Nova Patents
CA2865966C

Gaming through mobile or other devices

Abstract

The following should be understood as example embodiments, and not as claims. A method comprising: determining, by a computing device, that a first cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a first network that is known to the gaming service as being in an approved location; in response to determining that the first cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the first network, allowing, by the computing device, the first cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service; determining, by the computing device, that a second cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a second network that is not known to the gaming service as being in the approved location.

CA2865966C, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 11

Term

6.4 yearsleft in the term

Expires 28 February 2033.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Today
  5. Expires

20 claims: 3 independent, 17 dependent

  1. 1
    Cloud Service Examples [000339] One or more functions described herein may be available as a cloud service. For example, a gaming operator may be a cloud service provider, a location service may be a cloud service provider, a authentication service may be a cloud service provider, a account manager may be a cloud service provider, a branding service may be a cloud service provider, and so on. Various cloud service providers may interact with one another through a netwoik to provide a coherent set of services to a user. Individual services may be used for multiple purposes. For example, a authentication cloud service may authenticate any device for any gaming operator, an account manager may provide account services for any account user, a gaming service provider may provide gaming services for any cloud participant. [000340] A cloud may be accessed through some access point. For example, a casino may provide a portal to access a cloud (e.g., a kiosk, a mobile application on a phone, etc.), services that are available to the cloud may be provided by cloud service providers that are connected to the cloud. [000341] An account may be maintained elsewhere in such a cloud and/or may be maintained specifically for a gaming operator. Accordingly, a user accessing the cloud may use funds from an account provider in the cloud with a gaming operator in the cloud. A gaming operator in the cloud may use authentication and/or location services of a authentication and/or location service provider in the cloud. Funds in the account provider for example may be funds associated with a portal through which the user accesses the cloud (e.g., a casino) that may make the funds available to a plurality of gaming services that are attached to the cloud. In some embodiments a gaming operator may be limited to using services that it provides (e.g., its own account services and/or its own authentication services). Some embodiments may include one or more components of such a cloud service 106 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 that may operate to provide gaming functionality and/or provide services to an entity that provides gaming services. [000342] The following sections provide a guide to interpreting the present application. Terms [000343] 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. [000344] 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. [000345] The terms “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof mean “including but not necessarily limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise. Thus, for example, the sentence “the portfolio includes a red widget and a blue widget” means the portfolio includes the red widget and the blue widget, but may include something else. [000346] The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise. [000347] 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”, [000348] 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 107 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 function of the first machine may or may not be the same as the function of the second machine. [000349] 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. [000350] The term “determining” does not imply certainty or absolute precision, and therefore “determining” can include estimating, extrapolating, predicting, guessing and the like. [000351] 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. [000352] The term “determining” does not imply that any particular device must be used. For example, a computer need not necessarily perform the determining. [000353] 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 108 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 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. [000354] 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). [000355] 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. [000356] 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. [000357] 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 nonsimultaneously (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 109 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to the invention(s), and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred. [000358] 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. 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. [000359] 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. [000360] 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. [000361] 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. 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. [000362] 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 110 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 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. Instructions may be embodied in, e.g., one or more computer programs, one or more scripts. [000363] A “processor” means one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or like devices or any combination thereof, regardless of the architecture (e.g., chip-level multiprocessing I multi-core, RISC, CISC, Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages, pipelining configuration, simultaneous multithreading). [000364] 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. [000365] 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. [000366] 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. [000367] 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. [000368] 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 in CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 program that, when executed, can cause a processor to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described process. [000369] 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 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. [000370] 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 Centrino™ processor, that are adapted to communicate with the computer. Any number and type of devices may be in communication with the computer. [000371] 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 112 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 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. [000372] 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). Video Wagering Games [000373] Video wagering games are set up to mimic a table game using adaptations of table games rules and cards. [000374] In one version of video poker the player is allowed to inspect five cards randomly chosen by the computer. These cards are displayed on the video screen and the player chooses which cards, if any, that he or she wishes to hold. If the player wishes to hold all of the cards, i.e., stand, he or she presses a STAND button. If the player wishes to hold only some of the cards, he or she chooses the cards to be held by pressing HOLD keys located directly under each card displayed on the video screen. Pushing a DEAL button after choosing the HOLD cards automatically and simultaneously replaces the unchosen cards with additional cards which are randomly selected from the remainder of the deck. After the STAND button is pushed, or the cards are replaced, the final holding is evaluated by the game machine's computer and the player is awarded either play credits or a coin payout as determined from a payoff table. This payoff table is stored in the machine’s computer memory and is also displayed on the machine's screen. Hands with higher poker values are awarded more credits or coins. Very rare poker hands are awarded payoffs of 800-to-l or higher. Apparatus for Playing Over a Communications System [000375] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of components for a hand-reading system on a table 4 of some embodiments, a smart card-reading delivery shoe 8 with output 14 and a smart card-reading discard rack 12 with output 18. Player positions 6 are shown, as is a dealer's hand position sensor 10 without output port 16. 113 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 [000376] FIG. 2 shows apparatus for playing the game. There is a plurality of player units 40-1 to 40-n which are coupled via a communication system 41, such as the Internet, with a game playing system comprising an administration unit 42, a player register 43, and a game unit 45. Each unit 40 is typically a personal computer with a display unit and control means (a keyboard and a mouse). [000377] When a player logs on to the game playing system, their unit 40 identifies itself to the administration unit. The system holds the details of the players in the register 43, which contains separate player register units 44-1 to 44-n for all the potential players, i.e., for all the members of the system. [000378] Once the player has been identified, the player is assigned to a game unit 45. The game unit contains a set of player data units 46-1 to 46-6, a dealer unit 47, a control unit 48, and a random dealing unit 49. [000379] Up to seven players can be assigned to the game unit 45. There can be several such units, as indicated, so that several games can be played at the same time if there are more than seven members of the system logged on at the same time. The assignment of a player unit 40 to a player data unit 46 may be arbitrary or random, depending on which player data units 46 and game units 45 are free. Each player data unit 46 is loaded from the corresponding player register unit 44 and also contains essentially the same details as the corresponding player unit 40, and is in communication with the player unit 40 to keep the contents of the player unit and player data unit updated with each other. In addition, the appropriate parts of the contents of the other player data units 46 and the dealer unit 47 are passed to the player unit 40 for display. [000380] The logic unit 48 of the game unit 45 steps the game unit through the various stages of the play, initiating the dealer actions and awaiting the appropriate responses from the player units 40. The random dealing unit 49 deals cards essentially randomly to the dealer unit 47 and the player data units 46. At the end of the hand, the logic unit passes the results of the hand, i.e., the wins and/or losses, to the player data units 46 to inform the players of their results. The administrative unit 42 also takes those results and updates the player register units 44 accordingly. 114 CA 02865966 2014-08-28 WO 2013/130719 PCT/US2013/028178 [000381] The player units 40 are arranged to show a display. To identify the player, the player's position is highlighted. As play proceeds, so the player selects the various boxes, enters bets in them, and so on, and the results of those actions are displayed. As the cards are dealt, a series of overlapping card symbols is shown in the Bonus box. At the option of the 5 player, the cards can be shown in a line below the box, and similarly for the card dealt to the dealer. At the end of the hand, a message is displayed informing the player of the results of their bets, i.e., the amounts won or lost. Alternative Technologies 10 [000382] It will be understood that the technologies described herein for making, using, or practicing various embodiments are but a subset of the possible technologies that may be used for the same or similar purposes. The particular technologies described herein are not to be construed as limiting. Rather, various embodiments contemplate alternate technologies for making, using, or practicing various embodiments. 115 1. A method comprising:determining, by a computing device, that a first cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a first network;based on the determination that the first cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the first network, determining, by a computing device, that the first cellular telephone is located in an approved location;in response to determining that the first cellular telephone is located in an approved location, allowing, by the computing device, the first cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;determining, by the computing device, that a second cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through a second network;based on the determination that the second cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determining, by a computing device, that a location of the second cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location;in response to determining that the location of the second cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location, determining, by the computing device, that a first confidence level that the second cellular telephone is in the approved location based on a first internet protocol address of the second cellular telephone is above a threshold confidence;in response to determining that the first confidence level is above the threshold confidence, allowing, by the computing device, the second cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;determining, by the computing device, that a third cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network;based on the determination that the third cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determining, by a computing device, that a location of the third cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location;in response to determining that the location of die third cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location, determining, by the computing device, that a second confidence level that the third cellular telephone is in the approved location based 116 Date reçu/Date Received 2020-06-11 on a second internet protocol address of the third cellular telephone is below the threshold confidence;in response to determining that the second confidence level is below' the threshold confidence, querying, by the computing device, a secondary location determination service for a location of the third cellular telephone;receiving, by the computing device, an indication of the location of the third cellular telephone from the secondary location determination service;based on the received indication of the location of the third cellular telephone from the secondary location determination sendee, determining, by the computing device, which of a plurality of geofences the third cellular telephone is located in;based on which of the plurality of geofences the third cellular telephone is located in, determining, by the computing device, a time at which a location of the third cellular telephone is to be re-determined, wherein the computing device is configured to: determine that the time is a first value when the third cellular telephone is located within a first geofence of the plurality of geofences but not a second geofence of the plurality of geofences;and determine that the time is a second value when the third cellular telephone is located within both the first and second geofences;allowing, by the computing device, the third cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service based on the location of the third cellular telephone being in the approved location;and at the determined time, querying the secondary location determination service to re-determine the location of the third cellular telephone.
  2. 11
    The method of claim I, comprising in response to querying the secondary location determination service, determining whether the third cellular telephone is located in a predefined location that is defined by a non-circular geofence.
  3. 14
    An apparatus comprising:at least one computing device;and at least one non-transitory medium including instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the apparatus to: determine that a first cellular telephone is accessing a gaming service through a first network;based on the determination that the first cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the first network, determine that the first cellular telephone is located in in an approved location;in response to determining that the first cellular telephone located in an approved location, allow the first cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;determine that a second cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through second network;based on the determination that the second cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determine that a location of the second cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location;119 Date reçu/Date Received 2020-06-11 in response to determining that the location of the second cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location, determine that a first confidence level that the second cellular telephone is in the approved location based on a first internet protocol address of the second cellular telephone is above a threshold confidence;in response to determining that the first confidence level is above the threshold confidence, allow the second cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service;determine that a third cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network;based on the determination that the third cellular telephone is accessing the gaming service through the second network, determine that a location of the third cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location;in response to determining that the location of the third cellular telephone is not known by the gaming service to be in the approved location, determine that a second confidence level that the third cellular telephone is in the approved location based on a second internet protocol address of the third cellular telephone is below the threshold confidence;in response to determining that the second confidence level is below the threshold confidence, query a secondary location determination service for a location of the third cellular telephone;receive an indication of the location of the third cellular telephone from the secondary location determination service;based on the received indication of the location of the third cellular telephone from the secondary location determination service, determine which of a plurality of geofences the third cellular telephone is located in;based on which of the plurality of geofences the third cellular telephone is located in, determine a time at which a location of the third cellular telephone is to be re-determined, wherein when the third cellular telephone is located within a first geofence of the plurality of geofences but not a second geofence of the plurality of geofences, the time is a first 120 Date reçu/Date Received 2020-06-11 value and wherein when the third cellular telephone is located within both the first and second geofences, the time is a second value;allow the third cellular telephone to access gaming services of the gaming service based on the location of the third cellular telephone being in the approved location, and at the determined time, query the secondary location determination service to re-determine the location of the third cellular telephone.
Independent claims3