SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONIC GAME TRANSFORMATION
20170278344 · 2017-09-28
Inventors
- Ryan Cuddy (Reno, NV, US)
- Christopher Lundy (Reno, NV, US)
- Lyndsay Berger (Reno, NV, US)
- Frederick G. Nesemeier (Reno, NV, US)
- Gary F. Nesemeier (Byron, IL, US)
Cpc classification
G07F17/3255
PHYSICS
G07F17/323
PHYSICS
G07F17/3227
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods to administer non-wagering entertainment games suitable for play on personal electronic devices and corresponding wager-based games available on electronic game machines within a regulated casino environment in a manner that permits users to earn benefits for play on one platform based on participation on the other platform.
Claims
1. A system for transforming the play of an electronic wagering game on an electronic gaming machine via play of a non-wagering electronic entertainment game on a personal electronic device not configured for wager-based gaming, the system comprising: A. at least one first personal electronic device owned by a user comprising one or more first electronic device communication port(s) and at least one non-wager-based application downloaded and installed by said user capable of providing a non-wagering electronic entertainment game; and B. at least one second electronic device comprising an electronic gaming machine, one or more second electronic device communication port(s), and at least one secure application capable of providing an electronic wagering game; wherein: a. said at least one first personal electronic device is configured to (i) generate instructions to modify the game play of said electronic wagering game based on the user's play of said non-wagering electronic entertainment game, and (ii) communicate said instructions to said at least one second electronic device via said one or more first electronic device communication port(s); and b. said at least one second electronic device is configured to (i) receive said instructions from said at least one first personal electronic device via said one or more second electronic device communication port(s) and (ii) provide said instructions to said electronic wagering game so as to transform said electronic wagering game from a first game play state to a second game play state comprising one or more enhancements to said first game play state.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-wagering electronic entertainment game and said electronic wagering game comprise at least one of any of a similar game theme, a common or similar graphics presentation, common or similar colors or color changes, a common or similar name, common or similar characters, common or similar game elements, common or similar placement of game elements in the game presentation, common or similar sounds, common or similar math models, or common or similar movements, velocities, acceleration, or trajectories of game or display elements.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more first electronic device communication port(s) and said one or more second electronic device communication port(s) are configured to establish one or more communication path(s) between said first personal electronic device and said second electronic device using at least one of any of Bluetooth®, NFC, ZigBee®, Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi®Direct, BUMP technology, infrared optical transmission and reception, and audio transmission and reception.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more specialized communication interface machine(s), wherein said one or more second electronic device communication port(s) are provided to said at least one second electronic device by said one or more specialized communication interface machine(s) disposed within the cabinet of said at least one second electronic device and in bidirectional data communication with said at least one second electronic device.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more remote game server(s) in data communication with said at least one first personal electronic device via (i) said one or more first electronic device communication port(s), (ii) said at least one second electronic device via said one or more second electronic device communication port(s), or (iii) said at least one first personal electronic device via said one or more first electronic device communication port(s) and said at least one second electronic device via said one or more second electronic device communication port(s).
6. The system of claim 5 wherein (i) communications between said at least one first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) are routed through said at least one second electronic device, (ii) communications between said at least one second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) are routed through said at least one first personal electronic device, or (iii) communications between said at least one first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) are routed through said at least one second electronic device and communications between said at least one second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) are routed through said at least one first personal electronic device.
7. The system of claim 5 further comprising one or more intermediate wireless access point(s) communicatively disposed (i) between at least one of any of said at least one first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s), (ii) between said at least one second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s), or (iii) between said at least one first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) and said at least one second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) such that communications between (a) said first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s), (b) said second electronic device(s) and said one or more remote game server(s), or (c) said first personal electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) and said second electronic device(s) and said one or more remote game server(s) are routed through said one or more intermediate wireless access points.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one first personal electronic device or the user of said at least one first personal electronic device is authenticated to (i) said at least one second electronic device, (ii) said one or more remote game server(s), or (iii) said second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) via one or more authentication services provided at least in part by at least one of any of said personal electronic device, said electronic gaming machine, said one or more intermediate wireless access point(s), and said one or more remote game server(s).
9. The system of claim 1 wherein (i) said instructions generated during the play of said non-wagering electronic entertainment game may only be applied to transform the play of said electronic wagering game and not to transform the play of said non-wagering electronic entertainment game, (ii) said transformation of the play of said electronic wagering game may only be achieved via instructions generated during the play of said non-wagering entertainment game and may not be achieved during the play of said electronic wagering game, or (iii), both (i) and (ii) above.
10. A method of transforming the play of an electronic wagering game via play of a non-wagering electronic entertainment game, the method comprising: A. providing a user-downloadable and user-installable non-wagering electronic entertainment game configured to execute on a first personal electronic device not configured for wager-based gaming; B. providing an electronic wagering game configured to execute on a second electronic device comprising a microprocessor-based electronic gaming machine; C. playing said non-wagering electronic entertainment game on said personal electronic device and accruing one or more electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) as a result of said playing; D. communicating said one or more benefit(s) or advantage(s) from said personal electronic device to said second electronic device; and E. applying said one or more communicated benefit(s) or advantage(s) to said electronic wagering game so as to transform said second electronic game from a first game play state to a second game play state comprising one or more enhancements to said first game play state.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said non-wagering electronic entertainment game and said electronic wagering game comprise at least one of any of a similar game theme, a common or similar graphics presentation, common or similar colors or color changes, a common or similar name, common or similar characters, common or similar game elements, common or similar placement of game elements in the game presentation, common or similar sounds, common or similar math models, or common or similar movements, velocity, acceleration, trajectories, etc. of game or display elements.
12. The method of claim 10 comprising an additional step of providing one or more remote game server(s) and further comprising one or more additional step(s) of communicating data between any two of said first personal electronic device, said second electronic device, and at least one of said one or more remote game server(s).
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of communicating data between any two of said first personal electronic device, said second electronic device, and said one or more remote game server(s) comprises an additional intermediate step of routing said data communication via the third of said first personal electronic device, said second electronic device, and at least one of said one or more remote game server(s).
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising a step of providing one or more intermediate wireless access point(s) and the step of communicating data between any two of said first personal electronic device, said second electronic device, and said one or more remote game server(s) comprises an additional intermediate step of routing said communication via at least one of said one or more intermediate wireless access points.
15. The method of claim 14 comprising the additional step of authenticating said first personal electronic device or the user of said personal electronic device to (i) said second electronic device, (ii) said one or more remote game server(s), or (iii) said second electronic device and said one or more remote game server(s) via one or more authentication services provided at least in part by at least one of any of said personal electronic device, said electronic gaming machine, said one or more intermediate wireless access point(s), and said one or more remote game server(s).
16. The method of claim 10 wherein (i) said accrued electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) may only be applied to transform the play of said electronic wagering game and not to transform the play of said non-wagering game, (ii) said accrued electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) may only be earned during the play of said electronic non-wagering game and not during the play of said electronic wagering game, or (iii) both (i) and (ii) above.
17. A method of transforming an electronic wagering game, the method comprising: A. downloading and installing, by a user, (i) a non-wagering electronic entertainment game configured to execute on a personal electronic device not configured for wager-based gaming and (ii) an electronic wagering game executing on a microprocessor-based electronic gaming machine; B. accruing one or more electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) during play of said non-wagering electronic entertainment game; C. communicating said one or more benefit(s) or advantage(s) to said electronic wagering game; and D. transforming said electronic wagering game by modifying the game play to add one or more enhancements in accordance with said one or more benefit(s) or advantage(s).
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising a step of providing one or more intermediate wireless access point(s) and one or more remote game server(s), and wherein the step of communicating said one or more benefit(s) or advantage(s) to said electronic wagering game comprises the additional intermediate step of routing said communication via (i) said one or more intermediate wireless access points, (ii) said one or more remote game server(s), or (iii) said one or more intermediate wireless access points and said one or more remote game server(s).
19. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional step of authenticating said communication of said one or more benefit(s) or advantage(s) via one or more authentication services provided at least in part by at least one of any of said personal electronic device, said electronic gaming machine, said one or more intermediate wireless access point(s), and said one or more remote game server(s).
20. The method of claim 17 wherein (i) said accrued electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) may only be applied to add one or more enhancements to the electronic wagering game and not to said non-wagering electronic game, (ii) said accrued electronic wagering game benefit(s) or advantage(s) may only be earned during play of said non-wagering electronic game and not during play of said electronic wagering game, or (iii) both (i) and (ii) above.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0078] Without limiting the invention to the features and embodiments depicted, certain aspects this disclosure, including the preferred embodiment, are described in association with the appended figures in which;
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[0090] It should be noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are merely generalized representations and are not intended to portray all specific parameters of the invention or create any limitations on particular embodiments. The drawings are intended to depict only certain embodiments of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements among the drawings. In other words, for the sake of clarity and brevity, like elements and components of each embodiment bear the same designations throughout the description. The presence of an alphabetic character in an element designator denotes a unique variation of a previously-presented element. For example, the system designated as 100B is a variation of previously presented system 100A, and so on. This permits the use of a unique element descriptor for each unique element while maintaining a consistent and comprehensible depiction of the various elements presented. In each embodiment depicted in the drawings, not every element or communication path depicted in the drawing may be required for the execution of every function of that particular embodiment. The presence of an element or communication path should be regarded as permissive rather than required; that is, such element or communication may be utilized where depicted, but given a plethora of options and flexibility available in any one embodiment, equivalent operation of said embodiment may be achieved in some cases without the need to utilize every element depicted. This degree of flexibility will become apparent as certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed in detail below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0091] Applicants' invention comprises systems and methods that permit similar or corresponding electronic games to be offered on multiple platforms, particularly on personal electronic devices (PEDs) and electronic gaming machines (EGMs), where benefits and advantages may be accrued by a player during play on one device or platform and said benefits and advantages subsequently transferred from game play from that device or platform to another device or platform. In a preferred embodiment, benefits and advantages earned via game play on a PED mobile application may be applied to play of a corresponding game on a wager-based EGM located within, or remotely administered by, a licensed gaming operator.
[0092] To provide for seamless and secure association of benefits earner on one platform to another, a plurality of specially designed and configured hardware devices are required to establish and enable communications between said PED(s) and EGM(s), provide operational control of said PED(s) and EGM(s), and secure the operation and interaction of said PED(s) and EGM(s) in compliance with applicable regulations and requirements for operation of wager-based EGM(s) in a casino or other authorized gaming environment.
[0093] Games executed on different devices or platforms are said to be “corresponding games” when they comprise some measure of commonality. This definition of corresponding games is intended to be very broad and encompassing. The ability to utilize any benefit or advantage earned via play of a game to other play of any game is one measure of commonality that characterizes corresponding games. For avoidance of any doubt, any game which is configured to utilize any benefits or advantages earned during play of that same game comprises a corresponding game with respect to itself by virtue of its ability to utilize the earned benefits and advantages. However, corresponding games will generally not be identical in many embodiments for a myriad of reasons, including the fact that games executing on different hardware and software platforms will not comprise equivalent hardware or software resources. Further, in some preferred embodiments, one significant improvement over known game methods provided by the corresponding game system is that certain games may be designed to provide somewhat similar but uniquely varied gaming experiences to users on different platforms or devices. Play of identical game(s) on multiple platforms will not enhance the user's gaming experience to the same degree as will the escalation, challenge of advancement, and discovery of new game play opportunities embodied in corresponding games related to some degree but not identical. The fact that corresponding games are not identical in some embodiments but are still cooperatively associated is one novel element of the inventive systems and methods.
[0094] As previously disclosed, corresponding games may also include a common characteristics such as theme(s), graphic presentation(s), character(s), element(s), or the like. While direct and obvious commonality between corresponding games is certainly included within the scope of this disclosure, the full scope of what may be considered to be “corresponding” is much broader. It is not necessary that corresponding games be similar in nature or that they even be directed toward the same objective, but only that there be some measure of commonality or any other relationship between them that may be discerned, understood, or appreciated by a player. As non-limiting examples intended only to illustrate the broad scope of this definition, one game may be directed toward the collection of objects while the corresponding game is directed to the distribution of those previously-collected objects in a prescribed manner. One game may involve the creation of a tangible object, such as a structure, while the corresponding game may be directed toward its destruction. Certain corresponding games may be linked by a benefit or advantage that does not pertain to the game in which it was earned and may only be applied toward the play of a second game. For example, a first game with a physical fitness theme (the player successfully collecting necessary items and completing certain exercise activities while subjected to numerous obstacles) may accrue strength and endurance by virtue of those activities that may only be applied to the play a second game simulating a sporting activity, such as the user's character in a multi-player football game. A reward earned in play of one game, such as magic beans, that may be transferred and applied to the play of another game, even one with wholly unrelated objective(s), theme(s), or character(s), would be a measure of commonality sufficient for those games to be classified as “corresponding games” as would any other similar connection or relationship, most notably the ability of a game to use any benefit or advantage earned from previous game play.
[0095] While preferred embodiments of this invention are generally directed to corresponding games executing on different platforms, a person of ordinary skill in the art will immediately recognize that corresponding games may also be provided on a single device or platform and that there is no requirement or limitation that such games be offered on different devices or platforms. For example, earned or awarded benefits and advantages may be transferred from a first EGM game to a second EGM game in the same manner as when such transfer occurs between a game executing on a first platform and a game executing on a second platform. The same is true with respect to a first game on a first PED and a second corresponding game on the same PED; any accrued benefits earned via play of the first game may be applied to the play of the second corresponding game. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure explicitly includes the transfer of benefits and advantages from any first game to the play of any second game, whether or not the first and second games are played on the same device, different devices comprising the same platform, or different devices comprising different platforms. The essential characteristic of transferability between different games is that benefits and advantages may be transferred from a first game to a second corresponding game without limitation other than the games be configured to permit such transferability.
[0096] In some embodiments, a user plays a first electronic game on a first electronic device comprising certain platform, and in doing so, is provided with an opportunity to earn benefits and advantages that may inure to his advantage in playing said first game or one or more second corresponding games. In some embodiments, said first electronic game is executed on a PED. In some embodiments, said first electronic game is executed on an EGM. The game may be provided to the user without charge from any source, or the game may be purchased from a third party source including but not limited to iTunes®, Google Play®, a game developer's site, a casino operator's site, or the game may be provided by or obtained from any other source freely or in return for compensation.
[0097] Any benefits or advantages earned by the player during the play of said first electronic game on a first electronic device may be applied to the execution of that game, if such benefit or advantage is pertinent to said first game. A tabulation of said benefits or advantages may be recorded and stored on the platform providing the game to the player so that they may be easily recalled and applied during subsequent play of that first game, or a corresponding second game, on that same device. A record of said benefits or advantages, particularly those applicable to the play of a second corresponding game on a second device, may also be recorded and stored on the device providing the game to the player, stored on a remote server, an intermediate network device in communication with said first electronic device, or any combination of the above.
[0098] Records of stored benefits and advantages may be stored in any preferred form on a device, on one or more remote game servers, or both. Any form of alphanumeric or digital (binary, BCD, etc.) identifiers may be utilized to differentiate between each of the various individual benefits and advantages. Preferably, each possible benefit or advantage will be identified by a unique identifier so that they may be individually awarded and later applied. However, in some embodiments, a set of two or more individual benefits or advantages may be collectively associated with a unique identifier of its own so that the entire set may be awarded and applied as a group. This is particularly useful when a first benefit or advantage requires the simultaneous application of a second benefit or advantage to be operative and neither would be functional without the other, or when a user has been awarded numerous benefits and advantages that are more easily referenced collectively.
[0099] In some embodiments, record(s) of benefits and advantages will comprise a listing of the unique identifiers of each benefit or advantage, or groups thereof, stored in a convenient form to facilitate transfer from one device to another. Preferably, all such record(s) are encrypted so that users would be prevented from improperly modifying or even creating record(s) to their advantage. In some embodiments, record encryption may be performed using a key embedded in the game application itself. The key may be unique to the user or the device so that the record is unmistakably associated with that particular user or device and may be used as a component of user or device authentication. In some embodiments, an encryption key may be provided to the game application from an external source, such as but not limited to a remote game server or other third party source. In some embodiments, the record(s) may be sequentially encrypted using different keys from different sources or different keys intended to serve different purposes. In some embodiments, records may be signed using a private key associated with a particular user or device for security or authentication purposes. In some embodiments, a hash of the record(s) may be computed by the game application or another application and transmitted to a separate device, such as a remote game server or other repository, for use during validation of benefits and advantages when they are sought to be applied to play of a corresponding game. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many variations of these embodiments are envisioned by this disclosure. Simply by varying the source(s) of encryption key(s), the manner or order in which the record(s) are encrypted, the manner in which a hash of said data may be computed, communicated, and stored, and the manner in which the record data is decrypted and a comparative hash is generated and validated, a considerable set of alternative embodiments may be realized that all fall within the scope of this disclosure.
[0100] Before any benefits and advantages earned during play of a first game may be applied to a second game, the system must ascertain whether said first and second games are corresponding games. If so, and only if so, those benefits and advantages will be compatible. An important component of any record of accrued benefits and advantages is an identification of the first game within which said benefits and advantages were earned, designation(s) of any second game(s) deemed to be corresponding game(s) with respect to said first game, or both. Absent this information in some form, it will be impossible to properly associate benefits and advantages from said first game to said second game.
[0101] As with the format of the stored benefit and advantage records, identification of the first or second corresponding games may be provided in any form of alphanumeric or digital (binary, BCD, etc.) data sufficient to properly categorize said games. In one embodiment, identification of the first game is embedded in the unique identifier of each earned benefit and advantage or group thereof. At this most granular level, every benefit and advantage earned by a player may be independently identified by both the originating game and the specific benefit or advantage. In one embodiment, the format of the record is modified to reflect the identification of the originating game with no additional data added to the record. For example, certain families of corresponding games may generate benefit and advantage records with unique record lengths, or with certain character limitations (inclusion or exclusion), reserved placements, or the like. For example, certain alphanumeric characters may be reserved for certain families of corresponding games. In some embodiments, records created by each family of corresponding games may be encrypted with a key unique to that family of corresponding games so that any particular game may only successfully decrypt the benefit and advantages record of a corresponding game.
[0102] Benefits and advantages may be awarded during game play according to any criteria, such as but not limited to performing a certain action, achieving a certain number of points, attaining a certain goal or objective, playing for a certain duration, or any other criteria established by the game designer. As described elsewhere herein, certain preferred embodiments of the invention comprise the awarding of benefits and advantages to users that are generally viewed as positive in nature. That is, they are helpful to the users' efforts to “win” a game according to whatever may be defined as “winning” that particular game by providing a more favorable position with respect to successful performance. However, in some embodiments, certain benefits or advantages may alter the user's game play experience in a manner deemed to be neutral or at least slightly disadvantageous by the player, contrary to the conventional positive understanding of a “benefit” or “advantage”. In some embodiments, the level of difficulty of a game may be increased to make the game more challenging, potentially with an opportunity to earn greater benefits and advantages. For example, the play of the game may be altered to increase the speed of play, possibly in conjunction with an opportunity to earn a greater number of points during the period of high-speed play. Another example of a benefit or advantage viewed as potentially disadvantageous by a player would be to replace one benefit or advantage highly desired by that particular player with a different benefit or advantage less desirable to that particular player but more highly valued by other players. In other words, not every benefit or advantage awarded during play of a game may be viewed as entirely positive by every player despite being categorized as a “benefit” or an “advantage”. A benefit or advantage merely changes the nature of the user's game experience in some manner. However, preferred embodiments of this invention are directed toward encouraging users to accumulate benefits and advantages that enhance their overall gaming experience for the better, so the preponderance of benefits and advantages are intended to encourage users to expand their play and to utilize earned benefits and advantages on other devices, particularly EGMs in wager-based gaming environments.
[0103] Some benefits or advantages may be expendable, such as an extra life in a role-playing game or a token that may be swapped for another game play benefit. Once the expendable benefit or advantage is used by the player, the benefit or advantage is no longer available for use. Some benefits or advantages may be temporal; that is, they may provide a benefit or advantage to the player for a defined period of time or until a certain game event occurs, after which the benefit or advantage expires and is no longer operative. Some benefits or advantages may be persistent; that is, once conferred to the player, said benefit or advantage may continue to be operative for the player without expiration. Some benefits or advantages may become operative immediately upon award without the need for the player activation. Some benefits or advantages may remain available and be applied to game play upon the occurrence of a particular event, such as a shield that only becomes active when a player's character is subjected to a particular attack or other obstacle. Some benefits or advantages may remain available for activation by the player at a time of his choice. Some benefits and advantages may be operative, or be operative to a different extent, on different device(s) or platform(s). Any combination of the foregoing, or any other type or manner of applying a benefit or advantage to transform the play of an electronic game from one state to a different state, falls within the scope of this disclosure.
[0104] In some embodiments, and as previously disclosed, benefits or advantages obtained by a user during play of a first electronic game may not be applicable to the play of said first game but may only be applicable toward the play of a corresponding second game. Whether applicable to the game being played, a corresponding game, or both, benefits or advantages awarded to a player may be stored in the memory of the device executing the game, one or more remote servers in direct or indirect communication with said device, other networked communication devices in communication with either the device executing the game or a remote game server, or any combination of the above.
[0105] When a user who has accrued benefits or advantages via play of a first game wishes to play a second game corresponding to said first game on a second electronic device, any of said accrued benefits and advantages that may be applicable to the second game are transferred to the device on which the second game is to be executed from one or more stored location(s). As above, in some embodiments a record of the accrued benefits and advantages have been recorded and stored on the first electronic device. In some embodiments, a record of the accrued benefits and advantages have been recorded and stored on a remote device, including but not limited to a third party remote gaming server. In some embodiments, records of the accrued benefits and advantages may been recorded and stored in multiple locations and subsequently retrieved from any location available or desired. In some embodiments, a portion of the record may be stored in a first location and additional portion(s) of the record may be stored in one or more second location(s), thereby requiring each portion of the record to be retrieved and re-assembled to obtain the complete record. In some embodiments, entire records, or portions thereof, may be retrieved from multiple sources and used to verify consistency between the said records or portions thereof. In any of these embodiments, records pertaining to said benefits and advantages may be transferred from the first device to a remote location, from the remote location to the second electronic device, or both, via any one or more of the methods or communication paths described in detail below.
[0106] When any record of accrued benefits and advantages is stored on any electronic device, such record is preferably encrypted, encoded, or otherwise stored in a secure manner so as to prevent users from independently creating records of benefits and advantages not actually earned by game play. Any known or later developed method of data security may be employed to secure properly authorized records of benefits and advantages, including but not limited to PKI methods. In some embodiments, records of benefits and advantages may be stored in one or more locations and a secure hash of said records stored in one or more locations identical to or different from the locations where the records are stored. The hash of the authorized records may then be used to validate the authenticity of the records before any benefits and advantages are applied to play of the second game.
[0107] Once any accrued benefits or advantages are successfully transferred from a stored location to the second device, said benefits and advantages may be applied to the play of a corresponding game on said second device. As previously disclosed, benefits and advantages may be automatically applied or individually selected by the user as may be applicable for any particular benefit or advantage.
[0108] Benefits and advantages may also be accrued by the user during play of the corresponding second game on the second device. These benefits or advantages may be applicable to the play of the second game or any other corresponding game as defined elsewhere herein. Such benefits and advantages may be awarded, stored, transferred, and applied in a manner identical to that described herein for benefits and advantages awarded during play of the first game.
[0109] With reference to one embodiment of the invention depicted in
[0110] PED 101 may comprise any personal electronic device comprising hardware, firmware, and software as described in detail elsewhere herein that is capable of executing and presenting a game to a gaming patron and communicating via electronic means with one or more remotely disposed devices. Examples of PED 101 include, but are not limited to, computers, phones, tablets, phablets, electronic devices worn on the wrist (such as a smartwatches), personal digital assistants, or the like.
[0111] EGM 102 may comprise any preferred machine(s), device(s), or system(s), including but not limited to an electronic gaming machine, a game server, or any other electrical or electromechanical device capable of presenting a game to a user via one or more inputs and outputs and that is suitably configured for the purpose of sending and receiving information related to the operation of the system described herein. Any of the above terms, and others as well, may be used interchangeably to refer to the same element without deviating from the scope of this disclosure, but for consistency, gaming device 102 will generally be referred to as an EGM. EGM 102 may be administered by the PED manufacturer, the PED game developer, the operator of a gaming establishment in which a corresponding EGM game is operating, or by any third party designated and properly authorized to provide and administer said device(s). In some embodiments, EGM(s) 102 are protected within the network infrastructure of a secured gaming system administered by a licensed and regulated casino operator or the equivalent.
[0112] EGM(s) 102 may be any of the modern types of EGMs presently manufactured and sold by gaming hardware and system providers including, but not limited to, Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd., Bally Technologies, Inc., WMS Gaming, and IGT Global Solutions Corporation.
[0113] In many embodiments, EGM 102 is associated and configured to communicate with one or more gaming server(s) 105 via one or more bidirectional network communication path(s) 106. Gaming server(s) 105 are typically protected within the same highly secured gaming system network infrastructure as are EGM(s) 102, whether or not EGM(s) 102 and gaming server(s) 105 are proximate or remotely disposed. Said network is usually administered by a licensed and regulated casino operator or the equivalent. Gaming server(s) 105 may provide hardware, firmware, software, and user authentication services, gaming outcomes, cashless instrument validation and issuance authorizations, executable code, paytable information, security-related data, animation, images, and promotional material to one or more EGM(s) 102, and possibly other gaming or related devices, operative within the highly secured gaming network infrastructure. In addition, gaming server(s) 105 may receive and log operational data from one or more EGM(s) 102 including but not limited to machine status, performance, meters, and the like. Communication protocols available or suitable for use with modern EGMs to communicate with gaming server(s) 105 via network communication path(s) 106 may include, but are not limited to, at least one of any of conventional wired TCP/IP connections, direct wired or wireless data connections, Wi-Fi® or any of the IEEE 802.11 standards, WiMAX or any of the IEEE 802.16 standards, Bluetooth®, NFC, or any other suitable known or later-developed standard or protocol.
[0114] Typically, within a regulated gaming environment, operation and administration of gaming server(s) 105 are the responsibility of the licensed operator responsible for securing all gaming operations on the premises where the servers are resident. In some embodiments, said operator may administer the server(s) of more than one licensed gaming establishment from a central facility via secure networking means, enabling management of gaming operations remotely. In either event, such networks are tightly controlled with severe restrictions placed on any remote connections to third party resources, such as the remote game server(s) 102 described above.
[0115] In some embodiments, EGM 102 is not in communication with any gaming server(s) 105. While server-based gaming continues to grow, EGMs incapable of communicating with gaming server(s) 105 are still in widespread use. As will be appreciated from the disclosure below, gaming server(s) 105 are neither preferred nor required for operation of the cooperative gaming system of this invention. While they may be accommodated, the system(s) of this invention are intentionally designed to provide full functionality even in the absence or unavailability of any communication between EGM 201 and gaming server(s) 105. The ability to retrofit older EGMs lacking access to gaming server(s) 105 via bidirectional communication path 106 with the functionality of the cooperative gaming system is a particular novel advantage of this system over the prior art.
[0116] One or more remote game server(s) 107 may be accessible to gaming server(s) 105 in the embodiment of system 100A via one or more bidirectional network communication path(s) 108 for the purposes of exchanging any information beneficial or essential to execution of a game as disclosed in detail below. Said communication path(s) 108 may comprise any preferred wired or wireless technology or protocol, including but not limited to at least one of any of a wired connection, such as but not limited to TCP/IP, a cellular, GSM®, CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, 3GPP, UMTS, 4G LTE, other wireless carrier communication protocol or standard, Wi-Fi® or any of the IEEE 802.11 standards, WiMAX or any of the IEEE 802.16 standards, Bluetooth®, NFC, or any other known or later-developed standard or protocol. Any of these technologies, protocols, or any subsequently developed may be utilized as preferred for any of the communications paths in this system as deemed suitable.
[0117] In some embodiments, remote game server(s) 107 are provided and administered by third parties, including but not limited to the developer(s) or administrator(s) of the cooperative games played on devices in communication therewith. In some embodiments, remote game server(s) 107 may be provided and administered by the operator of the licensed gaming establishment in which they are located or by any other duly authorized third party.
[0118] In some embodiments, remote game server(s) 107 may be accessible within the same secured gaming system network infrastructure as are EGM(s) 102 and gaming server(s) 105. In some embodiments, remote game server(s) 107 may be remotely disposed beyond the infrastructure of any secured gaming system and may therefore not be subject to the same degree of regulation as are servers located within said highly secured gaming network infrastructure. In either case, remote game server(s) 107 are fully secured and protected against unauthorized access or intrusion to secure all data and other content thereon.
[0119] In some embodiments, remote game server(s) 107 are configured to provide services, data, or other content essential to the proper operation of one or more PED game(s), one or more EGM game(s), or both. By way of several non-limiting examples, a user may be required to identify himself or authenticate with the game provider by exchanging certain identification or other data, tokens, or keys from said remote game server(s) 107 administered by the game provider prior to executing a PED game or an EGM. To provide for efficient execution of games on EGMs or on PEDs with limited memory, game content or images may be periodically downloaded from remote game server(s) 107 to EGM 102 or PED 101 via any available communication path described herein. As the user progresses through the game, his results may be communicated from PED 101 or EGM 102 to remote game server(s) 107 via any available communication path(s) for the purpose of recording and storing any benefits or advantages earned by the player. In these and other regards, remote game server(s) 107 may be essential to the proper operation of PED and EGM games.
[0120] When a PED game has a corresponding EGM game, said EGM game may also be dependent upon the same services, data, or other content essential to the proper operation of the corresponding PED game. Most notably, any benefits or advantages accrued by the player during play of the PED game must be retrieved by the EGM game from either PED 101 or remote game server(s) 107 in order to be applied to play of the EGM game. Accordingly, one or more communication path(s) between EGM 102 and remote game server(s) 107 may be beneficial or necessary for the proper operation of the corresponding EGM game. These are described in detail below with respect to different embodiments. One such path involves bidirectional network communication path(s) 106 and 108.
[0121] In some embodiments, short range communication path(s) 103 and 104 are provided between PED 101 and EGM 102. In the accompanying drawings, a pair of unidirectional communication paths (path 103 from PED 101 to EGM 102 and path 104 from EGM 102 to PED 101) are depicted because, in certain embodiments, different protocols or communication technologies may be utilized in each connection direction. As a non-limiting example, PED 101 may utilize near field communication (“NFC”) technology to alert EGM 102 to its presence, thereby triggering EGM 102 to provide authentication or identification data to PED 101 via a protocol such as Bluetooth®.
[0122] In some embodiments, short range communication path(s) 103 and 104 may be combined into a single short range bidirectional communication path(s) (not shown) without any adverse effect on the system's operation. Any suitable communication means preferred for use with certain hardware, preferred for use in certain environments, or preferred for use under certain conditions may be employed to provide for the exchange of data between EGM 102 and PED 101 via short range communication path(s) 103 and 104 or their single bidirectional equivalent.
[0123] A principal concern of any communication path is providing adequate security of the hardware on both ends of the connection as well as the data flowing on said path. When data communication occurs in a wagering game environment, the level of security appropriate in less demanding circumstances is usually deemed inadequate to protect sensitive casino hardware and software from intrusion and unauthorized access. Highly sensitive financial transaction data comprising users' personal identification and account information may also be intercepted in transit between devices and used for illicit purposes. In all embodiments of Applicant's invention, all communication paths and associated ports are fully secured via the use of best practice security and encryption methods applicable to the particular task at hand, including but not limited to SSL, TLS, PKI, and the like.
[0124] Most EGMs do not presently comprise the specialized hardware necessary to provide short range communication path(s) 103 and 104 between EGM 102 and PED 101. Therefore, in some embodiments, the system includes one or more specialized machine(s) comprising hardware, firmware, and software capable of securely interfacing with EGM 102 and configuring said EGM for such communication. In some embodiments, a specialized communication interface machine provides additional means of data communication between EGM 102 and other elements of the various corresponding game system components that are independent of any other data communication capability present in the EGM. Such specialized communication interface machine may comprise any necessary or preferred combination of at least one of any of a case or other enclosure, one or more power supply(ies), one or more processors, one or more memories, one or more communication ports suitably configured to communicate via one or more communication protocols compatible with PED 101, one or more wired or wireless communication adapters, one or more antennas, and one or more outputs such as display(s), light(s), indicator(s), other illumination device(s), printer(s), printer port(s), or the like. Preferably, said specialized communication interface machine is securely disposed within the cabinet of EGM 102 and is in data communication with one or more systems of EGM 102 via one or more data communication protocols, including but not limited to USB, FireWire, TCP/IP, SATA, E-SATA, or other connection to a data bus utilized within the platform architecture of the EGM. The presence of this specialized communication interface machine is essential to the operation of the inventive system and represents an advancement over the present art of EGM design and operation. In some embodiments, a specialized communication interface machine may be implemented without the use of any processors or memories. For example, in one embodiment, the specialized communication interface machine may comprise only a simple radio frequency (RF) transmitter, receiver, and USB interface for the limited purpose of sending, receiving, and relaying data between PED 101 and one or more systems of EGM 102. Whether or not the specialized communication interface machine comprises hardware typically associated with “computing systems”, such as processors and memories, it should not be construed in any manner as a conventional computing device as it is clearly not configured to perform, and is incapable of performing, the routine data manipulation tasks for which conventional computing devices have become ubiquitous. Instead, the specialized communication interface machine is a specifically selected combination of hardware components configured to perform only a limited subset of communication tasks as a necessary component of this system and therefore provides a well-accepted component that confers subject matter eligibility upon the system and methods disclosed herein.
[0125] Use of specialized communication interface machine(s) also facilitates the retrofitting of the inventive system with the multitude of EGMs currently deployed in gaming and other establishments worldwide. As the code for EGM games may be written in multiple forms compatible with the wide variety of platforms now available, development of new platforms to host the corresponding game methods taught and claimed herein will not be necessary. In some embodiments, the specialized communication interface machine may be configured as a device providing input to an EGM 102 in a manner nearly identical to hardware presently deployed, including but not limited to buttons, keyboards, touch screen displays, joysticks, or comparable devices, many of which communicate with one or more EGM systems via USB connection(s) and the associated USB protocol. This not only enables fast and reliable installation of the specialized communication interface machine but subjects that machine to all of the input device security protocols operative within the EGM. Input devices are effectively isolated from the execution of core gaming functions such as outcome determination, cashless ticket printing, and the like by intermediate EGM processing functions or through validation or verification of such a request by an outside sources such as a gaming server 105. In other words, EGMs are configured such that users are unable to cause an EGM to print a cash-equivalent ticket or generate a non-randomized outcome favorable to a player by simply providing a certain command to the EGM via one of its input devices. An input command comprising abnormal input received from the specialized communication interface machine will be trapped within the EGM's internal processes before it results in a security breach. This manner of connection of the specialized communication interface machine is merely one embodiment of this invention, and a person of ordinary skill in the art of EGM design and operation will immediately appreciate numerous other possibilities to provide secure data communication between the specialized communication interface machine and the EGM.
[0126] The system 100A as depicted in
[0127] During the play of the second corresponding game on EGM 102, certain data may be exchanged between the PED 101 and EGM 102 devices via communication path(s) 103 and 104. In this or any other embodiment, data exchanged between PED 101 and EGM 102 may comprise the retrieval of existing benefit or advantage record data stored on either device, new benefit or advantage record data being stored on either device, communication of output data such as video, audio, or haptic responses from a game currently being played on either device to the other device, input data supplied by a user, including but not limited to game play control functions or authentication information, from one device to the other, and so on. Following the initial exchange of benefit and advantage records preparatory to the play of the second corresponding game, communication path(s) 103 and 104 remain operative in some embodiments of the invention throughout the play of either game to provide a means for the exchange of any information necessary, beneficial, or desirable to the play of either of the corresponding games. This feature is not limited to the embodiment depicted in
[0128] However, in some embodiments, any of gaming server(s) 105 or bidirectional network communication path(s) 106 and 108 may not be available or practicable for the transfer of services, data, or other content between EGM 102 and remote game server(s) 107, or between PED 101 and remote game server(s) 107 via communication path(s) 103 and 104 and bidirectional network communication path(s) 106 and 108. As gaming server(s) 105, when present, are operative within a highly secured and regulated network infrastructure, such security and regulatory requirements may prohibit any communication whatsoever between gaming server(s) 105 and remote game server(s) 107 via bidirectional communication path(s) 108. Even in scenarios where such external communication paths may be established in compliance with all regulatory requirements, the operator or administrator of any gaming server(s) 105 within the highly secured gaming network infrastructure may refuse to provide such external communication for fear of compromising the security of the gaming network. When communication path(s) 108 are unavailable for any reason, communication path(s) 106 will not be sufficient for EGM 102 to communicate with remote game server(s) 107. In such embodiments, the player's benefits and advantages stored on remote game server(s) 107 may be communicated from said remote game server(s) 107 to EGM 102 via one or more wireless communication path(s) 109 and additional communication paths 103 and 104 as described below.
[0129]
[0130] When it is necessary or desirable to provide secure data exchange between the EGM 102 and any remote game server(s) 107 where such data is desired or required to be isolated from and undiscoverable by PED 101 for any reason, such data may be encrypted and conveyed between the respective devices by any preferred tunneling means, including but not limited to a virtual private network (VPN) connection from end to end. Such techniques would prevent any data securely communicated from EGM 102 to remote game server(s) 107 from being intercepted or spoofed by PED 101 for nefarious purposes.
[0131] System 100C depicted in
[0132]
[0133] Finally,
[0134] In some embodiments, the system of this invention may further comprise one or more intermediate wireless access point(s) (IWAP(s)) 201 disposed within or proximate to the gaming environment and configured to relay communications between PED 101, EGM 102, and remote game server(s) 107, from any originating device(s) to any destination device(s), along one or more bidirectional wireless communication path(s). Such intermediate wireless access point(s) 201 are preferably configured to receive and transmit wireless communications via any protocol described above but, in some embodiments, may additionally or alternatively employ alternate means including but not limited to wired communications means. Any such intermediate wireless access point(s) are also secured and protected against unauthorized physical or electronic access or intrusion.
[0135] One embodiment of said intermediate wireless access point(s) 201 is depicted in
[0136] In some embodiments, intermediate wireless access point(s) may be installed in such a manner as to be physically inaccessible to users of the corresponding game play system and only accessible via wireless communication paths, as are most other public wireless access points. In these embodiments, all of the functions useful to users may be accessed wirelessly.
[0137] In some embodiments where said intermediate wireless access point(s) comprise additional element(s) as described above, they may be provided in the form of a kiosk physically accessible to users to provide functionality beyond the relaying of wireless data communications. For example, IWAP 201 may be configured to provide a menu of downloadable corresponding game or other electronic device applications for users to purchase, accept cash, a cash equivalent, or read account information from a user's credit card as payment, and provide a printed receipt to the user following such a transaction. A user seeking to play an EGM game corresponding to a PED game on which benefits and advantages have been accrued may desire, or be required to, authenticate his identity, the PED 101 on which said benefits and advantages were previously earned, or both at an accessible kiosk-style IWAP 201 in person before the benefits and advantages may be transferred to the EGM game.
[0138] Throughout this disclosure, the acronym “IWAP” will be used to refer to any embodiment of an intermediate wireless access point 201 comprising wireless communication capability accessible to at least one of any of one or more PED(s) 101, EGM(s) 102, remote game server(s) 107, or gaming server(s) 105 whether or not said IWAP also comprises additional element(s), component(s), device(s), or functionality.
[0139]
[0140]
[0141]
[0142] System 300D, depicted in
[0143] Finally, system 300E, depicted in
[0144] The depictions and descriptions of the embodiments of systems 100A-100E and 300A-300E are intended to illustrate the plethora of structure and configurations possible in a system required to execute the corresponding game method described herein. It should be understood that under certain circumstances and for certain applications, any one or more of these different embodiments may be suitable for the intended purpose. Further, the presence of any particular element(s) or communication path(s) in any of the depicted embodiments does not necessarily imply that said element(s) or communication path(s) are essential or preferred for any particular purpose. In many embodiments, the same results may be achieved through the use of certain element(s) or communication path(s) without the need to use other depicted element(s) or communication path(s). As one non-limiting example, when accrued benefit and advantage data is stored on PED 101 in a particular embodiment, it may not be necessary or desirable to retrieve said data from remote game server(s) 107. However, in some embodiments, retrieval of said data from both sources may be preferred to ensure that the latest data is retrieved for the benefit of the player, to confirm or validate that the retrieved data is consistent in both locations, or for other reasons. In other words, the elements and communication paths in each embodiment are to be viewed as enabling rather than limiting upon the scope of the invention. Further, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the embodiments depicted and described above enable the use of numerous similar embodiments that fall within the scope of this disclosure, as portions of each of these embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments with similar functionality. All of these additional embodiments fall within the scope of the invention and this disclosure.
[0145] The IWAP-enabled embodiments described above, and other embodiments derived therefrom, provide opportunities for enhanced reliability, security, and functionality in support of the corresponding game systems and methods directly attributable to the IWAP. Due to electrical interference from the multitude of electronic and electromechanical devices operating in a modern casino floor, as well as the structure of the building(s) in which the casino is housed, PED access to mobile networks, including cellular networks, is often problematic. For this reason, many casino operators provide open wireless access points as a courtesy for the use of gaming patrons. This service is completely independent of the highly secured casino gaming network supporting EGM(s) 102, gaming server(s) 105, and other gaming devices and is usually unsecured with no encryption and with anonymous access enabled. For these reasons, unauthorized interception of patron's confidential information, including but not limited to logins and passwords sent to third party sites, is a trivial exercise even for relatively unskilled intruders. While device-to-device encryption via SSL or TLS provides some measure of security over open wireless links, not every server accessed via an open and unsecured wireless service provides the necessary infrastructure for a secure SSL or TLS link. Further, open wireless services may be insufficient for other reasons. With a large number of users accessing open services, such services may provide insufficient bandwidth for reliable operation of the corresponding game system and methods. Further, casino operators may not appreciate that the available bandwidth of their courtesy systems is being consumed by the operation of the corresponding game systems. For these and other reasons, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises one or more IWAPs 201 provided exclusively for its own operation. Such service(s) are fully secured and are not subject to bandwidth limitations imposed by other services.
[0146] With respect to enhanced security, the transfer of accrued benefits and advantages from either a first device to a second device, or from remote game server(s) 107 to a second device, requires appropriate user or device authentication to ensure that the request for such transfer is tendered by the owner of those benefits and advantages. In some embodiments, it may be sufficient to authenticate only the user as the owner of said benefits and advantages. This may be accomplished by customary login/password or other challenge/response methods when either of the first or second devices are not the personal property of the user and may subsequently be utilized by someone else. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to authenticate one or more of the devices rather than, or possibly in addition to, the user, particularly when at least one device is the personal property of a user on which previous game play was completed and a record of accrued benefits and advantages is stored. In some embodiments, a principal objective of authentication is directed to ensuring that a first device, such as PED 101, in the possession of a user is properly associated with the correct second device, such as EGM 102, so that said user's benefits and advantages are transferred to the proper second device as intended by the user.
[0147] Authentication of users, devices, or both may be performed by PED 101, EGM 102, gaming server(s) 105, IWAPs 201, or by any combination thereof and accomplished by any known or later-developed method(s), including but not limited to the same conventional login/password or challenge/response methods (“something you know”) useful for public devices, hard biometric methods (“something you are”), soft biometric methods (“something you do”), PKI methods, digital certificate methods, or the like. In some embodiments, authentication and transfer may be performed between PED 101 and EGM 102 when the benefit and advantage record information is stored on PED 101. However, when benefit and advantage record information is stored on remote game server(s) 107 and will be retrieved, any method of authentication will necessarily involve remote game server(s) 107 as well. Any authentication method deployed in the system must be sufficiently secure to safe guard users' data and other information, but in preferred embodiments of the invention, such authentication will also be minimally intrusive and maximally convenient to users so as not to be burdensome or a hindrance to their use of the corresponding game method.
[0148] IWAP 201 may be utilized to implement one or more novel authentication schemes. The descriptions provided below are non-limiting upon the scope of the invention and merely illustrative of numerous similar embodiments enabled by the versatility of the several corresponding game systems disclosed herein. Other embodiments will be immediately appreciated based on the following disclosure.
[0149] In some embodiments, devices PED 101 and EGM 102 may each communicate with IWAP 201 via any of the various communication paths described in the systems presented above to provide prompts and receive authentication or challenge responses from a user, procure and communicate a user's biometric data such as a fingerprint, facial, retinal, hand profile, or other scan, obtain and communicate behavioral data from a user, exchange keys, images, or other authentication tokens between devices, perform steps necessary to complete validation of one or more digital certificate(s), or to perform any other desired authentication process. To this end, PED 101, EGM 102, IWAP 201, or any combination thereof may comprise an input device configured to permit users to enter such data in response to an authentication request. Such devices may include, but are not limited to, keypad(s) with mechanical, electrical, capacitive, resistive, or other forms of buttons, simulated keypad(s) depicted on touchscreen device(s), touch sensitive pads responsive to the touch of a finger or a stylus to receive input from a user in written or drawn form, such as a signature, or any other input device known in the present art or that may be later developed and suitable for the intended purpose.
[0150] In some embodiments, all of the actual authentication steps are performed by devices PED 101, EGM 102, or both, and IWAP 201 only serves as an intermediate communication relay between said devices. In some embodiments, IWAP 201 comprises at least a portion of the additional computational elements and functionality described above, exchanges data with PED 101 and EGM 102, executes any computational process(es) necessary to complete the authentication, and provides the confirmation of authentication necessary for execution of the corresponding game method by both devices. For example, and without limitation, IWAP 201 may generate a pair of keys for PED 101 and EGM 102 (equivalent to the public and private key pair in known PKI methods) and transmit each key to the respective device so that they may complete the authentication process in the usual manner. In another embodiment, IWAP 201 may provide an image, such as but not limited to a bar, QR, or other code to a first device that may be captured or otherwise read by a second device for authentication purposes. In another embodiment, a first device may compute a hash of authentication data received from a second device and transmit said hash to IWAP 201 for verification. To any extent necessary, IWAP 201 may also provide confirmation of successful authentication of or between PED 101 and EGM 102 to remote game server(s) 107 so that any data, including but not limited to records of accrued benefits and advantages, may be retrieved from or stored on remote game server(s) 107 as necessary.
[0151] IWAP 201 may be utilized as an authentication server in some embodiments by, for example, receiving a request for authentication from either or both devices PED 101 and EGM 102, providing data to either or both devices required to be communicated to or processed by the other device in order to complete authentication, confirming the successful communication of said data between devices, and communicating said confirmation to both devices and remote game server(s) 107 as necessary. Additional communications between the various devices may be required or desired as well.
[0152] In some embodiments where IWAP 201 comprises one or more camera(s), a user or a device may be authenticated using image capture or transfer methods. For example, one or more image(s) of a player may be obtained by IWAP 201 from one or more perspectives and compared to previously-stored image(s) of the user. Facial or other recognition methods may then be applied using one or more characteristics, including but not limited to the ratio of overall facial dimensions, feature placement, eye color, iris pattern(s), hand shape(s) or hand feature characteristics, and the like. In some embodiments, one or more sequential images may be captured for the purpose of gesture recognition when compared to a previously-stored sequence of the same user performing a same gesture. Sequential gestures may be captured as single images or in such rapid succession as to collectively comprise a moving image, such as a video image. Any user images captured for authentication purposes may be stored, preferably but not exclusively in IWAP 201, for comparative use in future authentication of the user. This way, a body of images are available to increase both the reliability and speed of future authentications based on image comparison.
[0153] In some embodiments, an image or sequence of images displayed on a screen of a device such as PED 101 may be captured by a camera associated with IWAP 201 and compared to an expected version of the image(s) stored in IWAP 201 or obtained thereby from or via remote game server(s) 107. As a non-limiting example, a game executing on PED 101 may generate and store an image, such as a bar code, QR code, other code, or a special game image when the player of said game earns or otherwise receives a benefit or advantage. Such image may contain encoded information regarding the player's identity, data regarding the specific benefit or advantage awarded, information regarding the game under which the benefit or advantage was awarded, or any combination of the above along with any other pertinent information. When the player wishes to transfer said benefit or advantage, a camera associated with IWAP 201 or EGM 102 may capture the image recalled from memory and displayed on PED 101, decode the data represented in said image via IWAP 201 or remote game server(s) 107 if necessary or desired, and thereby authenticate the player, the device, the player's entitlement to receive the benefit or advantage represented by said image, or any combination thereof. This method is applicable to authentication and benefit and advantage validation together or separately in various embodiments of the invention.
[0154] In some embodiments, one or more authentication methods may be employed in combination, particularly in sequence, to provide persistent validation that an authenticated user has not been replaced by another user, either intentionally or inadvertently. This provides the advantage of protecting a user's account in the event the user inadvertently walks away from an EGM game without properly terminating the play session or in the event a third party actively interferes with the user's session. For example, a user may first authenticate himself, his device, or both at IWAP 201 prior to first play of an EGM game in a casino environment via any known method. Periodically thereafter, the user may be required to re-authenticate via any known method at EGM 102, IWAP 201, or PED 101 to ensure that the same user is still present and in control of the game play device(s) PED 101 and EGM 102. Such periodic re-authentication may be accomplished via active means, such as requiring the user to provide an affirmative response to a challenge or other request, or via passive means, such as capturing an image of said user and comparing it to a previous image without any active participation by the user or even any knowledge by the user that said re-authentication is occurring. Such active or passive re-authentication may also include any other known or later-developed methods, such as re-validating or updating one or more electronic keys, tokens, or digital certificates and may be performed via any communication path(s) available for such task. In some embodiments, a number of different communication path(s), potentially but not exclusively utilizing different communication protocols such as 4GLTE, GPRS, other cellular, WiFi®, Bluetooth®, NFC, ZlgBee®, and the like, are intentionally used for various stages of authentication and re-authentication so to increase communication security. Intercepting and spoofing communications on a myriad of paths and with a myriad of protocols is immeasurably more difficult than if such communications were restricted to a single communication path and protocol. In these persistent embodiments, various devices described above work collectively to ensure that the desired level of user or device authentication is provided and maintained throughout the user's cooperative gaming session.
[0155] The scope of these descriptive authentication examples encompasses any embodiment where IWAP 201 arbitrates the authentication of either the user or devices PED 101, EGM 102, or both by communicating with any combination of devices PED 101, EGM 102, and remote game server(s) 107 so as to successfully complete a secure process enabling the corresponding game method of this invention to be provided to a user, regardless of the specific nature of the communications or their content.
[0156] In some embodiments, the mobile app is configured to cause the hardware in the PED to detect the presence of an EGM presenting a corresponding game and automatically initiate a communication path between the PED and the EGM for the purpose of authenticating the player and communicating any benefits and advantages between the two platforms. In some embodiments, the mobile app is configured to initiate and transfer the data without intervention from the player. In some embodiments, the mobile app requires active participation from the player, such as confirmation to connect to an EGM previously identified by the mobile app, before initiating any communication or data transfer between the platforms. In some embodiments, initiation of the communication path may only commence upon a direct command from the player, such as activating a function in the mobile app and identifying to the mobile app which EGM the player has selected for play.
[0157] In some embodiments, a first application running on a first device, such as PED 101, will automatically detect, or be detected by, the presence of a corresponding second application running on a second device, such as EGM 102, that is configured to provide a second game corresponding to a first game on which benefits and advantages have been previously accrued on said first device. Said first application may be the same application that provided the first game on the first device or it may be a separate application operative only to detect, or be detected by, the presence of devices configured to offer one or more second corresponding games. Each of the first and second applications may automatically detect the presence of the other application via periodic transmission of a wireless signal that, when received by another corresponding application, alerts a user to the proximity of a device configured to offer a corresponding game. The user may then optionally elect to play a corresponding game on the second device, continue to search for a different device offering corresponding game(s), or decline to play any corresponding games at that time.
[0158] Identification of each platform by the other may be performed in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the mobile app may seek to connect to the nearest EGM configured to offer the corresponding game based on criteria such as signal strength due to proximity. In some embodiments, commencement of play on an EGM may activate one or more short-range communication services, such as NFC or Bluetooth®, present in the EGM where such communication is subsequently received by the PED and passed to the mobile app for initiation of a communication link. In some embodiments, the player may indicate his desire to establish a communication link between a PED and an EGM using physical means including but not limited to BUMP technology. In some embodiments, a user may cause an EGM to display an image on one of the EGM displays comprising a bar code, a QR code, or any other image that may be read, processed, and recognized by the mobile app using image detection hardware and software functionality, including but not limited to a camera, present in the PED. In some embodiments, either the PED or the EGM may display an alphanumeric identifier that may be manually entered by the player using one or more input devices available on the corresponding platform. In short, any novel, previously known, or later developed means whereby the two platforms may successfully and exclusively identify each other for communication purposes falls within the scope of the disclosure.
[0159] In some embodiments, a first application executing on a first device, such as PED 101, may be configured to locate second device(s), such as EGMs 102, via any location service available to the user of said first device. Present location service technologies include, but are not limited to, the use of GPS and other satellite-based services, known location(s) of wireless access points through which a device is accessing a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, the known location of cellular or other mobile network transmission towers, and the like. Multiple methods or the locations of more than one known transmission or reception point, combined with the measurement of transmitted or received signal levels, may be combined into a single location determination method. The scope of this disclosure is intended to apply without limitation to any location determination services that may later be developed. When the approximate or exact location of the first device is determined by any location determination service, the user of the first device may be presented with a map of known location(s) of second devices configured to offer corresponding games that are proximate to the location of the first device. These known location(s) of second devices may be extracted from one or more first-application-embedded or remote database(s) maintained by any third party such as the developer of the corresponding games. In lieu of the use of location services, the first application may be configured to allow the user to manually input a location specified in any preferred terms and a desired radius within which to search for second devices configured to offer games corresponding to a first game previously played on said first device.
[0160] In some embodiments, a first application executing on a first device, such as PED 101, may be configured to interoperate with other applications executing or available on said first device. A first application may comprise both game play functionality and service functionality related to the cooperative game play methods, wherein such service functionality may include communication functionality, device location functionality, authentication functionality, and the like. In some embodiments, some or all cooperative game service functionality may be provided by one or more second compatible applications operative on the same device. Said first application may then invoke any of said one or more second compatible applications only as necessary when their functionality is required, thereby reducing the processing power and memory required to execute a larger and all-encompassing first application. Preferably, the integration of first applications and second compatible applications is both seamless and highly configurable by each user.
[0161] In some embodiments, said one or more second compatible applications may be provided by the developer of a first application that comprises the code necessary to provide the cooperative game on the device in question. In some embodiments, said one or more second compatible application(s) may be compatible third party application(s) provided by one or more third party author(s) that offer functionality useful to, but not exclusively associated with, the cooperative game methods taught herein. As one non-limiting example, said first application may comprise a feature enabling a user to share his gaming results with a friend via social media or other means when previously configured by the user. In these embodiments, a first application provided by the cooperative game developer may automatically open an instance of a social media application already present on the user's device, such as a Twitter application, as a second compatible application, transfer data pertaining to the user's gaming results from said first application to said second compatible application, direct said second compatible application to transmit the information, and then close the second compatible application. Another non-limiting example would be enabling a user to configure said first application to access and execute a second compatible application in the form of a third party banking application to transfer funds from an authorized account to another device, such as EGM 102, IWAP 201, or remote gaming server(s) 107 to complete an e-commerce transaction such as purchasing EGM game play credits, games or other applications from a game developer, or the like. In some embodiments, a first application running on a first device may invoke an instance of a second compatible application on a second device for any purpose useful to the cooperative game method. For example, a first game application running on EGM 102 may invoke an instance of a second compatible application to execute of PED 101. As above, a user may be prompted by said first game application to purchase gaming credits by said first application automatically opening a second compatible third party banking application on PED 101, or a user's results from game play on EGM 102 may be communicated to PED 101 and automatically populated into one or more social media application(s) thereon. The possibilities for compatible first and second applications are plentiful, and any instance of a first cooperative game application invoking a second application from any source on the same device or a device in communication therewith for the purpose of providing additional functionality to said first application falls within the scope of this disclosure.
[0162] In addition to very stringent requirements for data communications in wager-based gaming environments, gaming regulations require extensive authentication of executable game code running on any EGM. Such code is required to be tested and approved by regulatory authorities prior to regular use in EGMs, and any modifications to said code after approval represents a potential malicious attack that may place both the operator and the gaming patron at risk of financial loss due to fraud.
[0163] In some embodiments of this invention, the EGM game comprises a series of modules configured as a whole to execute the game as designed and approved by pertinent regulatory authorities. Certain modules provide data exchange for user input and display purposes (I/O), others provide images and sounds used during game execution (data), others handle logging and secure communications related to the basic operation of the machine (OS/hardware), and a plurality of others provide the executable code necessary to locally generate or retrieve game outcomes from remote gaming servers, select the appropriate images and sounds to present the game outcome to the users, and retrieve and present those images and sounds on the EGM hardware (core game operations). Within the plurality of modules comprising the core game operations, certain modules resident in the EGM are configured to provide different game experiences according to the previous disclosure. Each of these modules are independently approved by gaming regulators and are periodically validated during operation of the machine as also required by regulation. In a sense, each module or combination of modules represents a different game available to a player, albeit highly similar games within the context of this invention that differ only by certain benefits and advantages present in some and not in others. In some embodiments, these modules may be downloaded on demand from a secured gaming server or in some embodiments, they may be resident in the EGM and stored in firmware, memory, or on magnetic media.
[0164] Just as with EGMs known in the art that offer players a selection of different variations of video poker games selectable by the player via touchscreen, EGMs configured to offer corresponding games according to the disclosed invention may have any number of core game operation modules available to present to the player. The difference between the modules in this system is that each module comprises game code that further comprises a different combination of benefits or advantages available to players entitled to benefit therefrom. Selection of a particular module comprising the particular game with certain benefits and advantages embedded in that module is analogous to a player selecting one of a dozen different variations of video poker using an EGM touchscreen as is known in the art. Novel elements of the system and method embodiments taught herein include the selection of the appropriately enabled module via an external device, such as a PED, and the fact that the particular enablements present in the modules available for selection are dependent on one or more benefits and advantages earned by a player based on participation in a corresponding game on a different platform.
[0165] In these embodiments, all modules associated with execution of the EGM game are completely protected and not accessible in any way by PED 101. An additional module present in the EGM game may be configured to communicate with PED 101 via specialized communication hardware dedicated solely to the cooperative game method for the singular purpose of receiving data pertaining to a player's benefits and advantages and passing said data to another secured module within the plurality of core game operation modules. The secured module would then select the appropriate game module associated with the player's benefits and advantages received from the PED and execute said module to provide the appropriate game to the player.
[0166] Numerous preferred embodiments of the systems and methods extensively disclosed herein are particularly well-suited for corresponding games offered on different platforms and devices as described. However, certain other preferred embodiments may be based on one or combinations of more than one element taught by Applicants using games which may or may not be considered to be corresponding games or by using devices consistent or inconsistent with the personal electronic device(s) and electronic gaming machines according to certain disclosures in this written description, without restriction. For example, benefit(s) and advantage(s) may be awarded to a player for his participation in a non-wagering entertainment game that may be applied to a wager-based game provided by an electronic gaming machine wherein said wager-based game is wholly different than the non-wagering entertainment game, or applied to a non-wager based entertainment game, or to any other game. Similarly, benefit(s) and advantage(s) may be awarded for promotional activities as taught herein but based on completely dissimilar (non-corresponding) games, or even awarded for use during play of the same game on the same platform toward which said promotional activity was directed. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the objective of game promotion, particularly but not exclusively via transformation of an electronic game (whether a wager-based game or a non-wagering entertainment game) from a first game play state to a second game play state, may be achieved by any number of combinations of the individual elements disclosed by Applicants. Further, any and all such combinations of those elements that may be used to promote the play of electronic games, particularly but not exclusively wager-based games provided by electronic gaming machines, is envisioned by Applicants and falls within the scope of this disclosure.
[0167] While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various exemplary embodiments using specific drawings and descriptions, one or more of said embodiments or other embodiments described in the preceding paragraph may be achieved by other means or functions evident to persons of ordinary skill in the art and are thereby also contemplated by the instant disclosure. For example, certain embodiments may be implemented in hardware structure, computer software or firmware, by one or more humans, by other means, or by any combination of some or all of the above. Applicant's disclosure in its written description and claims must be considered in its entirety for all it teaches and claims and not as a series of disparate and unrelated pieces. Certain elements of this invention may be independently operable but may not be properly separated from the invention as a whole for purposes of determining patentability. For example, combinations of known elements to achieve a system or method previously unknown in the art would, by definition, comprise a novel invention for purposes of patentability and would further comprise “significantly more” than the simple use of known elements to achieve predictable results. Reduction of Applicant's invention to disparate elements in an attempt to deem said invention as obvious over known art without appreciation for the novelty of the combination of said elements would fail to appreciate the invention as a whole.
[0168] With respect to methods and processes, it will be recognized by persons of ordinary skill in the art that certain of the steps in said methods or processes are not necessarily required to be performed in the order taught by Applicant's recitation. When process or method steps may be performed in an alternative order such that the results achieved by said process or method are equivalent to those taught by Applicant, such alternate order of performance are envisioned by the scope of this disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the extent to which one or more step(s) of any process or method taught or claimed herein must necessarily precede another, but in all other instances, the scope of Applicant's disclosure should be viewed as inclusive of the family of processes or methods comprising equivalent steps that achieve the results taught and claimed by Applicant's process and method steps in any order of performance. Further, certain process or method steps may not be required for one or more embodiments, and such embodiments also fall within the scope of this disclosure.
[0169] Unless otherwise noted herein, the descriptive articles “a” or “an,” as used in the specification and claims are to be construed as meaning “at least one of”. Thus, for example, recitation of combinations of elements such as “at least one of any of A, B, and C” describes any manner of combination of said elements, including combinations comprising A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
[0170] Further, whenever the singular form of an object is used or implied, the use of the plural is understood to be included, and vice versa. For example, the term “input device” may refer to one such device or more than one such device. Terms denoting one or more, such as “input device(s)”, are used herein for grammatical propriety where deemed applicable and are not to be distinguished from usage where only the singular or plural are used unless expressly stated otherwise.
[0171] Applicant has described its invention in the context of certain embodiments, some preferred over others in certain instances, for certain purposes, or both. The scope of this disclosure is intended to encompass all embodiments related to the disclosed subject matter and for all useful purposes to which said embodiments may be applied. The exemplary embodiments listed herein are provided to be enabling rather than limiting, as persons of ordinary skill in a great variety of arts will immediately recognize how the apparatus, systems, and methods disclosed herein may readily be applied to aspects of their arts, and such applications are therefore additionally enabled by Applicant's disclosure and therefore fall within its scope.