Enabling gaming features with a tag having conductive, coded ink

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to systems, methods, and devices that enable interactions between a tag having conductive, coded ink and a gaming environment. As an example, a method is disclosed that includes providing a tag with an encoded physical medium that is readable by a touch-capable user interface, determining that the tag has been read by a touch-capable user interface of a gaming device in combination with detecting a gesture of the user at the touch-capable user interface of the gaming device, enabling the gaming device to provide a predetermined game feature in response to determining that the tag has been read by the touch-capable user interface of the gaming device in combination with detecting the gesture of the user at the touch-capable user interface of the gaming device, and updating an electronic record associated with the tag to indicate that the predetermined game feature has been enabled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 determining that a tag has been placed on a mobile device;   decoding information stored on the tag; and   transferring the information between the tag and a gaming machine via the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information stored on the tag comprises a tag identifier and wherein the tag identifier is used by the gaming machine to print a ticket when a user is done playing the gaming machine. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining that the tag has been placed on the mobile device further comprises:
 determining an orientation of the tag on a touch-capable user interface of the mobile device; and   detecting, with a processor of the mobile device, a user gesture that overlaps the tag.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information transferred between the tag and the gaming machine comprises credit information stored in memory of the tag. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information transferred between the tag and the gaming machine comprises gameplay status from a game that occurred at another gaming machine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the gameplay status comprises at least one of volume, language, and wager settings. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a secure and trusted connection between the tag and a server via the mobile device, wherein the secure and trusted connection is established using the information stored on the tag; and   facilitating a fund transfer between the server and the tag via the secure and trusted connection.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information stored on the tag is decoded from the tag at the mobile device and then provided from the mobile device to the gaming machine. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises playing progress made in a casino. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, based on data encoded on the tag with an encoded physical medium that is readable by a touch-capable user interface of the mobile device, an address of a server used to manage a transaction during a gaming session at one of the mobile device and the gaming machine;   identifying, based on a user gesture received at the mobile device, a request for additional credits for the gaming session;   transmitting, via a communication interface of the mobile device, a funds request message to the address of the server;   receiving, via the communication interface, a funds transferred message from the server; and   updating an amount of credit available for game play based on an amount of funds identified in the funds transferred message received from the server.   
     
     
         11 . A device, comprising:
 a touch-capable user interface;   a processor coupled with the touch-capable user interface; and   a computer-readable storage medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the instructions comprise instructions that:
 determine that a tag has been placed into contact with the touch-capable user interface; 
 decode information stored on the tag; and 
 transfer the information between the tag and a gaming machine via a secure and trusted connection. 
   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a communication interface coupled with the processor, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that:
 extract data from the tag; 
 transmit the extracted data to a code validation server via the communication interface; 
 receive a response from the code validation server, wherein the response indicates that the extracted data comprises a valid identifier code; and 
 facilitate a fund transfer based on the valid identifier code. 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 a tag interaction instruction set that is executed in response to detecting the placement of the tag into contact with the touch-capable user interface, wherein execution of the tag interaction instruction set causes the processor to determine an orientation of the tag relative to the touch-capable user interface and determine a direction of the user gesture in relation to the orientation of the tag.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein data is encoded on the tag with an encoded physical medium that is readable by the touch-capable user interface and wherein the data is extracted from an area of the tag that is in contact with the touch-capable user interface and that overlaps with the user gesture. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the information comprises a tag identifier that is used to print a ticket when a player is done playing the gaming machine. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the information comprises a description of funds available to a user for play on the gaming machine. 
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer-readable storage medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the instructions comprise instructions that:
 determine that a tag has been placed into contact with a mobile device; 
 decode information stored on the tag; and 
 transfer the information between the tag and a gaming machine via a secure and trusted connection established through the mobile device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that:
 display, via the mobile device and in response to determining that the tag has been placed into contact with the mobile device, a game play graphic.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that:
 restore a gameplay progress from a different gaming machine at the gaming machine.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the information comprises credit information that is used at the gaming machine to update a credit meter of the gaming machine.