Customization of game play through personal gaming device

• US 9,390,582 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: McIntyre, Derek P., Gardner, Michael B., Chen, Xuedong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US14/032,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20150087369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods for customizing game play on a gaming machine with custom media are described herein. The gaming machine includes a cabinet, a display, a user input mechanism, an interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable electronic device controlled by a player, and a game controller. The game controller is configured to provide a default game play session of a wager-based game, facilitate a data connection between the gaming machine and the portable electronic device through the interface, and receive custom game media and customization settings. The game controller is further configured to store the custom game media and customization settings and to provide a customized game play session of the wager-based game according to the customization settings and the custom game media.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a cabinet;

a display device coupled to the cabinet;

a user input mechanism coupled to the cabinet;

an interface coupled to the cabinet, wherein the interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable electronic device of a player; and

a game controller coupled to the cabinet, wherein the game controller is configured to;

(a) if no custom game media and no customization settings are received from the portable electronic device and if no request to pair the portable electronic device is received, display a default game play session of a wager-based game, wherein the default game play session includes causing the display device to display default game media to the player,

(b) if a request to pair the portable electronic device is received and an designated application is installed on the portable electronic device;

(i) facilitate, through the interface, a wireless data connection with the portable electronic device,

(ii) receive, via the installed designated application, custom game media and customization settings from the portable electronic device,

(iii) store the custom game media and customization settings in a memory, and

(iv) display a customized game play session of the wager-based game according to the customization settings received from the portable electronic device, wherein the customized game play session displays the wager-based game using the custom game media received from the portable electronic device in place of at least a portion of the default game media and

(c) if the request to pair the portable electronic device is received and the designated application is not installed on the portable electronic device, cause the display device to display an instruction to download the designated application to the portable electronic device.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the wager-based game is a video slot game, and the customization settings instruct the game controller to substitute the custom game media for default game media relating to at least a symbol on a video slot reel.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the wager-based game is a video card game, and the customization settings instruct the game controller to substitute the custom game media for at least one of a card back design and a card suit.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to associate the custom game media and customization settings with a player account of the player.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game controller is further configured to determine that game play of the customized game play session has ended.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the game controller is further configured to revert to providing the default game play session in response to determining that game play of the customized game play session has ended.

7. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the game controller is further configured to delete the custom game media and customization settings from the memory upon determining that game play of the customized game play session has ended.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the displayed instruction includes a machine readable code.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, which includes an acceptor, and a cashout device, wherein the game controller is configured to:

if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

10. A method in a gaming system including a gaming machine, the method comprising:

(a) if no custom game media and no customization settings are received from a portable electronic device and if no request to pair the portable electronic device is received, causing a gaming machine display device to display a default game play of a wager-based game on the gaming machine, wherein the default game play includes displaying default game media to a player;

(b) if a request to pair the portable electronic device is received and an designated application is installed on the portable electronic device;

(i) facilitating a wireless data connection with a portable electronic device,

(ii) receiving, via the installed designated application, custom game media and customization settings from the portable electronic device,

(iii) storing the custom game media and customization settings in a memory, and

(iv) causing the gaming machine display device to display a customized game play of the wager-based game on the gaming machine, wherein the customized game play includes displaying the custom game media received from the portable electronic device in place of at least a portion of the default game media, and

(c) if the request to pair the portable electronic device is received and the designated application is not installed on the portable electronic device, causing the gaming machine display device to display an instruction to download the designated application to the portable electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes displaying the player a customization user interface through a display device of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wager-based game is a video slot game, and which includes substituting the custom game media for a default slot symbol on a video reel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the wager-based game is a video card game, and which includes substituting the custom game media for at least one of:

a default card back design and a card suit logo.

14. The method of claim 10, which includes associating the custom game media and the customization settings with a player account of the player.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes determining that the customized game play has ended.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes deleting the custom game media and the customization settings from the memory in response to determining that the customized game play has ended.

17. The method of claim 15, which includes reverting back to providing default game play of the wager-based game in response to determining that the customized game play has ended.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the instruction is accomplished by causing the gaming machine display device to display a message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the message includes a machine readable code.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein any displayed award for any play of the wager-based game causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.

21. A non-transitory computer readable media with computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

(a) if no custom game media and no customization settings are received from a portable electronic device and if no request to pair the portable electronic device is received, cause a gaming machine display device to display a default game play of a wager-based game, wherein the default game play includes displaying default game media to a player;

(b) if a request to pair the portable electronic device is received and an designated application is installed on the portable electronic device;

(i) facilitate a wireless data connection with a portable electronic device,

(ii) receive, via the installed designated application, custom game media and customization settings from the portable electronic device,

(iii) store the custom game media and customization settings in a memory; and

(iv) cause the gaming machine display device to display a customized game play of the wager-based game on the gaming machine, wherein the customized game play includes displaying the custom game media received from the portable electronic device in place of at least a portion of the default game media; and

(c) if the request to pair the portable electronic device is received and the designated application is not installed on the portable electronic device, cause the gaming machine display device to display an instruction to download the designated application to the portable electronic device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, which includes instructions that cause the processor to display the player a customization user interface through a display of the portable electronic device.

23. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the wager-based game is a video slot game, and which includes instructions that cause the processor to substitute the custom game media for a default slot symbol on a video reel.

24. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the wager-based game is a video card game, and which includes instructions that cause the processor to substitute the custom game media for at least one of:

a default card back design and a card suit logo.

25. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, which includes instructions that cause the processor to associate the custom game media and the customization settings with a player account of the player.

26. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, which includes instructions that cause the processor to determine that the customized game play has ended.

27. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, which includes instructions that cause the processor to delete the custom game media and the customization settings from the memory in response to determining that the customized game play has ended.

28. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, which includes instructions that cause the processor to revert back to displaying default game play of the wager-based game in response to determining that the customized game play has ended.

29. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 28, wherein the displayed instruction includes a machine readable code.

30. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21, wherein any displayed award for any play of the wager-based game causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.