Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BIOMETRIC ACCESS SENSITIVITY
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of Canadian Patent Application No.
2928614 which, in turn, is
a divisional of Canadian Patent Application No. 2669836 which, in turn, is a
PCT national phase entry
of PCT/US2007/084669 filed on November 14, 2007 and claiming priority to
United States Patent
Application Serial No. 11/559,829 filed on November 14, 2006, United States
Patent Application Serial
No. 11/559,484 filed on November 14, 2006, and United States Patent
Application Serial No.
11/559,933 filed on November 15, 2006.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] Some embodiments may related to accessing services on a device. In
particular, some
embodiments may related to accessing gaming services on a device.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Devices may be configured to provide gaming services to users. Devices
may be further
configured to provide non-gaming services to users. The Internet allows
communication to occur
among a variety of computing devices.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0004] In accordance with aspects of the present invention, there is provided
methods and
apparatuses for providing a user access to at least one gaming service via a
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment
of the systems
disclosed herein;
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment
of the systems
disclosed herein;
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment
of the systems
disclosed herein; and
[0008] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method according to at least one embodiment
of the methods
disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLES
[0009] The following sections provide a guide to interpreting the present
application.
Terms
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0010] The term "product" means any machine, manufacture and / or composition
of matter, unless
expressly specified otherwise.
[0011] The term "process" means any process, algorithm, method or the like,
unless expressly specified
otherwise.
[0012] Each process (whether called a method, algorithm or otherwise)
inherently includes one or more
steps, and therefore all references to a "step" or "steps" of a process have
an inherent antecedent basis
in the mere recitation of the term 'process or a like term. Accordingly, any
reference in a claim to a
'step' or 'steps' of a process has sufficient antecedent basis.
[0013] The term "invention" and the like mean "the one or more inventions
disclosed in this
application", unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0014] The terms "an embodiment", "embodiment", "embodiments", "the
embodiment", "the
embodiments", "one or more embodiments", "some embodiments", "certain
embodiments", "one
embodiment", "another embodiment" and the like mean "one or more (but not all)
embodiments of the
disclosed invention(s)", unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0015] The term "variation" of an invention means an embodiment of the
invention, unless expressly
specified otherwise.
[0016] A reference to "another embodiment" in describing an embodiment does
not imply that the
referenced embodiment is mutually exclusive with another embodiment (e.g., an
embodiment described
before the referenced embodiment), unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0017] The terms "including", "comprising" and variations thereof mean
"including but not limited to",
unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0018] The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean "one or more", unless expressly
specified otherwise.
[0019] The term "plurality" means "two or more", unless expressly specified
otherwise.
[0020] The term "herein" means "in the present application, including anything
which may be
incorporated by reference", unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0021] The phrase "at least one of, when such phrase modifies a plurality of
things (such as an
enumerated list of things) means any combination of one or more of those
things, unless expressly
specified otherwise. For example, the phrase "at least one of a widget, a car
and a wheel" means either
(i) a widget, (ii) a car, (iii) a wheel, (iv) a widget and a car, (v) a widget
and a wheel, (vi) a car and a
wheel, or (vii) a widget, a car and a wheel. The phrase "at least one of, when
such phrase modifies a
plurality of things does not mean "one of each of the plurality of things.
[0022] Numerical terms such as "one", "two", etc. when used as cardinal
numbers to indicate quantity
of something (e.g., one widget, two widgets), mean the quantity indicated by
that numerical term, but
do not mean at least the quantity indicated by that numerical term. For
example, the phrase "one widget"
does not mean "at least one widget", and therefore the phrase "one widget"
does not cover, e.g., two
widgets.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0023] The phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on", unless expressly
specified otherwise. In
other words, the phrase "based on" describes both "based only on" and "based
at least on". The phrase
"based at least on" is equivalent to the phrase "based at least in part on".
[0024] The term "represent" and like terms are not exclusive, unless expressly
specified otherwise. For
example, the term "represents" do not mean "represents only", unless expressly
specified otherwise. In
other words, the phrase "the data represents a credit card number" describes
both "the data represents
only a credit card number" and "the data represents a credit card number and
the data also represents
something else".
[0025] The term "whereby" is used herein only to precede a clause or other set
of words that express
only the intended result, objective or consequence of something that is
previously and explicitly recited.
Thus, when the term "whereby" is used in a claim, the clause or other words
that the term "whereby"
modifies do not establish specific further limitations of the claim or
otherwise restricts the meaning or
scope of the claim.
[0026] The term "e.g." and like terms mean "for example", and thus does not
limit the term or phrase
it explains. For example, in the sentence "the computer sends data (e.g.,
instructions, a data structure)
over the Internet", the term "e.g." explains that "instructions" are an
example of "data" that the computer
may send over the Internet, and also explains that "a data structure" is an
example of "data" that the
computer may send over the Internet. However, both "instructions" and "a data
structure" are merely
examples of "data", and other things besides "instructions" and "a data
structure" can be "data".
[0027] The term "respective" and like terms mean "taken individually". Thus if
two or more things
have "respective" characteristics, then each such thing has its own
characteristic, and these
characteristics can be different from each other but need not be. For example,
the phrase "each of two
machines has a respective function" means that the first such machine has a
function and the second
such machine has a function as well. The function of the first machine may or
may not be the same as
the function of the second machine.
[0028] The term "i.e." and like terms mean "that is", and thus limits the term
or phrase it explains. For
example, in the sentence "the computer sends data (i.e., instructions) over
the Internet", the term "i.e."
explains that "instructions" are the "data" that the computer sends over the
Internet.
[0029] Any given numerical range shall include whole and fractions of numbers
within the range. For
example, the range "1 to 10" shall be interpreted to specifically include
whole numbers between 1 and
(e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 9) and non-whole numbers (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, ... 1.9).
[0030] Where two or more terms or phrases are synonymous (e.g., because of an
explicit statement
that the terms or phrases are synonymous), instances of one such term / phrase
does not mean instances
of another such term / phrase must have a different meaning. For example,
where a statement renders
the meaning of "including" to be synonymous with "including but not limited
to", the mere usage of the
phrase "including but not limited to" does not mean that the term "including"
means something other
than "including but not limited to".
3
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
Determining
[0031] The term "determining" and grammatical variants thereof (e.g., to
determine a price,
determining a value, determine an object which meets a certain criterion) is
used in an extremely broad
sense. The term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions and
therefore "determining" can
include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking
up (e.g., looking up in a
table, a database or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Also,
"determining" can include
receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a
memory) and the like. Also,
"determining" can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and
the like.
[0032] The term "determining" does not imply certainty or absolute precision,
and therefore
"determining" can include estimating, extrapolating, predicting, guessing and
the like.
[0033] The term "determining" does not imply that mathematical processing must
be performed, and
does not imply that numerical methods must be used, and does not imply that an
algorithm or process
is used.
[0034] The term "determining" does not imply that any particular device must
be used. For example,
a computer need not necessarily perform the determining.
Forms of Sentences
[0035] Where a limitation of a first claim would cover one of a feature as
well as more than one of a
feature (e.g., a limitation such as "at least one widget" covers one widget as
well as more than one
widget), and where in a second claim that depends on the first claim, the
second claim uses a definite
article "the" to refer to the limitation (e.g., "the widget"), this does not
imply that the first claim covers
only one of the feature, and this does not imply that the second claim covers
only one of the feature
(e.g., "the widget" can cover both one widget and more than one widget).
[0036] When an ordinal number (such as "first", "second", "third" and so on)
is used as an adjective
before a term, that ordinal number is used (unless expressly specified
otherwise) merely to indicate a
particular feature, such as to distinguish that particular feature from
another feature that is described by
the same term or by a similar term. For example, a "first widget" may be so
named merely to distinguish
it from, e.g., a "second widget". Thus, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers
"first" and "second" before
the term "widget" does not indicate any other relationship between the two
widgets, and likewise does
not indicate any other characteristics of either or both widgets. For example,
the mere usage of the
ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" (1) does not
indicate that either widget
comes before or after any other in order or location; (2) does not indicate
that either widget occurs or
acts before or after any other in time; and (3) does not indicate that either
widget ranks above or below
any other, as in importance or quality. In addition, the mere usage of ordinal
numbers does not define a
numerical limit to the features identified with the ordinal numbers. For
example, the mere usage of the
ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not
indicate that there must be no
more than two widgets.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0037] When a single device, article or other product is described herein,
more than one device / article
(whether or not they cooperate) may alternatively be used in place of the
single device / article that is
described. Accordingly, the functionality that is described as being possessed
by a device may
alternatively be possessed by more than one device / article (whether or not
they cooperate).
[0038] Similarly, where more than one device, article or other product is
described herein (whether or
not they cooperate), a single device / article may alternatively be used in
place of the more than one
device or article that is described. For example, a plurality of computer-
based devices may be
substituted with a single computer-based device. Accordingly, the various
functionality that is described
as being possessed by more than one device or article may alternatively be
possessed by a single device
/ article.
[0039] The functionality and / or the features of a single device that is
described may be alternatively
embodied by one or more other devices which are described but are not
explicitly described as having
such functionality / features. Thus, other embodiments need not include the
described device itself, but
rather can include the one or more other devices which would, in those other
embodiments, have such
functionality / features.
Disclosed Examples and Terminology Are Not Limiting
[0040] Neither the Title (set forth at the beginning of the first page of the
present application) nor the
Abstract (set forth at the end of the present application) is to be taken as
limiting in any way as the
scope of the disclosed invention(s). An Abstract has been included in this
application merely because
an Abstract of not more than 150 words is required.
[0041] The title of the present application and headings of sections provided
in the present application
are for convenience only, and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure
in any way.
[0042] Numerous embodiments are described in the present application, and are
presented for
illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not, and are not
intended to be, limiting in
any sense. The presently disclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to
numerous embodiments, as is
readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will
recognize that the disclosed
invention(s) may be practiced with various modifications and alterations, such
as structural, logical,
software, and electrical modifications. Although particular features of the
disclosed invention(s) may
be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments and / or
drawings, it should be
understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more
particular embodiments or
drawings with reference to which they are described, unless expressly
specified otherwise.
[0043] No embodiment of method steps or product elements described in the
present application
constitutes the invention claimed herein, or is essential to the invention
claimed herein, or is coextensive
with the invention claimed herein, except where it is either expressly stated
to be so in this specification
or expressly recited in a claim.
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0044] All words in every claim have the broadest scope of meaning they would
have been given by a
person of ordinary skill in the art as of the priority date. No term used in
any claim is specially defined
or limited by this application except where expressly so stated either in this
specification or in a claim.
[0045] The preambles of the claims that follow recite purposes, benefits and
possible uses of the
claimed invention only and do not limit the claimed invention. The present
disclosure is not a literal
description of all embodiments of the invention(s). Also, the present
disclosure is not a listing of features
of the invention(s) which must be present in all embodiments.
[0046] Devices that are described as in communication with each other need not
be in continuous
communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. On the
contrary, such devices
need only transmit to each other as necessary or desirable, and may actually
refrain from exchanging
data most of the time. For example, a machine in communication with another
machine via the Internet
may not transmit data to the other machine for long period of time (e.g. weeks
at a time). In addition,
devices that are in communication with each other may communicate directly or
indirectly through one
or more intermediaries.
[0047] A description of an embodiment with several components or features does
not imply that all or
even any of such components / features are required. On the contrary, a
variety of optional components
are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the
present invention(s). Unless
otherwise specified explicitly, no component / feature is essential or
required.
[0048] Although process steps, algorithms or the like may be described or
claimed in a particular
sequential order, such processes may be configured to work in different
orders. In other words, any
sequence or order of steps that may be explicitly described or claimed does
not necessarily indicate a
requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processes
described herein may be
performed in any order possible. Further, some steps may be performed
simultaneously despite being
described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step
is described after the other
step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing
does not imply that the
illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications
thereto, does not imply that the
illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to the invention(s), and
does not imply that the
illustrated process is preferred.
[0049] Although a process may be described as including a plurality of steps,
that does not imply that
all or any of the steps are preferred, essential or required.
[0050] Various other embodiments within the scope of the described
invention(s) include other
processes that omit some or all of the described steps. Unless otherwise
specified explicitly, no step is
essential or required.
[0051] Although a process may be described singly or without reference to
other products or methods,
in an embodiment the process may interact with other products or methods. For
example, such
interaction may include linking one business model to another business model.
Such interaction may
be provided to enhance the flexibility or desirability of the process.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0052] Although a product may be described as including a plurality of
components, aspects, qualities,
characteristics and / or features, that does not indicate that any or all of
the plurality are preferred,
essential or required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the
described invention(s) include
other products that omit some or all of the described plurality.
[0053] An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not
imply that any or
all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.
Likewise, an enumerated
list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that any or
all of the items are
comprehensive of any category, unless expressly specified otherwise. For
example, the enumerated list
"a computer, a laptop, a PDA" does not imply that any or all of the three
items of that list are mutually
exclusive and does not imply that any or all of the three items of that list
are comprehensive of any
category.
[0054] An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not
imply that any or
all of the items are equivalent to each other or readily substituted for each
other.
[0055] All embodiments are illustrative, and do not imply that the invention
or any embodiments were
made or performed, as the case may be.
Computing
[0056] It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that
the various processes described
herein may be implemented by, e.g., appropriately programmed general purpose
computers, special
purpose computers and computing devices. Typically a processor (e.g., one or
more microprocessors,
one or more microcontrollers, one or more digital signal processors) will
receive instructions (e.g., from
a memory or like device), and execute those instructions, thereby performing
one or more processes
defined by those instructions.
[0057] Instructions may be embodied in, e.g., a computer program.
[0058] A "processor" means one or more microprocessors, central processing
units (CPUs), computing
devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or like devices or any
combination thereof.
[0059] Thus a description of a process is likewise a description of an
apparatus for performing the
process. The apparatus that performs the process can include, e.g., a
processor and those input devices
and output devices that are appropriate to perform the process.
[0060] Further, programs that implement such methods (as well as other types
of data) may be stored
and transmitted using a variety of media (e.g., computer readable media) in a
number of manners. In
some embodiments, hard- wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in
place of, or in
combination with, some or all of the software instructions that can implement
the processes of various
embodiments. Thus, various combinations of hardware and software may be used
instead of software
only.
[0061] The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium, a plurality
of the same, or a
combination of different media, that participate in providing data (e.g.,
instructions, data structures)
which may be read by a computer, a processor or a like device. Such a medium
may take many forms,
7
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and
transmission media. Non-volatile
media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent
memory. Volatile media
include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes the
main memory.
Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics,
including the wires that
comprise a system bus coupled to the processor. Transmission media may include
or convey acoustic
waves, light waves and electromagnetic emissions, such as those generated
during radio frequency (RF)
and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media
include, for
example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other
magnetic medium, a CD-
ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other
physical medium with
patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory
chip or
cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from
which a computer can read.
[0062] Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying
data (e.g. sequences of
instructions) to a processor. For example, data may be (i) delivered from RAM
to a processor; (ii)
carried over a wireless transmission medium; (iii) formatted and / or
transmitted according to numerous
formats, standards or protocols, such as Ethernet (or IEEE 802.3), SAP, ATP,
BluetoothTM, and TCP/IP,
TDMA, CDMA, and 3G; and / or (iv) encrypted to ensure privacy or prevent fraud
in any of a variety
of ways well known in the art.
[0063] Thus a description of a process is likewise a description of a computer-
readable medium storing
a program for performing the process. The computer-readable medium can store
(in any appropriate
format) those program elements which are appropriate to perform the method.
[0064] Just as the description of various steps in a process does not indicate
that all the described steps
are required, embodiments of an apparatus include a computer / computing
device operable to perform
some (but not necessarily all) of the described process.
[0065] Likewise, just as the description of various steps in a process does
not indicate that all the
described steps are required, embodiments of a computer-readable medium
storing a program or data
structure include a computer-readable medium storing a program that, when
executed, can cause a
processor to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described process.
[0066] Where databases are described, it will be understood by one of ordinary
skill in the art that (i)
alternative database structures to those described may be readily employed,
and (ii) other memory
structures besides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations or
descriptions of any sample
databases presented herein are illustrative arrangements for stored
representations of information. Any
number of other arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by, e.g.,
tables illustrated in
drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustrated entries of the databases
represent exemplary
information only; one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the
number and content of the
entries can be different from those described herein. Further, despite any
depiction of the databases as
tables, other formats (including relational databases, object-based models and
/ or distributed databases)
could be used to store and manipulate the data types described herein.
Likewise, object methods or
8
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
behaviors of a database can be used to implement various processes, such as
the described herein. In
addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be stored locally or remotely
from a device which
accesses data in such a database.
[0067] Various embodiments can be configured to work in a network environment
including a
computer that is in communication (e.g., via a communications network) with
one or more devices. The
computer may communicate with the devices directly or indirectly, via any
wired or wireless medium
(e.g. the Internet, LAN, WAN or Ethernet, Token Ring, a telephone line, a
cable line, a radio channel,
an optical communications line, commercial on-line service providers, bulletin
board systems, a satellite
communications link, a combination of any of the above). Each of the devices
may themselves comprise
computers or other computing devices, such as those based on the Intel
Pentium or CentrinoTM
processor, that are adapted to communicate with the computer. Any number and
type of devices may
be in communication with the computer.
[0068] In an embodiment, a server computer or centralized authority may not be
necessary or desirable.
For example, the present invention may, in an embodiment, be practiced on one
or more devices without
a central authority. In such an embodiment, any functions described herein as
performed by the server
computer or data described as stored on the server computer may instead be
performed by or stored on
one or more such devices.
[0069] Where a process is described, in an embodiment the process may operate
without any user
intervention. In another embodiment, the process includes some human
intervention (e.g., a step is
performed by or with the assistance of a human).
Divisional Applications
[0070] The present disclosure provides, to one of ordinary skill in the art,
an enabling description of
several embodiments and / or inventions. Some of these embodiments and / or
inventions may not be
claimed in the present application, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or
more divisional
applications that claim the benefit of priority of the present application.
[0071] Applicants intend to file additional applications to pursue patents for
subject matter that has
been disclosed and enabled but not claimed in the present application.
"Means" or "Steps"
[0072] With respect to a means or a step for performing a specified function,
the corresponding
structure, material or acts described in the specification, and equivalents
thereof, may perform
additional functions as well as the specified function.
[0073] Computers, processors, computing devices and like products are
structures that can perform a
wide variety of functions. Such products can be operable to perform a
specified function by executing
one or more programs, such as a program stored in a memory device of that
product or in a memory
device which that product accesses. Unless expressly specified otherwise, such
a program need not be
based on any particular algorithm, such as any particular algorithm that might
be disclosed in the present
application. It is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art that a
specified function may be
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
implemented via different algorithms, and any of a number of different
algorithms would be a mere
design choice for carrying out the specified function.
[0074] Therefore, with respect to a means or a step for performing a specified
function, structure
corresponding to a specified function includes any product programmed to
perform the specified
function. Such structure includes programmed products which perform the
function, regardless of
whether such product is programmed with (i) a disclosed algorithm for
performing the function, (ii) an
algorithm that is similar to a disclosed algorithm, or (iii) a different
algorithm for performing the
function.
[0075] Where there is recited a means for performing a function hat is a
method, one structure for
performing this method includes a computing device (e.g., a general purpose
computer) that is
programmed and / or configured with appropriate hardware to perform that
function.
[0076] Also includes a computing device (e.g., a general purpose computer)
that is programmed and /
or configured with appropriate hardware to perform that function via other
algorithms as would be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Disclaimer
[0077] Numerous references to a particular embodiment does not indicate a
disclaimer or disavowal
of additional, different embodiments, and similarly references to the
description of embodiments which
all include a particular feature does not indicate a disclaimer or disavowal
of embodiments which do
not include that particular feature. A clear disclaimer or disavowal in the
present application shall be
prefaced by the phrase "does not include" or by the phrase "cannot perform".
Prosecution History
[0078] In interpreting the present application (which includes the claims),
one of ordinary skill in the
art shall refer to the prosecution history of the present application, but not
to the prosecution history of
any other patent or patent application, regardless of whether there are other
patent applications that are
considered related to the present application, and regardless of whether there
are other patent
applications that share a claim of priority with the present application.
Overview of Various Embodiments
[0079] Referring to FIG. 1, a gaming system 100 according to at least one
embodiment of the systems
disclosed herein includes at least one computing device, such as a remote
computer 118, e.g., a server
computer, a gaming device 113, or a combination thereof, which may reside in
whole or in part within
the domain of a gaming service provider 120. The gaming provider 120 may be
the proprietor of a
casino and the gaming system 100 may be physically within the geographic
boundaries of the casino.
Alternatively, the computing device, e.g., the remote computer 118 and/or the
gaming device 113, may
be the remote from the casino. As such, the gaming system 100 may allow users
to engage in gaming
services and access the other services disclosed herein from remote and/or
mobile locations relative to
the gaming service provider 120 or relative to the casino.
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0080] The computing device generally includes at least one processor 102, and
a memory 104, such
as ROM, RAM, FLASH, etc., or any computer readable medium 106, such as a hard
drive, a flash-
drive, an optical or magnetic disk, etc. The memory 104 or computer readable
medium 106 preferably
includes software stored thereon that when executed performs one or more steps
of the methods
disclosed herein, including communicating data back and forth between devices,
displaying interface
screens, etc. The computing device may also be associated with or have access
to one or more databases
for retrieving and storing the various types of data discussed herein,
including identity verification data,
such as an ID and password, physical biometric data, etc., user continuity
data, such as behavioral
biometric data, proficiency data, player pattern data, etc., and user profile
data, such as the user's names,
identification number, address, credit or debit card data, account balances,
user preferences, device
preferences, etc.
[0081] In one embodiment, the system 100 includes a plurality of computing
device, such as a remote
computer 118 coupled to at least one gaming device 113 over a communication
network 116, which are
generally configured or otherwise capable of transmitting and/or receiving
communications to and/or
from each other. The term remote in this context merely means that the remote
computer 118 and the
gaming device are separate from each other. Thus, the devices may be remote
even if the devices are
located within the same room. As such, the gaming device 113 is preferably
configured or otherwise
capable of transmitting and/or receiving communications to and/or from the
remote computer 118. This
may be accomplished with a communication element 124, such as a modem, an
Ethernet interface, a
transmitter/receiver, etc., that enables communication with a similarly
equipped remote computer 118,
wirelessly, wired, or a combination thereof. It is understood that the
relative functionality described
herein may be provided by the remote computer 118, by the gaming device 113,
or both, and is thus not
limited to any one implementation discussed herein.
[0082] The gaming devices 113 may include, without limitation, a mobile phone,
PDA, pocket PC,
personal computer, as well as any special or general purpose gaming device,
such as a slot machine, a
video poker machine, video or computer-based versions of table games, e.g.,
roulette, blackjack, etc.
As such, the gaming device 113 preferably includes a processor 122, a memory
123, a display 125, such
as a CRT or an LCD monitor, for displaying information and/or graphics
associated with the services
provided by the gaming system 100, and at least one input device, such as a
mouse, a touch-sensitive
pad, a pointer, a stylus, a trackball, a button, e.g., alphanumeric, a scroll
wheel, a touch-sensitive
monitor, etc., or a combination thereof, for users to enter commands and/or
information relevant to the
gaming system services. With the general purpose type gaming devices 113, such
as the PC or PDA,
users may access the services provided by the gaming system 100, e.g., the
remote computer 118, with
a browser or any other generic application, or with special purpose software
designed specifically for
accessing and providing the services disclosed herein.
[0083] In at least one embodiment, the gaming device 113 includes or is
otherwise associated with at
least one biometric sensor 120. The biometric sensor 120 is any device that is
used to determine directly
11
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
from the user at least one item of biometric data associated with a user, such
as a fingerprint reader, an
iris scanner, a retinal scanner, a vascular pattern reader, a facial
recognition camera, etc. The biometric
sensor 120 may be embodied in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
The biometric sensor
120 may further share resources with other components of the gaming device
113, such as the processor
122, memory 123, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, etc. A single biometric
sensor 120 may be used
for reading more than one type of biometric data. For example, a digital
camera may be used to obtain
an image of the user's eye for iris scanning and an image of the user's face
for facial recognition. In this
instance, a single image capture of the user's face may provide the data for
facial recognition as well as
data for iris or retinal comparisons. The biometric data is generally obtained
with the biometric sensor
120 and used at least to verify the identity of the user as a gateway for
allowing the user to access the
services provided with the gaming device 113 and/or the remote computer 118.
In this regard, biometric
data may be compared with previously obtained/stored physical biometric data
that has preferably been
authenticated as being associated with a particular authorized user, and
access to the gaming system's
services may be provided based on a positive match thereof.
[0084] In addition to the physical biometrics discussed above, the biometric
sensor 120 may also obtain
behavioral biometric data, such as blood pressure, heart or pulse rate, body
temperature data, speech,
handwriting, keystrokes, body movements, etc. The behavioral biometric data
may be analyzed to
determine whether there has been a user change or otherwise verify that there
has not been a break in
user continuity at any time following verification of a user's identify
following initial validation with,
e.g., the physical biometric data, or ID and password. For example, a user's
identity may be verified
with a fingerprint reader and access may be provided thereafter to the
services provided by the gaming
system 100, e.g., for a predetermined period of time or until some
predetermined event, such as the
gaming device 113 being turned off, the device 113 being moved outside an
approved gaming area, etc.
The gaming system 100 may thereafter monitor behavioral biometric data with
the device and prompt
the user for physical biometric data or other identity verification data if it
is determined from the
behavioral data collected following identity verification that there may have
been a change in the users
of the device. For example, the user's heart rate or body temperature may be
monitored following initial
verification to determine if there are any changes in the data stream, e.g.,
in consecutive data readings,
that may be attributed to a change in users, such as a sudden change in heart
rate or temperature (either
lower or higher) in a relatively short amount of time, e.g., in 5 seconds or
less, or a break in the data,
e.g., a null reading for one or more consecutive data readings, or a
combination thereof.
[0085] The behavioral biometric data collected may be analyzed for any
recognizable pattern that may
indicate a user change. The data collected may be analyzed without reference
to data collected
previously, e.g. prior to the initial or an immediately preceding identity
verification, or based on historic
biometric data, e.g., data collected prior to the initial or the immediately
preceding identity verification,
for particular individuals or for a group of individuals. For example, a heart
rate reading either above
or below an average heart rate computed based on historic data for an
authorized user may trigger the
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
system 100 to prompt the user for identity verification data, such as for a
user ID and password, or
physical biometric data. A heart rate reading following a null reading in the
data stream that is either
below or above a heart rate reading before the break in the data stream may
also trigger the prompt for
identity verification data. Similarly, different peak heart rates in general
or keyed to specific gaming
events, such as at the time the user places a bet, wins or loses a wager,
etc., may also trigger the prompt
for identity verification data in order for the user to continue using the
services of the system 100. The
biometric data for establishing the data stream may be obtained repeatedly,
such as continuously,
cyclically, periodically, e.g., every second, minute, etc.
[0086] Pattern recognition may be applied to user continuity data other than
behavioral biometric data,
including data indicative of a user's proficiency with the system and/or the
services provided by the
system. For example the system may track the keystroke rate of a user in
general or for particular
services, e.g., games, and determine if the keystroke rate of a user following
identity verification differs
from the keystroke data obtained within the betting session following
verification or from data obtained
prior to the verification. Other proficiency data may be tracked to determine
if there may have been a
change in the user of the system 100, such as the rate at which the user
navigates through the menus,
false selections of menus or menu items, etc. Keystroke data may be mapped or
certain events, such as
wins or losses, as a measure for reducing false positives as a result of
different keystroke rates that may
be attributed to user nervousness. In any event, a prompt for identity
verification data may also be
triggered based on a determination that there may have been a change in the
user based on the
proficiency data collected.
[0087] The gaming system 100 may also verify user continuity by tracking the
playing pattern of a
user and prompting the user for identity verification data based on gaming
commands or requests that
deviate or are inconsistent from the playing pattern associated with the user.
For example, if the user
has a pattern of never having wagered more than $100 on any particular game,
the system 100 may
prompt the user for verification data, such as physical biometric data, if the
user makes a wager of $500
or any appreciable amount above the highest wager, such as 5% or greater than
the highest wager.
Similarly, the system 100 may track the user's response to wins or losses and
prompt the user for identity
verification data on any deviation therefrom. For example, a user may
establish a pattern of placing a
higher wager on every win and lowering the wager on a loss. The system 100
may, upon comparing
playing pattern data obtained previously and current playing pattern data and
determining therefrom
that a wager deviates from the pattern of wagers for the particular authorized
user, prompt the user for
identity verification data before the user is allowed to continue accessing
the services provided by the
system 100. Continuity may also be tracked with an authentication device as
discussed below.
[0088] The system 100 may track the user continuity data, e.g., behavioral
biometric, proficiency,
playing pattern, as well as any other variable type data obtained from users
for a sufficient amount of
time to collect a data set for the comparisons discussed above. The amount of
data in the data set for
the comparison will generally vary based on the type of data and the desired
sample set for the
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
comparison. For example, in determining whether there may have been a user
change based on a change
in consecutive data readings, such as when there is a break in the data
stream, the amount of data
necessary for the comparison generally includes two consecutive readings: a
first reading followed by
a second reading having an appreciable value, e.g., 5% or greater, above or
below the first reading.
Similarly, when the comparison is based on historic data, the amount of data
necessary for the
comparison includes at least two non-consecutive readings: a first reading at
a time to classify the data
as historic data, e.g., prior to the then current physical biometric identity
verification, and a second more
recent reading, e.g., after the then current physical biometric identity
verification, having an appreciable
value above or below the first reading. It can be appreciated that a larger
data set, in certain instances,
may yield greater accuracy or less false prompts for additional data (false
positives). For example,
comparison of a current reading with, e.g., the average of 5 prior readings,
may result in less false
positives in that the average value will tend to diminish the impact of noise
in the data set for the
comparison. Alternatively or additionally, the system 100 may filter noise
from the data set for the
comparison. The system 100 may, for example, filter improbable data, such as
temperature readings
less 90 degrees F and greater than 110 degrees F, heart rates less than 40 bpm
and greater than 180 bpm,
etc.
[0089] In one embodiment, the system 100 triggers the prompt for identity
verification data based at
least on a configurable level of confidence associated with the comparison.
The level of confidence may
be set, e.g., by a system administrator or by the user. The level of
confidence may be set in any manner
including by adjusting variables that factor into the confidence or the
probability of a false positive or
negative, as the case may be, such as the difference between the data that
will trigger the prompt for
identity verification data, the amount of data in the data set used for the
comparison, the filters used to
filter noise from the data set for the comparison, etc.
[0090] In one embodiment, the system 100 tracks data indicative of a false
positive, which may be
used as a basis for adjusting variables associated with the data set, the data
set filters, the difference
between the data that triggers the prompt, etc., and/or algorithms used to
trigger the prompt for identity
verification data. False positive data generally includes a positive
verification of the user's identity in
response to a prompt for identity verification data following a trigger. The
data indicative of the false
positive may further include the amount of time between the prompt and the
positive verification, or
any other data which may indicate that the positive verification of the user's
identity is attributed to a
user change back to the authorized user, including the data believed to be
suspect.
[0091] The data resulting in a false positive, prompting the user for identity
verification data, may
further be input into a neural network which adjusts the variables associated
with the data set, the data
set filter, algorithms, etc. accordingly. Similarly, data indicative of true
positives may also be input into
the neural network. The neural network may be trained using supervised,
unsupervised learning, and
reinforced learning techniques, or a combination thereof. With supervised
techniques, the neural
network is supplied sets of example pairs, e.g., data reading(s) and an
indication of the data reading(s)
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
is/are false or true positive, and the neural network infers a mapping implied
by the data. With
unsupervised techniques, the neural network is supplied with data and the
neural network derives
therefrom a mapping without the aid of the false or true positive indications,
such as based on statistical
modeling, filtering, blind source separation, clustering, etc. With
reinforcement learning, the data is
derived generally from interactions within the system and observations made
therefrom. In addition to
the data resulting in a false positive, any of the data discussed herein may
be supplied to the neural
network to adjust the size of the data set, vary the data set filter values,
the difference between the
readings that trigger the prompt, etc., as the case may be, to achieve a
desired confidence, such as greater
than 85% or greater accuracy. Alternatively or additionally, the data
resulting in a false positive maybe
fed into a support vector machine, which classifies the data using a
supervised machine learning
technique. Image type data may further be preprocessed prior to being
introduced into the neural
network or the support vector machine to create an abstract representation of
the image that is
dimensionally smaller than the image data. Preprocessing may be performed
using statistical
techniques, such linear discriminant analysis techniques.
[0092] The system 100 may detect various types of errors and may further
categorize the types of
errors in one of a plurality of categories, such as a type I error, a type II
error, etc. The categories may
be derived based on the severity of the error or any other characterization
scheme. For example, a false
identity verification with physical biometric data may be classified as a type
I error which has greater
weight than a false identity verification with behavioral biometric data
classified as a type II error. The
manner in which the system 100 responds to errors may be class dependent. In
this respect, the system
100 may favor certain classes of errors and respond, e.g., aggressively or
favorably, based on the class
of the error. For example, the system may block all access with type I errors
while providing continued
access for type II errors until a configurable tolerance has been crossed. For
instance, continued access
may be provided until a certain number of type II errors have been registered,
e.g., 3 or more type II
errors. In this respect, type II errors favor permitting rather than excluding
game play in comparison to
type I errors. The classification and the threshold maybe be either
administrator or user configurable.
Additionally, users may be limited to only configuring the classification of
certain errors and thresholds
more restrictively. For example, users may be limited to only adding default
type II errors into type I
error class with a more aggressive response that type II errors. Similarly,
the user configuration with
regard to the threshold may be limited to only reducing the threshold, e.g.,
to 2 instead of 3 type II
errors, before accesses is blocked. All user configurations may be stored in a
user profile in one or more
databases associated with the gaming system 100. The thresholds and/or
classifications may be location
specific. For example, the thresholds for certain types of errors while in a
hotel restaurant may be
relaxed to account for the user engaging in other activity, such as eating.
[0093] The gaming system 100 may provide users with access to various types of
services including
one or more of a plurality of different types of games, e.g., card games; slot-
machine style games; craps;
other casino-style games; table games, such as poker, craps, roulette,
blackjack, baccarat, etc.; the wheel
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
of fortune game; keno; sports betting; horse, dog, or auto racing; jai alai;
lottery-type games, including
video versions of scratch off lotteries. The system 100 may provide game play
based on the outcome of
any type of event, such as sporting events and athletic competitions,
including football, basketball,
baseball, golf, etc., and non-sporting events, such as on the movement in
particular financial markets,
indexes, or securities, political elections, entertainment industry awards,
box office performance of
movies, weather events, etc. The games may be provided both with and without
wagering, or with
simulated wagering using points that may be traded in for prizes. The gaming
system 100 may also
provide non-gaming services, e.g., on the gaming device 113, such as audio and
video entertainment,
news, messaging, telephone, IP telephony, etc.
[0094] The gaming system 100 may be implemented over any type of
communications network 116,
such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a
telephone network
(POTS), a wireless network, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and WiMax networks, or
a combination of wired
and/or wireless networks. The communications network 116 may be entirely
independent of the
Internet. The system 100 may alternatively limit the information transmitted
over the Internet to that
with little or no security risk, or that which has been encrypted.
[0095] As noted above, the gaming system 100 may, in certain embodiments,
allow users to access
services provided by the system from one or more of a plurality of remote
locations. The system 100
may also allow users to access the services of the system 100 with the device
113 while mobile or
transient. For example, the gaming system 100 may allow users to access
services in any location within
a service area 148, such as within the vicinity of a hotel. Service area 148
may further be broken down
into a plurality of sub-areas 140, 146, such as the casino of a hotel vs.
general occupancy areas, e.g.,
the lobby, the pool, the gym, etc. The service area 148, in the broadest
sense, includes any location
within the communication capability of the system 100. Thus, service area 148
for services provided
over the Internet includes any location with access to the Internet.
Similarly, service area 148 for
services provided by wireless communication includes any locations within the
transmission range of
the transmitter and/or reception range of the receiver. The service area 148
may be limited artificially
by the system provider and/or the user within certain geographic boundaries.
For example, the system
provider may limit the service area to within one or more states, cities,
municipalities, hotels in a city
or municipality, areas within the hotel, such as the casino area, etc., or a
combination thereof. Thus, the
system 100 may provide services to users in a disjointed area 140, as shown in
FIG. 1, where the service
provider provides services in one state, such as Nevada, and one or more
cities in another state, such as
in Atlantic City, NJ, or in any one or more hotels within a city. User defined
location access limits may
be stored in a user profile in a database associated with the system 100.
[0096] Accordingly, in one embodiment, the system 100 has a location
verification feature, which is
discussed below in greater detail. The location verification feature may be
used to permit or block users
from accessing the services provided by the system 100 based on the particular
location of, e.g., the
gaming device 113. For example, services may be enabled when it is determined
that the location of the
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
gaming device 113 is within a pre-defined area 140, such as within the area of
a hotel that provides the
services disclosed herein, or disabled when the device 113 is moved to a
location outside of the area
140. The location verification feature may also be used to disable fewer than
all of the services of the
gaming system 100 based on the location of the device 113. For example, the
system 100 may limit
wager-type gaming to areas where such gaming is permitted by law, such as to
the casino area of a
hotel, whereas non-wagering services, such as messaging, may be enabled
irrespective of the location
of the device 113. Particular services may also be enabled or disabled by the
provider and/or the user
based on the location of the device. For example, the user may be allowed to
disable non- wagering
services, such as messaging, when the user is within the wagering area, such
as the casino, and/or during
certain events, such as when the user is engaged in game play. As with the
classification and threshold
limitations discussed above, the user may only be allowed to specify more
restrictive service limitations
and thus may not be able to override certain limitations imposed by the
service provider. For example,
the user may not be allowed to enable wager-type gaming in areas where that
type of gaming is has
been disabled by the service provider. The user defined service limitations
may be stored in a user
profile in a database associated with the system 100.
[0097] In one embodiment, the gaming system 100 provides services in at least
two areas 140, 146
each of the areas having a different level of surveillance than the other. The
level of surveillance may
be quantified based on any scheme indicative of the effectiveness with regard
to determining whether
an authorized user is in fact using the gaming system 100 or that the gaming
system 100 is being used
properly. The level may be established based on the number of measures
implemented in this regard.
For example, the level of surveillance for an area using face recognition and
human surveillance may
be deemed greater than an area with only fingerprint scanning. Alternatively
or additionally, certain
measures may be given greater weight, e.g., based on the reliability of the
measure. For example, a
fingerprint scan may have a greater reliability or accuracy in verifying the
identity of a user than an iris
scan. The weight of a particular measure may be independent of its reliability
and may simply be based
on a subjective confidence in the measure, e.g. of the user or the service
provider, relative to other
measures. The surveillance level may have nominal designations indicative of
overall effectiveness
and/or confidence. For example, the level of an area may be classified as
being A, B, C, ..., Z; low,
medium, high, or as a Type I, II, III, ... The surveillance level may also be
distinguished using finer
nominal designations, such as 0 % to 100 % in increments of 1, 0.1, 0.01, ...
[0098] In one embodiment, the system 100 provides access based on the
surveillance level of the area
the gaming system 100 is being accessed from, e.g., the location of the gaming
device 113. That is,
surveillance based access may allow access to one or more services if there is
a sufficient level of
surveillance, defined by either the system provider and/or the user. In this
respect, surveillance based
access may be implemented in any one of a number of ways. The system may, for
instance, provide
wager-type gaming services only if the level of security associated with the
access area satisfies a
minimum level. For example, a user may limit wager-type gaming with system 100
to areas having no
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
less that a type I surveillance level, such as a casino. Thus, wager-type
gaming will be disabled in type
II surveillance level or less areas, such as hotel common areas, e.g., the
pool, the hotel lobby, and non-
common areas, such as hotel rooms.
[0099] In one embodiment, the system 100 supplements the surveillance of the
area with surveillance
measures available with the system 100 to achieve the desired surveillance
level. Further to the previous
example, the system 100 may increase the surveillance level of type II areas
to type I for wager-type
gaming by prompting the user for identity verification data and/or collect
user continuity data thereby
adding to the surveillance level of type II areas sufficient to classify the
area with the combined area
and device surveillance measures as a type I or better. Thus, the system 100
may allow the user to access
services in higher surveillance areas, such as casinos, without biometric data
while requiring biometric
data with the device in areas with lesser surveillance, such as the hotel
courtyard. Surveillance based
access limitations may be stored in a user profile in a database associated
with the system 100.
[0100] As can be appreciated from the present disclosure, the system 100 may
maintain a plurality of
different types of data, such as physical biometric data, behavioral biometric
data, proficiency data,
playing pattern data, etc., for identity verification purposes for each
authorized user. The system 100
preferably verifies the identity of a user before allowing the user to access
at least one of the services
provided therewith. In this respect, the system may require that the user
submit at least one item of
identity verification data, such as an ID and password combination, or any one
of the physical biometric
data items discussed herein, etc. The system may further require from the user
at least one additional
item of identity verification data for system access. In this respect, the
system maintains at least one
item of redundant verification data. The requirement for additional
verification data may be
implemented in certain but not all instances. For example, additional
verification data may be required
in certain areas of a hotel, such as those with lesser surveillance or
reliability as discussed above. In
these areas, the system 100 may prompt the user for a first and a second item
of verification data, such
as at least two of: a facial image, an iris scan, a retinal scan, a
fingerprint scan, a vascular pattern scan,
etc., before allowing the user to access the system services. The surveillance
level or reliability
associated with each of the measures may be added to achieve a desired
surveillance level or reliability
as indicated above.
[0101] The user may generally customize any of the aspects of the services
provided by the system
100 or any other customizable aspect of the system 100, including
classification and threshold
configurations, and service, location, and surveillance based access limits.
In certain instances,
customization generally allows users to vary the level of security, e.g.,
above a minimum set by a service
provider, to a level based on the user's comfort level and/or the location
where services are being
accessed. For example, if the user only intends to access the system 100,
e.g., the gaming device 113,
at a particular casino, the user may configure the system 100 to require
biometric data at any time the
gaming device is used at a off the premises of the particular casino, e.g., at
another casino. This feature
may be used to prevent a situation where a thief steals the gaming device 113
and attempts to access
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
services at another casino. The services may be customized for each device 113
individually or for
groups of devices.
[0102] The system 100 may further be configured to encrypt data, such as the
physical biometric data,
before it is communicated from the gaming device 113 to the remote computer
118 over network 116
for authentication. In one embodiment, this is accomplished with a one-way
encryption algorithm that
encrypts, e.g., the identity verification data, to produce a string of
alphanumeric characters having a
length, such as 100 or greater, from, in certain instances, image data. The
string may then be
communicated to the remote computer 118 for verification, which is compared
with data in the user's
profile. The remote computer 118 preferably does not store any identity
verification data in the raw
form, i.e., unencrypted. Rather, the remote computer stores the post
encryption string of characters for
the validation. Thus, a match between the string of characters communicated
from the device for identity
verification and the stored string, within a configurable tolerance, will
result in enabling the user to
access one or more of the services provided by the system 100. The gaming
device 113 may also be
configured so that the raw and/or the encrypted identity verification data is
not stored permanently
and/or to purged periodically, following validation, when the data is
transmitted successfully to the
remote computer 113, or at any other time the data is no longer needed for the
immediate validation.
Therefore, in this instance, the gaming device 113 will be required to obtain
and/or encrypt identity
verification data anew each time there is a prompt for such data.
[0103] The system 100 may also disable access thereto with a hard check
mechanism. That is, device
113 may include a reader 150 that obtains information from a corresponding
authentication device 155.
The authentication device 155 may be any item for storing information thereon,
such as a card which
bears a magnetic strip, such as a credit card, a key that includes an RFID
transponder, a limited-distance
signal emitter or other transponder, a smart card, a bracelet or wristband
which includes a signal
transmitter, such as an RFID signal transmitter, or which includes a
magnetically encoded signal, a
substrate that bears a bar code or other optically readable identifier, or any
combination thereof. The
reader 150 may be a magnetic strip reader, an RF or infrared receiver, an
optical scanner, etc.
[0104] The gaming device 113 may therefore be capable of detecting a signal
from the authentication
device 155 and the system 100 may enable system access based on the signal
from the authentication
device 155. Continued access may also be conditioned on the gaming device 113
receiving continuing
to detect the signal from the authentication device 155. The signal produced
by authentication device
155 may additionally or alternatively include information stored on the device
155, such as identity
verification data, or any other data that may be used as a key for system
access. In one embodiment, the
authentication device 155 includes a token that is derived from the authorized
user's biometric data,
such as the string of alphanumeric characters derived from the user's
biometrics. The system 100 may
then provide access based on a comparison of the string of characters derived
from the biometric sensor
reading and the string stored on the authentication device. Alternatively or
additionally, the data stored
on the authentication device 155 may be used to authenticate the user without
other identity verification
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
data. That is, the authentication device data may be given greater weight and
may thus be used as the
primary data for identity verification.
[0105] It is understood that all or some of the data discussed herein may be
stored on the authentication
device 155 and used as a basis for the comparison with data obtained for
identity verification. For
example, the device 155 may include physical biometric data, such as
fingerprint data, that is compared
with fingerprint data received for immediate identity verification. The data
used for the comparison
may also be limited to being stored to areas only within the user's control,
such as areas other than the
authentication device 155 and/or the gaming device 113. Validation may
therefore be accomplished
locally between the gaming device 113 and the authentication device 155;
without the transfer of
identity verification data to the remote computer 118 for this purpose.
[0106] Alternatively or additionally, the validation may be accomplished
between the remote computer
118 and the authentication device 155.
[0107] The functionality disclosed herein may be provided with software that
resides on both the
gaming communication device 113 and the remote computer 118. Software resident
on gaming
communication device 113 is preferably operable to present information
corresponding to the system
services, including wagering and non- wagering type gaming to the user. The
information includes,
without limitation, graphical and/or textual representations of objects
associated with the services, e.g.,
in one or more interface screens, windows, and/or message boxes, with the
presentation of selectable
options related to the services, such as menus, icons, buttons, selectable
areas, hyperlinks, etc. The
gaming device software is also preferably operable to receive data from the
remote computer 118 and
data input by the user. Software resident on the remote computer 118 is
preferably able to exchange
data with the gaming device 118, access additional computers, and data storage
devices, and perform
all of the functions described herein, including providing the backend
functionality for the services
discussed herein as well those common to gaming systems.
[0108] The data discussed herein as being transmitted or used by the various
devices of the gaming
system 100 may be in any format, which is necessary or desirable for the
services provided for the user.
The information may be transmitted in whole or in fractional portions thereof,
in any format including
digital or analog, text or voice, and according to any transport technology,
which may include wired or
wireless technologies. Wireless technologies may include licensed or license-
exempt technologies.
Some specific technologies which may be used include, without limitation, Code
Division Multiple
Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), General Packet
Radio Service
(GPRS), Wi-Fi (802.1 Ix), WiMax (802.16x), Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN), Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), or cable
modem technologies.
These are examples only and one of ordinary skill will understand that other
types of communication
techniques are within the scope of the present invention. Further, it will be
understood that additional
components may be used in the communication of information between the users
and the gaming server.
Such additional components may include, without limitation, physical
communication lines, trunks,
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
antennas, switches, cables, transmitters, receivers, computers, routers,
servers, fiber optical
transmission equipment, repeaters, amplifiers, etc.
[0109] In at least one embodiment, some or all of the data communication may
take place through the
Internet or without involvement of the Internet. In certain embodiments, a
portion of the information
may be transmitted over the Internet while another portion of the information
is communicated over a
more secure network. For instance, graphic files depicting a roulette table,
such as files in .gif or jpg
formats, may be communicated over the Internet while gaming information, such
as the results from
roulette wheel spin, may be communicated in a parallel network and assembled
at the gaming device
113 for display together in a single interface screen. In addition to security
considerations, the choice
of which of the plurality of networks handle the split data may be based on
the bandwidth of the network.
Thus, larger graphics files may be transmitted to device 113 over a WiMax
network while smaller data
files are transmitted over a cellular network.
[0110] Referring to FIG. 2, the communication network 116 may be a cellular
network 222. Cellular
network 222 comprises a plurality of base stations 223, each of which has a
corresponding coverage
area 225. Base stations may have coverage areas that overlap. Further, the
coverage areas may be
sectorized or non-sectorized. In the cellular network, the gaming device 113
is generally a mobile station
224, such as a cell phone, that may be transient within the network. The
mobile stations 224
communicate with the base stations 223 wirelessly via radio signals. The base
stations 223 generally
communicate with, e.g., the remote computer 118, over landlines, such as POTS,
T1-T3, ISDN, etc.
Each base station is preferably programmed to send and receive voice and/or
data transmissions to and
from mobile station. The gaming device 113 may be coupled to the remote
computer 118 with a private
label cellular carrier. The mobile stations 224 are preferably preprogrammed
with the carrier's
authentication software to establish a connection to the cellular network.
[0111] In one embodiment, the location verification feature for determining
the location of the gaming
device 113 does so in relation to the location of at least one of the base
stations of the cellular network.
That is, the system 100 determines the location of the gaming device 113 based
on the location of one
or more base stations and the distance and/or the direction (azimuth) of the
device 113 from at least one
base station. The distance may be determined based on the strength of the
transmit signal received from
gaming device 113. That is, the gaming system device's transmitter
communicates at a fixed transmit
power output. The attenuation of the transmit signal is generally a function
of the distance between the
transmitter and the receiver. Thus, the power of the signal received from the
device 113 may be
measured at the base station and the distance determined there from, e.g.,
calculated, or looked up in a
database or table that maps distance to signal strength. The direction may be
determined based on the
azimuth of the antenna receiving the signal from the device 113. Alternatively
or additionally, the
direction may be determined based on the distance of the device 113 from a
plurality of the base stations
223, such as two or three, using techniques, such as triangulation,
multilateration, etc., as shown in FIG.
3.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0112] Determining the location of the gaming device 113 based on the power
level of the signal
received form the gaming device is not limited to cellular network. Rather,
the process is generally
applicable to all types of wireless networks, including satellite, Wi-Fi, GPS,
LORAN, RFID, etc., where
the location of the base stations are known and the location of the device 113
may be derived based on
the distance from the base station.
[0113] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the location verification
feature is implemented using
geo-fencing. That is, the location based access features disclosed herein are
enforced based on the
communication range of base stations in the wireless communication network.
For example, the gaming
system 100 may communicate with a plurality of gaming devices 354, 355, and
356.
[0114] Device 354 is shown located outside the gaming jurisdiction or area
358. Devices 355 and 356
are both located inside gaming area 58. However, only device 356 is located
within sub-area or geo-
fence 357, which is defined by the perimeter of the coverage areas of the
plurality of base stations 353.
Thus, geo-fencing may be used to enable access for device 356 but disable
services for devices 354 and
355. Even though some gaming devices may be within the area 358, such as
device 355, those devices
may not be allowed to access the gaming system 100 based on its location in
relation to geo-fence 357.
The base stations may be cellular base stations as discussed above or base
stations having a relatively
short range, such as Wi-Fi or RFID transmitters/receivers, located within the
premises of a hotel.
[0115] The short-range base stations may, for example, be set up within the
service area in a grid
pattern, e.g., in the ceiling of a facility, with sufficient separation to
determine the location of the device.
[0116] Location verification may be implemented with multiple overlapping as
well as non-
overlapping geo-fences. For example, geo-fence 361 may be defined by the range
of fewer than all of
the base stations in the network, such as base station 360, which includes all
of the base stations in a
casino. Geo-fence 360 may be a subset of the area of geo-fence 357 or excluded
from area 357, which
may include all of the base stations in a hotel. In either event, location
based access features, such as
classifications, thresholds, services, surveillance, etc., may be geo-fence
specific. Geo-fencing may
further be combined with triangulation and/or other location verification
techniques to determine the
specific location of the device within the geo-fence. For example, the
location of device 356 may be
determined based on triangulation between three of the base stations 353.
[0117] Alternatively or additionally, the device 113 may include a global
positioning satellite (GPS)
chip that determines the location of the device based on signals received from
GPS satellites. The GPS
chip may stand alone, in which instance the GPS chip sends the GPS location
data to other components
of the device, such as the processor 122 and/or communication element 124, or
part of a single computer
chip that combines the function of the GPS chip with the other element.
[0118] The location verification feature may generally be implemented with an
element, i.e., a location
verification element, which is a component of the gaming device 113, the
remote computer 118, any
intermediary component there between, such as the base station or stations, or
a combination thereof.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
The location verification element may be implemented in hardware, software, or
a combination thereof,
and generally determines the location of the gaming device 113.
[0119] In connection with any of the location determination methods, the
gaming system 100 may
periodically update the location determination information. This may be done,
for example, during a
gaming session, at predefined time intervals to ensure that movement of the
gaming device 113 to an
unauthorized area is detected during play, and not just upon login or initial
access.
[0120] Referring to FIG. 4, a method according to at least one embodiment of
the methods disclosed
herein begins at 402 with initiating the gaming device 113. Initiation is
dependent on the type of the
gaming device 113. For example, initiation may simply be turning the device
113 or running an
application, such as a browser application or special purpose software. In one
embodiment, initiation
includes communicating an initiation message from the device 113 to the system
100, e.g., the remote
computer 118. The initiation message is generally interpreted by the system
100 as a first request for
access. The initiation message may include information therein identifying the
device and/or the user,
such as a unique device identification number, e.g., for an initial access
determination. The unique
device identification number may be serial number, a cell-phone number, an IP
address, etc.
[0121] In one embodiment, the system 100 displays at 404 a first interface
screen in response to
initiation, such as in response to the initiation message. The first interface
screen may be stored locally
on the device 113 or communicate over the network 116 to the device 113 for
display. The nature of
the first interface screen will vary depending on the circumstances. For
instance, if the device 113
cannot establish link to the remote computer 113, the first interface screen
may contain a message
indicating as such. Alternatively, upon successfully establishing the
necessary connection, the first
interface screen may include at least one form element therein, such as a text
box, for the user to enter
an ID, a password, or a combination thereof to log into the system 100. The ID
and/or password may
generally be used as a first level of identity verification and for providing
users with user specific
customized services. Alternatively or additionally, the customized services
may be device specific in
which instance the device identification number may be used distinguish the
particular device 113 from
all other devices in the system.
[0122] If at 408 it is determined that the user is new and/or the device has
not been activated, the user
and the device may at 140 be registered and activated for service,
respectively. In one embodiment, the
user is registered by receiving at 412 identity verification data, such as a
user ID and password, name(s),
identification number, address, credit card number(s), physical biometric
data, e.g., a fingerprint scan,
an iris scan, a retinal scan, a vascular pattern scan, a facial image, etc.
The identity verification data
may be authenticated with a third party provider, such as the relevant
department of motor vehicles, a
credit rating agency, etc. User preference information may also be received at
414, such as preference
information relating to error classifications and thresholds, location access
limits, service limits,
surveillance limits, etc. The identity verification data may be encrypted and
stored at 416 either with
the remote computer 118 or the authentication device 155, as discussed above,
and the device 113 may
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
at 417 be activated for service. Once all the requisite and/or desired
information is obtained, an
appropriate service-type interface screen is displayed at 430.
[0123] If at 408 it is determined that the user and/or the device 113 are not
new and activated,
respectively, the system 100, in one embodiment, determines at 406 the
location of the device 113. The
location of the device 113 may be determined in a variety of ways, as
discussed above. In one
embodiment, the location of the device 113 is determined based on the location
of at least one base
station with which the device 113 is in communication with wirelessly. The
base station may be a base
station in a cellular network, a local Wi-Fi router, an RFID transponder, etc.
The location of the device
113 may simply be an acknowledgement that the device 113 is communicating with
at least one base
station having a known location. Thus, it can be determined therefrom that the
device is within an area
defined by the communication range of the at least one base station.
Additionally or alternatively, the
location of the device 113 may be determined based further on the distance and
direction of the device
113 from one or more base stations, e.g., based on the received signal power
from the device transmitter.
The determination of the device location may also be accomplished with GPS
technology. In either
instance, the location of the device 113 may be communicated and/or received
by the system 10 for use
in providing services as discussed herein. The location may be specified in
terms of the coordinates,
e.g., latitude and longitude, the base station communicating with the device,
the class of base station
the device is communicating with, e.g., base stations in the casino vs. those
in the hotel, base stations
in a wagering vs. non-wagering geo-fence areas, etc.
[0124] In one embodiment, the system 100 determines at 418 the surveillance
level associated with the
location of the device 113. This may be accomplished, for instance by looking
up the surveillance level
in a table that includes surveillance level data mapped to the locations
within the service area of the
system 100. Alternatively or additionally, the surveillance level may be
computed in real-time based on
surveillance measures in place at that time.
[0125] In one embodiment, the system 100 prompts the user for identity
verification data, e.g. physical
biometric data, based on the location and/or the surveillance level associated
with the location of the
device 113. In this instance, the system 100 implements a verification scheme
based thereon. That is,
the particular type and quantity of identity verification data required to
access the services of the system
100 is based on the location and/or surveillance level associated with the
location. For example, in a
casino area the system 100 may not require any physical biometric verification
for access whereas non-
casino areas may require physical biometric verification with at least one
item of physical biometric
data. Similarly, certain common areas outside of the casino, identity
verification may require further a
second, redundant item of physical biometric data. In the context of the
surveillance levels, areas with
a type I surveillance may not require physical biometric verification whereas
areas with type II
surveillance may require at least one item of physical biometric data and
areas with type III surveillance
may further require at least one redundant item of physical biometric data. As
noted above, the system
100 may implement a verification scheme to achieve a target surveillance
level. That is, the system 100
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
may determine the surveillance level of the device location and require
identity verification to the extent
necessary to meet or exceed the target level. For example, at least one item
of redundant verification
data may be required to raise type II areas to a target type I. Similarly, at
least two items of redundant
verification data may be required to raise type III areas to target type I.
[0126] Identity verification data may then be compared at 422 with the data
stored previously, such as
with the remote computer 118 and/or the authentication device 155. If identity
verification fails at 424,
the system 100 may prompt the user for reentry or additional data. If
verification passes, the system 100
may at 426 determine if there are any location based service limits and at 428
determine any applicable
user preferences related thereto. That is, the system 100 may determine which
of the plurality of
available services the user will be provided access to based on the location
of the device and/or the
surveillance level associated with the location. For example, the system 100
may provide access to all
services, such as wagering, entertainment, news, messaging, telephone, IP
telephony etc., in the casino,
when the device 113 is located within the casino.
[0127] Similarly, access to all services other than wagering may be provided
in all areas. In this respect,
the system 100 blocks access to wagering services in certain areas, such as
areas outside of the casino.
[0128] Following identity verification, a service appropriate interface screen
may be displayed for the
user at the device 113. That is, the interface screen displayed for the user
includes therein selectable
options for accessing the enabled services. Non-enabled services will
preferably be blacked out. For
example, the interface screen may include menu items, icons, hyperlinks,
selectable text and graphics,
etc., for each of the enabled services that when selected causes a related
interface screen to be displayed.
As noted above, the system 100 may provide users with access to, e.g., video
versions of table games,
such as poker. In this instance, a related interface screen may include
graphics for video poker, including
playing card graphics, betting selections, etc. The interface screens
preferably include selectable
elements for navigating through the service environment, e.g., for access to
other services, and/or
selectable elements for submitting gaming and wagering commands, such as hit,
stay, hold, draw, bet,
bet up, bet down, double down, etc.
[0129] In one embodiment, the system 100 obtains data for determining whether
or not there has been
a user change following the prior identity verification. As discussed above, a
user change may be
determined based on various types of data, such as behavioral biometric data,
e.g., blood pressure, heart
or pulse rate, body temperature data, speech, handwriting, keystrokes, body
movements, etc.,
proficiency data, such as keystroke rate, menu item or icon selection rate,
player pattern data, e.g., the
magnitude and rate of gaming commands, wagering commands, etc. If it is
determined at 434 that there
may have been a user change since the previous identity verification, the
system 100 may prompt the
user for identity verification data at 436 or respond based on error
classification and thresholds, and
repeat identity verification. The system 100 preferably determines if there is
a change in the location of
the device 113 at 438 and adjusts/enables the services accordingly.
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0130] While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for
purposes of clarity and
understanding, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, from a
reading of the disclosure, that
various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true
scope of the invention
in the appended claims.
[0131] Clauses follow that reflect subject-matter included in the claims of
PCT/US2007/084669 from
which the present application stems.
[0132] Clause 1. A method comprising:
[0133] receiving at least one item of identity verification data from a user
of a gaming device;
[0134] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of identity verification data received and at least one item of identity
verification data obtained
previously, the at least one service comprising a wager-type game;
[0135] displaying an interface screen comprising graphic objects associated
with the wager-type game
and at least one selectable element for the user to submit a gaming command
and a wagering command
during game play;
[0136] obtaining at least one item of user change data from a user during game
play; and
[0137] prompting the user for identity verification data when a user change is
suspected based on the
at least one item of user change data.
[0138] Clause 2. A method comprising:
[0139] receiving at least one item of identity verification data from a user
of a gaming device;
[0140] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of identity verification data received and at least one item of identity
verification data obtained
previously;
[0141] obtaining at least one item of user change data from a user; and
[0142] prompting the user for identity verification data when a user change is
suspected based on the
at least one item of user change data.
[0143] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the identity verification
data comprises physical
biometric data.
[0144] Clause 4. The method of clause 3, wherein the physical biometric data
comprises at least one
of a fingerprint scan, an iris scan, a retina scan, a vascular pattern scan,
and a facial image of the user.
[0145] Clause 5. The method of clause 2, wherein the at least one item of user
change data comprises
at least one item of behavioral biometric data and wherein a user change is
suspected based on a
difference between the at least one item of behavioral biometric data and at
least one item of behavioral
biometric data obtained previously.
[0146] Clause 6. The method of clause 5, wherein the at least one item of
behavioral biometric data
comprises at least one of blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature,
speech, handwriting, keystroke,
and body movement of a user.
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0147] Clause 7. The method of clause 2, wherein the at least one item of user
change data comprises
at least one item of user proficiency data and wherein a user change is
suspected based on a difference
between the at least one item of proficiency data and at least one item of
proficiency data obtained
previously.
[0148] Clause 8. The method of clause 7, wherein the at least one item of user
proficiency data
comprises a keystroke rate of the user.
[0149] Clause 9. The method of clause 8, wherein the keystroke rate is
particular to at least one service.
[0150] Clause 10. The method of clause 7, wherein the at least one item of
user proficiency data
comprises at least one of a menu navigation rate and a false selection rate.
[0151] Clause 11. The method of clause 7, wherein the at least one item of
user proficiency data is
mapped to at least one gaming event.
[0152] Clause 12. The method of clause 2, wherein the at least one item of
user change data comprises
at least one item of playing pattern data and wherein a user change is
suspected based on a difference
between the at least one item of playing pattern data and at least one item of
playing pattern data
obtained previously.
[0153] Clause 13. The method of clause 12, wherein the at least one item of
playing pattern data
comprises a wager amount for comparison with a user's maximum wager amount.
[0154] Clause 14. The method of clause 12, wherein the at least one item of
playing pattern data
comprises a wager following a win or a loss for comparison with a previous
wager following a win or
a loss.
[0155] Clause 15. The method of clause 2, comprising obtaining a plurality of
user change data
readings, wherein a user change is suspected based on a break in consecutive
user change data readings.
[0156] Clause 16. The method of clause 5, comprising obtaining a plurality of
user change data
readings, wherein a user change is suspected based on a sudden change in
consecutive user change data
readings.
[0157] Clause 17. The method of clause 2, comprising obtaining at least a
first and a second user
change data reading, wherein a user change is suspected based on a difference
between the first and the
second data readings.
[0158] Clause 18. The method of clause 17, wherein at least the first user
change data reading is
obtained prior to an initial or an immediately preceding identity verification
and wherein at least the
second user change data reading is obtained after the initial or the
immediately preceding identity
verification.
[0159] Clause 19. The method of clause 2, wherein at least one of the identity
verification data and the
user change data are compared with data obtained previously and wherein the
user is prompted for
identity verification data based on a level of confidence associated with the
comparison.
[0160] Clause 20. The method of clause 19, wherein the level of confidence
associated with the
comparison is set by the user.
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0161] Clause 21. The method of clause 2, wherein at least one of the identity
verification data and the
user change data are compared with data obtained previously and wherein the
user is prompted for
identity verification data based on an error classification associated with
the comparison from a plurality
of different error classifications.
[0162] Clause 22. The method of clause 21, wherein the error classification is
based on a severity of
the error in relation to other errors.
[0163] Clause 23. The method of clause 21, wherein the identity verification
data is categorized in at
least a first class and the user change data is characterized in at least a
second class, the first class having
a different response thereto than the second class.
[0164] Clause 24. The method of clause 22, wherein a response for the second
class of errors is
triggered based on registering a plurality of the second class of errors
exceeding a threshold for the
second class of errors.
[0165] Clause 25. The method of clause 24, wherein at least one of the error
class and the threshold
for the second class of errors is user defined.
[0166] Clause 26. A method comprising:
[0167] receiving at least one item of physical biometric data from a user of a
gaming device;
[0168] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one item of physical
biometric data obtained
previously;
[0169] obtaining at least a first and a second item of user change data from a
user; and
[0170] prompting the user for identity verification data when a user change is
suspected based on a
difference between the first and the second item of user change data.
[0171] Clause 27. The method of clause 26, wherein the user change data
comprises behavioral
biometric data and wherein a user change is suspected based on a difference
between items of behavioral
biometric data.
[0172] Clause 28. The method of clause 26, wherein the user change data
comprises user proficiency
data and wherein a user change is suspected based on a difference between
items of proficiency data.
[0173] Clause 29. The method of clause 26, wherein the user change data
comprises at least one item
of playing pattern data and wherein a user change is suspected based on a
difference between the items
of playing pattern data.
[0174] Clause 30. A method comprising:
[0175] receiving a plurality of data items from a user of a gaming device, the
plurality of data items
comprising at least one of each data item type or a plurality of one data item
type selected from a group
consisting of:
[0176] identity verification data, and
[0177] user change data from the user;
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0178] comparing the plurality of data items with data items obtained
previously, each comparison
having an error classification associated therewith from a plurality of
different error classification;
[0179] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between at least one item
of identity verification data received and at least one item of identity
verification data obtained
previously; and
[0180] prompting the user for identity verification data based on the error
classification.
[0181] Clause 31. The method of clause 30, wherein the error classification is
based on a severity of
the error in relation to other errors.
[0182] Clause 32. The method of clause 30, wherein identity a first of the
data items is categorized in
at least a first class and a second of the plurality of data items is
characterized in at least a second class,
the first class having a different response thereto than the second class.
[0183] Clause 33. The method of clause 32, wherein a response for the second
class of errors is
triggered based on registering a plurality of the second class of errors
exceeding a threshold for the
second class of errors.
[0184] Clause 34. The method of clause 33, wherein at least one of the error
class and the threshold
for the second class of errors is user defined.
[0185] Clause 35. The method of clause 33, wherein the threshold for the
second class of errors is
relaxed based on a location of the gaming device.
[0186] Clause 36. A method comprising:
[0187] determining a location of a gaming device having a display and at least
one biometric sensor
associated therewith;
[0188] prompting, based at least on the location of the gaming device, a user
of the gaming device for
at least one item of physical biometric data with the biometric sensor;
[0189] receiving the at least one item of physical biometric data;
[0190] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one authenticated item
of physical biometric data
associated with the user, the at least one service comprising a wager-type
game; and
[0191] displaying an interface screen comprising graphic objects associated
with the wager-type game
and at least one selectable element for the user to submit a gaming command
and a wagering command
during game play.
[0192] Clause 37. A method comprising:
[0193] determining a location of a gaming device;
[0194] prompting a user of the gaming device for at least one item of physical
biometric data based at
least on the location of the gaming device;
[0195] receiving the at least one item of physical biometric data; and
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0196] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one item of phy sical
biometric data associated with
the user obtained previously.
[0197] Clause 38. The method of clause 36, wherein the at least one item of
physical biometric data
comprises at least one of a fingerprint scan, an iris scan, a retina scan, a
vascular pattern scan, and a
facial image of the user.
[0198] Clause 39. The method of clause 36, wherein the at least one service
comprises at least one
wager-type game selected from the group consisting of slots, poker, craps,
roulette, blackjack, and
baccarat.
[0199] Clause 40. The method of clause 36, comprising determining the location
of the gaming device
from a plurality of service areas and prompting the user of the gaming device
for at least a first item of
physical biometric data when the gaming device is located in a first area of
the plurality of service areas.
[0200] Clause 41. The method of clause 40, comprising determining that the
gaming device is located
in a second area of the plurality of service areas, the user not prompted for
physical biometric data when
in the second area, the at least one service enabled in the second area
without the at least one item of
physical biometric data.
[0201] Clause 42. The method of clause 40, comprising determining that the
gaming device is located
in a second area of the plurality of service areas and prompting the user for
at least a second item of
physical biometric data when in the second area.
[0202] Clause 43. The method of clause 42, comprising prompting the user for
the first and the second
item of physical biometric data when in the second area.
[0203] Clause 44. The method of clause 36, comprising determining a
surveillance level associated
with the location of the gaming device and prompting the user for at least a
first item of physical
biometric data based on the surveillance level of the location.
[0204] Clause 45. The method of clause 44, comprising determining the location
of the gaming device
from a plurality of service areas, each of the plurality of service areas
having a surveillance level
associated therewith, the user not prompted for physical biometric data when
in a second area of the
plurality of service areas based on a surveillance level associated with the
second area, the at least one
service enabled in the second area without the at least one item of physical
biometric data.
[0205] Clause 46. The method of clause 44, comprising determining the location
of the gaming device
from a plurality of service areas, each of the plurality of service areas
having a surveillance level
associated therewith, and prompting the user for a second item of physical
biometric data when in a
second area of the plurality of service areas based on a surveillance level
associated with the second
area.
[0206] Clause 47. The method of clause 46, comprising prompting the user for
the first and second
item of physical biometric data when in the second area based on the
surveillance level associated with
the second area.
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0207] Clause 48. The method of clause 44, wherein the surveillance level is
based on a subjective
confidence associated with a surveillance measure implemented in the location.
[0208] Clause 49. The method of clause 44, wherein the surveillance level is
based on reliability
associated with a surveillance measure implemented at the location.
[0209] Clause 50. The method of clause 36, comprising determining a desired
surveillance level and
supplementing a surveillance level at the location to achieve at least the
desired surveillance level.
[0210] Clause 51. The method of clause 50, comprising prompting the user for
at least a second item
of physical biometric data to achieve at least the desired surveillance level.
[0211] Clause 52. The method of clause 36, comprising obtaining at least one
item of user change data
and prompting the user for at least one item of identity verification data
when a user change is suspected
based on the at least one item of user change data.
[0212] Clause 53. The method of clause 52, wherein the at least one item of
user change data comprises
behavioral biometric data.
[0213] Clause 54. The method of clause 52, wherein the at least one item of
user change data comprises
proficiency data.
[0214] Clause 55. The method of clause 52, wherein the at least one item of
user change data comprises
playing pattern data.
[0215] Clause 56. A method comprising:
[0216] determining that a gaming device is located in a first area of a
plurality of service areas;
[0217] prompting a user of the gaming device for at least one item of physical
biometric data based on
the gaming device being located in the first area, the user not prompted for
physical biometric data
when the gaming device is located in a second area of the plurality of service
areas;
[0218] receiving at least one item of physical biometric data; and
[0219] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one item of physical
biometric data associated with
the user obtained previously.
[0220] Clause 57. A method comprising:
[0221] determining a location of a gaming device from a plurality of service
areas;
[0222] prompting a user of the gaming device for at least a first item of
physical biometric data based
on the gaming device being located in a first area of the plurality of service
areas;
[0223] prompting the user of the gaming device for at least a second item of
physical biometric data
based on the gaming device being located in a second area of the plurality of
service areas;
[0224] receiving the first or the second item of physical biometric data; and
enabling at least one
service on the gaming device based on a match between the physical biometric
data received and at
least one authenticated item of physical biometric data associated with the
user.
[0225] Clause 58. The method of clause 57, comprising prompting the user for
the first and the second
item of physical biometric data when in the second area.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0226] Clause 59. The method of clause 57, comprising prompting the user for
the second and a third
item of physical biometric data when in the second area.
[0227] Clause 60. A method comprising:
[0228] determining a location of a gaming device from a plurality of service
areas;
[0229] determining a surveillance level associated with the location of the
gaming device;
[0230] prompting a user of the gaming device for at least a first item of
physical biometric data when
it is determined that the gaming device is located in a first of the plurality
of service areas, the user not
prompted for physical biometric data when in a second area of the plurality of
service areas, the second
area having a surveillance level associated therewith higher than a
surveillance level associated with
the first area;
[0231] receiving at least one item of physical biometric data; and
[0232] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one authenticated item
of physical biometric data
associated with the user.
[0233] Clause 61. A method comprising:
[0234] determining a location of a gaming device from a plurality of service
areas, each of the plurality
of service areas having a surveillance level associated therewith;
[0235] prompting a user of the gaming device for at least a first item of
physical biometric data when
located in a first area of the plurality of service areas;
[0236] prompting the user of the gaming device for at least a second item of
physical biometric data
when located in a second area of the plurality of service areas, wherein the
first area has a surveillance
level higher than a surveillance level of the second area, and wherein the
second item of physical
biometric data has a higher surveillance level than a surveillance level of
the first service area;
[0237] receiving at least one item of physical biometric data; and
[0238] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the at least one
item of physical biometric data received and at least one authenticated item
of physical biometric data
associated with the user.
[0239] Clause 62. An apparatus comprising:
[0240] a processor, and
[0241] a computer-readable medium that stores instructions,
[0242] in which the processor is operable to receive the instructions from the
computer-readable
medium,
[0243] in which the processor is operable to execute the instructions to
perform the method of clause
36.
[0244] Clause 63. An apparatus comprising:
[0245] a processor, and
[0246] a computer-readable medium that stores instructions,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0247] in which the processor is operable to receive the instructions from the
computer-readable
medium,
[0248] in which the processor is operable to execute the instructions to
perform the method of clause
37.
[0249] Clause 64. A method comprising:
[0250] obtaining at least one item of identity verification data from a user
of a gaming device;
[0251] encrypting the at least one item of identity verification data;
[0252] comparing the at least one item of encrypted identity verification data
received and at least one
item of encrypted identity verification data obtained and stored previously on
an authentication device;
[0253] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the encrypted
identity verification data, the at least one service comprising a wager-type
game; and
[0254] displaying an interface screen comprising graphic objects associated
with the wager-type game
and at least one selectable element for the user to submit a gaming command
and a wagering command
during game play.
[0255] Clause 65. A method comprising:
[0256] obtaining at least one item of identity verification data from a user
of a gaming device;
[0257] encrypting the at least one item of identity verification data;
[0258] comparing the at least one item of encrypted identity verification data
received and at least one
item of encrypted identity verification data obtained previously; and
[0259] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the encrypted
identity verification data.
[0260] Clause 66. The method of clause 65, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
comprises at least one item of physical biometric data.
[0261] Clause 67. The method of clause 66, wherein the at least one item of
physical biometric data
comprises at least one of a fingerprint scan, an iris scan, a retina scan, a
vascular pattern scan, and a
facial image of the user.
[0262] Clause 68. The method of clause 65, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted prior to receipt by a remote computer for identity verification.
[0263] Clause 69. The method of clause 68, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted using a one-way encryption algorithm.
[0264] Clause 70. The method of clause 68, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted into a string of alphanumeric characters.
[0265] Clause 71. The method of clause 68, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
comprises image data that is encrypted into a string of alphanumeric
characters.
[0266] Clause 72. The method of clause 68, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted at the gaming device and wherein the remote computer does not
store the identity
verification data in a raw form.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0267] Clause 73. The method of clause 72, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is purged from the gaming device following encryption.
[0268] Clause 74. The method of clause 73, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is obtained and encrypted at the gaming device for each identity verification.
[0269] Clause 75. The method of clause 65, wherein the at least one item of
encrypted identity
verification data obtained previously is stored on an authentication device.
[0270] Clause 76. The method of clause 75 ,wherein the authentication device
comprises at least one
of a card with a magnetic strip, an RFID key, a limited distance emitter, a
smart card, a bracelet with a
signal transmitter, and a substrate with an optically readable identifier.
[0271] Clause 77. The method of clause 75, comprising receiving the at least
one item of encrypted
identity verification data obtained previously from the authentication device
and comparing encrypted
verification data at the gaming device.
[0272] Clause 78. The method of clause 75, wherein, when present, the
authentication device is used
for identity verification without other identify verification data.
[0273] Clause 79. A method comprising:
[0274] obtaining at least one item of identity verification data from a user
of a gaming device;
[0275] encrypting the at least one item of identity verification data;
[0276] comparing the at least one item of encrypted identity verification data
received and at least one
item of encrypted identity verification data stored previously on an
authentication device; and
[0277] enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match
between the encrypted
identity verification data.
[0278] Clause 80. The method of clause 79, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted using a one-way encryption algorithm.
[0279] Clause 81. The method of clause 79, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is encrypted into a string of alphanumeric characters.
[0280] Clause 82. The method of clause 79, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
comprises image data that is encrypted into a string of alphanumeric
characters.
[0281] Clause 83. The method of clause 79, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is purged from the gaming device following encryption.
[0282] Clause 84. The method of clause 79, wherein the at least one item of
identity verification data
is obtained and encrypted at the gaming device for each identity verification.
[0283] Clause 85. The method of clause 79, wherein encrypted verification data
is compared at the
gaming device.
[0284] Clause 86. An apparatus comprising:
[0285] a processor, and
[0286] a computer-readable medium that stores instructions,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
[0287] in which the processor is operable to receive the instructions from the
computer-readable
medium, in which the processor is operable to execute the instructions to
perform the method of clause
64.
[0288] Clause 87. An apparatus comprising:
[0289] a processor, and
[0290] a computer-readable medium that stores instructions,
[0291] in which the processor is operable to receive the instructions from the
computer-readable
medium,
[0292] in which the processor is operable to execute the instructions to
perform the method of clause
65.
Date Recue/Date Received 2024-04-05
