Cardless login at table games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11257319-B2
Application number	US-202016921767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Technology for managing a player session at a gaming table is disclosed. A table management system receives identifying information of a player seated at the gaming table transmitted by a mobile device associated with the player. The identifying information includes a seating position of the player at the gaming table, the seating position determined by the mobile device through interaction with a locating device placed at the seating position at the gaming table. The table management system generates the player session for the player for playing a wagering game at the gaming table using the identifying information of the player transmitted by the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing a player session at a gaming table, by a processor, comprising:
receiving, by a table management system, identifying information of a player seated at the gaming table transmitted by at least one logic device; wherein the identifying information includes a seating position of the player at the gaming table, the seating position determined by at least one of a positioning of the at least one logic device in relation to the seating position and through an interaction between the at least one logic device and a locating device placed at the seating position at the gaming table, wherein the gaming table includes a plurality of the locating devices such that each of the plurality of locating devices is placed at each respective seating position at the gaming table, each locating device comprising an antenna communicating with the mobile device over a Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol; and
generating, by the table management system, the player session for the player for playing a wagering game at the gaming table using the identifying information of the player through use of a mobile device in communication with the at least one logic device, wherein the at least one logic device is in communication with each of the plurality of locating devices and interacts with the mobile device associated with the player to exchange application-level messages between the mobile device and the table management system; and

ensuring the player is seated during gameplay at the gaming table by using a time-based data synchronization algorithm for data broadcasted between the mobile device and the at least one logic device such that the data exchanged between the mobile device and the at least one logic device changes as a function of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of locating devices each comprise a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and
further comprising:
scanning, by the player, the RFID tag using the mobile device to register the seating position of the player within an application executing on the mobile device; and
subsequent to the scanning, connecting to the at least one logic device associated with the gaming table by the mobile device to initiate the generation of the player session with the identified information including the registered seating position of the player.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining, by the mobile application, the at least one logic device to connect thereto as a nearest logic device to the mobile device, the nearest logic device to the mobile device identified by one of:
having a highest wireless signal strength captured by the mobile device when compared to the wireless signal strength produced by a plurality of the logic devices; and
information encoded in the RFID tag as captured by the mobile application of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of locating devices each comprise a Quick Response (QR) code; and
further comprising:
scanning, by the player, the QR code using the mobile device to register the seating position of the player within the application executing on the mobile device; and
subsequent to the scanning, connecting directly to the table management system, by the mobile device, to initiate the generation of the player session with the identifying information including the registered seating position of the player.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, for ensuring the player is seated at the seating position during gameplay at the gaming table,
requiring an operator of the gaming table to approve an approval request presented on an external device upon receiving the identifying information and prior to generating the player session.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the player has left the gaming table, disconnecting from the at least one logic device, and closing the player session by performing one of:
detecting, by one of the least one logic device and the mobile device, that the wireless signal strength between the at least one logic device and the mobile device has fallen below a first pre-determined threshold; and
sampling, by the mobile device, the wireless signal strength between the mobile device and the at least one logic device upon first connecting to the at least one logic device; wherein a disconnect algorithm is applied such that the disconnecting from the at least one logic device is performed once the wireless signal strength falls below a second predetermined threshold relative to an initial strength detected upon first connecting.

7. A gaming table including a logic device integrated therein, comprising:
a plurality of locating devices;
a communications network;
a memory device; and
a processor executing instructions stored in the memory device, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
convey, to a table management system, identifying information of a player seated at the gaming table transmitted to the logic device by a mobile device associated with the player; wherein the identifying information includes a seating position of the player at the gaming table, the seating position determined by at least one of a positioning of the logic device in relation to the seating position and through an interaction between the logic device and the plurality of locating devices placed at the seating position at the gaming table;
generate, by the table management system, the player session for the player for playing a wagering game at the gaming table using the identifying information of the player through use of the mobile device in communication with the logic device; and
using a time-based data synchronization algorithm for data broadcasted between the mobile device and the logic device such that the data exchanged between the mobile device and the logic device changes as a function of time, wherein the time-based data synchronization algorithm is used to ensure the player is seated at the seating position during gameplay at the gaming table.

8. The gaming table of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the plurality of locating devices comprises an antenna communicating with the mobile device over a Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol; and
the logic device interacts with the mobile device of the player to exchange application-level messages between the mobile device and the table management system.

9. The gaming table of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of locating devices each comprise a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag; and
wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to:
register the seating position of the player within an application executing on the mobile device using RFID tag information scanned by the mobile device; and
initiate the generation of the player session with identifying information including the registered seating position of the player upon receiving the scanned RFID tag information.

10. The gaming table of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of locating devices each comprise a Quick Response (QR) code for scanning by the mobile device; the mobile device initiating a connection directly with the table management system through an application executing on the mobile device subsequent to the scanning to initiate the generation of the player session with identifying information including the registered seating position of the player.

11. The gaming table of claim 7 , wherein, to ensure the player is seated at the seating position during gameplay at the gaming table, when executed by the processor, the instructions further cause the processor to perform:
upon receivi

Assignees

• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Higgins Kevin
• Petersen Erik
• Levin Christopher
• Meza Eduardo
• Shepherd Jeffery

Classifications

• A63F3/00157

  Casino or betting games (horse races A63F3/00082) · CPC title

• G07F17/3293

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• G07F17/322 Primary

  Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means · CPC title