Attract based on mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9336647-B2
Application number	US-201113220430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2011
Priority date	Aug 29, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system is configured to detect the presence of portable electronic devices and determine their locations in a casino environment and determine whether to initiate an attract feature. Based on the determined location of the portable electronic device, nearby gaming devices, such as electronic gaming machines can be selected for use in generating an attract feature for a patron. The generated attract feature can include outputting content to one or more EGMs and/or a patron's portable electronic device. The gaming devices selected for use in an attract feature and/or the content associated with the attract feature can be affected by patron specified preferences. In one embodiment, the patron specified preferences can be entered and stored using an application executed on their portable electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a gaming system server including a processor, a memory, and a network interface, said method comprising:
receiving via the network interface detection information indicating a location of a portable electronic device in a gaming environment;
determining, via the processor and for each of a plurality of the plurality of electronic gaming machines in the gaming environment, a relative distance between the location of the portable electronic device and a location of said electronic gaming machine;
identifying a direction of travel of the portable electronic device in the gaming environment;
determining via the processor and based on the relative distance and the direction of travel a line of sight of the patron associated with the portable electronic device;
selecting via the processor one or more electronic gaming machines from among the plurality of electronic gaming machines on which to initiate an attract feature based on: (a) a determination that said one or more gaming machines are within the line of sight of the patron, and (b) gaming preference information of the patron; and
sending via the network interface a command to the one or more selected electronic gaming machines to initiate the attract feature on the one or more electronic gaming machines.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection information indicating the location of the portable electronic device in the gaming environment corresponds to two or more location estimates obtained from different types of wireless signals used by the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining via the processor one of the two location estimates as being more accurate; and
determining via the processor the location of the portable electronic device to be the more accurate location estimate.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining via the processor the location of the portable electronic device to be an average of the two or more location estimates.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining via the processor that the patron is not engaged in an active game play session based in part on a comparison between a rate of change of movement of the portable electronic device and a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the portable electronic device is self-determined by the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direction of travel of the portable electronic device is self-determined by the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting via the processor the one or more electronic gaming machines based in part on a determination that the portable electronic device is moving towards the selected one or more electronic gaming machines.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving accelerometer data from the portable electronic device and determining via the processor whether the patron associated with the portable electronic device is engaged in an active game play session using the accelerometer data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic gaming machines are selected based in part on a determination that the patron associated with the portable electronic device is not engaged in an active game play session.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determination that the patron is not engaged in an active game play session is based in part on data indicative of the portable electronic device being coupled to one of the plurality of electronic gaming machines.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determination that the patron is not engaged in an active game play session is based in part on a determination that the relative distance between the location of the portable electronic device and the locations of each of the plurality of electronic gaming machines are greater than a threshold value.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving the gaming preference information from the portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaming preference information is received from a loyalty account of the patron associated with the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a velocity of the portable electronic device in the direction of travel, wherein the one or more electronic gaming devices selected to initiate the attract feature are selected based in part on the velocity of the portable electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the selected one or more electronic gaming devices differ depending on whether the velocity corresponds to a slow pace or a moderate pace.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
excluding via the processor one or more of the plurality of electronic gaming machines from selection based on a determination that the portable gaming machine is moving away from the one or more excluded electronic gaming machines.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more electronic gaming machines are selected to provide spacing between other electronic gaming devices engaged in active game play sessions and the one or more selected electronic gaming machines.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic gaming machines are selected to provide spacing between other portable electronic devices and the one or more selected electronic gaming machines.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing in the memory a first time that the attract feature is initiated on the one or more selected electronic gaming machines, receiving via the network interface detection information indicating the presence of the portable electronic device at a second location at a second time, determining via the processor a change in time between the second time and the first time and determining via the processor not to initiate a second attract feature near the second location when the change in time is below a threshold value.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attract feature includes an offer redeemable on the one or more selected electronic gaming machines.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the offer is redeemable at a table game.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the offer is redeemable only on a particular electronic gaming machine.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the offer is redeemable only for a limited time period.

25. A method of operating a gaming system server including a processor, a memory, and a network interface, said method comprising:
receiving via the network interface detection information indicating a presence of a portable electronic device in a gaming environment, the portable electronic device including a unique portable electronic device identifier;
determining via the processor whether a patron associated with the portable electronic device is engaged in an active game play session at one of a plurality of electronic gaming machines in the gaming environment;
if the patron is not engaged in an active game play session at one of the plurality of electronic gaming machines in the gaming environment:
(a) selecting via the processor a designated one of the plurality of gaming machines based on a determination that the designated gaming machine is within a line of sight of the patron based on a direction of travel associated with the portable electronic device and

Assignees

• Nelson Dwayne R
• Lemay Steven G
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Nelson Dwayne R
• Lemay Steven G

Classifications

• A63F13/85

  Providing additional services to players · CPC title

• G07F17/3239

  Tracking of individual players · CPC title

• A63F2300/204

  the platform being a handheld device · CPC title

• G07F17/323 Primary

  wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions · CPC title

• A63F13/12

  Human Necessities · mapped topic