The present invention pertains generally to casino gaming, and more particularly to methods, systems, and software for proximity based game customization in a gaming establishment.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material to which the claim of copyright protection is made. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but reserves all other rights whatsoever. Copyright © 2005, WMS Gaming Inc.
The gaming industry has grown increasingly competitive and sophisticated in recent years. As such, it has become increasingly important to deliver the highest possible quality of gaming experience for each and every player. This both assures that the player will have a satisfying experience and that the gaming establishment has the best possible chance to maximize revenue and profit from each player.
Idle gaming machines are machines that are not currently being used. Such machines may be placed in an attract mode, which displays images and sounds designed to attract potential players so the machine becomes active and revenue producing. The gaming machine may also be preprogrammed with a set of one or more games. Much research has gone into designing attract modes that are appealing to potential players. However, no one attract mode or set of games is optimal for attracting all of the different potential players in a gaming establishment.
Potential player proximity to a gaming machine is sensed, and used to customize the gaming machine. In one embodiment, the potential player position is sensed via an ID card carried by the potential player with triangulation sensors. The identity of the player is also associated with the ID card, and is used to access a database containing information about the potential player or type of player. Based on that stored information, the proximate gaming machine may be customized in one of many different manners.
In one embodiment, the gaming machine is loaded with a game that is more likely to be desired by the potential player. Settings for the game, such as payouts and betting modes may be modified as a function of the stored information. Attract modes of the gaming machine may also be modified to be more attractive to the potential player. In further embodiments, information known to be desired by the potential player, such as sporting results may also be displayed to attract the potential player.
In still further embodiments, a group of people may be sensed proximate a gaming device in use. Nearby gaming machines may be customized with a selected game, such as the same or similar game to attract potential players from the group which are likely watching the play on the gaming device in use.
In further embodiments, a cell phone or other device may be used to locate and identify a potential player, such as by triangulation. Biometrics may be used to locate and identify potential players in yet further embodiments. In still further embodiments, various profiling techniques may be utilized to identify desired customizations of proximately located gaming machines.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments which may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
The functions or algorithms described herein are implemented in software or a combination of software and human implemented procedures in one embodiment. The software comprises computer executable instructions stored on computer readable media such as memory or other type of storage devices. The term “computer readable media” is also used to represent carrier waves on which the software is transmitted. Further, such functions correspond to modules, which are software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. Multiple functions are performed in one or more modules as desired, and the embodiments described are merely examples. The software is executed on a digital signal processor, ASIC, microprocessor, or other type of processor operating on a computer system, such as a personal computer, server, state machine or other computer system.
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A system 120 is provided for processing and recording data collected from RFID tags 108. Reader component 106 is configured to communicate with an information system 120 through a communication channel which may be wireless or wired in various embodiments. Information system 120 may be disposed in the gaming establishment 104 or at a remote site. System 120 includes at least one processing unit 122 and software 124 operable on the system to record and process data read from RFID tags 108 as read by the tag reader components 106. Through the processing of this data and using other stored data, system 120 can track the position of an individual 101 in the gaming establishment 104 To provide this functionality, software 124 additionally operates to maintain a database 125 of records representing individuals 101, reader components 106 and the casino game they are associated with, RFID tags 108 and the individuals they are assigned or associated with, and the location of RFID tag 108 over a desired period of time. Accordingly, the recorded RFID location information (as determined by the detection of such RFID tags at a casino game 102) allows system 120 to track the location, movement, and game play of an individual 101 in the casino.
Database 125 also includes information regarding the gaming habits and preferences of individuals, as well as interests, such as favorite sports and sporting teams, news preferences, outside interests, and other items of interest that are known. Gaming habits and preferences may include information about favorite games, and preferences for the games, such as payout amounts. Using the location information and information in the database 125, the information processing system may customize nearby idle gaming machines that are likely to be observable by the individual in the individual's present location. Such gaming machines are said to be proximate to the individual, and may be customized to play a selected game, or provide a specific attraction mode designed to attract the particular individual. Such proximate gaming machine or machines may be customized to display things of interest to the individual, such as sporting event scores or clips. Sounds may be provided that are likely to attract the user, such as music, or gaming sounds.
In one embodiment, the location of a user at a point in the future is predicted, allowing time to customize a gaming machine that may be near the user at that time. The location may be predicted by extrapolating the user position based on several past known locations and times at such locations.
In some embodiments, groups of potential players may be observing a game being played on one gaming machine. Multiple other unused proximate gaming machines may be customized to provide the same or a similar game to attract idle potential players in the group.
The customized gaming device at 235 begins operating in the customized manner to attract the individual. The customized manner of operation may be an idle form such as attract mode, with commercials, themes, demos, playing incentives, language of operation, offers to donate a percentage to selected charities. The customized manner of operation may also take place from the information when the player actively interacts with the gaming device, such as displaying buddy lists, themes, denoms, sport book actions and results, general entertainment, a list history of players and language of operation. It may even appear personalized, with specific information about the individual, such as their high scores on a particular game.
As used herein, the term casino game or gaming device encompasses, without limitation, slot machines, video poker machines, roulette tables, poker tables, craps tables and any other game of chance offered by a gaming establishment wherein for example the game qualifies as regulated and/or licensed gaming equipment. The term gaming establishment refers to an establishment that offers casino gaming experiences to its patrons and, in one example embodiment, is licensed by a gaming regulatory authority to provide such gaming experiences.
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Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify individual items. Smart cards may also be used. There are several methods of identifying objects using RFID tags, such as tags 108. One of the most common is to store a serial number that identifies an item, thing, or person (such as an individual carrying an RFID tag 108), and perhaps other information, on a microchip that is attached to an antenna (the chip and the antenna together are called an RFID transponder or an RFID tag). The antenna enables the chip to transmit the identification information to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves returned from the RFID tag into a form that can then be passed on to, for example the system 120, that can make use of it. While it depends on the particular RFID tag and the application, one example embodiment of a RFID tag 108 carries about 2 KB of data—enough to store some basic information about the item or person it represents.
As described in various configurations below, an RFID system such as system 101 may comprise a RFID tag 108, which is made up of a microchip with, for example, a coiled antenna, and an interrogator or reader with an antenna, referred to herein in some instances as a reader component 106 generally, or more specifically as may be provided in some embodiments as a reader unit 304 and antenna 302. Reader unit 304 may include an integral or co-located antenna, or it may be deployed with one or remote antennas deployed at some distance from the unit 304. Remote antennas may be coupled to the reader unit 304 with a wireline connection. The reader 304 generates electromagnetic waves from the antenna 304 that form a magnetic field when they “couple” with the antenna on the RFID tag. According to one example embodiment, system 101 uses passive tags that have no battery. These passive tags draw power from the reader, which sends out electromagnetic waves that induce a current in the tag's antenna. The RFID tag draws power from this current and uses it to power the microchip's circuits. The chip then modulates the waves that the tag sends back to the reader and the reader converts the new waves into digital data. Most passive RFID tags simply reflect back waves from the reader. Energy harvesting, on the other hand, is a technique in which energy from the reader is gathered by the tag, stored momentarily, and transmitted back at a different frequency.
According to another example embodiment of the RFID tags 108, there are provided active RFID tags that have a battery, which is used to run the microchip's circuitry and to broadcast a signal to a reader (for example like the way a cell phone transmits signals to a base station). Semi-passive tags can also be used in the embodiments herein, and use a battery to run the chip's circuitry, but communicate by drawing power from the reader. Active and semi-passive tags are useful for tracking items that need to be scanned over long ranges, but they cost more than passive tags. The read range of passive tags may not be as far as active tags, for example for some example technology, less than ten feet as opposed to one-hundred (100) feet or more for active tags. More particularly, the read range of passive tags depends on many factors: the frequency of operation, the power of the reader, interference from metal objects or other RF devices. In general, low-frequency tags are read from a foot or less. High frequency tags are read from about three feet and UHF tags are read from 10 to 20 feet. Where longer ranges are needed, active tags use batteries to boost read ranges to 300 feet or more.
Radio frequency identification in system 101 does not require line of sight. RFID tags can be read as long as they are within range of a reader. Radio waves travel through most non-metallic materials, allowing RFID tags or the readers to be embedded in packaging or encased in protective plastic for weather-proofing and greater durability. Or, in the alternative, the reader component 106 can be mounted in a housing provided that the radio waves can traverse the housing, either by going through a wall, window or opening in the housing. However, reading an RFID through a metallic barrier can be more difficult.
RFID tags and readers have to be tuned to the same frequency to communicate. RFID systems can use many different frequencies, but generally the most common are low-(around 125 KHz), high-(13.56 MHz) and ultra-high frequency, UHF (850-900 MHz) or 5.8 GHz and 433.92 MHz. Microwave (2.45 GHz) is also used in some applications. Different frequencies have different characteristics that make them more useful for different applications. For instance, low-frequency tags are cheaper than ultra high frequency (UHF) tags, use less power and are better able to penetrate non-metallic substances. UHF frequencies typically offer better range and can transfer data faster. But they use more power and are less likely to pass through materials. And because they tend to be more “directed,” they may require a clear path between the tag and reader.
System 101 and other embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented with read-write or read-only RFID tags 108. With read-write chips, an application can add information to the tag or write over existing information when the tag is within range of a reader, or interrogator. Some read-only microchips have information stored on them during the manufacturing process. The information on such chips can never be changed. Another option is to use electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, or EEPROM. With EEPROM, the data can be overwritten using a special electronic process.
It is noted that one problem encountered with RFID is the signal from one reader can interfere with the signal from another where coverage overlaps. This is called reader collision. One way to avoid the problem is to use a technique called time division multiple access, or TDMA. In simple terms, the readers are instructed to read at different times, rather than both trying to read at the same time. This ensures that they don't interfere with each other. But it means any RFID tag in an area where two readers overlap will be read twice. Accordingly, in one example embodiment of the systems and methods described hereinabove, the system or method is operated so that if one reader reads a tag another reader does not read it again. Another problem readers have is reading a lot of RFID tags in the same field. Tag collision occurs when more than one chip reflects back a signal at the same time, confusing the reader. Different vendors of RFID technology have developed different systems for having the tags respond to the reader one at a time. Since they can be read in milliseconds, it appears that all the tags are being read simultaneously.
In further embodiments, physical connectors connecting the information system 120 to the reader component 106 may also be used, such as through an Ethernet connection. According to another alternate embodiment, the data transmission system 130 comprises RF transmission components passing data between the reader component 106 and the information system 120 using radio frequency transmissions.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/641,554 filed Jan. 5, 2005, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60641554 | Jan 2005 | US |