System and method for automated customer account creation and management

• US 9,563,898 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: McMahan, Patricia, Kelly, Bryan, Shivashankar, Sethuram
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING JR., JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US12/112,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,205 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method and system to automatically create and manage patron accounts using electronic data capture at an automated machine or kiosk, including electronically obtaining personal patron identification information from a patron identification source, such as a driver'"'"'s license, determining if a patron account exists and if the identification source has expired and updating any existing patron account with the captured data. If the patron identification source is current and no account exists, a temporary account is created and a temporary patron account card supplied to the patron along with promotional offers. Patron activity is monitored at the location and used in creating a permanent patron account for providing additional offers, bonuses, and the like to the patron.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating and managing multiple patron accounts using electronic data capture and generating patron cards at an automated kiosk, the method comprising:

responsive to an external identification source being located within a capture range of at least one personal identification information capture device, electronically capturing, by the at least one personal identification information capture device, personal patron identification information of a patron from the external identification source, the external identification source comprising at least one from among a driver'"'"'s license, passport, military ID, foreign entry visa, credit card, debit card, green card, photograph ID;

responsive to electronic capture of the personal identification information from the external identification source, transmitting, by the at least one personal identification information capture device, the electronically captured personal identification information to at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server;

responsive to receipt of the electronically captured personal identification information, automatically determining, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server and based on at least one portion of the electronically captured personal identification information, whether the patron has an existing patron account at one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server;

responsive to receipt of the electronically captured personal identification information, automatically determining, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, whether the external identification source is expired;

responsive to determining that the patron has the existing patron account at the one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server and that the external identification source is expired, updating, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the existing patron account to indicate that the external identification source is expired;

responsive to determining that the patron has the existing patron account at the one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server and that the external identification source is not expired, updating, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the existing patron account with the electronically captured personal patron identification information;

responsive to determining that the patron has no existing patron account at the one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server and that the external identification source is not expired, creating, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, a temporary patron account at the one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server;

responsive to updating the existing patron account or creating the temporary patron account at the one or more properties associated with the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, transmitting, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, a validation signal to a patron account card printer; and

responsive to receipt of the validation signal, printing, by the patron account card printer, a temporary patron account card, the temporary patron account card including at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium, the at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium being indicative of or storing thereon one or more of debit data that permits the patron to debit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, credit data that permits the patron to credit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, game play data that indicates game play of the patron, and personal identification information that identifies the patron.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically capturing personal patron identification information, by the personal identification information capture device, comprises reading the external identification information with at least one from among a magnetic card reader, a machine-readable symbol reader, a fingerprint sensor, a retina scanner, a photo imaging device, a radio frequency data exchange device, and a driver license scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inactivating an existing patron account when the external identification source is expired.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring patron activity via patron use of the temporary patron account card.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a permanent patron account and printing a patron account card and providing a personal identification number to the patron upon creation of the permanent patron account when the existing patron account is updated.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transferring data from the temporary patron account card to the permanent patron account using the personal identification number.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a bonus to the patron based on monitored patron activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing a bonus includes providing at least one from among compensation points, coupons, discounts, entry into a drawing or game of chance, and credit to the patron account.

9. A computer-implemented system for automated patron account creation and management of multiple patron accounts using electronic data capture of patron identification information taken from a patron identification source, the system comprising:

a personal identification information capture device that electronically captures personal patron identification information from at least one external identification source, the external identification source comprising at least one from among a driver'"'"'s license, passport, military ID, foreign entry visa, credit card, debit card, green card, photograph ID, retinal scan, and fingerprint;

a patron account card printer that physically prints a temporary patron account card and physically delivers the patron account card to the patron; and

at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server communicatively coupled to the personal identification information capture device and the patron account card printer, the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server having at least one non-transitory medium having at least one patron account database and computer-readable instructions stored therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, cause the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server to;

receive the personal patron identification information from the personal identification information capture device;

automatically compare the personal patron identification information against the patron account database stored in the at least one non-transitory medium of the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server;

determine from the comparison that the personal patron identification information does not match an existing patron account in the database;

responsive to determining that no existing patron account match exists, automatically create a temporary patron account for the patron that includes at least one portion of the received personal patron identification information; and

responsive to creating the temporary patron account, automatically print via the patron account card printer a physical temporary patron card associated with the temporary patron account, the temporary patron account card including at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium, the at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium being indicative of or storing thereon one or more of debit data that permits the patron to debit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, credit data that permits the patron to credit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, game play data that indicates game play of the patron, and personal identification information that identifies the patron.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the personal identification information capture device comprises at least one from among a magnetic card reader, a machine-readable symbol reader, a fingerprint sensor, a retina scanner, a photo imaging device, a radio frequency data exchange device, and a driver license scanner.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server communicatively couples to at least one machine for use by patrons to obtain services or goods or both, and wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server to activate or deactivate the machine in response to receipt and processing of the personal patron identification information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server to monitor machine use by the patron that uses the temporary patron card and store data indicative of the machine use in at least one of the temporary patron account and the temporary patron account card.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server to download data regarding the machine use from the temporary patron account card and to utilize the data in creating and managing a permanent patron account.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server to create a permanent patron account and a patron personal identification number and to provide the patron personal identification number to the patron upon creation of the permanent patron account.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine comprises a slot machine.

16. A method of creating and using a temporary casino patron account at a kiosk or gaming machine implemented in instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server having a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, the method comprising:

reading, via a personal identification information capture device located at the kiosk or gaming machine and communicatively coupled to the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, personal patron identification information from an external identification source the external identification source comprising at least one from among a driver'"'"'s license, passport, military ID, foreign entry visa, credit card, debit card, green card, and photograph ID;

automatically comparing, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the personal patron identification information against a patron account database stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium of the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server;

determining, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server and from the comparison, that the personal patron identification information does not match information associated with an existing patron account in the patron account database;

responsive to determining that the personal patron identification information does not match information associated with an existing patron account in the patron account database, creating, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the temporary patron account for the patron, the temporary patron account including at least one portion of the read personal patron identification information;

responsive to creating the temporary patron account, automatically printing, via a patron account card printer at the kiosk or gaming machine, a physical temporary patron card, the temporary patron account card including at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium, the at least one machine readable symbol or nontransitory computer-readable medium being indicative of or storing thereon one or more of debit data that permits the patron to debit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, credit data that permits the patron to credit the temporary patron account via the temporary patron account card, game play data that indicates game play of the patron, and personal identification information that identifies the patron;

automatically delivering, via the patron account card printer at the kiosk or gaming machine, the physical temporary patron card to the patron; and

monitoring, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, game play data generated responsive to the patron using the temporary patron account.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a permanent patron account request from the patron, creating, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, a permanent patron account for the patron; and

responsive to creating the permanent patron account, transferring, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, game play data from the temporary account into the permanent patron account.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the game play data comprises bonusing data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, a personal identification number that the patron input via the kiosk or gaming machine;

comparing, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the personal identification number with information associated with the existing patron account for verification; and

responsive to determining that the personal identification number provided by the patron matches the information associated with the existing patron account in the patron account database, providing, by the at least one service oriented architecture server or casino management system server, the patron access to additional casino services.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising, responsive to creating the temporary patron account and delivering the temporary patron account card to the patron, providing, via the patron account card printer at the kiosk or gaming machine, printed coupons to the patron.