LOCALIZED REMOTE GAMING

• US 20140274255A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walkingstick, Paul B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/12
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming machine, such as a video slot or video poker machine, may be configured to provide both in-person and remote play. A command from a remote client device is provided to the gaming machine to initiate a round of gameplay. A result of the gameplay is communicated back to the client device.

Claims

1. A method of providing remote access to a gaming machine located in a gaming environment comprising:

providing a plurality of gaming machines located in the gaming environment for in-person play;

selecting, from among the plurality of gaming machines, one of the gaming machines for remote play;

communicating a command received from a client device to the selected gaming machine, the command being configured to cause the gaming machine to initiate a round of gameplay; and

communicating a result of the gameplay from the gaming machine to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected gaming machine comprises a slot machine, a video poker machine, or a video blackjack machine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating player account login data received from a client device via a network external to the gaming environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of the gaming machine being available for remote play to the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting a control command received from the client device into a gaming protocol format.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gaming protocol comprises the Game to System (G2S) Protcol.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

converting the control command into a Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol (STOMP) message; and

communicating the STOMP message to the gaming machine.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing access to the gaming machine based on a location of the client device.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating a financial account with the player account;

requesting a transfer of funds from the financial account; and

converting the requested funds into gaming credits usable by the gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface to the client device configured to display data from the gaming machine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a webpage or a web-enabled application.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating a history of gameplay with the player account; and

using the history of gameplay to suggest one or more gaming machines to the client device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the control command corresponds to a command issued to the gaming machine via a physical input device of the gaming machine.

14. A system for providing remote access to a physical gaming machine located in a gaming environment comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines located in the gaming environment for in-person play; and

one or more computing devices configured to;

select, from among the plurality of gaming machines, one of the gaming machines for remote play;

communicate a command received from a client device to the selected gaming machine, the command being configured to cause the gaming machine to initiate a round of gameplay; and

communicate a result of the gameplay from the gaming machine to the client device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to:

preventing access to the gaming machine based on a location of the client device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to:

associate a financial account with the player account;

request a transfer of funds from the financial account; and

convert the requested funds into gaming credits usable by the gaming machine.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to:

provide a user interface to the client device configured to display the display data from the gaming machine.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a webpage or a web-enabled application.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to:

associate a history of gameplay with the player account; and

use the history of gameplay to suggest one or more gaming machines to the client device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the control command corresponds to a command issued to the gaming machine via a physical input device of the gaming machine.

21. A system for providing remote access to a physical gaming machine located in a gaming environment comprising:

a remote access service configured to provide a bridge between a network internal to the gaming environment and an external network located outside of the gaming environment; and

a gameplay service configured to provide gaming protocol formatted commands to the gaming machine via the internal network of the gaming environment,

wherein the remote access service is configured to receive a gameplay command for the gaming machine from a client device via the external network and to forward the command to the gameplay service,

wherein the gameplay service is configured to convert the command received from the remote access service into a gaming protocol format and to send the converted command to the gaming machine via the internal network of the gaming environment.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the gaming protocol is the Game to System (G2S) protocol.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the gameplay service is configured to:

convert the control command received from the remote access service into a Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol (STOMP) message; and

communicate the STOMP message to the gaming machine via the internal network.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a loyalty account service configured to maintain a loyalty account for a player, the loyalty account being associated with a financial account.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the loyalty account service is configured to send a request to transfer funds from the financial account to a financial service via the remote access service, and wherein the loyalty account service is configured to convert transferred funds into gaming credits for the loyalty account.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the loyalty account service is configured to receive an indication of gameplay from the gameplay service and to associate a history of gameplay with the loyalty account.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the loyalty account service is configured to validate account login data sent by the client device.