Dynamically configurable gaming system

• US 8,029,360 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Clifton E., Lind, Jefferson C., Enzminger, Joseph R., O'Connor, Brendan M., Loebig, Gary L., Lannert, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, BACH V
• Application Number:
  US10/643,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,969 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/16, 463 29- 37, 463 40- 43, 463/46, 463/47, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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

Abstract

A gaming system (40) according to the present invention includes a number of gaming machines (10), each gaming machine including a single player game presentation arrangement that may be reconfigured to provide any one of a number of game presentations. In addition to the gaming machines (10) the present gaming system (40) includes a system configuration arrangement (51) and a game modification controller (50). The system configuration arrangement (51) produces system configuration commands based either on manual inputs, system usage information, or various information related to one or more players in a gaming facility. The game modification controller (50) included in preferred forms of the gaming system receives the system configuration commands and in response to the commands, communicates presentation switching instructions to one or more gaming machines (10) included in the system.

Claims

1. A gaming system including:

(a) a gaming machine including a game presentation arrangement capable of producing a respective game presentation for any one of a number of different games, the gaming machine being located in a hotel room;

(b) a player data collection arrangement for detecting that a person has been assigned to the hotel room in which the gaming machine is located and for storing player preference information for the person assigned to the hotel room;

(c) a system configuration arrangement for producing a system configuration command based on the player preference information for the person assigned to the hotel room; and

(d) a game modification controller in communication with the system configuration arrangement and with the gaming machine, the game modification controller for responding to the system configuration command by communicating presentation switching instructions to the gaming machine, the presentation switching instructions causing the gaming machine to produce a game presentation specified by the presentation switching instructions.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein the player data collection arrangement detects that the person has been assigned to the hotel room by receiving room check-in information.

3. A method of changing a game presentation produced by a gaming machine in a gaming facility, the method including:

(a) detecting that a player has been assigned to a hotel room in which the gaming machine is located;

(b) retrieving stored player preference information for the player;

(c) producing a system configuration command based on the retrieved player preference information for the player, the system configuration command identifying a game presentation likely to be favored by the player;

(d) communicating presentation switching instructions to the gaming machine in response to the system configuration command; and

(e) changing from the game presentation at the gaining machine to the game presentation likely to be favored by the player, the change from the game presentation being performed in response to the presentation switching instructions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting that the player has been assigned to the hotel room includes receiving room check-in information.

5. A program product for configuring a gaming machine having the ability to produce a respective game presentation for a number of different games, the program product being stored on a computer readable medium and including:

(a) system configuration program code executable for retrieving game preference information on a player that has been assigned to a hotel room in which the gaming machine is located, and for producing a system configuration command identifying a second game presentation based on the retrieved game preference information on the player; and

(b) presentation switching program code executable for responding to the system configuration command by communicating presentation switching instructions the gaming machine, the presentation switching instructions being effective for causing the gaming machine to switch from a first game presentation at the gaming machine to the second game presentation.