GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE, AND METHOD PROVIDING AN ESTIMATED EMOTIONAL STATE OF A PLAYER BASED ON THE OCCURENCE OF ONE OR MORE DESIGNATED EVENTS

• US 20140342828A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gilliland, Sean M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,998,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present disclosure provides gaming systems, gaming devices, and methods providing an estimated emotional state of a player based on the occurrence of one or more designated events. When a player initiates a gaming session, the gaming system estimates the player'"'"'s emotional state and generates estimated emotional state data that represents that estimation of the player'"'"'s emotional state. For each of one or more designated events that occurs, the gaming system updates the player'"'"'s estimated emotional state using an expected emotional response to that designated event. More specifically, the gaming system updates the player'"'"'s estimated emotional state data using expected emotional response data representing the expected emotional response to that designated event. If one or more triggering conditions associated with the player'"'"'s estimated emotional state is satisfied during the gaming session, the gaming system modifies one or more functions, aspects, or features of the gaming system.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) determine estimated emotional state data for a player, the estimated emotional state data for the player initially representing an initial estimated emotional state of the player;

(b) subsequently, receive game play data associated with one or more plays of a game;

(c) determine, based on the received game play data, whether any of one or more designated events occurs in association with said one or more plays of the game;

(d) for each occurrence of one of the one or more designated events in association with said one or more plays of the game, modify the estimated emotional state data for the player based on said designated event such that the estimated emotional state data for the player represents an updated estimated emotional state of the player; and

(e) when the estimated emotional state data for the player satisfies a triggering condition, cause an award to be provided to the player and cause a display of said award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide (a) to (e) for a gaming session of the player and, upon termination of the gaming session, store the estimated emotional state data for the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for a subsequent gaming session of the player, determine the estimated emotional state data for the player initially representing the initial estimated emotional state of the player based at least in part on the stored estimated emotional state data for the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each designated event is associated with one of a plurality of different expected emotional reactions.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each occurrence of one of the one or more designated events, modify the estimated emotional state data for the player using expected emotional reaction data representing the expected emotional reaction associated with said designated event.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more designated events is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an initiation of a play of a secondary game;

(b) an achievement of a winning outcome for a play of the game;

(c) an achievement of a losing outcome for a play of the game; and

(d) an award of at least a designated amount being provided.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing a modification of an aspect of the game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing a text message to be sent to a cellular phone of the player.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing an email message to be sent to an email account of the player.

10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to determine estimated emotional state data for a player, the estimated emotional state data for the player initially representing an initial estimated emotional state of the player;

(b) subsequently, causing the at least one processor to receive game play data associated with one or more plays of a game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to determine, based on the received game play data, whether any of one or more designated events occurs in association with said one or more plays of the game;

(d) for each occurrence of one of the one or more designated events in association with said one or more plays of the game, causing the at least one processor to modify the estimated emotional state data for the player based on said designated event such that the estimated emotional state data for the player represents an updated estimated emotional state of the player; and

(e) when the estimated emotional state data for the player satisfies a triggering condition, causing the at least one processor to cause an award to be provided to the player and causing the at least one processor to cause a display of said award.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes providing (a) to (e) for a gaming session of the player and, upon termination of the gaming session, causing the at least one processor to store the estimated emotional state data for the player.

12. The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to, for a subsequent gaming session of the player, determine the estimated emotional state data for the player initially representing the initial estimated emotional state of the player based at least in part on the stored estimated emotional state data for the player.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each designated event is associated with one of a plurality of different expected emotional reactions.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one processor to, for each occurrence of one of the one or more designated events, modify the estimated emotional state data for the player using expected emotional reaction data representing the expected emotional reaction associated with said designated event.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more designated events is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an initiation of a play of a secondary game;

(b) an achievement of a winning outcome for a play of the game;

(c) an achievement of a losing outcome for a play of the game; and

(d) an award of at least a designated amount being provided.

16. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing a modification of an aspect of the game.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing a text message to be sent to a cellular phone of the player.

18. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to cause the award to be provided to the player by causing an email message to be sent to an email account of the player.

19. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the date network is an internet.