Analyzing wireless signals in wagering game environments

• US 9,454,870 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Carpenter, Jerome, Motyl, James E., Sylla, Craig J., Velu, Muthu
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US12/521,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,182 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

Systems and methods for analyzing wireless signals in a wagering game environment are described herein. In some embodiment, a wagering game machine includes a wagering game unit configured to present wagering games. The wagering game machine can also include a network interface configured to exchange, with other devices on a wagering game network, information about the wagering games. The wagering game machine can also include a wireless signal detection device configured to detect wireless signals in a wagering game environment and to create wireless signal data for use in determining whether the wireless signals interfere with wireless communications of the wagering game network.

Claims

1. A wagering game machine comprising:

a network interface configured to wirelessly exchange, with other devices on a wagering game network, information about wagering games;

a wagering game unit configured to present the wagering games based on the information received via the network interface;

a wireless signal detection device configured to,

disable the network interface;

detect, after the network interface is disabled, wireless signals in a wagering game environment and to create wireless signal data for use in determining whether the wireless signals interfere with wireless communications of the wagering game network; and

enable, after the detection of the wireless signals in the wagering game environment, the network interface.

2. The wagering game machine of claim 1, the wireless signal data to indicate one or more of the group consisting of frequency components of the wireless signals, network protocols of the wireless signals, and location of the source of the wireless signals.

3. The wagering game machine of claim 1, further comprising a wireless signal data processor configured to present the wireless signal data in graphical form.

4. The wagering game machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless signal data processor configured to determine, based on the wireless signal data, whether the wireless signals are interfering with communications of the wagering game network.

5. The wagering game machine of claim 4, wherein the wireless signal data processor is further configured to notify a wagering game network administrator after a determination that the wireless signals are interfering with the communications of the wagering game network.

6. The wagering game machine of claim 1, wherein the wagering game machine includes a universal serial bus (USB) and wherein the wireless signal detection device is configured to transmit the wireless signal data over the USB.

7. A method for monitoring, from a wagering game machine, wireless signals in a wagering game environment, the method comprising:

detecting a wager associated with a wagering game;

receiving, over a wireless interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in the wagering game environment, a result for the wagering game;

presenting the wagering game;

disabling the wireless interface from transmitting wireless signals;

after disabling the wireless interface, detecting a group of one or more wireless signals in the wagering game environment;

after the detecting, enabling the wireless interface to transmit wireless signals;

creating data indicating properties of the group of wireless signals; and

submitting the data for analysis.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the properties include one or more of the group consisting of frequencies of the wireless signals, amplitudes of the wireless signals, and protocol formats of the wireless signals.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

presenting the data as a graph, wherein the graph depicts ones of the group of wireless signals in a frequency domain.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the wagering game machine is part of a wagering game network, the method further comprising:

analyzing the data, wherein the analyzing determines whether ones of the group of wireless signals originate from a device of the wagering game network.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

analyzing the data to determine a device from which ones of the group of wireless signals originated.

12. A wagering game network comprising:

a plurality of wagering game machines including,

a network interface configured to transmit and receive data over the wagering game network;

a wagering game unit configured to present wagering games based on some of the data;

a wireless signal detector device configured to

disable the network interface;

detect, after the network interface is disabled, wireless signals in a wagering game environment;

enable the network interface; and

create data including an indication of frequency components of the wireless signal;

and

a wireless signal data analyzer configured to receive data from the wagering game machines and to determine, based on the data, whether the wireless signals are interfering with communications in the wagering game network.

13. The wagering game network of claim 12, wherein each of the wagering game machines further includes a wireless signal data processor configured to present a graphical representation of the data, wherein the graphical representation illustrates the frequency components of the wireless signal.

14. The wagering game network of claim 12, wherein each of the wagering game machines has a form factor suitable for handheld operation.

15. The wagering game network of claim 12, wherein the wireless signal data analyzer is further configured to reconfigure wagering game network based on the data.

16. The wagering game network of claim 12, wherein the wireless signals originate from devices that are not part of the wagering game network.

17. The wagering game network of claim 12, wherein the wireless signal data analyzer is further configured to present a graphical representation of the data, and wherein the graphical representation illustrates the frequency components of the wireless signals.