Systems and methods for recommending games to anonymous players using distributed storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9558625-B2
Application number	US-201313941109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2013
Priority date	Jan 13, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

While a player is playing one game on a gaming machine, the systems and methods described herein recommend other games to the player based on the player's real time game play, if the player is anonymous. Upon the player selecting a different game, the system may automatically transfers the player's credits between games or gaming machines. Each gaming machine may carry out one or more game.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for recommending games using distributed storage comprising:
detecting a player's real time or near real time game play in a first game when the player begins to play the first game or indicates a desire to play the first game using a gaming terminal, where the player is playing anonymously without the use of a player tracking card and without registration;
receiving, at a local computing device from the gaming terminal at the moment of the detection of the real time or near real time game play, player and game play data corresponding to the player's real time or near real time game play in the first game defining occurrence of game factors for the real time or near real time game play over time;
determining that the player and game play data has been received for a minimum length of time of game play required to categorize game behaviour using a gaming and play behavior model of stored game play data partitioned into a plurality of game session patterns, each game session pattern corresponding to a time period and indicating occurrence of the game factors over the time period;
generating, at the local computing device, an export data set using parsing rules, wherein the export data set comprises at least some of the player and game play data;
transmitting, from the local computing device to a central server, the export data set;
receiving, at the local computing device from the central server, a set of game recommendations generated using the export data set and the plurality of game session patterns, wherein the set of game recommendations identify at least a second game;
providing the set of game recommendations;
detecting a selection by the player of the second game identified in the set of game recommendations; and
receiving, at the local computing device, additional player and game play data corresponding to a player's real time game play in the second game.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parsing rules are defined by user preferences.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parsing rules are defined by regulatory requirements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the player and game play data comprises private and non-private data, and wherein the method further comprises:
generating the export data set using the parsing rules by separating the private and non-private data, wherein the export data set comprises the non-private data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is coupled to a plurality of gaming terminals, wherein the method further comprises:
determining a collection of available games from the plurality of gaming terminals;
providing the collection of available games to the central server;
wherein the set of game recommendations identify games from the collection of available games.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the export data set by applying a hashing algorithm to the player and game play data.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating a tag using the hashing algorithm, wherein the tag links the export data set to the player and game play data; and
transmitting the tag with the export data set.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local computing device is located in a first jurisdiction, the gaming terminal being licensed for the first jurisdiction, and wherein the central server is located in a second jurisdiction.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second game is played on a second gaming terminal, wherein the method further comprises:
transferring credits from the gaming terminal to the second gaming terminal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of recommended games is associated with a gaming model of a plurality of gaming models, and wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a threshold amount of data for the player's real time game play; and
partitioning the data for the player's real time game play into a plurality of game events, and wherein the export data set comprises one or more events of the plurality of game events, and wherein the gaming model corresponds to the one or more events of the plurality of game events.

11. The method of 1 , wherein the set of recommended games is associated with a gaming model of a plurality of gaming models, and wherein the gaming model comprises a collection of game factors representing a predetermined gaming and play behavior model of game player.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the collection of game factors comprise one or more members selected from the grouping consisting of: game session length, play behavior, game behavior, game language, game location, game selection, elapsed time with one game, wagering behavior, game type, game theme, wager amounts, wager denominations, play rates, typical bonus values, game brand, prize distributions, amounts of incremental wagers, frequency of wagering, for instance the presence or absence of multiple rounds of wagering in a game, the number of rounds of wagers permitted in a game, maximum wager amounts permitted, minimum wager amounts permitted, amount of wagering, elapsed time between selected events for instance starting a new game, reaction to bonus rounds, reaction to progressive outputs, pay table features, amount of incremental wagers, frequency of wagering, elapsed time for player reaction, amount of wagering, elapsed time between wagers, frequency of player action, game rules, game complexity, ability for a player to control or have an effect on a game outcome, whether an outcome is predetermined, whether parallel wagering is provided, average game speed, average wager amounts, average wager rate, presence or frequency of bonus rounds, presence and frequency of progressive outputs, payout percentages, win rates, win percentages, loss rates, loss percentages, use of special features, frequency of use of special features, number of lines played, total amount wagered, and type of payment received.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a signal initiated by the player that identifies the player as an active player in the first game;
detecting, as player and game play data, play of an individual game in a designated area assigned to the player as part of the first game, while remaining players have an option to concurrently play a community game displayed on additional designated areas assigned to different players;
detecting, as player and game play data, the concurrently display of a plurality of icons in the designated area assigned to the player, each icon being associated with a particular wager amount, wherein the icons concurrently displayed are associated with a plurality of different wager amounts, and wherein at least some of the icons are associated with a hidden prize;
receiving, as player and game play data, a signal identifying a particular icon being touched;
detecting, as player and game play data, a deduction of the wager amount associated with the icon touched by the player from a bank of credits associated with the player; and
detecting, as player and game play data, a grant of an award to the player associated with the icon touched by the player.

14. A method for recommending games using distributed storage comprising:
generating a gaming and play behavior model by partitioning stored game play data into a plurality of game session patterns, each game session pattern corresponding to a time period and indicating occurrence of game factors over the time period;
receiving, at a central server, export data, from each of a plurality of local computing devices, wherein each of the plurality of local computing devices is configured wit

Assignees

• Gtech Canada Ulc
• Igt Canada Solutions Ulc

Inventors

• Gadher Bharat
• Idris Fayez
• Pleskonjic Dragan
• Post Peter
• Mcintyre Andrew

Classifications

• G07F17/3239

  Tracking of individual players · CPC title

• G07F17/3237 Primary

  about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players · CPC title

• G07F17/3223

  Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, leader-follower, wireless communication · CPC title

• G07F17/3218

  wherein at least part of the system is portable · CPC title

• G07F17/3209

  Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen · CPC title