Screen capture to a mobile device

• US 8,827,814 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lemay, Steven G., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, BACH V
• Application Number:
  US13/333,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled mobile devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system can be configured to convert a presentation of an outcome of a wager-based game played on an electronic gaming machine (EGM) into a social media presentation that can be uploaded to a social media site. In one embodiment, a copy of an image showing the outcome of the wager-based that is output on an EGM can be incorporated into the social media presentation. Then, the social media presentation can be uploaded from the EGM to a player'"'"'s mobile device or directly to a social media site.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:

a secure cabinet;

a display mechanism, coupled to the secure cabinet, for displaying an outcome to a wager-based game played by a player of the EGM;

a value input mechanism for receiving wagering cash or an indicia of wagering credit used wherein the received cash or the indicia of credit are stored within the secure cabinet and used for making wagers on the outcome to the wager-based game;

a value output mechanism for dispensing payout cash or indicia of payout credit from the EGM;

a wireless interface configured for communications with a user-controlled mobile device controlled by the player;

a network interface for communicating with a remote server; and

a game controller, including a processor and memory, disposed within the secure cabinet and communicatively coupled to the display mechanism, the value input mechanism, the value output mechanism, the wireless interface and the network interface, the game controller configured to;

determine the outcome to the wager-based game,

determine an award associated with the outcome to the wager-based game,

generate a presentation that reveals the outcome to the wager-based game including the award,

control a plurality of mechanisms including the display mechanism to output the presentation,

receive a request for a social media presentation that includes a visual representation of the outcome to the wager-based game including the award, the visual representation similar to the presentation output on the EGM,

generate the social media presentation,

after generating the social media presentation, determine whether the user-controlled mobile device is already connected to the wireless interface;

when it is determined that the user-controlled mobile device is not connected to the wireless interface, attempt to establish secure communications between the wireless interface and the user-controlled mobile device, and

when the attempt to establish the secure communications is unsuccessful, transmit the generated social media presentation to the remote server and provide a record locator to the player, wherein the record locator allows later retrieval of the social media presentation at the EGM or at another EGM in communication with the remote server, wherein the EGM, the another EGM, and the remote server are connected via an internal network.

2. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is a video display.

3. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism includes a plurality of mechanical reels.

4. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is a multi-layered video display including two or more video displays aligned with one another such that images displayed on a first video display are visible through a second video display.

5. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the social media presentation includes a credits visual representation of an amount of credits on the EGM prior to the award associated with the game outcome.

6. The EGM of claim 5, wherein the visual representation includes a copy of a video frame output to the display mechanism that shows the amount of credits on the EGM prior to the award.

7. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the social media presentation includes a credits visual representation of an amount of credits on the EGM including the award associated with the game outcome.

8. The EGM of claim 7, wherein the visual representation includes a copy of a video frame output to the display mechanism that shows the amount of credits on the EGM including the award.

9. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the wager-based game includes a base game and a bonus game that is triggered from the base game.

10. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the social media presentation includes a base visual representation of a base outcome to a base game when the bonus game is triggered and a bonus visual representation of a bonus outcome to the bonus game including a bonus award associated with the bonus game.

11. The EGM of claim 10, wherein the base game on a first display mechanism and the bonus game is output on a second display mechanism.

12. The EGM of claim 11, wherein the second display mechanism is a video display and wherein the bonus visual representation of the bonus outcome of the bonus game includes a copy of a frame output to the video display showing the bonus outcome of the bonus game.

13. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the social media presentation includes a second visual representation of the presentation on the EGM prior to revealing the outcome to the wager-based game and the visual representation of the outcome to the wager-based game including the award.

14. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the social media presentation includes the visual representation of the outcome to the wager-based game including the award and a second visual representation including a second outcome of the wager-based game including a second award.

15. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the request for the social media presentation is received from the user-controlled mobile device via the wireless interface.

16. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the request for the social media presentation includes social media account information associated with a social media site.

17. The EGM of claim 16, wherein the game controller is further configured to post the generated social media presentation to the social media site using the social media account information.

18. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the EGM is configured to receive one or more parameters that affect how the social media presentation is viewed when it is posted to a social media site.

19. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to display a list of messages including text, to receive a selection of one of the messages from the list of messages and to generate the social media presentation including the selected one of the messages.

20. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to receive a message including text and incorporate the text into the generated social media presentation.

21. The EGM of claim 20, wherein the message is received from one of the user-controlled mobile device or the remote server.

22. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the generated social media presentation includes a video clip or a link to the video clip of the presentation that shows the outcome to the wager-based game being revealed on the EGM.

23. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to receive formatting instructions for the social media presentation and generate the social media presentation according to the formatting instructions.

24. The EGM of claim 23, wherein the formatting instructions are received as a selection of a formatting template.

25. The EGM of claim 23, wherein the formatting instructions include a selection of a theme.

26. The EGM of claim 25, wherein the theme is related to a holiday, an event or a theme associated with a casino.

27. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is configured to receive a user'"'"'s name and to generate the social media presentation including the user'"'"'s name.

28. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is configured to receive the request for the social media presentation from the remote server.

29. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to generate the social media presentation including one or more of a time when the wager-based game is played, a date when the wager-based game is played, a name of a place where the wager-based game is played or a name of a gaming establishment where the wager-based game is played.

30. The EGM of claim 1, wherein the gaming controller is configured to receive a request to establish a social media connection on a social media site between a person that played the wager-based game and an operator of a gaming establishment where the wager-based game is played.

31. A method in an EGM including a game controller, the method comprising:

determining in the game controller an outcome to a wager-based game played by a player of the EGM, determining in the game controller an award associated with the outcome to the wager-based game;

generating in the game controller a presentation that reveals the outcome to the wager-based game including the award;

generating in the game controller a plurality of instructions for controlling a plurality of mechanisms including a display mechanism to output the presentation;

receiving in the game controller a request for a social media presentation that includes a visual representation of the outcome to the wager-based game including the award, the visual representation similar to the presentation output on the EGM;

generating in the game controller the social media presentation;

in response to generating the social media presentation, determining whether a user-controlled mobile device is already connected to the game controller of the EGM;

when it is determined that the user-controlled mobile device is not connected to the game controller, attempting to establish secure electronic communications between the game controller and the user-controlled mobile device controlled by the player; and

when the attempt to establish the secure communications is unsuccessful, transmitting the generated social media presentation to a remote server and providing a record locator to the player, wherein the record locator allows later retrieval of the social media presentation at the EGM or at another EGM in communication with the remote server, wherein the EGM, the another EGM, and the remote server are connected via an internal network.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium for tangibly storing a computer program used by a processor on an EGM, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for determining an outcome to a wager-based game played by a player of the EGM;

computer code for determining an award associated with the outcome to the wager-based game;

computer code for generating a presentation that reveals the outcome to the wager-based game including the award;

computer code for generating a plurality of instructions for controlling a plurality of mechanisms including a display mechanism to output the presentation;

computer code for receiving a request for a social media presentation that includes a visual representation of the outcome to the wager-based game including the award, the visual representation similar to the presentation output on the EGM;

computer code for generating the social media presentation;

computer code for determining whether a user-controlled mobile device is connected to the processor in response to generating the social media presentation;

computer code for attempting to establish secure electronic communications between the processor and the user-controlled mobile device controlled by the player when it is determined that the user-controlled mobile device is not connected to the processor; and

computer code for transmitting the generated social media presentation to a remote sever and providing a record locator to the player if the attempt to establish the secure communications is unsuccessful, wherein the record locator allows later retrieval of the social media presentation at the EGM or at another EGM in communication with the remote server, wherein the EGM, the another EGM, and the remote server are connected via an internal network.