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the another user comprises a spectator not playing the game.

50. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the statistics information is generated during the playing of the game by the user.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the statistics information is displayed to the another user during the playing of the game by the user.

52. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the game comprises at least one of:

a card game,

a poker game, and

a game in which the user wagers.

53. A method comprising:

receiving by a computing device information associated with at least one event initiated by a user within a context of playing a game, wherein the information is received during the playing of the game by the user;

based at least in part on the information, generating by the computing device statistics information, wherein the statistics information is associated with the user with respect to the playing of the game; and

the computing device causing to be electronically displayed to another user at least the statistics information.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the another user comprises a spectator not playing the game.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the statistics information is generated during the playing of the game by the user.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the statistics information is displayed to the another user during the playing of the game by the user.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the game comprises at least one of:

a card game,

a poker game, and

a game in which the user wagers.