Method and system for adapting casino games to playing preferences

• US 7,033,276 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/962,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 11- 13, 463/23, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/43, 463/35, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/323 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 17/3244 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 17/3262 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

One embodiment of the present invention provides for receiving a player identifier, transmitting the player identifier to a central server, receiving data corresponding to the player identifier from the central server, and configuring play of a casino game based on the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a player identifier that identifies a player of a casino device, the casino device operable to conduct a wagering game;

determining, based on the player identifier, a sound option preferred by the player; and

generating at least one signal based on the sound option, the at least one signal being operable with the casino device to configure a sound feature of the casino device, such that the sound feature may be configured differently for different players playing the same game on the casino device.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the casino device is associated with a table game.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the casino device is a slot machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the sound option preferred by the player comprises:

determining a sound option designated by the player as a preferred sound option.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the sound option preferred by the player comprises:

determining data derived based on at least one setting the player has selected during game play that occurred prior to current game play; and

determining the sound option based on the data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one signal to the casino device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a player identifier comprises:

receiving, from a gaming device, an indication of a player identifier that identifies a player currently playing the gaming device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the sound option preferred by the player comprises:

communicating with a remote controller, the remote controller storing data indicative of the sound option preferred by the player, to determine, based on the player identifier, the sound option preferred by the player.

9. A gaming device, comprising:

a communication port operable to facilitate communication among the gaming device and a server device associated with the gaming device;

a processor operable to facilitate a wagering game;

a memory storing data associated with the wagering game; and

a player tracking module, the player tracking module operable to determine a unique identifier identifying a player currently playing the gaming device;

wherein the processor is operable with at least one of the player tracking module and the communication port to;

determine a player identifier that identifies a player of the gaming device;

determine, based on the player identifier, a sound option preferred by the player; and

generate at least one signal based on the sound option, the at least one signal being operable with the gaming device to configure a sound feature of the gaming device, such that the sound feature may be configured differently for different players playing the same game on the gaming device.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the gaming device is associated with a table game.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, in which the gaming device is a slot machine.

12. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor being operable to determine the sound option preferred by the player comprises the processor being operable with at least one of the player tracking module and the communication port to:

determine a sound option previously designated by the player as a preferred sound option.

13. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor being operable to determine the sound option preferred by the player comprises the processor being operable with at least one of the player tracking module and the communication port to:

determine data derived based on at least one setting the player has selected during game play that occurred prior to current game play; and

determining the sound option based on the data.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the prior game play was conducted on a second gaming device.

15. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor being operable to determine the sound option preferred by the player comprises the processor being operable with at least one of the player tracking module and the communication port to:

communicate with the server device, the server device storing data indicative of the sound option preferred by the player, to determine, based on the player identifier, the sound option preferred by the player.

16. A system comprising:

a server device operable to communicate with a plurality of gaming devices, wherein each of the gaming devices is operable to conduct a wagering game; and

the plurality of gaming devices;

wherein the server device is further operable to;

determine a player identifier of a player currently playing one of the plurality of gaming devices;

determine, based on the player identifier, a sound option preferred by the player; and

generate at least one signal based on the sound option, the at least one signal being operable with the gaming device to configure a sound feature of the gaming device, such that the sound feature may be configured differently for different players playing the same game on the gaming device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the server device is further operable to:

transmit the signal to the gaming device, the signal indicating the sound option preferred by the player.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the server device being operable to determine a sound option preferred by the player comprises the server device being operable to:

determine a sound option previously designated by the player as a preferred sound option.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the server device being operable to determine a sound option preferred by the player comprises the server device being operable to:

determine data derived based on at least one setting the player has selected during game play that occurred prior to current game play; and

determining the sound option based on the data.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the prior game play occurred on a gaming device different from the gaming device the player is currently playing.

21. A computer usable medium having a computer readable program embodied therein for causing a processor of a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining a player identifier that identifies a player of a casino device, the casino device operable to conduct a wagering game;

determining, based on the player identifier, a sound option preferred by the player; and

generating at least one signal based on the sound option, the at least one signal being operable with the casino device to configure a sound feature of the casino device, such that the sound feature may be configured differently for different players playing the same game on the casino device.