Jackpot interfaces and services on a gaming machine

Abstract

A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a touch screen display with a touch screen controller integrated into the touch screen sensor assembly. Game service interfaces may be presented on the touch screen display that allow a user to obtain one or more game services. With the touch screen sensor, a user may navigate through the game service interface and supply information required to obtain a game service. Types of interfaces provided with the gaming machine include a jackpot interface for displaying one or more jackpots selected by the player or one or more jackpots that the player is eligible to win.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a housing;   a player tracking unit supported by the housing;   a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including:
 (i) an acceptor, and 
 (ii) a cashout device; 
   at least one display device supported by the housing;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the player tracking unit, the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to:
 (a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, modify a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, 
 (b) if data associated with an amount of credits is wirelessly communicated to the player tracking unit, modify the credit balance based, at least in part, on the amount of credits associated with the data, wherein said data is wirelessly communicated to the player tracking unit based on at least one player input received by a mobile device, 
 (c) if a wager is placed in association with a play of a game:
 (i) deduce the placed wager from the credit balance, 
 (ii) randomly determine a game outcome, 
 (iii) display the randomly determined game outcome, 
 (iv) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and 
 (v) display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and 
 
 (d) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the player tracking unit is in communication with at least one of: a prize server, a reservation server and a bonus server. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of: a hand-held device, a portable computing device, a personal digital assistant, and a cellular phone. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated from the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated via a Bluetooth communication standard. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated to the player tracking unit via at least one server in communication with the player tracking unit and the mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one player input is received in association with a mobile device game service interface. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the mobile device game service interface is associated with at least one of: player tracking identification information, player tracking account information, bank account information, player communication information, casino service personnel communication information, player tracking unit status information, metering information and player status information. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the mobile device game service interface enables a selection of at least one of: a prize to redeem player tracking points for, an operating instruction, an entertainment service reservation, a banking transaction, a casino promotion to participate in, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the player tracking unit, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the at least one display device, a game to play, a bonus game to play, a progressive game to play, a game service request, and a diagnostic menu. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display device of the player tracking unit to display a game service interface. 
     
     
         11 . A gaming system server comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 (a) if data is received in association with a receipt of a physical item via an acceptor, modify a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, 
 (b) if data is received in association with an amount of credits wirelessly communicated to a player tracking unit, modify the credit balance based, at least in part, on the amount of credits associated with the data, wherein said data is wirelessly communicated to the player tracking unit based on at least one player input received by a mobile device, 
 (c) if a wager is placed in association with a play of a game:
 (i) deduce the placed wager from the credit balance, 
 (ii) randomly determine a game outcome, 
 (iii) cause at least one display device to display the randomly determined game outcome, 
 (iv) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and 
 (v) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and 
 
 (d) if data is received in association with a receipt of a cashout input via a cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. 
   
     
     
         12 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein the player tracking unit is in communication with at least one of: a prize server, a reservation server and a bonus server. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of: a hand-held device, a portable computing device, a personal digital assistant, and a cellular phone. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated from the mobile device. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system server of  claim 14 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated via a Bluetooth communication standard. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein the data associated with the amount of credits is wirelessly communicated to the player tracking unit via at least one server in communication with the player tracking unit and the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one player input is received in association with a mobile device game service interface. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming system server of  claim 17 , wherein the mobile device game service interface is associated with at least one of: player tracking identification information, player tracking account information, bank account information, player communication information, casino service personnel communication information, player tracking unit status information, metering information and player status information. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming system server of  claim 17 , wherein the mobile device game service interface enables a selection of at least one of: a prize to redeem player tracking points for, an operating instruction, an entertainment service reservation, a banking transaction, a casino promotion to participate in, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the player tracking unit, an entertainment choice to be outputted via the at least one display device, a game to play, a bonus game to play, a progressive game to play, a game service request, and a diagnostic menu. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming system server of  claim 11 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display device of the player tracking unit to display a game service interface.