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  Methods and apparatus for providing entertainment content at a gaming deviceUSPTO Application #: 20070259710Title: Methods and apparatus for providing entertainment content at a gaming device Abstract: Gaming systems and methods of operation thereof are disclosed. Such gaming systems and methods allow a player of a gaming device, such as a slot machine or an arcade video game, to access entertainment services, such as broadcast television programming, web sites, pay-per-view services and shared-revenue telephone services, such as 900 or 976 services, for enhanced player retention. In accordance with one or more embodiments, when play is initiated, a predefined establishment-specific criteria is evaluated to determine whether the player should be provided with access to entertainment services. A player entitled to access such services may be presented with a list of available entertainment services. Upon receipt of the player's selection, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a connection may be established between the gaming device and the provider of the selected entertainment service. In accordance with one embodiment, the content that is the entertainment service is store in the memory of the gaming device or a peripheral device and output to the player. The player's level of play may be monitored to ensure that the establishment-specific criteria for maintaining access to such entertainment services is being met. (end of abstract)
Agent: Walker Digital Management, LLC - Stamford, CT, US Inventors: Jay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Thomas M. Sparico, Magdalena M. Fincham USPTO Applicaton #: 20070259710 - Class: 463020000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), In A Chance Application, Lot Match Or Lot Combination (e.g., Roulette, Lottery, Etc.), Plural Lots (e.g., Keno, Etc.), Lot-to-lot Combination (e.g., Slot Machine, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070259710. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/395,529, filed Mar. 21, 2003 in the name of Walker et al., which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/374,369, filed Apr. 18, 2002. The entirety of each application is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. [0002] The Ser. No. 10/395,529 application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/466,720, filed Dec. 12, 1999 and issued Jun. 24, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,310 in the name of Walker et al. and entitled AN ELECTRONIC GAMING SYSTEM OFFERING PREMIUM ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES FOR ENHANCED PLAYER RETENTION; which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/814,889, filed Mar. 12, 1997 and issued Sep. 5, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,495. The entirety of each of these Applications is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0003] The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (02-029-C2) filed on Feb. 2, 2007. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker, video keno or video blackjack devices or other electronic gaming devices, such as arcade video games, are an important source of income for the gaming industry and arcades. Accordingly, many casinos and arcades constantly search for marketing strategies and programs to appeal to players and to distinguish their electronic gaming devices from competitors in the industry. For example, as an added incentive to play the slot machines, many casinos offer "slot club" programs to reward slot machine players. Each player in a slot club is generally issued a player tracking card encoded with his identification number. The casino awards "player reward points" for the player as he plays slot machines in that casino. The "player reward points" can generally be redeemed for merchandise or services at the casino hotel. In many cases, however, these incentives may not be sufficient to attract new players or to retain existing casino players at slot machines. [0005] Thus, a number of programs have been implemented or suggested in an attempt to retain players at slot machines and other electronic gaming devices. For example, many casinos provide players with various forms of entertainment and services directly at the slot machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,613, entitled "Casino Entertainment System", discloses an entertainment system for slot players in a casino which includes audio/video equipment at each slot machine for communicating with a central control station. The operator at the central station selects audio/video programming from a menu of available selections, for presentation at one or more of the slot machines in the casino. The available audio/video programming is obtained from a number of conventional sources, including a VCR, an audio tape deck, a live camera or microphone and commercial television broadcasting sources, including cable television programming. Unfortunately, such conventional casino and arcade entertainment systems have experienced only marginal success in retaining players at slot machines and other electronic gaming devices. [0006] In addition to benefiting from retaining players at gaming devices, establishments in which the gaming devices are located also benefit from certain activities engaged in by players while the players are playing the gaming devices. For example, gaming devices that experience a high rate of play and/or large wager amounts per play are more profitable. In another example, a gaming establishment in which a gaming device is located benefits if a player inputs into a gaming device an amount of money sufficient to pay for a plurality of game plays, rather than inputting an amount of money sufficient to pay for only a single game play, since the former player is more likely to play the gaming device for a longer period of time. However, conventional gaming devices and gaming systems do not sufficiently motivate players to engage in behaviors that are beneficial to the casino. [0007] As apparent from the above-described deficiencies with conventional systems, a need exists for a gaming system that more effectively retains players at gaming devices and more effectively motivates players of gaming devices to engage in behaviors beneficial to the establishments in which the gaming devices are located BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0008] FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram illustrating a suitable system for establishing communication between a gaming device, such as a slot machine, and one or more entertainment service providers; [0009] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a system consistent with one or more embodiments of the present invention; [0010] FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a system consistent with one or more embodiments of the present invention; [0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the network server of FIG. 1; [0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a gaming device of FIG. 1; [0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a sample table from the player tracking database of FIG. 2; [0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a sample table from the content database of FIG. 2; [0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a sample table from the connection record database of FIG. 2; [0016] FIGS. 7A through 7C, collectively, are a flow chart describing an exemplary process for evaluating whether a player has qualified for access to a premium service, consistent with one or more embodiments of the present invention; and [0017] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process consistent with one or more embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0018] The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for increasing the utilization of a gaming device, such as a slot machine or arcade video game, and for rewarding a player playing such a gaming device for engaging in behavior that is deemed to be beneficial to the establishment in which the gaming device is located. The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide players of gaming devices with an incentive for continued play. In one or more embodiments, the incentive comprises access to one or more entertainment services. Such entertainment services may comprise, for example, broadcast television content, Web sites, pay-per-view services and shared-revenue telephone services. The access may be provided, for example, via (i) a network server in communication with a gaming device, (ii) communication between the gaming device and a provider of an entertainment service (e.g., television broadcaster); (iii) a peripheral device associated with the gaming device; and/or (iv) the gaming device alone (e.g., in an embodiment where content comprising the entertainment service is stored at the gaming device). [0019] Generally, according to one or more embodiments, a player will be permitted to access entertainment services, such as premium web sites, pay-per-view services and shared-revenue services (e.g., such as 900 or 976 services), directly from the gaming device for as long as the player meets the entitlement requirements established by, for example, the establishment in which the gaming device is located (e.g., the casino or arcade). Such requirements for accessing entertainment services are referred to herein as the "establishment-specific criteria". Alternately, an entity besides or in addition to the establishment where the gaming device is located may specify one or more criteria that must be satisfied in order for a player to obtain access to entertainment services in accordance with the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, a provider of the content that is the entertainment service (e.g., a television broadcaster) may establish one or more criteria that must be satisfied in order for a player to gain access to entertainment services. In another embodiment, a manufacturer or designer of the gaming device may specify one or more criteria that must be satisfied in order for a player to gain access to one or more entertainment services. [0020] In one or more embodiments, a gaming device may access the entertainment services via a network server. In an alternate embodiment, entertainment content may be stored at a gaming device in addition to or in lieu of being stored at a network server. In yet another alternate embodiment, a gaming device may be operative to access one or more entertainment services without aid of the network server and without storing the content comprising the entertainment service. For example, the gaming device may be operative to access the telephone network directly to provide the player with access to the telephone-based entertainment service. In yet another embodiment, a gaming device may be associated with a peripheral device that is operable to communicate with a provider of an entertainment service or that stores content comprising the entertainment service. Continue reading... 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