WIRELESS GAMING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150045117A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Soltys, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,786,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A system employs a server computing system with an integrated database and wireless communications devices, for example, handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs). The server computing system may also communicate with fully automated data collection systems associated with some gaming tables and/or with the casino'"'"'s legacy data collection systems and databases. The server computing system may communicate with various non-gaming related casino systems, such as point-of-sale terminals and/or accounting systems, related to the various guest facilities, for example, allowing player comps to be freely exchanged for services and merchandise. The wireless communications devices permit remote wagering.

Claims

1. A system for operating one or more portable wireless communication devices in a casino to facilitate remote wagering at a table game, said portable devices including a video display and user interface, the system comprising:

a server computing system;

a communication network to provide communication between said table game and said server computing system and one or more wireless communication devices, one of said table game and server computer system configured to announce wagering period for the table game during which wagers may be accepted from said portable devices via input at the user interface, to wirelessly receive from each with said portable devices transmission packet including data indicating the registration of a wager on the table game, data from which the geographic location of the portable device can be determined, data representing a table game identifier and data identifying the user;

one of said server and table game configured to enable, through said network, the display at each portable device of a countdown for the wagering period;

said server configured to accept a wager transmission packet received during said wagering period and to reject transmissions packets received after said wagering period has elapsed and to control the portable device display whose wager transmission packet was received during the wagering period to display an indication of acceptance of the wager.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable devices include a GPS position sensor, said system including said server computing system configured to receive with said transmission packet from a portable device GPS data from which the geographic location of the portable device can be determined.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising said communications network includes a plurality of wireless communication devices located in said casino, said server computing system configured to receive with said transmission packet from a portable device from which the position of the portable device may be determined through triangulation.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said table game includes a plurality of intermediate wagering periods for the table game, said system comprising one of said server and table game configured to enable, through said network, the display at each portable device a countdown for each intermediate wagering period and said server configured to accept a wager transmission packet received during said intermediate wagering periods and to reject transmissions packets received after said intermediate wagering period have elapsed and to control the portable device display whose wager transmission packet was received during the intermediate wagering period to display an indication of acceptance of the intermediate wager.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising one of said table and server computing system configured to, based upon the determined location of the portable device, send through said network to said portable devices video images of the table game for display at said portable device displays.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said portable devices include audio speakers comprising one of said table and server computing system configured to, based upon the determined location of the portable device, send through said network to said portable devices video images of the table game for display at said portable device displays and audio content for rendition through said speakers.

7. A method for operating one or more portable wireless communication devices in a casino to facilitate remote wagering at a table game, said portable devices including a video display and user interface, the method comprising:

providing a server computing system;

configuring one of said table game and server computing system for providing over a communication network enabling communication between said table game and said server computing system and one or more wireless communication devices, announcing of the opening of a wagering period for the table game during which wagers may be accepted from said portable devices via input the user interface, wirelessly receiving from each with said portable devices a transmission packet including data indicating an amount of a wager, data from which the geographic location of the portable device can be determined, data representing a table game identifier and data identifying the user;

one of said server and table game controlling, through said network, the display at each portable device to display a countdown for the wagering period;

said server configured for accepting wager transmission packets received during said wagering period and for rejecting transmission packets received after said wagering period has elapsed and controlling the portable device display whose wager transmission packet was received during the wagering period to display an indication of acceptance of the wager.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said portable devices include a GPS position sensor, said method comprising configuring said server computing system for receiving with said transmission packet from a portable device GPS data and determining the geographic location of the portable device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said communications network includes a plurality of wireless communication devices located in said casino, configuring said server computing system for receiving with said transmission packet from a portable device data related to a plurality of wireless communication devices for determining the position of the portable device may be determined through triangulation.