Mobile gaming devices for use in a gaming network having gaming and non-gaming zones

• US 8,226,474 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Underdahl, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/518,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/29, 463 39- 42
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

Novel gaming networks, devices, and systems for enabling game play on wireless, mobile gaming devices based on the location of the device are described. A mobile gaming device can be used for wagering game play when the device is physically present in an authorized game play zone in a gaming environment and is used by an authorized and verified user. A gaming environment is divided into zones wherein a zone either allows wagering game play on a device or does not. A zone has multiple transmitters that transmit security signals that are detectable by a mobile device at all times while the device is in the zone. An appropriate wireless communication standard can be used to transmit the security signal, such as near-field magnetic communication. The device has at least one user identification and authentication mechanism to ensure that only an authorized user is using the device.

Claims

1. A method of managing the operation of mobile wager gaming devices in a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting a near-field magnetic (“

NFM”

) security signal from an NFM transmitter;

receiving the NFM security signal at a mobile device having a mobile ID and capable of executing a wagering game;

maintaining operability of the mobile device upon the mobile device receiving the security signal; and

disabling operability of the mobile device when the mobile device does not receive the security signal within a pre-determined time period, such that operability of the mobile device is controlled based on a location of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting gaming data from the mobile device to a gaming server using radio frequency (“

RF”

) communication.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving gaming data at the mobile device from a gaming server using RF communication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step further comprises assigning a unique signature to the NFM security signal, and wherein the unique signature corresponds to a specific mobile identifier of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving the NFM security signal with the unique signature at the mobile device with the specific mobile identifier wherein the specific mobile identifier corresponds to the unique signature, thereby providing interactivity between a specific mobile device and a gaming server.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

exchanging gaming data between the mobile device and the gaming server using NFM communication.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

creating a thread between the mobile device and the gaming server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the NFM security signal is broadcasted to a plurality of mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the NFM security signal is multicasted to a plurality of mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step further comprises assigning a unique signature to the NFM security signal, and wherein the unique signature corresponds to a specific user.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

associating the specific user to a specific mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the specific user is associated with the specific mobile device when the specific user registers to use the specific mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating the mobile device with a first zone in the wireless network, the first zone having a first set of NFM transmitters.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

enabling a first set of gaming features on the mobile device when the mobile device is receiving NFM security signals in the first zone.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device is operable for wager gaming only in the first zone.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device is operable for non-gaming activities outside of the first zone.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device is operable for providing non-wagering games outside of the first zone.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device is not operable for any purpose outside the first zone.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile device contains an NFM signal receiver that is capable of detecting only a security signal from the first set of NFM transmitters.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is in the first zone before transmitting gaming data to the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device receives non-gaming data using NFM communication.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering a user for the mobile device thereby creating an authorized user for the device.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

verifying that a user of the mobile device is the authorized user of the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

storing an authorized user identifier in the wireless network corresponding to the authorized user when the device is registered.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the authorized user identifier is one of a fingerprint, a voice sample, an image, and a password.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

performing a secondary identification of an authorized user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the mobile device includes an RFID device.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the authorized user is identified using one of an RFID card, an RFID token, and an RFID bracelet.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the mobile device contains a biometric mechanism.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

ensuring that whenever the mobile device is in use, that the device is being used by the authorized user.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

monitoring a physical touch of a hand on the mobile device.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

re-authenticating the authorized user of the mobile device when the physical touch of a hand on the mobile device is not present.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the mobile device includes a capacitive touch sensing device.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step further comprises utilizing an NFM communication interface in the mobile device.