Gaming machine virtual player tracking and related services

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides a gaming machine with a plurality of software units providing player tracking services. The software player tracking units eliminate the need for a separate hardware player tracking unit. The player tracking devices, including the card reader, are accessible to the master gaming controller on the gaming machine and may be utilized by the master gaming controller for other gaming applications. The player tracking software incorporates communication protocols for communicating with a variety of player tracking devices. Communication protocols, device interfaces and device drivers for operating the player tracking devices and performing player tracking services may be added or upgraded by loading the player tracking software to a memory mounted within the gaming machine.

1 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 a master gaming controller designed or configured i) to control one or more games played on the gaming machine, ii) to load gaming software for execution from a memory wherein the loaded gaming software includes player tracking software and a first software application; and iii) to execute player tracking software that allows the master gaming controller to provide player tracking services, wherein said player tracking software is operable to: 
 a) receive event information from one or more event sources wherein the one or more event sources include at least physical devices coupled to the gaming machine;  
 b) evaluate whether the event information is a player tracking event;  
 c) when the event information is the player tracking event, determine a response to the player tracking event;  
 d) generate the response to player the tracking event;  
 e) control operating features of at least one of the physical devices to output player tracking information;  
 iv) to execute a first software application that provides a feature on the gaming machine other than the playing services wherein the first software application and the player tracking software are each operable to at least receive, at proximately a same time, first event information from a first input device included in the physical devices and are each operable to evaluate whether a response is needed to the first event information wherein the first input device is used in a first context by the player tracking software to provide player tracking services and wherein the first input device is used in a second context by the first software application to provide the feature other than the player tracking services;  
   a main display coupled to the housing used to display the one or more games controlled by the master gaming controller;    one or more input devices coupled to the housing for accepting indicia of credit wherein the indicia of credit are for making wagers on the games played on the gaming machine;    one or more output devices coupled to the housing for dispensing the indicia of credit;    a communication interface coupled to the housing for communicating at least the player tracking information between the master gaming controller and a player tracking server    the memory storing the gaming software including the player tracking software and the first application software.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , further comprising: a cabinet.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the physical devices are selected from the group consisting of a card reader, a key pad, a touch screen, a microphone, a wire-less communication interface second display, or a bar code reader.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a sound projection device for outputting the player tracking information.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a second display separate from the main display for displaying the player tracking information wherein the second display is controlled by the master gaming controller and wherein the second display is a monitor, a LCD, or a fluorescent display.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the game is a mechanical slot game, a video slot game, a keno game or a video poker game.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is connected to a network  
   
   
       8 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores software for one or more device drivers that allow the master gaming controller to operate the physical devices including a card reader, a second display coupled to the gaming machine.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores software for one or more device interfaces that allow the master gaming controller to receive the event information from the physical devices coupled to the gaming machine.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more event sources include the player tracking server.  
   
   
       11 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the player tracking information is at least one of a player name, a time, a date, an amount wagered, a location, and a type of game.  
   
   
       12 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores software that allows the master gaming controller to select a communication protocol wherein the selected communication protocol allows the master gaming controller to communicate with the player tracking server.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming machine is operable to receive the player tracking information from one or more of a magnetic-striped card, a smart card, a personal digital assistant, a finger print reader, a wire-less device, a sound device and a bar-coded ticket.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a non-volatile memory for storing game data that is recoverable after a power failure including game data generated from the player tracking software and game data generated from the play of a game on the gaming machine.    
   
   
       15 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the communication interface includes a wire-less communication interface.  
   
   
       16 . A method for providing player tracking services on a gaming machine providing wagering on a game of chance, the method comprising: 
 reading one or more configuration files that specify the gaming software to load wherein the gaming software includes player tracking software and a first software application;    loading the gaming software including the player tracking software, a first software application and software for generating a game of chance played on the gaming machine specified by the one or more configuration files into a memory utilized by the master gaming controller on the gaming machine for executing the gaming software;    executing the player tracking software, first software application and the software for generating a game of chance wherein the player tracking software allows the master gaming controller to provide player tracking services on the gaming machine using one or more physical devices coupled to the gaming machine and wherein the first software application provides a feature on the gaming machine other than player tracking services wherein the first software application and the player tracking software are each operable to at least receive, at proximately a same time, event information from a first input device included in the physical devices and are each operable to evaluate whether a response is needed to the event information wherein the first input device is used in a first context by the player tracking software to provide player tracking services and wherein the first input device is used in a second context by the first software application to provide the feature other than the player tracking services;    receiving in the executed player tracking software first event information from the first input device;    determining in the executed player tracking software the first event information is related to the player tracking services;    evaluating in the executed player tracking software the first event information to determine a response to generate;    generating the response related to the player tracking services;    receiving a wager on the game of chance; and    displaying under control of the master gaming controller an outcome for the game of chance on a main display.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising translating the player tracking information to a communication protocol used by a player tracking server.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the player tracking information is at least one of a player name, a time, a date, an amount wagered, a location, and a type of game.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the display device is one of the main display, or a monitor, a fluorescent screen or an LCD separate from the main display.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising storing the first player tracking event to a non-volatile memory wherein the non-volatile is configured to store data related to the game of chance generated by the master gaming controller.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 receiving player tracking information from one or more of a card reader, a touch screen, a key pad, panel buttons, a display or a bar-code reader.