U.S. patent application number 11/294846 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-20 for bonusing digital media.
This patent application is currently assigned to IGT. Invention is credited to Jamal Benbrahim, Michael Kinsley, Steven G. LeMay.
Application Number | 20060084488 11/294846 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46323302 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060084488 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kinsley; Michael ; et
al. |
April 20, 2006 |
Bonusing digital media
Abstract
This invention provides a gaming machine able to provide
entertainment content (e.g. ring tones, videos, music, etc.) from
entertainment content sources located within the gaming machine or
outside of the gaming machine. A player may be presented with
entertainment content options that may be accessed via the gaming
machine or via another device. In some implementations of the
invention, a player may be offered the option of transferring
entertainment content to another device (e.g., a cellular
telephone, a personal digital assistant or a portable memory
device). The option of providing the entertainment content may be
granted in various circumstances, e.g., in response to an aspect of
a player's gaming on the gaming machine and/or an aspect of the
player's gaming history. In some implementations, entertainment
content may be offered as an inducement to join a player tracking
program.
Inventors: |
Kinsley; Michael; (Reno,
NV) ; LeMay; Steven G.; (Reno, NV) ;
Benbrahim; Jamal; (Reno, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BEYER WEAVER & THOMAS LLP
P.O. BOX 70250
OAKLAND
CA
94612-0250
US
|
Assignee: |
IGT
|
Family ID: |
46323302 |
Appl. No.: |
11/294846 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10978043 |
Oct 28, 2004 |
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11294846 |
Dec 5, 2005 |
|
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09665526 |
Sep 19, 2000 |
6942574 |
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10978043 |
Oct 28, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/16 ; 463/30;
463/35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3223 20130101;
G07F 17/3244 20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/3227
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/016 ;
463/030; 463/035 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method of providing entertainment content, the method
comprising: receiving a wager for a game of chance on a gaming
machine; providing the game of chance on the gaming machine;
presenting entertainment content options on the gaming machine; and
transferring entertainment content to a portable output device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment content options
comprise one or more of a ring tone, an audio clip, a video clip, a
music video, a game and an image.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting step is in
response to an event in a player's gaming history.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting step depends on a
wagering amount.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a complete entertainment content
unit comprises a plurality of entertainment content segments and
wherein the transferring step comprises: transferring one
entertainment content segment after a first goal is attained; and
transferring another entertainment content segment after a second
goal is attained.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting step comprises at
least one of presenting a GUI on a display of the gaming machine
and making an audio presentation.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable output device
comprises a cellular telephone, wherein the transferring step
comprises transferring entertainment content to the cellular
telephone.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable output device
comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a cellular
telephone, an iPod, an MP3 player and a portable storage
device.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable output device is
configured for communication with an interface of the gaming
machine and wherein the transferring step comprises transferring
the entertainment content to the portable output device via the
interface.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of offering
the entertainment content as an inducement to enroll in a player
tracking program.
11. The method of claim 3, wherein the event comprises at least one
of attaining a level of a player tracking program, playing a
wagering game for a predetermined time, accumulating a
predetermined number of bonus points, playing a wagering game for a
predetermined number of times and wagering at least a predetermined
amount.
12. The method of claim 5, wherein a complete entertainment content
unit comprises N entertainment content segments and wherein all N
entertainment content segments are transferred only after N goals
are attained.
13. The method of claim 5, wherein a complete entertainment content
unit comprises N entertainment content segments and wherein all N
entertainment content segments are transferred after fewer than N
goals are attained.
14. The method of claim 5, further comprising offering to transfer
at least one entertainment content segment in exchange for a
credit.
15. The method of claim 5, further comprising awarding at least one
entertainment content segment of a second entertainment content
unit after a player has obtained all entertainment content segments
of a first entertainment content unit.
16. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second goals
comprise at least one of attaining a level of a player tracking
program, playing a wagering game for a predetermined time,
accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points, playing a
wagering game for a predetermined number of times and wagering at
least a predetermined amount.
17. A gaming method, comprising: providing at least one game on a
first device; identifying a second device; and offering to transfer
entertainment content to the second device in response to a
predetermined criterion relating to gaming on the first device.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first device is a gaming
machine configured to provide wagering games and wherein the
predetermined criterion comprises at least one of a predetermined
level of a player tracking program, a predetermined time of playing
a wagering game, a predetermined number of accumulated bonus
points, a predetermined number of times that a wagering game has
been played and a predetermined amount of wagering.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein a complete entertainment
content unit comprises a plurality of entertainment content
segments and wherein the offering step comprises: offering to
transfer one entertainment content segment after a first goal is
attained; and offering to transfer another entertainment content
segment after a second goal is attained.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second device comprises at
least one of a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, an
iPod, an MP3 player and a portable storage device.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first device is a gaming
machine configured to provide wagering games, wherein the
predetermined criterion comprises a determination that a player
tracking function of the gaming machine is not in use and wherein
the offering step comprises an inducement to join a player tracking
program.
22. A gaming machine, comprising: means for receiving a wager for a
game of chance; means for providing the game of chance, the
providing means comprising a display device; a logic device
configured to control the display device to present entertainment
content options on the gaming machine; and means for transferring
entertainment content to a portable output device.
23. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the transferring means
comprises an output device of the gaming machine.
24. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the transferring means
comprises a network interface for communicating instructions to
another device to transmit the entertainment content to the
portable output device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/978,043, entitled "PLAY PER VIEW" and filed on Oct. 28,
2004, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/665,526, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING
ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT ON A GAMING MACHINE" and filed on Sep. 19,
2000, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety and for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to entertainment content for gaming
machines such as slot machines and video poker machines. More
particularly, the present invention relates to methods of providing
entertainment content to a player playing a game on the gaming
machine.
[0003] As technology in the gaming industry progresses, the
traditional mechanically driven reel slot machines are being
replaced with electronic counterparts having CRT, LCD video
displays or the like. These video/electronic gaming advancements
enable the operation of more complex games, which would not
otherwise be possible on mechanical-driven gaming machines. Gaming
machines such as slot machines and video poker machines are
becoming increasingly popular. Part of the reason for their
increased popularity is the nearly endless variety of games that
can be implemented on gaming machines utilizing advanced electronic
technology.
[0004] There are a wide variety of associated devices that can be
connected to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or video poker
machine. Some examples of these devices are lights, ticket
printers, card readers, speakers, bill validators, ticket readers,
coin acceptors, display panels, key pads, coin hoppers and button
pads. Many of these devices are built into the gaming machine or
components associated with the gaming machine such as a top box
that usually sits on top of the gaming machine.
[0005] Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, the gaming
machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a
player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game
play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming
machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of
credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and
initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to
control input devices, including bill validators and coin
acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize
user inputs from devices, including key pads and button pads, to
determine the wager amount and initiate game play. After game play
has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome,
presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award
of some type depending on the outcome of the game.
[0006] For gaming machine operators, an important aspect of
operating a gaming machine is determining the game playing habits
of individual game players. When the game playing habits of an
individual player are known, the gaming machine operator may
provide incentives corresponding to the game playing habits of the
individual game player to encourage additional game play. For
example, the gaming machine operator may provide an individual
player with coupons for free meals, free rooms or discounted game
play depending on their game playing habits.
[0007] Typically, on a casino floor with many gaming machines, many
gaming machines remain idle while other gaming machines are being
utilized by players playing games. When idle, a gaming machine does
not generate revenue for the owner of the gaming machine. Thus,
gaming hardware or methods that encourage additional game play on a
gaming machine and/or generate revenue independent of the game play
on a gaming machine are always sought after by gaming machine
operators.
[0008] In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide
methods and devices that create novel incentives for additional
game play on gaming machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This invention addresses the needs indicated above by
providing a gaming machine able to provide entertainment content
(e.g. ring tones, videos, music, etc.) from entertainment content
sources located within the gaming machine or outside of the gaming
machine. A player may be presented with entertainment content
options that may be accessed via the gaming machine or via another
device. In some implementations of the invention, a player may be
offered the option of transferring entertainment content to another
device (e.g., a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant or
a portable memory device).
[0010] The option of providing the entertainment content may be
granted in various circumstances, e.g., in response to an aspect of
a player's gaming on the gaming machine and/or an aspect of the
player's gaming history. The aspect may be, for example, attaining
a level of a player tracking program, playing a wagering game for a
predetermined time, accumulating a predetermined number of bonus
points, playing a wagering game for a predetermined number of times
and/or wagering at least a predetermined amount.
[0011] Some implementations of the invention involve methods for
providing entertainment content. One such method includes these
steps: receiving a wager for a game of chance on a gaming machine;
providing the game of chance on the gaming machine; presenting
entertainment content options on the gaming machine; and
transferring entertainment content to a portable output device. The
entertainment content options may comprise one or more of a ring
tone, an audio clip, a video clip, a music video, a game and an
image. The method may include the step of offering the
entertainment content as an inducement to enroll in a player
tracking program.
[0012] The presenting step may be in response to an event in a
player's gaming history. The event may be at least one of attaining
a level of a player tracking program, playing a wagering game for a
predetermined time, accumulating a predetermined number of bonus
points, playing a wagering game for a predetermined number of times
and wagering at least a predetermined amount. The presenting step
may depend on a wagering amount. The presenting step may include at
least one of presenting a GUI on a display of the gaming machine
and making an audio presentation.
[0013] According to some aspects of the method, a complete
entertainment content unit comprises a plurality of entertainment
content segments. If so, the transferring step may involve
transferring one entertainment content segment after a first goal
is attained and transferring another entertainment content segment
after a second goal is attained. The first and second goals may
include at least one of attaining a level of a player tracking
program, playing a wagering game for a predetermined time,
accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points, playing a
wagering game for a predetermined number of times and wagering at
least a predetermined amount.
[0014] The method can involve awarding at least one entertainment
content segment of a second entertainment content unit after a
player has obtained all entertainment content segments of a first
entertainment content unit. The method may involve offering to
transfer at least one entertainment content segment in exchange for
a credit.
[0015] A complete entertainment content unit may comprise N
entertainment content segments. According to some implementations,
all N entertainment content segments are transferred only after N
goals are attained. However, all N entertainment content segments
may be transferred after fewer than N goals are attained.
[0016] The portable output device may be at least one of a personal
digital assistant, a cellular telephone, an iPod, an MP3 player and
a portable storage device. If the portable output device is a
cellular telephone, the transferring step may involve transferring
entertainment content to the cellular telephone. The portable
output device may be configured for communication with an interface
of the gaming machine and the transferring step may comprise
transferring the entertainment content to the portable output
device via the interface.
[0017] Alternative gaming methods are disclosed herein. One such
method includes these steps: providing at least one game on a first
device; identifying a second device; and offering to transfer
entertainment content to the second device in response to a
predetermined criterion relating to gaming on the first device.
[0018] The first device may be a gaming machine configured to
provide wagering games. The predetermined criterion may comprise at
least one of a predetermined level of a player tracking program, a
predetermined time of playing a wagering game, a predetermined
number of accumulated bonus points, a predetermined number of times
that a wagering game has been played and a predetermined amount of
wagering.
[0019] A complete entertainment content unit may comprise a
plurality of entertainment content segments. The offering step may
include offering to transfer one entertainment content segment
after a first goal is attained; and offering to transfer another
entertainment content segment after a second goal is attained.
[0020] The second device may comprise at least one of a personal
digital assistant, a cellular telephone, an iPod, an MP3 player and
a portable storage device. The first device may be a gaming machine
configured to provide wagering games. The predetermined criterion
may comprise a determination that a player tracking function of the
gaming machine is not in use. The offering step may comprise an
inducement to join a player tracking program.
[0021] Some embodiments of the invention provide a gaming machine,
comprising: and apparatus for receiving a wager for a game of
chance; hardware and software for providing the game of chance, the
hardware including a display device; a logic device configured to
control the display device to present entertainment content options
on the gaming machine; and an interface for transferring
entertainment content to a portable output device.
[0022] The interface may be configured for directly transferring
entertainment content from the gaming machine to the portable
output device. Alternatively, the interface may comprise a network
interface for communicating instructions to another device to
transmit the entertainment content to the portable output
device.
[0023] The methods described herein may be implemented, at least in
part, by software, hardware and/or firmware of a gaming machine
and/or devices in communication with a gaming machine. These and
other features of the present invention will be presented in more
detail in the following detailed description of the invention and
the associated figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a gaming machine for one
embodiment of this invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of gaming machines connected to an
entertainment content network.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting a method for providing
entertainment content according to some implementations of the
invention.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting a method for enhancing
player interest on a gaming machine by providing entertainment
content according to alternative implementations of the
invention.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the inside of a gaming machine
having a top box and other devices.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a network device that may be
configured to perform, at least in part, some methods of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] In this application, numerous specific details are set forth
in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art,
that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of
these specific details. In other instances, well known process
steps have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the
present invention. Moreover, the steps of at least some of the
methods described herein are not necessarily performed in the order
indicated.
[0031] Some embodiments of the invention provide a gaming machine
able to provide entertainment content (e.g. ring tones, videos,
music, etc.) from entertainment content sources located within the
gaming machine or outside of the gaming machine. A player may be
presented with entertainment content options in various
circumstances and/or according to various criteria. In some
implementations, the entertainment content options may be accessed
via the gaming machine. In other implementations of the invention,
a player may be offered the option of transferring entertainment
content to another device (e.g., a cellular telephone, a personal
digital assistant or a portable memory device).
[0032] A gaming machine may offer entertainment content options in
response to an aspect of a player's gaming on the gaming machine
and/or an aspect of the player's gaming history. For example,
entertainment content options may be offered when a player
accumulates a predetermined number of bonus points. Alternatively,
entertainment content options may be offered when a plays one or
more wagering games on the gaming machine for a predetermined time,
plays a predetermined number of a wagering game and/or wagers at
least a predetermined amount.
[0033] Entertainment content options may be offered when a player
attains a level of a player tracking program. Alternatively,
entertainment content options may be offered when it is determined
(e.g., by the gaming machine, an employee of a gaming
establishment, etc.) that a player is not currently using a player
tracking function of a gaming machine. The offer may be an
inducement to enroll in the player tracking program.
[0034] According to some implementations of the invention, a
complete entertainment content unit comprises a plurality of
entertainment content segments. For example, the entertainment
content unit may be an entire movie, sporting event, performance,
etc. In such implementations, the gaming machine may offer to
transfer one entertainment content segment after a first goal is
attained, may offer to transfer another entertainment content
segment after a second goal is attained, etc.
[0035] These and other implementations of the invention will be
described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Turning
first to FIG. 1, a video gaming machine 2 of the present invention
is shown. Machine 2 includes a main cabinet 4, which generally
surrounds the machine interior (not shown) and is viewable by
users. The main cabinet includes a main door 8 on the front of the
machine, which opens to provide access to the interior of the
machine. Attached to the main door are player-input switches or
buttons 32, a coin acceptor 28, and a bill validator 30, a coin
tray 38, and a belly glass 40. Viewable through the main door is a
video display monitor 34 and an information panel 36. The main
display monitor 34 will typically be a cathode ray tube, high
resolution flat-panel LCD, or other conventional electronically
controlled video monitor. The gaming machine 2 includes a top box
6, which sits on top of the main cabinet 4. A second display
monitor 42 may be provided in the top box or elsewhere. The second
display monitor may also be a cathode ray tube, high resolution
flat-panel LCD or other conventional electronically controlled
video monitor. It will be appreciated that various aspects of the
invention could be embodied in gaming machines having either more
than or fewer than 2 displays.
[0036] Typically, after a player has initiated a game on the gaming
machine, one purpose of the main display monitor 34 and the second
display monitor 42 is the visual display of a game outcome
presentation, including bonus games, controlled by a master gaming
controller. Also, the main display monitor 34 and the second
display monitor 42 may also be utilized to display entertainment
content some of which may be provided independently of the game
outcome presentation. For example, entertainment content options
may be provided in response to one or more aspects of a player's
gaming history and/or game play on the gaming machine. For example,
entertainment content options may be provided when a player attains
a predetermined level of a player tracking program. Alternatively,
entertainment content options may be provided after a player has
played a wagering game for a predetermined time, accumulated a
predetermined number of bonus points, played a wagering game for a
predetermined number of times or wagered at least a predetermined
amount.
[0037] In some implementations of the invention, the player may be
presented with an option of transferring entertainment content to
another device. The device may be, for example, a cellular
telephone, an iPod.TM. or other portable audio player, a ROKR.TM.,
a portable digital assistant, a portable video player, a portable
memory device, etc. The entertainment content options that may be
provided to the second device may include, e.g., ring tones (used
broadly herein to include ring-back tones), videos, games, music,
digital images, etc. In some such implementations, the
entertainment content may be transferred directly from the gaming
machine to the second device by a wired or wireless interface. In
alternative implementations, the gaming machine may send
instructions to another networked device (e.g., to entertainment
server 200 of FIG. 2).
[0038] In alternative implementations, broadcast events, including
television programming, may be provided to the main display monitor
34 and the secondary display monitor 42 via a cable link or other
suitable link from outside of the gaming machine. All or some
subset of the programming provided by a television broadcaster may
be displayed as entertainment content on one or both of the video
displays. Television programming content of particular interest to
casino operators and game players may include, for example,
sporting events, talk shows, game shows, soap operas,
advertisements, situation comedies, etc. In addition, broadcasts of
competitive events on which the player can wager may be displayed.
For example, dog racing or horse racing events may be displayed as
content on the video display. In such events, there is typically a
rather long down time between races. During this period, the player
may play the gaming machine. Then, when a race begins, the player
focuses his or her attention on that event without needing to leave
his position at the gaming machine. Also, the television
programming entertainment content may be displayed while a player
is engaged in playing a game on the gaming machine or between
games. Similarly, the entertainment content may include information
available on the Internet, including the World Wide Web.
[0039] Returning to the gaming machine in FIG. 1, the information
panel 36 may be a back-lit, silk screened glass panel with
lettering to indicate general game information including, for
example, the number of coins played. The bill validator 30,
player-input switches 32, video display monitor 34, and information
panel are devices used to play a game on the game machine 2. The
devices are controlled by a master gaming controller that is housed
inside the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2. Many possible games,
including traditional mechanical slot games, video slot games,
video poker, video pachinko and keno, may be provided with gaming
machines of this invention.
[0040] The top box 6 houses a number of devices, which may be used
to add features to a game being played on the gaming machine 2,
including speakers 10, 12, 14, a ticket printer 18 which prints
bar-coded tickets 20, a key pad 22, a florescent display 16 and a
card reader 24 for entering a magnetic striped cards. The speakers
may be used to project sound effects as part of a game outcome
presentation. The key pad 22, the florescent display 16 and the
card reader 24 may be used to enter and display player tracking
information. As another example, the player may enter playing
tracking information and identification information using the card
reader 24 and the main video display 34 where the main video
display may be used as a touch screen to enter information. Player
tracking information may be entered into the gaming machine before
a player initiates a game on the gaming machine. Typically, the
player's incentive to enter player tracking information into the
gaming machine 2 is the potential for receiving rewards related to
the amount of a player's game play.
[0041] In addition to enabling player tracking services, the key
pad 22, displays (including but not limited to the florescent
display 16) and/or the card reader 24 may be used to enter
identification information that enables a player to access
entertainment content and/or to send or receive free personal
messages (e.g., audio, video or text messages) on the gaming
machine or another device. In some implementations, such activity
is independent of game play and game outcome presentation on the
gaming machine 2. For example, a player may touch a GUI displayed
on an area of a display device to select desired entertainment
content and/or a desired mode of receiving the entertainment
content. A player may, for example, select a ring tone and also
indicate a telephone number of a cellular telephone or similar
device for receipt of the ring tone. Alternatively, the player may
select music, a video, etc., and choose to have the entertainment
content downloaded to another device via the gaming machine via a
wired port (e.g., a USB port) or a wireless port. The player may be
provided the option of indicating a telephone number, an email
address, an IP address, etc., for receipt of the entertainment
content.
[0042] In some implementations of the invention, a player may enter
a personal identification number into the gaming machine 2 using
the key pad 22 that allows the player to receive entertainment
content such as viewing a movie or a broadcast event. As another
example, after entering the personal identification number, the
player may be allowed to receive a personal message indicating a
table is ready at a restaurant in the casino or to receive a
personal message containing information on a sporting event such as
a score of personal interest to the player utilizing the gaming
machine.
[0043] The identification information may be separate from the
player tracking information, may be ascertained from the player
tracking information or may be in addition to the player tracking
information entered into a gaming machine by the player utilizing a
gaming machine. For example, the player may utilize an
identification number as the identification information that is
independent of any player tracking information entered into the
gaming machine. The identification number may allow a player to
send or receive a particular personal message (e.g. a dinner
reservation is ready) or a number of personal messages during a
certain time period.
[0044] In addition to the devices described above, the top box 6
may contain different or additional devices than shown in the FIG.
1. For example, the top box may contain a bonus wheel or a back-lit
silk screened panel which may be used to add bonus features to the
game being played on the gaming machine. During a game, these
devices are controlled and powered, in part, by circuitry (not
shown) housed within the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.
Understand that gaming machine 2 is but one example from a wide
range of gaming machine designs on which the present invention may
be implemented. For example, not all suitable gaming machines have
top boxes or player tracking features. Further, some gaming
machines have two or more game displays--mechanical and/or video,
while others are designed for bar tables and have displays that
face upwards.
[0045] As another example, a game may be generated on a host
computer and may be displayed on a remote terminal or a remote
gaming device. The remote gaming device may be connected to the
host computer via a network of some type such as a local area
network, a wide area network, an intranet or the Internet. The
remote gaming device may be a portable gaming device such as but
not limited to a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, and a
wireless game player. Images rendered from 3-D gaming environments
may be displayed on portable gaming devices that are used to play a
game of chance. Further, a gaming machine or server may include
gaming logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render an
image from a virtual camera in a 3-D gaming environments stored on
the remote gaming device and to display the rendered image on a
display located on the remote gaming device. Thus, those of skill
in the art will understand that the present invention, as described
below, can be deployed on most any gaming machine now available or
hereafter developed.
[0046] Some preferred gaming machines of the present assignee are
implemented with special features and/or additional circuitry that
differentiates them from general-purpose computers (e.g., desktop
PC's and laptops). Gaming machines are highly regulated to ensure
fairness and, in many cases, gaming machines are operable to
dispense monetary awards of multiple millions of dollars.
Therefore, to satisfy security and regulatory requirements in a
gaming environment, hardware and software architectures may be
implemented in gaming machines that differ significantly from those
of general-purpose computers. A description of gaming machines
relative to general-purpose computing machines and some examples of
the additional (or different) components and features found in
gaming machines are described below.
[0047] At first glance, one might think that adapting PC
technologies to the gaming industry would be a simple proposition
because both PCs and gaming machines employ microprocessors that
control a variety of devices. However, because of such reasons as
1) the regulatory requirements that are placed upon gaming
machines, 2) the harsh environment in which gaming machines
operate, 3) security requirements and 4) fault tolerance
requirements, adapting PC technologies to a gaming machine can be
quite difficult. Further, techniques and methods for solving a
problem in the PC industry, such as device compatibility and
connectivity issues, might not be adequate in the gaming
environment. For instance, a fault or a weakness tolerated in a PC,
such as security holes in software or frequent crashes, may not be
tolerated in a gaming machine because in a gaming machine these
faults can lead to a direct loss of funds from the gaming machine,
such as stolen cash or loss of revenue when the gaming machine is
not operating properly.
[0048] For the purposes of illustration, a few differences between
PC systems and gaming systems will be described. A first difference
between gaming machines and common PC based computers systems is
that gaming machines are designed to be state-based systems. In a
state-based system, the system stores and maintains its current
state in a non-volatile memory, such that, in the event of a power
failure or other malfunction the gaming machine will return to its
current state when the power is restored. For instance, if a player
was shown an award for a game of chance and, before the award could
be provided to the player the power failed, the gaming machine,
upon the restoration of power, would return to the state where the
award is indicated. As anyone who has used a PC, knows, PCs are not
state machines and a majority of data is usually lost when a
malfunction occurs. This requirement affects the software and
hardware design on a gaming machine.
[0049] A second important difference between gaming machines and
common PC based computer systems is that for regulation purposes,
the software on the gaming machine used to generate the game of
chance and operate the gaming machine has been designed to be
static and monolithic to prevent cheating by the operator of gaming
machine. For instance, one solution that has been employed in the
gaming industry to prevent cheating and satisfy regulatory
requirements has been to manufacture a gaming machine that can use
a proprietary processor running instructions to generate the game
of chance from an EPROM or other form of non-volatile memory. The
coding instructions on the EPROM are static (non-changeable) and
must be approved by a gaming regulators in a particular
jurisdiction and installed in the presence of a person representing
the gaming jurisdiction. Any changes to any part of the software
required to generate the game of chance, such as adding a new
device driver used by the master gaming controller to operate a
device during generation of the game of chance can require a new
EPROM to be burnt, approved by the gaming jurisdiction and
reinstalled on the gaming machine in the presence of a gaming
regulator. Regardless of whether the EPROM solution is used, to
gain approval in most gaming jurisdictions, a gaming machine must
demonstrate sufficient safeguards that prevent an operator or
player of a gaming machine from manipulating hardware and software
in a manner that gives them an unfair and some cases an illegal
advantage. The gaming machine should have a means to determine if
the code it will execute is valid. If the code is not valid, the
gaming machine must have a means to prevent the code from being
executed. The code validation requirements in the gaming industry
affect both hardware and software designs on gaming machines.
[0050] A third important difference between gaming machines and
common PC based computer systems is the number and kinds of
peripheral devices used on a gaming machine are not as great as on
PC based computer systems. Traditionally, in the gaming industry,
gaming machines have been relatively simple in the sense that the
number of peripheral devices and the number of functions the gaming
machine has been limited. Further, in operation, the functionality
of gaming machines were relatively constant once the gaming machine
was deployed, i.e., new peripherals devices and new gaming software
were infrequently added to the gaming machine. This differs from a
PC where users will go out and buy different combinations of
devices and software from different manufacturers and connect them
to a PC to suit their needs depending on a desired application.
Therefore, the types of devices connected to a PC may vary greatly
from user to user depending in their individual requirements and
may vary significantly over time.
[0051] Although the variety of devices available for a PC may be
greater than on a gaming machine, gaming machines still have unique
device requirements that differ from a PC, such as device security
requirements not usually addressed by PCs. For instance, monetary
devices, such as coin dispensers, bill validators and ticket
printers and computing devices that are used to govern the input
and output of cash to a gaming machine have security requirements
that are not typically addressed in PCs. Therefore, many PC
techniques and methods developed to facilitate device connectivity
and device compatibility do not address the emphasis placed on
security in the gaming industry.
[0052] To address some of the issues described above, a number of
hardware/software components and architectures are utilized in
gaming machines that are not typically found in general purpose
computing devices, such as PCs. These hardware/software components
and architectures, as described below in more detail, include but
are not limited to watchdog timers, voltage monitoring systems,
state-based software architecture and supporting hardware,
specialized communication interfaces, security monitoring and
trusted memory.
[0053] A watchdog timer is normally used in IGT gaming machines to
provide a software failure detection mechanism. In a normally
operating system, the operating software periodically accesses
control registers in the watchdog timer subsystem to "re-trigger"
the watchdog. Should the operating software fail to access the
control registers within a preset timeframe, the watchdog timer
will timeout and generate a system reset. Typical watchdog timer
circuits contain a loadable timeout counter register to allow the
operating software to set the timeout interval within a certain
range of time. A differentiating feature of the some preferred
circuits is that the operating software cannot completely disable
the function of the watchdog timer. In other words, the watchdog
timer always functions from the time power is applied to the
board.
[0054] IGT gaming computer platforms preferably use several power
supply voltages to operate portions of the computer circuitry.
These can be generated in a central power supply or locally on the
computer board. If any of these voltages falls out of the tolerance
limits of the circuitry they power, unpredictable operation of the
computer may result. Though most modern general-purpose computers
include voltage monitoring circuitry, these types of circuits only
report voltage status to the operating software. Out of tolerance
voltages can cause software malfunction, creating a potential
uncontrolled condition in the gaming computer. Gaming machines of
the present assignee typically have power supplies with tighter
voltage margins than that required by the operating circuitry. In
addition, the voltage monitoring circuitry implemented in IGT
gaming computers typically has two thresholds of control. The first
threshold generates a software event that can be detected by the
operating software and an error condition generated. This threshold
is triggered when a power supply voltage falls out of the tolerance
range of the power supply, but is still within the operating range
of the circuitry. The second threshold is set when a power supply
voltage falls out of the operating tolerance of the circuitry. In
this case, the circuitry generates a reset, halting operation of
the computer.
[0055] The standard method of operation for IGT slot machine game
software is to use a state machine. Different functions of the game
(bet, play, result, points in the graphical presentation, etc.) may
be defined as a state. When a game moves from one state to another,
critical data regarding the game software is stored in a custom
non-volatile memory subsystem. This is critical to ensure the
player's wager and credits are preserved and to minimize potential
disputes in the event of a malfunction on the gaming machine.
[0056] In general, the gaming machine does not advance from a first
state to a second state until critical information that allows the
first state to be reconstructed is stored. This feature allows the
game to recover operation to the current state of play in the event
of a malfunction, loss of power, etc that occurred just prior to
the malfunction. After the state of the gaming machine is restored
during the play of a game of chance, game play may resume and the
game may be completed in a manner that is no different than if the
malfunction had not occurred. Typically, battery backed RAM devices
are used to preserve this critical data although other types of
non-volatile memory devices may be employed. These memory devices
are not used in typical general-purpose computers.
[0057] As described in the preceding paragraph, when a malfunction
occurs during a game of chance, the gaming machine may be restored
to a state in the game of chance just prior to when the malfunction
occurred. The restored state may include metering information and
graphical information that was displayed on the gaming machine in
the state prior to the malfunction. For example, when the
malfunction occurs during the play of a card game after the cards
have been dealt, the gaming machine may be restored with the cards
that were previously displayed as part of the card game. As another
example, a bonus game may be triggered during the play of a game of
chance where a player is required to make a number of selections on
a video display screen. When a malfunction has occurred after the
player has made one or more selections, the gaming machine may be
restored to a state that shows the graphical presentation at the
just prior to the malfunction including an indication of selections
that have already been made by the player. In general, the gaming
machine may be restored to any state in a plurality of states that
occur in the game of chance that occurs while the game of chance is
played or to states that occur between the play of a game of
chance.
[0058] Game history information regarding previous games played
such as an amount wagered, the outcome of the game and so forth may
also be stored in a non-volatile memory device. The information
stored in the non-volatile memory may be detailed enough to
reconstruct a portion of the graphical presentation that was
previously presented on the gaming machine and the state of the
gaming machine (e.g., credits) at the time the game of chance was
played. The game history information may be utilized in the event
of a dispute. For example, a player may decide that in a previous
game of chance that they did not receive credit for an award that
they believed they won. The game history information may be used to
reconstruct the state of the gaming machine prior, during and/or
after the disputed game to demonstrate whether the player was
correct or not in their assertion.
[0059] Another feature of gaming machines, such as IGT gaming
computers, is that they often contain unique interfaces, including
serial interfaces, to connect to specific subsystems internal and
external to the slot machine. The serial devices may have
electrical interface requirements that differ from the "standard"
EIA 232 serial interfaces provided by general-purpose computers.
These interfaces may include EIA 485, EIA 422, Fiber Optic Serial,
optically coupled serial interfaces, current loop style serial
interfaces, etc. In addition, to conserve serial interfaces
internally in the slot machine, serial devices may be connected in
a shared, daisy-chain fashion where multiple peripheral devices are
connected to a single serial channel.
[0060] The serial interfaces may be used to transmit information
using communication protocols that are unique to the gaming
industry. For example, IGT's Netplex is a proprietary communication
protocol used for serial communication between gaming devices. As
another example, SAS is a communication protocol used to transmit
information, such as metering information, from a gaming machine to
a remote device. Often SAS is used in conjunction with a player
tracking system.
[0061] IGT gaming machines may alternatively be treated as
peripheral devices to a casino communication controller and
connected in a shared daisy chain fashion to a single serial
interface. In both cases, the peripheral devices are preferably
assigned device addresses. If so, the serial controller circuitry
must implement a method to generate or detect unique device
addresses. General-purpose computer serial ports are not able to do
this.
[0062] Security monitoring circuits detect intrusion into an IGT
gaming machine by monitoring security switches attached to access
doors in the slot machine cabinet. Preferably, access violations
result in suspension of game play and can trigger additional
security operations to preserve the current state of game play.
These circuits also function when power is off by use of a battery
backup. In power-off operation, these circuits continue to monitor
the access doors of the slot machine. When power is restored, the
gaming machine can determine whether any security violations
occurred while power was off, e.g., via software for reading status
registers. This can trigger event log entries and further data
authentication operations by the slot machine software.
[0063] Trusted memory devices are preferably included in an IGT
gaming machine computer to ensure the authenticity of the software
that may be stored on less secure memory subsystems, such as mass
storage devices. Trusted memory devices and controlling circuitry
are typically designed to not allow modification of the code and
data stored in the memory device while the memory device is
installed in the slot machine. The code and data stored in these
devices may include authentication algorithms, random number
generators, authentication keys, operating system kernels, etc. The
purpose of these trusted memory devices is to provide gaming
regulatory authorities a root trusted authority within the
computing environment of the slot machine that can be tracked and
verified as original. This may be accomplished via removal of the
trusted memory device from the slot machine computer and
verification of the secure memory device contents is a separate
third party verification device. Once the trusted memory device is
verified as authentic, and based on the approval of the
verification algorithms contained in the trusted device, the gaming
machine is allowed to verify the authenticity of additional code
and data that may be located in the gaming computer assembly, such
as code and data stored on hard disk drives. A few details related
to trusted memory devices that may be used in the present invention
are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,567 from U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/925,098, filed Aug. 8, 2001 and titled
"Process Verification," which is incorporated herein in its
entirety and for all purposes.
[0064] Mass storage devices used in a general purpose computer
typically allow code and data to be read from and written to the
mass storage device. In a gaming machine environment, modification
of the gaming code stored on a mass storage device is strictly
controlled and would only be allowed under specific maintenance
type events with electronic and physical enablers required. Though
this level of security could be provided by software, IGT gaming
computers that include mass storage devices preferably include
hardware level mass storage data protection circuitry that operates
at the circuit level to monitor attempts to modify data on the mass
storage device and will generate both software and hardware error
triggers should a data modification be attempted without the proper
electronic and physical enablers being present.
[0065] Returning to the example of FIG. 1, when a user selects a
gaming machine 2, he or she inserts cash through the coin acceptor
28 or bill validator 30. Additionally, the bill validator may
accept a printed ticket voucher that may be accepted by the bill
validator 30 as an indicium of credit. Once cash or another
indicium of credit has been accepted by the gaming machine, the
resulting credits may be used to play a game on the gaming machine.
Typically, the player may use all or part of the cash entered into
the gaming machine to make a wager on a game play. Depending on the
amount of the wager on a game or for a fee, a player may be able to
access various entertainment content sources, at least for a length
of time. For example, a wager on a game above a certain threshold
amount may enable a player to watch a broadcast event or to access
the World Wide Web for up to a predetermined length of time on the
gaming machine 2. In addition, cash or indicia of credit entered
into the gaming machine may be used to purchase entertainment
content independent of a wager made on a game on the gaming
machine. For example, for a 10 dollar fee, a player may view a
movie on the gaming machine. While watching the movie on the gaming
machine, the player may play games on the gaming machine or just
watch the movie.
[0066] During the course of a game, a player may be required to
make a number of decisions which affect the outcome of the game.
For example, a player may vary his or her wager, select a prize, or
make game-time decisions that affect the game play. These choices
may be selected using the player-input switches 32, the main video
display screen 34 or using some other device which enables a player
to input information into the gaming machine including a key pad, a
touch screen, a mouse, a joy stick, a microphone and a track
ball.
[0067] When a game is not being played on the gaming machine or
during particular game operational modes, the player may select an
entertainment content source using the above-mentioned inputs. In
some implementations of the invention, the entertainment content is
independent of a game being played on the gaming machine. However,
in alternative implementations, the proffered entertainment content
may relate to game play on the machine. For example, the player may
be offered the opportunity to download an audio or video clip that
is associated with winning a prize on the gaming machine. For
example, the player may choose to set his or her ring tone to be
the sound that the gaming machine produces when a player wins a
jackpot.
[0068] The entertainment content source may include, for instance,
a storage device of the gaming machine, a CD player, an FM/AM
tuner, a VHS player, a DVD player, a TV tuner, a musical jukebox, a
video jukebox, a computer, a server and a media software
application. It will be appreciated, however, that any information
source may be utilized.
[0069] Before playing a game, a player may select the video
jukebox, which may contain a DVD player loaded with many DVDs, as
the entertainment content source and preview a movie on at least
one of the display screens on the gaming machine 2. The DVDs may be
stored on the gaming machine 2 or in a central location separate
from the gaming machine. The visual display of the output from the
video jukebox may be viewed by the player on the main video display
screen 34 or the secondary video display screen 42. The sound for
the movie may be projected by the speakers 10, 12 and 14 on the
gaming machine or a player may listen to the movie through
headphones. The entertainment content received on the headphones
may also be enabled through a wireless or wired communication
interface to the gaming machine or some other device located within
the casino.
[0070] The game player may also use the player input switches 32,
key pad 22, and other input devices to control a feature of the
entertainment content. For example, when the entertainment content
is a movie, the player input switches 32 and key pad may be
operated to fast forward, stop or pause the movie. When the
entertainment content is accessing the World Wide Web through a web
browser, the player input switches 32 and key pad may be used to
operate the web browser.
[0071] During certain game events, the gaming machine 2 may display
visual and auditory effects that can be perceived by the player.
These effects add to the excitement of a game, which makes a player
more likely to continue playing. Auditory effects include various
sounds that are projected by the speakers 10, 12, 14. Visual
effects include flashing lights, strobing lights or other patterns
displayed from lights on the gaming machine 2 or from lights behind
the belly glass 40. After the player has completed a game, the
player may receive game tokens from the coin tray 38 or the ticket
20 from the printer 18, which may be used for further games or to
redeem a prize. Further, the player may receive a ticket 20 for
food, merchandise, or games from the printer 18. In some
embodiments, the tickets may be used by a game player to obtain
entertainment content. A ticket, for instance, may be printed with
a "free movie" that allows a player to access a movie from the
gaming machine that printed the ticket or another gaming
machine.
[0072] Some advantages of providing gaming machines with the
entertainment content choices described above are 1) increasing a
player's interest in utilizing a gaming machine for longer periods
of time and 2) providing more revenue generating uses for the
gaming machine. Both of these advantages increase the potential
profits that may be obtained from a gaming machine. In addition,
any entertainment content services which attract a player to
utilize a gaming machine, even activities that do not directly
involve game playing, may indirectly increase gaming machine
revenues because once a player is utilizing a gaming machine for
any function the probability that a game playing session or other
revenue generating activity will be initiated on the gaming machine
is greatly increased.
[0073] Greater versatility in providing entertainment content and
other features may be obtained when gaming machines are part of a
network. A simplified version of one such network is depicted in
FIG. 2. However, the present invention may be practiced with a
variety of other network topologies, including but not limited to
those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/225,407,
entitled "METHODS AND DEVICES FOR MANAGING GAMING NETWORKS" and
filed on Sep. 12, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0074] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a plurality of gaming machines,
245, 250 and 255, connected to an entertainment content network
225. Gaming machines 245, 250 and 255 are connected in a gaming
machine loop 260 on a casino floor. The gaming machine loop 260 may
be a series of fiber optic connections between the gaming machines
or some other wire or wireless connection scheme. These gaming
machines may be physically proximate to one another on the casino
floor or spread out over the casino floor.
[0075] Gaming machines 245, 250, 255 and 256 are illustrated with
different combinations of entertainment content and game
presentations on the main video display screen 34 and secondary
video display screen 42. For example, on gaming machine 245, a game
presentation 290 is displayed on the main display screen 34 and
advertising entertainment content 280 is displayed on the secondary
display 42. In another embodiment, a picture in a picture display
257 is implemented on the main display screen 34 on gaming machine
256. As described elsewhere herein, a player may operate the input
switches 32, interact with graphical user interfaces ("GUIs") on a
touch screen, etc., in order to indicate game decisions, select
entertainment content and/or adjust features of the entertainment
content.
[0076] On the gaming machine 250, the movie display 275, displayed
on the main video display screen 34, occupies nearly the entire
screen. In this embodiment, the player at the gaming machine may be
only viewing a movie and may not be engaged in any game play. In
another example, the player may be previewing movies, which may be
selected as a prize for the game played on the gaming machine 255.
Thus, after previewing the movies, the player may engage in game
play. In general, the gaming features and entertainment content
features available on gaming machines allow many different
sequences of game play and entertainment content utilization by the
player. Game play and entertainment content utilization by the
player may occur in a simultaneous manner and/or in a sequential
manner.
[0077] Referring now to gaming machine 255, a web browser 296
connected to the World Wide Web or some other information network
is displayed on the secondary display screen 42. As an example, the
web browser may be used to obtain information from the World Wide
Web, receive electronic mail or perform other information services
available through the Internet, Intranet or other network. The main
display screen 34 may be a split window. For example, the window
may be split into three parts: 1) a game presentation 290; 2)
entertainment content, which is a broadcast event 284 in this
example; and 3) touch screen controls 282. The game presentation
290 may be used to play a game on the gaming machine where the
touch screen controls 282 and the input switches 32 are used to
control game inputs. The broadcast event 284 may be a live or
pre-recorded performance, television programming, sporting event,
etc. The broadcast event 284 may be obtained from sources generally
available to the public (e.g. broadcast events) or may be in-house
or special programming (e.g. pay per view).
[0078] In this example, the gaming machines 245, 250, 255 are
connected to an entertainment service network 225 and may
communicate with other devices on this network and other networks.
This entertainment service network 225 may offer entertainment
content and other services to connected gaming machines and other
devices, such as portable memory device 233, cellular telephone 285
and/or PDA 295. The network may utilize any suitable protocol or
group of protocols such as USB, Ethernet, TCP/IP and the like for
intercommunication. Examples of devices that may reside on this
network include an entertainment server 200 containing
entertainment content sources (e.g. a CD player, an FM/AM tuner, a
VHS player, a DVD player, a TV tuner, a musical jukebox, a video
jukebox, a computer, a server, media software applications and the
like), a prize server 215, a casino services server 220, a player
tracking server 210, and a player coordination server 226.
[0079] The entertainment service network 225 may be comprised of
fiber optic connections, copper Ethernet connections, wireless
connections or any combinations thereof of the three types of
connections. The entertainment service network 225 may include a
local area network within one location (such as a casino), a bonus
game network and/or a cashless system network. In addition, the
entertainment service network 225 may be connected to a wide area
network connecting many physical locations such as a wide area
progressive network.
[0080] Here, entertainment service network 225 is configured for
communication with network 230, which comprises the Internet in
this example. However, network 230 may also comprise, or be in
communication with, other networks such as a telephone network
(e.g., a cellular telephone network), Network A 235 and Network B
240. For example, Network A 235 may be a wide area progressive
network and Network B 240 may be an entertainment service network
at another casino.
[0081] Accordingly, access to the gaming machine may be limited by
an internal firewall within the gaming machine. The internal
firewall may be hardware, software or combinations of both that
prevent illegal access of the gaming machine by an outside entity
connected to the gaming machine. For instance, an illegal access
may be an attempt to plant a program in the gaming machine that
alters the operation of the gaming machine from a World Wide Web
site. The internal firewall is designed to prevent someone such as
a hacker from gaining illegal access to the gaming machine and
tampering with it in some manner. The gaming machines 245, 250, 255
and 260 may contain internal firewalls.
[0082] The touch screen controls 282 and input switches 32 may be
used to operate features of the entertainment content and/or
perform game play on the gaming machine. For example, the touch
screen controls 282 may be used to select entertainment content
from a displayed menu, utilize features of the web browser 296, to
change the television programming content (e.g. change channels)
and/or for game play on the gaming machine.
[0083] The displayed features of the touch screen controls 282 may
change according to what features of the entertainment content or
the gaming machine are being utilized. For instance, when
television programming is being viewed on the display screen, then
features that allow a player to adjust the volume or change the
channel may be displayed on the touch screen. When a movie or a
musical selection is being displayed on the display screen, then
features that enable a player to adjust the volume, change the
channel, forward, reverse, stop or pause may be displayed on the
display screen. When a player utilizes the touch screen controls
282 or the input switches 32, input signals indicating a particular
operation are sent to a logic device (e.g., the master gaming
controller) within the gaming machine and the operation may be
performed. For example, when a player hits a button to fast forward
a movie, then the gaming machine directs the entertainment content
source (i.e. a DVD player) to perform the operation.
[0084] In one embodiment of the present invention, after a player
enters player tracking information (e.g. using the card reader 24
or some other input device) and the player tracking information is
sent to the player tracking server 210, the player tracking server
210 may examine a player's information profile stored on the player
tracking server 210. The information profile may contain
information regarding a player's past game playing habits and past
entertainment content utilization. Applying software that evaluates
the information profile, the player tracking server 210 may
transmit instructions to the gaming machine to display
entertainment content of particular interest to a game player
playing a game on the gaming machine. For example, the gaming
machine may display advertisements, news, stock quotes, electronic
mail messages, movie selections, musical selections broadcast
events and other entertainment content of interest to the player
playing the game on the gaming machine. By personalizing the
messages sent to a player playing a game on the gaming machine,
players may be encouraged to increase the amount of their game play
on the gaming machine.
[0085] In general, personalized entertainment content, personalized
messages and personalized services on a gaming machine may be
implemented without the player tracking server 210. As described
with reference to FIG. 1, a player may enter identification
information on the gaming machine. The identification information
may be independent of the player tracking information or share
elements of the player tracking information. After the gaming
machine receives the identification information, the gaming machine
may send the identification information to a server including the
player coordination server 226. The player coordination server may
assign a communication identifier to the gaming machine. For
example, when the player coordination server 226 and the gaming
machines 245, 250 and 255 use a TCP/IP communication protocol, the
gaming machines may be assigned an IP address when a player enters
identification information into the gaming machine.
[0086] Using the IP address and an appropriate communication
protocol, personal messages may be sent to a gaming machine from
different information sources located outside the gaming machine
for a particular player playing utilizing the gaming machine. A
restaurant employee (e.g. the information source), for example, may
send a personal message in the form of e-mail or some other
electronic message to a player playing a game on the a gaming
machine indicating a dinner reservation is ready. The process may
include: 1) a restaurant employee typing a message indicating the
reservation is ready into a computer; 2) the computer sending the
message to the casino services server 220; 3) the casino service
server 220 sending a message to the player coordination server 226
requesting the IP address of the gaming machine or other
communication identifier of the gaming machine where the player is
located; 4) the player coordination server 226 establishing a
communication link between the casino server and the gaming machine
including 245, 250 and 255; and 5) the casino server 220 sending a
message to one of the gaming machines 245, 250, and 255. In
addition, advertisements or news of particular interest to a player
based on a player's information profile stored on the player
coordination server 226 may be sent to the player. In this example,
the player coordination server 226 essentially functions as a
message router. Message routing technology that may perform some of
these functions is available from CISCO Technologies, San Jose,
Calif.
[0087] In other embodiments, voice messages or electronic messages
may be sent to a first player on a gaming machine from a
hotel/casino employee performing a hotel/casino service and from a
second player on a different gaming machine attempting to locate or
communicate with the first player. The voice messages may be
implemented using a Voice over IP technology available from CISCO
Technologies, San Jose, Calif. In addition, a player on the gaming
machines may receive the personal message from an entertainment
content source being utilized as the information source. For
example, the information source may be selected from the group
consisting of the CD player, the FM/AM tuner, the VHS player, the
DVD player, the TV tuner, the musical jukebox, the video jukebox,
the computer, the server or the media software application. The
entertainment content from the information source may be
personalized to sustain the player's interest in utilizing the
gaming machine. For instance, musical selections from a musical
jukebox may be sent to the gaming machine based upon a player
profile stored within the player coordination server 226 or
targeted advertising, which may only be of interest to select
players, may be sent to a select player based upon their player
profile stored within the player coordination server 226.
[0088] After the gaming machine receives the personal message from
the information source, the gaming machine outputs the personal
message to an output device appropriate for the message. For
example, an electronic mail messages, stock quotes, news, prize
information or advertisements of interest to the player playing the
game on the gaming machine may be displayed on the monitor, the
LCD, the florescent display on the gaming machine. In addition,
these visual messages may be output to a personal digital
assistant, a pager, cell phone or the head-mounted video display
carried or worn by the player. An audio message for the player may
be output to a sound projection device on the gaming machine,
headphones worn by the player or a cell phone carried by the
player.
[0089] Turning now to FIG. 3, a flow chart depicts method 300 for
providing entertainment content according to some implementations
of the invention. The steps of method 300 will be described, where
appropriate, with reference to the features of FIG. 2.
[0090] In step 305, it is determined (e.g., by a logic device of a
gaming machine) that a predetermined condition has been satisfied.
According to some implementations of the invention, the
predetermined condition for accessing entertainment content may be:
1) a wager amount made on a single game play; 2) an average or
total wager amount over a period of time made by the player; and/or
3) another aspect of or event in a game playing history of the
player obtained from player tracking information or some other
source. The games of primary interest to the assignee are wagering
games, but method 300 is not so limited. The event may be, for
example, attaining a level of a player tracking program, playing a
wagering game for a predetermined time, accumulating a
predetermined number of bonus points, playing a wagering game for a
predetermined number of times, etc.
[0091] In some implementations of the invention, the predetermined
condition of step 305 is the player's acceptance of an offer to
enroll in a player tracking program. In some such implementations,
prior to step 305 a player may have received an audio and/or visual
inducement to receive entertainment content in return for joining
the player tracking program. The player's acceptance may be
determined, for example, by the player's entry of the required
information via an input device of a gaming machine.
[0092] In yet other implementations, the predetermined condition of
step 305 may be the receipt of a monetary credit or the like. To
access entertainment content on the gaming machines 245, 250 255
and 256, a player may be required to input an indicium of credit
for the selected entertainment content or to commit an indicium of
credit already available on the gaming machine. The gaming machine
may notify the player of the required amount by displaying a
message of some type to the player. For example, after a player has
selected a video jukebox as the entertainment source, the gaming
machine may display a message such as "please deposit 5 credits" or
"the selected entertainment content source requires 5 credits, hit
button A to commit this amount." The entertainment content source
will then be initiated when the required funds have been made
available to the gaming machine. In this manner, a player may
access an entertainment content source without initiating game play
on the gaming machine i.e. by making a wager on a game.
[0093] After the determination of step 305 has been made,
entertainment content options are displayed in step 310.
Entertainment content options may be presented in different ways
according to various implementations of the invention. For example,
a list may be displayed on an output device of the gaming machine.
The entertainment content options may be displayed on a first
display and the entertainment content (and/or samples thereof, such
as video clips) may be provided on a second display. One such
implementation is depicted on gaming machine 250, wherein a content
list 265 of entertainment content options and/or sources is
displayed on the secondary video screen 42 while entertainment
content (a movie in this example) is displayed on the main display
screen 34.
[0094] Entertainment content options may be provided, at least in
part, in audio format. For example, ring tones or other music clips
may be previewed by a player prior to selecting them. In some
implementations, a player may receive an audio and/or visual prompt
to take an action relating to entertainment content options.
[0095] In some embodiments, the entertainment content list 265 may
indicate entertainment content sources such as a CD player, an
FM/AM tuner, a VHS player, a DVD player, a TV tuner, a musical
jukebox, a video jukebox, a computer, a server and a media software
application. However, in alternative embodiments, the entertainment
content is indicated on the content list but the entertainment
content sources are not. The entertainment content source may be
located physically within the gaming machine or at a location
outside of the gaming machine but in communication with the gaming
machine.
[0096] The content list 265 may be presented as a series of menus.
For example, after selecting the DVD player as the entertainment
content source from the content list 265, the content list 265 may
display a list of DVD titles, which the player may select for
viewing on the gaming machine. Further, the entertainment content
list 265 may be personalized to the individual player. The
entertainment content list, for instance, may display DVD titles
that are of particular interest to a game player.
[0097] In some implementations, the entertainment content list is
organized and/or searchable by category. For example, within a
"ring tones" category, there may be "real" and "polyphonic" (a/k/a
"poly") subcategories. Within each of these subcategories may be
various musical genres, such as "Country," "Hip Hop," "Jazz,"
"Reggae," "Techno," etc. Similar categories and subcategories could
be used for other types of entertainment content. Alternatively, or
additionally, a content list could allow a user to search by
artist, by performance, or by other applicable criteria depending
on the type of entertainment content. For example, movies may be
searchable by director, by a featured actor or actress, by the type
of movie (comedy, drama, horror), etc. Sporting events may be
searchable by the type of sport, location, team (if applicable),
date and/or by a featured athlete (e.g., Boxing/Mohammed
Ali/Manila). Similarly, artistic performances may be searchable by
artist/group, type of performance, location, etc. (e.g., Cirque du
Soleil/"O"/Bellagio/September 2005).
[0098] In step 315, an entertainment content selection is received.
For example, an entertainment content selection may be indicated by
a player's interaction with an input device of the gaming machine
and/or by interacting with a graphical user interface displayed on
the gaming machine. In one such example, a user may select
entertainment content by touching a screen used for displaying
entertainment content options in step 310.
[0099] In step 320, the entertainment content is output. Step 320
may be performed in various ways according to different embodiments
of the invention. For example, entertainment content from an
entertainment source may be output to one or more output devices on
the gaming machine. The output devices may include a video display
screen, speakers and the like residing on the gaming machine.
[0100] Alternatively (or additionally), entertainment content may
be transferred to a device that is separate from the gaming
machine, e.g., a cell phone (such as cell phone 285), a pager, an
iPod.TM., a personal digital assistant (such as PDA 295) or
portable memory device (such as memory device 233). Accordingly, in
some implementations the gaming machine is configured with wired or
wireless interfaces configured for transferring such entertainment
content.
[0101] Moreover, in some such implementations a player may be
required to specify a device and/or a method for transferring the
entertainment content. For example, a player may be required to
indicate a telephone number in order to transfer a selected ring
tone to cellular telephone 285. A player may be prompted to
indicate that a designated interface (e.g., a USB port) of the
gaming machine will be used to transfer entertainment content to
portable memory device 233, an iPod.TM., etc. Alternatively, a
player may be required to input an IP address, an email address,
etc., for receiving entertainment content on PDA 295.
[0102] In general, the entertainment content source may be any
device capable of delivering entertainment content to the gaming
machine. The entertainment content source may be adapted for use by
a gaming machine and may operate only during selected operational
modes of the gaming machine. By way of example, when the DVD player
is utilized by the gaming machine as an entertainment content
source, the DVD player may be adapted to respond to input signals
from the gaming machine such as pause or stop. The input signals to
the DVD player may be initiated by the master gaming controller on
the gaming machine independently of player input or in response to
player input. When a gaming machine is not used for a certain
period of time, for example, the master gaming controller may
transmit signals to the DVD player to obtain output signals for at
least one of the video display screens on the gaming machine.
[0103] For instance, after entering player tracking information on
the gaming machine, a player that has wagered a certain amount over
a certain period of time may be granted free access to an
entertainment content source such as the musical jukebox, a server
providing ring tones or other entertainment content, etc. In
another example, a player may only access certain entertainment
content sources based upon their player tracking information i.e.
only a player with a particular game playing history may be able to
access electronic e-mail on the gaming machine.
[0104] In alternative implementations of the invention, for each of
the access modes to the entertainment content sources described
above (e.g. inserting a required amount of indicia of credit into
the gaming machine to access the entertainment content source,
making a wager of a certain amount or a game playing history
obtained from player tracking information), a total access time to
the entertainment content source may be determined by the master
gaming controller on the gaming machine. A table may be stored in
internal memory on the gaming machine relating: 1) the required
indicia of credit amount or fee; 2) the amount of a wager made on a
game play; and 3) a game playing history events versus access to a
particular entertainment content source for an amount of time (e.g.
total access time).
[0105] For example, for 2 credits, a player may access an in-house
TV programming source for 5 minutes. For a wager of 5 credits on a
game play, the player may access the in-house TV programming source
for 5 minutes. For wagering 100 credits over a period of 3 hours,
the player may access the in-house TV programming source for 5
minutes. After access to an entertainment content source has been
initiated and a total access time has been determined, the master
gaming controller may monitor the amount of time the entertainment
content source has been accessed against the determined total
access time. When the amount of time the entertainment content
source has been accessed exceeds the granted total access time,
access to the entertainment content source may be terminated unless
a player performs another operation such as committing more credits
on the gaming machine towards access to the entertainment content
source.
[0106] After receiving an entertainment source selection satisfying
the predetermined conditions required to access the entertainment
content source and determining a total access time to the
entertainment content source, the entertainment content is
transmitted to an output device on the gaming machine. For example,
upon receiving a selection of a movie title by a player, the DVD
player may transmit video signals to one of the display screens on
the gaming machine or to a head mounted display worn by the player.
The corresponding audio signals from the DVD player may be sent to
speakers on the gaming machine or to headphones worn by the player.
Typically, the output from the entertainment content source may not
depend on the game play on the gaming machine e.g. game play
decisions made by the player while playing the gaming machine may
not affect output from the entertainment content source.
[0107] However, in other implementations of the invention,
entertainment content is provided without reference to a total
access time to the entertainment content source. In some such
implementations, a complete entertainment content unit is provided
to the gaming machine or to another device. e.g., as described
above. In other such implementations, a complete entertainment
content unit comprises a plurality of entertainment content
segments. For example, one segment may be a video segment
corresponding to part of a sporting event (e.g., a single round of
a boxing match, a quarter of a basketball game, etc.), to a portion
of a movie or of a performance, etc. A player is offered one or
more of the segments after meeting predetermined criteria, meeting
predetermined goals, etc. The player must continue to accrue
segments if the player wishes to have a complete entertainment
content unit.
[0108] Some such implementations will now be described with
reference to FIG. 4. Here, method 400 begins when one or more games
are provided on a gaming machine (step 405). The games of primary
interest to the assignee are wagering games, but method 400 is not
so limited.
[0109] In step 410, it is determined (e.g., by a logic device of a
gaming machine, a server or another device on the network, etc.)
whether a player has satisfied a predetermined condition. As
described above with reference to method 300, the predetermined
condition may be: a wager amount made on a single game play; an
average or total wager amount over a period of time made by the
player; and/or another aspect of or event in a game playing history
of the player obtained from player tracking information or some
other source. The event may be, for example, attaining a level of a
player tracking program, playing a wagering game for a
predetermined time, accumulating a predetermined number of bonus
points, playing a wagering game for a predetermined number of
times, etc.
[0110] If a condition is satisfied, the player is offered a first
entertainment content segment. If the player accepts the offer, the
player may or may not be prompted to indicate delivery instructions
(step 425). For example, in some implementations the first
entertainment content segment may be delivered to the gaming
machine itself without the need for further input from the player.
However, if the player chooses to have the first entertainment
content segment transferred to another device, such as a cellular
telephone, a PDA, a portable memory device, etc., the player may
need to indicate a telephone number, IP address, output interface,
etc., as described above. In step 430, the entertainment content
segment is delivered.
[0111] In step 435, it is determined whether the player wants to
continue gaming. In some implementations, the player will receive a
prompt, e.g., on a display of the gaming machine, asking the player
whether he or she desires to continue gaming. In other
implementations, a player's desire to continue gaming will be
presumed from a positive monetary credit balance or from one or
more other pertinent criteria. In some implementations of the
invention, a player must continue to play on a particular gaming
machine in order to continue to accrue credits, bonus points, etc.,
that are the relevant predetermined conditions for receiving
additional entertainment content segments.
[0112] Accordingly, if it is determined in step 435 that the player
does not wish to continue gaming, the process ends (step 440). In
some such implementations, if the player wishes to obtain the
complete entertainment content unit but quits playing before doing
so, the player would need to start over during the next gaming
session and re-earn the rights to entertainment content segments
already earned by the player. For example, if the complete
entertainment content unit had 7 entertainment content segments and
the player had earned 4 of these entertainment content segments
before quitting game play, the player would need to re-earn the
rights to the first 4 entertainment content segments during a
subsequent gaming session before earning the right to the 5.sup.th
entertainment content segment.
[0113] However, in alternative implementations, credits or the like
may be accrued for the same complete entertainment content unit
during more than one gaming session and/or on more than one gaming
machine. For example, if the complete entertainment content unit
had 7 entertainment content segments and the player had earned 4 of
these entertainment content segments before quitting game play, the
player could earn the right to the 5.sup.th entertainment content
segment during a subsequent gaming session without re-earning the
rights to the first 4 entertainment content segments.
[0114] There may or may not be a one-to-one mapping between
entertainment content segments earned and goals attained. For
example, in some implementations, a complete entertainment content
unit comprises N entertainment content segments and all N
entertainment content segments are transferred only after all N
goals are attained. However, in other implementations, a complete
entertainment content unit comprises N entertainment content
segments but all N entertainment content segments may be
transferred after fewer than N goals are attained. For example,
most of the entertainment content segments may be transferred after
the player attains certain gaming thresholds but at least one
entertainment content segment may be transferred according to
another criterion, e.g., in exchange for a monetary credit.
[0115] In some implementations, additional entertainment content
segments may be awarded in order to induce a player to continue
game play. For example, after a player has obtained all
entertainment content segments of a first entertainment content
unit, at least one entertainment content segment of a second
entertainment content unit may be awarded. Alternatively, or
additionally, a player may be awarded increasing numbers of
entertainment content segments as the player continues game play or
reaches other predetermined thresholds, e.g., wagering thresholds.
For example, during a time that a player is wagering the first
$100, individual entertainment content segments will be awarded for
satisfying predetermined criteria, but during a time that a player
is wagering the second $100, 2 entertainment content segments will
be awarded for satisfying comparable predetermined criteria.
[0116] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a gaming machine having a top
box 6 and other internal components. As described with reference to
FIG. 1, the gaming machine 2 includes a main cabinet 4 and the top
box 6 located on top of the main cabinet. The secondary display 42,
the main display 34, audio signal processor 534, a video signal
processor 536, hard drive 532, audio/video output 542, CD-DVD drive
530 and main communication board 510 are connected to the master
gaming controller 524. The master gaming controller 524 controls
the presentation of games on the gaming machine and may control the
operation of entertainment content sources connected to the gaming
machine.
[0117] The audio signal processor 534 and the video signal
processors 536 may be media software applications designed to
process digital signals stored on the hard drive 532 or received
from the CD-DVD drive 530. For example, the entertainment partition
528 of the hard drive may contain audio files stored in an MP-3
format or video files stored in an MPEG format. The audio signal
processor 534 and video signal processor 536 may be media software
applications residing in memory accessible to the master gaming
controller 524. Examples of media software applications may include
audio players, image viewers, movie players and a web browser.
Typically, the audio processors and video signal processor include
a number of hardware components. A more complete discussion of the
use of hardware components used for multimedia application on a
gaming machine is provided in commonly assigned, copending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 08/911,254 entitled GAMING MACHINES
PROVIDING BONUS GAMES filed Aug. 8, 1997, the entire specification
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0118] The media software applications may operate on the audio and
video files stored on the hard drive enabling video or audio
signals to be output to an output device on the gaming machine. In
addition, the audio signals and video signals may be output to the
output devices residing outside of the gaming machine via the
audio/visual output 542. For example, a headphone jack allowing a
player to plug in a set of headphones into gaming machine may be
one component of the audio/visual output 542. As another example,
the audio/visual output may contain a wireless interface allowing
the gaming machine to communicate with output devices not
physically connected to the gaming machine including pagers, cell
phones and personal digital assistants.
[0119] The audio and video files may be down-loaded to the gaming
machine via the CD-DVD drive 530 and stored in the entertainment
partition of the hard drive 522. In addition audio/video files or
feeds (e.g. a television program feed containing various
audio/video signals) may be sent to the gaming machine 2 via the
remote feed 514 and the main communication board 510 connected to
the master gaming controller. The audio and the video signals may
be processed by the audio signal processor 534 and the video signal
processor 536. For example, the entertainment server, as described
with reference to FIG. 2, may contain the video jukebox, the audio
jukebox, and the television programming that is accessible to the
gaming machine 2 over the entertainment service network. A player
utilizing the gaming machine may make selections from the video
jukebox and the audio jukebox on the entertainment server from a
list of selections displayed on the gaming machine.
[0120] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a network device that may
be configured for implementing some methods of the present
invention. Network device 660 includes a master central processing
unit (CPU) 662, interfaces 668, and a bus 667 (e.g., a PCI bus).
Generally, interfaces 668 include ports 669 appropriate for
communication with the appropriate media. In some embodiments, one
or more of interfaces 668 includes at least one independent
processor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent
processors may be, for example, ASICs or any other appropriate
processors. According to some such embodiments, these independent
processors perform at least some of the functions of the logic
described herein. In some embodiments, one or more of interfaces
668 control such communications-intensive tasks as encryption,
decryption, compression, decompression, packetization, media
control and management. By providing separate processors for the
communications-intensive tasks, interfaces 668 allow the master
microprocessor 662 efficiently to perform other functions such as
routing computations, network diagnostics, security functions,
etc.
[0121] The interfaces 668 are typically provided as interface cards
(sometimes referred to as "linecards"). Generally, interfaces 668
control the sending and receiving of data packets over the network
and sometimes support other peripherals used with the network
device 660. Among the interfaces that may be provided are FC
interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable
interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In
addition, various very high-speed interfaces may be provided, such
as fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM
interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces, ASI
interfaces, DHEI interfaces and the like.
[0122] When acting under the control of appropriate software or
firmware, in some implementations of the invention CPU 662 may be
responsible for implementing specific functions associated with the
functions of a desired network device. According to some
embodiments, CPU 662 accomplishes all these functions under the
control of software including an operating system and any
appropriate applications software.
[0123] CPU 662 may include one or more processors 663 such as a
processor from the Motorola family of microprocessors or the MIPS
family of microprocessors. In an alternative embodiment, processor
663 is specially designed hardware for controlling the operations
of network device 660. In a specific embodiment, a memory 661 (such
as non-volatile RAM and/or ROM) also forms part of CPU 662.
However, there are many different ways in which memory could be
coupled to the system. Memory block 661 may be used for a variety
of purposes such as, for example, caching and/or storing data,
programming instructions, etc.
[0124] Regardless of network device's configuration, it may employ
one or more memories or memory modules (such as, for example,
memory block 665) configured to store data, program instructions
for the general-purpose network operations and/or other information
relating to the functionality of the techniques described herein.
The program instructions may control the operation of an operating
system and/or one or more applications, for example.
[0125] Because such information and program instructions may be
employed to implement the systems/methods described herein, the
present invention relates to machine-readable media that include
program instructions, state information, etc. for performing
various operations described herein. Examples of machine-readable
media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such as hard
disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as
CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are
specially configured to store and perform program instructions,
such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and random access memory
(RAM). The invention may also be embodied in a carrier wave
traveling over an appropriate medium such as airwaves, optical
lines, electric lines, etc. Examples of program instructions
include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and
files containing higher-level code that may be executed by the
computer using an interpreter.
[0126] Although the system shown in FIG. 6 illustrates one specific
network device of the present invention, it is by no means the only
network device architecture on which the present invention can be
implemented. For example, an architecture having a single processor
that handles communications as well as routing computations, etc.
is often used. Further, other types of interfaces and media could
also be used with the network device. The communication path
between interfaces may be bus based (as shown in FIG. 6) or switch
fabric based (such as a cross-bar).
[0127] While this invention is described in terms of preferred
embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents
that fall within the scope of the invention. It should also be
noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the
present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not
be limited to the preferred embodiments described herein, but
instead that the invention should be interpreted as including all
such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the
true spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *