Method and device for betting game

This application is believed to be related to the following U.S. patent applications, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for enablement and written description purposes: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/406783, filed April 18, 2006, No. 11/403722, filed April 12, 2006, No. 11/397596, filed April 3, 2006, No. 11/335253, filed January 18, 2006, No. 11/335210, filed January 18, 2006, No. 11/334848, filed January 18, 2006, No. 11/256568, filed October 21, 2005, and No. 11/256568, filed August 24, 2005. No. 11/210482 dated August 10, 2005, No. 11/201830 dated August 10, 2005, No. 11/201812 dated August 9, 2005, No. 11/199964 dated August 9, 2005, No. 11/199835 dated August 9, 2005, No. 11/199831 dated August 9, 2005, No. 11/190613 dated July 26, 2005, No. 11/172018 dated June 29, 2005, No. 11/171809 dated June 29, 2005, No. 11/076561 dated March 9, 2005, No. 11/063311 dated February 21, 2005, No. 11/032724 dated January 10, 2005, No. 11/022394 dated December 22, 2004, No. 11/021848 dated December 22, 2004, No. 11/018978 dated December 21, 2004, No. 11/018978 dated November 5, 2004 No. 10/983279 dated October 12, 2004, No. 10/963399 dated October 12, 2004, No. 10/879972 dated June 28, 2004, No. 10/836999 dated April 29, 2004, No. 10/836975 dated April 29, 2004, No. 10/836958 dated April 29, 2004, No. 10/836077 dated April 29, 2004, No. 10/83599 dated April 29, 2004 5, No. 10/822484 dated April 12, 2004, No. 10/816238 dated April 1, 2004, No. 10/798106 dated March 10, 2004, No. 10/784353 dated February 23, 2004, No. 10/771221 dated February 3, 2004, No. 10/771076 dated February 3, 2004, No. 10/759693 dated January 15, 2004, No. 10/759693 dated October 14, 2003 No. 10/687302 dated September 22, 2003, No. 10/667923 dated September 22, 2003, No. 10/667755 dated September 22, 2003, No. 10/654280 dated September 3, 2003, No. 10/651537 dated August 29, 2003, No. 10/616779 dated July 10, 2003, No. 10/453769 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453761 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453762 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453763 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453764 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453765 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453766 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453767 dated July 10, 2003, No. 10/453769 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453765 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453766 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453767 dated July 10, 2003, No. 10/453768 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453769 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/453768 dated June 3, 2003, No. 10/410197 dated April 10, 2003, No. 10/404043 dated April 2, 2003, No. 10/287332 dated November 1, 2002, No. 10/194358 dated July 12, 2002, No. 10/194186 dated July 12, 2002, No. 10/194019 dated July 12, 2002, No. 10/194018 dated July 12, 2002, No. 10/193980 dated 12.7.2002, No. 10/193978 dated 12.7.2002, No. 10/193977 dated 12.7.2002, No. 10/193971 dated 12.7.2002, No. 10/193817 dated 12.7.2002, No. 09/846025 dated 30.4.2001, No. 9/378327 dated 20.8.1999 and No. 09/267865 dated 12.3.1999.

<p>Sections I through X below provide guidance to the interpretation of this application.</p><p>I. The term "product" means any machine, manufacture, and/or combination of things, unless otherwise specified.</p><p>The term "process" means any process, algorithm, methodology, etc., unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>Each process (whether called a method, algorithm or otherwise) inherently comprises one or more steps, and thus all references to a "step" or "steps" of a process inherently have an antecedent description upon the mere recitation of "process" or similar terminology. Thus, any reference to a "step" or "steps" of a process has sufficient antecedent description.</p><p>The term "invention" and like terms mean "one or more inventions disclosed herein" unless expressly stated otherwise.</p><p>The terms "one embodiment," "embodiment," "embodiments," "the embodiment," "the embodiments," "one or more embodiments," "some embodiments," "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "another embodiment," and the like mean "one or more (but not necessarily all) embodiments of the disclosed invention," unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>The term "variation" of the present invention means an embodiment of the invention, unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>A reference to "another embodiment" in the description of an embodiment does not imply that the referenced embodiment is mutually exclusive with the other embodiment (e.g., an embodiment described before the referenced embodiment), unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>The words "comprise", "include" and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to", unless expressly stated otherwise.</p><p>The terms "a," "an," and "the" mean "one or more" unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>The term "plurality" means "two or more than one" unless specifically stated otherwise. The term "herein" means "in this application, including anything that may be incorporated by reference" unless specifically stated otherwise.</p><p>The phrase "at least one," when it modifies a plurality of items (such as an enumerated list), means any combination of one or more of those items, unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, the phrase "at least one of a widget, a vehicle, and a wheel" means either (i) a widget, (ii) a vehicle, (iii) a wheel, (iv) a widget and a vehicle, (v) a widget and a wheel, (vi) a vehicle and a wheel, or (vii) a widget, a vehicle, and a wheel. The phrase "at least one," when it modifies a plurality of items, does not mean "one of each" of the plurality.</p><p>"One," "two," and other numerical terms, when used as cardinal numbers to indicate the quantity of something (e.g., one part, two parts), refer to the amount denoted by that numerical term, but not at least the amount denoted by that numerical term. For example, the term "one part" does not extend to, for example, "two parts," because the term "one part" does not mean "at least one part."</p><p>The phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless specifically stated otherwise. 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."</p><p>The term "represents" and similar terms are not exclusive unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, the term "represents" does not mean "represents only" unless specifically stated 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 represents other things as well."</p><p>The term "whereby" is used herein solely to precede a clause or other set of words that express only an intended result, purpose, or consequence of something previously expressly recited. The term "whereby" means that in a claim, the clause or other word that it modifies does not establish any further specific limitation of that claim or otherwise restrict the meaning or scope of that claim.</p><p>"Eg" and similar terms mean "for example," and therefore do not limit the term or phrase they describe. For example, in the sentence "a computer transmits data (e.g., instructions, data structures) over the Internet," the term "eg" explains that "instructions" are examples of "data" that a computer may transmit over the Internet, and also explains that "data structures" are examples of "data" that a computer may transmit over the Internet. However, both "instructions" and "data structures" are merely examples of "data," and things other than "instructions" and "data structures" can be "data."</p><p>"Respective" and similar terms mean "taken independently." Thus, if two or more things have "respective" features, each such thing has its own characteristic, and these characteristics can, but need not, differ from one another. For example, the phrase "two machines each have a respective function" means that a first such machine has a function and a 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.</p><p>"Ie" and similar terms mean "that is," and thus limit the term or phrase it describes. For example, in the sentence "a computer sends data (i.e., instructions) over the Internet," the term "ie" explains that the "instructions" are the "data" that a computer sends over the Internet.</p><p>Any given numerical range is intended to include all or part of the numbers within that range. For example, the range "1 to 10" is intended to be interpreted as specifically including integers from 1 to 10 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 9) and non-integer numbers (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, ... 1.9).</p><p>Where two or more terms or phrases are synonyms (e.g., because of an explicit statement that the terms or phrases are synonyms), instances of one term/phrase do not mean that instances of another term/phrase must have a different meaning. For example, if a statement expresses the meaning of "including" as being synonymous with "including but not limited to," simply using the phrase "including but not limited to" does not mean that the term "including" means anything other than "including but not limited to."</p><p>II. Determining The term "determining" and grammatical variations thereof (e.g., determining a price, determining a value, determining objects that meet certain criteria, etc.) are used very broadly. The term "determining" contemplates a wide range of actions, such that "determining" can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, examining (e.g., examining a table, database, or another data structure), ascertaining, and the like. Similarly, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. Similarly, "determining" can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.</p><p>The term "determining" does not imply certainty or absolute precision, so "determining" can include meanings such as estimating, estimating, predicting, inferring, and the like.</p><p>The term "determining" does not imply that mathematical operations must be performed, nor does it imply that a numerical method must be used, nor does it imply that an algorithm or process is used.</p><p>The term "determining" does not imply that any particular device must be used, for example, a computer does not necessarily need to perform the determination.</p><p>III. Style Where a limitation in a first claim extends to one feature as well as more than one feature (e.g., a limitation such as "at least one part" extends to one part as well as more than one part), and in a second claim that depends from the first claim, the second claim uses the definite article "the" (e.g., "the part") to refer to that limitation, this does not include the first claim extending to only one feature, and this does not include the meaning that the second claim extends to only one feature (e.g., "the part" can extend to one part as well as more than one part).</p><p>Ordinal numbers (e.g., "first," "second," "third," etc.) are used as adjectives before a term, and the ordinal numbers (unless otherwise specified) are used only to indicate a particular feature, e.g., to distinguish that particular feature from another feature described by the same or a similar term. For example, a "first part" may be named only to distinguish it from, e.g., a "second part." Thus, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "part" does not indicate any other relationship between the two parts, nor does it indicate any characteristics of either or both of the parts. For example, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "part" does not (1) indicate that either part comes before or after any other in order or location, (2) indicate that either part operates before or after any other in time, and (3) indicate that either part is ranked higher or lower in importance or quality than any other. Additionally, the mere use of ordinal numbers does not define numerical limitations on the features identified with the ordinal numbers. For example, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "component" does not indicate that there may not be more than two components.</p><p>When a single device, article, or other article of manufacture is described herein, one or more devices/articles (whether or not they cooperate) may alternatively be used in place of the single device/article described. Thus, functionality that is described as having a device may also be possessed by one or more devices/articles (whether or not they cooperate).</p><p>Similarly, when one or more devices, articles, or other articles of manufacture are described herein (whether or not they operate in concert), a single device/article may be substituted or used in place of one or more of the devices or articles described. For example, multiple computer-based devices may be substituted with a single computer device. Thus, various functionality that is described as being possessed by one or more devices or articles may alternatively be possessed by a single device/article.</p><p>The functionality and/or features of a single device described may alternatively be embodied by one or more other devices that are described but are not explicitly described as having that functionality and/or feature. Thus, other embodiments need not include the described device itself, but rather can comprise one or more other devices that would have that functionality/feature in those other embodiments.</p><p>IV. Disclosed Examples and Terminology are Not Limiting</p><p>Neither the Title (set forth at the top of page 1 of this application) nor the Abstract (set forth at the end of this application) should be construed as limiting in any manner the scope of the invention of this disclosure. The Abstract is included herein solely as a requirement of 37 CFR 1.72(b) that an abstract be no more than 150 words.</p><p>The titles and section headings provided in this application are for convenience only and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure in any way.</p><p>Numerous embodiments are described in this application and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not, and are not intended to be, limiting in any way. The disclosed invention has broad application in numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed invention may be practiced with a variety of modifications, variations, including structural, logical, software, and electrical modifications. Although certain features of the disclosed invention 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 use in one or more of the embodiments or drawings described, unless otherwise indicated.</p><p>No embodiment of a method step or product element described in this application constitutes, is not essential to, or is not coextensive with the invention(s) claimed herein, unless otherwise described in this specification or otherwise recited in the claims.</p><p>Every term in a claim has the broadest meaning that it would have to one of ordinary skill in the art at the priority date. In any claim, the terms used are specifically defined and limited by the present specification, unless otherwise stated in this specification or in the claim.</p><p>The preamble of the claims which follow is merely a recitation of objects, benefits and possible uses of the claimed invention and does not limit the claimed invention.</p><p>This disclosure is not a verbatim description of all embodiments of the present invention, nor is it a list of features of the present invention that must be present in all embodiments.</p><p>Devices that are described as communicating with each other need not communicate with each other continuously, unless otherwise specified. To the contrary, such devices need only transmit to each other as necessary or desired, and may in fact cease exchanging data most of the time. For example, a machine that communicates with another machine over the Internet may not need to transmit data to the other machine for long periods of time (e.g., weeks at a time). In addition, devices that communicate with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediate means.</p><p>The description of an embodiment having various components or features does not imply that all or even any of those components or 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. Unless otherwise specified, no component/feature is essential or required.</p><p>Although method steps, algorithms, and the like may be described or claimed in a particular sequential order, such methods may be configured to operate in different orders. In other words, any order or sequence of steps that may be explicitly described or claimed does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. Steps of the methods described herein may be performed in any order possible. Furthermore, some steps may be performed simultaneously, even though they are described or implied as not occurring simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after another step). Moreover, illustration of a method by drawing does not imply that the illustrated method is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated method or any steps thereof are required by the invention, and does not imply that the illustrated method is preferred.</p><p>Although a method may be described as including multiple steps, this does not imply that all or any of those steps are preferred, essential, or required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s) include other methods that exclude some or all of the described steps. Unless otherwise stated, no step is essential or required.</p><p>Although a method may be described in isolation or without reference to other products or methods, in an embodiment the method may interact with other products or methods. For example, such interaction may include linking one business model to another. Such interaction may be provided to enhance the flexibility or desirability of the method.</p><p>Although a product may be described as including a number of components, aspects, qualities, properties, and/or features, this does not imply that all or any of the plurality are preferred, essential, or required. Various other embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s) include other products that exclude some or all of the described plurality.</p><p>An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that all or any of the items are mutually exclusive, unless otherwise indicated. Similarly, an enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that all or any of the items are inclusive of any classification, unless otherwise indicated. For example, the enumerated list of "computers, laptops, PDAs" does not imply that all or any of the three items in the list are mutually exclusive, nor does it imply that all or any of the three items in the list are inclusive of any classification.</p><p>An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be numbered) does not imply that all or any of the items are equivalent to each other or readily substituted for each other.</p><p>All embodiments are illustrative and do not imply that the invention or any embodiment has, in any event, been made or performed.</p><p>V. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of computing that the various methods described herein may be implemented in, for example, 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) receives instructions (e.g., from a memory or similar device) and executes those instructions, thereby performing one or more methods defined in the instructions. The instructions may, for example, be embodied in a computer program.</p><p>"Processor" means one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or similar devices, or any combination thereof.</p><p>Thus, a description of a method is likewise a description of an apparatus for performing the method. An apparatus for performing a method may include, for example, a processor and its input and output devices suitable for performing the method.</p><p>Additionally, programs implementing such methods (as well as other types of data) may be stored or transmitted in numerous ways on a variety of media (e.g., computer-readable media). 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 capable of implementing the methods of various embodiments. Thus, various combinations of software and hardware may be used in place of software alone.</p><p>The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium, combination of the same or different media that together provide data (e.g., instructions, data structures) that may be read by a computer, a processor or a similar device. Such media may take many forms, 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 memories. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes the primary memory. Transmission media include wires, including coaxial cables, copper wire and optical fibers, including the system bus that connects to the processor. Transmission media may include or convey acoustic waves, light waves and electromagnetic radiation, 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, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, a DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns or holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM, Flash EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described herein later, or any other medium from which a computer can read.</p><p>Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in transmitting data (e.g., sequences of instructions, etc.) to a processor. For example, data may (i) be carried from a RAM to the processor, (ii) be transmitted over a wireless transmission medium, (iii) be formatted and/or transmitted in accordance with numerous formats, standards or protocols, such as Ethernet (or IEEE 802.3), SAP, ATP, Bluetooth, and/or TCP/IP, TDMA, CDMA, and 3G, and/or (iv) be encrypted for privacy or fraud protection in any of a variety of manners known in the art.</p><p>Thus, a description of a method is likewise a description of a computer readable medium storing a program for performing the method. The computer readable medium can store (in any suitable format) the program elements appropriate for performing the method.</p><p>Just as the recitation of various steps in a method does not indicate that all recited steps are required, apparatus embodiments include computers/computing devices operable to perform some, but not necessarily all, of the recited methods.</p><p>Similarly, just as the recitation of various steps in a method does not indicate that all recited steps are required, embodiments of a computer-readable medium storing a program or data structures include computer-readable media storing a program that, when executed, can cause a processor to perform some, but not necessarily all, of the recited methods.</p><p>Where a database is described, one skilled in the art will understand that (i) alternative databases to those described may be readily used, and (ii) other memory structures other than a database may be readily used. Any illustrations or descriptions of any example databases presented herein are illustrative configurations for representing how information is stored. Any number of other configurations may be used instead of those presented, such as tables shown in the drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustrated entries of a database represent exemplary information only, and one skilled in the art will understand that the number and content of entries may differ from those described herein. Furthermore, despite any representation of a database as a table, other formats (including relational databases, object-based models, and/or distributed databases) may be used to store and manipulate the types of data described herein. Similarly, the objective methods or operations of a database may be used to implement various methods, such as those described herein. Additionally, a database may be stored locally or remotely from devices that access data in the database, in a known manner.</p><p>Various embodiments may be configured to operate in a network environment including a computer 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, a LAN, a WAN or Ethernet, token ring, telephone lines, cable lines, radio channels, optical communications lines, commercial online service providers, electronic bulletin board systems, satellite communications links, or any combination of the above). Each device may itself include a computer or other computing device, such as an Intel® Pentium® or Centrino® processor, communicatively connected to a computer. Any number and type of devices may communicate with the computer.</p><p>In some embodiments, a server computer or centralized authority may not be necessary or desirable. For example, the present invention may, in some embodiments, be performed on one or more devices without a central authority. In such an embodiment, any functionality described herein as being performed by a server computer, or data described as being stored on a server computer, may instead be performed by or stored on one or more such devices.</p><p>Where a method is described, in one embodiment the method may operate without any user intervention, in another embodiment the method includes some human intervention (e.g., steps are performed by or with the assistance of a human).</p><p>VI. Continuing Applications This disclosure provides one of ordinary skill in the art with an enabling description of various embodiments and/or inventions, some of which may not be claimed in this application, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or more continuing applications claiming benefit of priority to this application.</p><p>Applicants intend to file additional applications to continue the patent to subject matter that meets the disclosure and enablement requirements but is not claimed in the present application.</p><p>VII. 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 112, Sixth Paragraph Any claim limitation containing the phrase "means for" or "step for" implies that 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 112, Sixth Paragraph applies to that limitation.</p><p>In a claim, any claim limitation that does not contain the phrase "means for" or "step for" means that 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6 does not apply to that limitation, regardless of whether the limitation recites a function without structure, material, or acts for performing that function. For example, merely using the phrase "step for" or "steps of" in a claim with reference to one or more steps in that claim or another claim does not mean that 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6 applies to that step.</p><p>With respect to means or steps for performing a particular function according to 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6, the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification, and their equivalents, may perform that particular function as well as additional functions.</p><p>Computers, processors, computing devices, and similar products are structures capable of performing a wide variety of functions. Such products may operate to perform certain functions by executing one or more programs, such as programs stored in a memory device of the product or a memory device accessed by the product. Unless otherwise specified, such programs need not be based on any particular algorithm, such as a particular program that may be disclosed in this application. It is well known to those skilled in the art that certain functions may be implemented through different algorithms, and that any number of different algorithms may be merely a design choice for the performance of a particular function.</p><p>Thus, with respect to means or steps for performing a particular function under 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6, a structure corresponding to a particular function includes any product programmed to perform that particular function, including any product programmed to perform that function, regardless of whether the product is programmed with (i) the disclosed algorithm for performing the function, (ii) an algorithm similar to the disclosed algorithm, or (iii) a different algorithm for performing the function.</p><p>Where a method recites means for performing a certain function, one structure for performing the method includes a computing device (e.g., a general purpose computer) that is programmed and/or configured with appropriate hardware to perform that function, as well as 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.</p><p>VIII. Disclaimers Numerous references to a particular embodiment do not imply a disclaimer or negation of additional different embodiments, and similarly, a reference to a description of an embodiment including all of a particular feature does not imply a disclaimer or negation of embodiments that do not include that particular feature. Any express disclaimer or negation in this application will be prefaced by the phrase "does not include" or by the phrase "does not implement."</p><p>IX. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE Any patent or other document referenced herein is incorporated by reference into this patent application as part of this disclosure, but only for purposes of the description requirement of 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, and enablement requirement of 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, and this application is not incapable of providing a decipherable meaning without such incorporation by reference, but rather allows decipherable meaning for the terms provided, but is not intended to limit, define, or otherwise interpret any term in this application in any manner. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art need not be limited in any manner by any embodiment presented in the reference.</p><p>Any incorporation by reference does not imply an endorsement, approval or acquiescence of any statements, opinions, arguments or features contained in any patent, patent application or other document incorporated, unless otherwise stated.</p><p>X. Prosecution History In interpreting this application (including the claims), regardless of whether there are other patent applications that may be considered related to this application or that share a priority claim with this application, a person of ordinary skill in the art should refer to the prosecution history of this application and not the prosecution history of any other applications or patent applications.</p>

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment of the systems disclosed herein.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 1 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment of the systems disclosed herein.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 1 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment of the systems disclosed herein.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 1 illustrates a gaming system according to at least one embodiment of the systems disclosed herein.</figref>

XI. OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 , a gaming system 100 according to at least one embodiment of the system disclosed herein includes at least one computing device, such as a remote computer 118, such as a server computer, gaming devices 113, or a combination thereof, which may be located entirely or partially within the domain of a gaming service provider 120. The gaming provider 120 may be the owner of a casino, and the gaming system 100 may be physically located within the geographic boundaries of the casino. Alternatively, the computing devices, such as the remote computer 118 and/or gaming devices 113, may be remote from the casino. In this manner, the gaming system 100 may enable users to participate in gaming services and access other services described herein from remote and/or mobile locations relative to the gaming system 100 or the casino.

A computing device typically includes at least one processor 102 and memory 104, such as ROM, RAM, Flash, or any computer readable medium 106, such as a hard drive, flash drive, 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 described herein, including data for communicating to and from the device, display interface screens, etc. The computing device may also include, or have access to, one or more databases for retrieving and storing various types of data described herein, including IDs and passwords, personal authentication data such as physical biometric data, user persistence data such as behavioral biometric data, proficiency data such as player pattern data, and user profile data such as user name, identification number, address, credit or debit card data, account balance, user preferences, device preferences, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 includes a plurality of computing devices, such as a remote computer 118, connected to at least one gaming device 113 via a communications network 116, which are generally configured or otherwise enabled to transmit and/or receive communications to and/or from each other. The term remote in this context simply means that the remote computer 118 and the gaming device are separate from each other. Thus, the devices may be remote even if they are located in the same room. As such, the gaming device 113 is preferably configured or otherwise enabled to transmit and/or receive communications to and/or from the remote computer 118. This may be accomplished using communications elements 124, such as a modem, Ethernet interface, transmitter/receiver, etc., that enable wireless, wired, or combinations of communications with a similarly equipped remote computer 118. It should be understood that each of the functionality described herein may be provided by the remote computer 118, by the gaming device 113, or by both, and is not limited to any one implementation described herein.

The gaming device 113 may comprise any specific or general purpose gaming device, such as, without limitation, a mobile phone, a PDA, a pocket PC, a personal computer, a slot machine, a video poker machine, table games such as video or computer versions of roulette, blackjack, etc. As such, the gaming device 113 preferably comprises a processor 122, a memory 123, a display 125, such as a CRT or LCD monitor, for displaying information and/or images 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, alphanumeric or other buttons, a scroll wheel, a touch sensitive monitor, etc., or a combination thereof, for a user to input commands and/or information related to the gaming system services. With a general purpose gaming device 113, such as a PC or PDA, a user may access the services provided by the gaming system 100, such as a remote computer 118, for example, using a browser or any other general purpose application, or using special purpose software specifically designed to access and provide the services described herein.

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 used to determine at least one item of biometric data associated with the user directly from the user, such as a fingerprint reader, an iris scanner, a retina 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 also share resources with other components of the gaming device 113, such as the processor 122, memory 123, camera, microphone, speaker, etc. A single biometric sensor 120 may be used to read one or more types of biometric data. For example, a digital camera may be used to obtain an image of the user's eyes for an iris scan and an image of the user's face for facial recognition. In this example, a single image capture of the user's face may provide data for facial recognition as well as data for iris or retina comparison. Biometric data is typically acquired using biometric sensors 120 and used to at least verify the identity of a user as a gateway for granting the user access to services offered using gaming device 113 and/or remote computer 118. In this regard, the biometric data may be compared to previously acquired/stored physical biometric data that has been authenticated as being associated with a particular authorized user, and access to the gaming system may be provided based on these positive matches.

In addition to the physical biometrics described above, the biometric sensor 120 may also obtain behavioral biometric data such as blood pressure, heart or pulse rate, temperature data, speech, handwriting, keystrokes, body movements, etc. The behavioral biometric data may be analyzed to determine if there has been a change in the user or to verify if there has been a break in the user's proficiency at any time after the user's identity has been verified, such as the physical biometric data or an initial verification such as an ID and password. For example, a fingerprint reader may be used to verify the user's identity and subsequent access to services provided by the gaming system 100 may be provided for a predetermined period of time or until some predetermined event, such as the gaming device 113 being disconnected or the gaming device 113 being moved outside of an approved gaming area. If it is determined from the behavioral data collected subsequent to the personal authentication data that there may have been a change in the user of the device, the gaming system 100 may thereafter monitor the behavioral biometric data with the device and prompt the user to enter the physical biometric data or other personal authentication data. For example, the user's heart rate or temperature may be monitored following initial personal authentication to determine whether there is any change in the data stream, such as over successive data readings, which may be due to a change in the user, such as a sudden change (either a drop or increase) in heart rate or temperature in a relatively short period of time, such as five seconds or less, an interruption in the data, such as an invalid reading for one or more successive data readings, or a combination of these.

The collected behavioral biometric data may be analyzed for any recognizable patterns that may indicate a change in the user. The collected data may be analyzed for a particular individual or group of individuals, for example, based on historical biometric data, such as data collected prior to the initial or immediately preceding personal authentication data, or without reference to previously collected data. For example, a heart rate reading that is either higher or lower than an average heart rate calculated based on historical data for authorized users may trigger the system 100 to prompt the authenticated user for personal authentication data, such as a user ID, password, or physical biometric data. A heart rate following an invalid reading in the data stream that is either higher or lower than a heart rate before the interruption in the data stream may similarly trigger the prompt for personal authentication data. Similarly, different peak heart rates excited in general or for a specific gaming system, such as when a user places a bet, wins or loses a bet, may also trigger the user to enter personal authentication data in order to continue using the services of system 100. Biometric data may be repeatedly acquired to establish a data stream, for example, continuously, periodically, such as every second, minute, etc.

Pattern recognition may be applied to user proficiency 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 a user's keystroke speed in general or for a particular service, such as a game, to determine whether the user's keystroke speed after personal authentication differs from keystroke speeds acquired in a betting session after certification or data acquired prior to certification. Other proficiency data may be tracked to determine whether there has been a change in the user of the system 100, such as the speed at which the user navigates through menus, incorrect selection of menus or menu items, etc. Keystroke data, or events such as wins or losses, may be mapped as a measure to reduce false positives as a result of different keystroke speeds that may be due to user nervousness. In any case, prompts for personal authentication data may be triggered as well based on a determination that there may have been a change in the user based on the collected proficiency data.

The gaming system 100 may similarly verify a user's proficiency by tracking the playing patterns of the user and prompting the user with personal authentication data based on game commands or requests that deviate or are inconsistent with the playing patterns associated with the user. For example, if a user has a pattern of never betting more than $100 on any particular game, the system 100 may prompt the user with personal authentication data, such as physical biometric data, if the user bets a substantial amount above the maximum bet, such as more than $500 or more than 5% of the maximum bet. Similarly, the system 100 may track the user's response to wins or losses and prompt the user with personal authentication data for any deviations therefrom. For example, the user may establish a pattern of placing higher bets with each win and lower bets with each loss. The system 100 may compare previously obtained playing pattern data with currently playing pattern data and, upon making a determination that the betting pattern deviates for a particular authenticated user, may prompt the user with personal authentication data before continuing to allow the user to access the services provided by the system 100. Continuity may also be tracked using an authentication device, described below.

To collect the comparative data set described above, the system 100 may track continuous data of the user, such as behavioral biometrics, proficiency, playing patterns, and any other type of data obtainable from the user over a sufficient period of time. The amount of data in the comparative data set will generally vary based on the type of data and the desired sample for comparison. In determining whether there may have been a change in the user based on a change during consecutive data readings, such as when there is a break in the data stream, the amount of data required for comparison will generally include two consecutive readings, i.e., a second reading after the first reading will have a significant value, such as an increase or decrease of 5% or more. Similarly, when the comparison is based on historical data, the amount of data required for comparison will include at least two non-consecutive readings, a first reading at the time the data is classified as historical data, such as before the then-current physical biometric personal authentication, and a second, more recent reading that has a significant increase or decrease from the first reading, such as after the then-current physical biometric personal authentication. It should be noted that in some instances, the larger the data set, the more accurate or less likely the input indication of additional data (false positives) may be. For example, comparing a current reading to five previous readings may result in fewer false positives in that an average value tends to reduce the effect of noise in the data set for comparison. Alternatively or additionally, the system 100 may filter noise from the data set for comparison. The system 100 may filter unlikely data, such as temperature readings below 90° F. and above 110° F., heart rates below 40 beats per minute and above 180 beats per minute, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 may prompt the user for the personal authentication data based at least on a configurable level of confidence associated with the comparison. The level of confidence may be set, for example, by a system administrator or a user. The level of confidence may be set in any manner, including by adjusting variables that contribute to the confidence or probability of a false positive or false negative, possibly including the amount of data in the data sets used for the comparison, filters used to filter noise from the data sets for the comparison, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 may track data indicative of false positives and use this as a basis for adjusting variables associated with the dataset, dataset filters, differences between prompting data, etc., and/or algorithms used to trigger prompts for personal authentication data. False positive data typically includes a positive attestation of a user's identity in response to a prompt for personal authentication data after a trigger. Data indicative of false positives may also include the amount of time between the prompt and the positive attestation, or any other data that indicates the positive attestation of the user's identity is attributable to a change of user back to an authenticated user, including data considered suspect.

Data resulting in false positives may be input to a neural network that prompts a user to input personal authentication data, but further adjusts variables associated with the data set, data set filters, algorithms, etc. accordingly. Similarly, data indicating true positives may also be input to the neural network. The neural network may be trained using supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning techniques, or a combination thereof. With supervised techniques, the neural network is provided with a set of example pairs, such as data readings, and data readings are indicated as false positives or true positives, and the neural network infers a mapping that contains the meaning of the data. With unsupervised techniques, the neural network is fed with data, and the neural network derives a mapping from the data without the aid of a false positive or true positive indication, based on statistical models, filtering, blind source separation, clustering, etc. With reinforcement learning, data is typically derived from interactions between the system and the observations made by it. In addition to the resulting false positive data, any of the data described herein may be fed into the neural network to adjust the size of the data set, vary the value of the data set filter, and/or the difference between the readings that trigger the prompt, in order to achieve a desired reliability, such as 85% or greater accuracy. Alternatively or additionally, the resulting false positive data may be input to a support vector machine, which classifies the data using supervised learning techniques. Image-type data may also be pre-processed prior to introduction into the neural network or support vector machine to generate an abstract representation of the image, smaller in size than the image data. Pre-processing may be performed using statistical techniques, such as linear discriminant analysis.

The system 100 may detect various kinds of errors and may further classify the types of errors into one of several categories, such as type I errors, type II errors, etc. This classification may be derived based on the severity of the error or any other characteristic framework. For example, incorrect personal authentication with physical biometric data may be classified as a type I error, which has a higher weighting than behavioral biometric data, which is classified as a type II error. The manner in which the system 100 reacts to the errors may depend on the class. In this regard, the system 100 may favor certain classes of errors and may react aggressively or favorably, etc., based on the error classification. For example, the system may block access with any type I errors, while continuing to provide access for type II errors until a tolerance level is reached. For example, continued access may be provided until a certain number of type II errors, such as three or more type II errors, are registered. In this regard, it is favorable to allow rather than eliminate game play for type II errors, as compared to type I errors. The classifications and thresholds may be administrator or user configurable. Additionally, a user may be limited to only configuring stricter classifications and thresholds for certain errors. For example, a user may be limited to only adding the default Type II errors to the class of Type I errors, which have a more aggressive response than Type II errors. Similarly, a user's settings for thresholds may be limited to only decreasing the threshold, such as to two Type II errors instead of three before access is blocked. All user settings may be stored in a user profile in one or more databases associated with the gaming system 100. Thresholds and/or classifications may be location specific. For example, a threshold for certain types of errors during a period in a hotel restaurant may be relaxed for users engaged in other activities, such as dining.

The gaming system 100 may be configured to play a variety of games, including, but not limited to, card games; slot machine type games; craps; other casino type games; table games such as poker, craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and the like; the wheel of fortune; The system 100 may provide users with access to a variety of services, including one or more of a number of different types of games, such as betting on fortune games; keno; betting on sports; horse, dog or car racing; jai alai; lottery-type games, including video versions of scratch cards, etc. The system 100 may provide game play based on the results from any type of event, such as sporting events and athletic competitions, including football, basketball, baseball, golf, etc., and non-sporting events, such as movements of certain financial markets, stock indexes or mortgage-backed securities, political elections, entertainment industry awards, movie market research, weather events, etc. The provision of these games may or may not involve betting, or may involve simulated betting using points that may be traded for prizes. The gaming system 100 may also provide non-gaming services on the gaming devices 113, such as audio and video entertainment, news, messaging, telephony, IP telephony, etc.

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 line network (POTS), cellular, wireless networks including WiFi and WiMax, or a combination of wired and/or wireless networks. The communications network 116 may be separate from the Internet entirely. The system 100 may alternatively limit information sent over the Internet to that which has little or no security risks or is encrypted.

As mentioned above, the gaming system 100 may, in some embodiments, permit users to access the services provided by the system from one or more of a number of remote locations. The system 100 may similarly permit users to access the services of the system 100 with a device 113 while traveling or during a temporary stay. For example, the gaming system 100 may permit users to access services anywhere within a service area 148, such as the vicinity of a hotel. The service area 148 may be further divided into a number of subareas 140, 146, such as the hotel's casino versus the general occupied areas such as the lobby, pool, gym, etc. The service area 148 is broadly defined to include any location within the communication capabilities of the system. Thus, the service area 148 for services provided via the Internet includes any location having access to the Internet. Similarly, the service area 148 for services provided by wireless communication includes any location within the transmission range of a transmitter and/or the reception range of a receiver. The service area 148 may be artificially limited by the system provider and/or users within certain geographic boundaries. For example, a system provider may limit a service area within one or more states, cities, municipalities, hotels within a city or municipality, areas within a hotel, such as a casino area, or combinations thereof. Thus, system 100 may offer service to a user within disjoint areas 140, as shown in Figure 1, where the service provider offers service within a state, such as Nevada, USA, and one or more cities, such as Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, or within any one or more hotels within a city. User-defined location access restrictions may be stored in a user profile in a database associated with system 100.

Thus, in one embodiment, the system 100 includes a location proof feature, which is described in further detail below. The location proof feature is used to allow or block a user from accessing services provided by the system 100 based on a particular location, such as the gaming device 113. For example, a service may be enabled when the location of the gaming device 113 is determined to be within a predefined area 140, such as within the area of a hotel as disclosed herein, or disabled when the device 113 moves to a location outside the area 140. The location proof feature may also be used to disable less than all services of the gaming system 100 based on the location of the device 113. For example, the system 100 may restrict wagering-based gaming to areas where such gaming is legally permitted, such as a hotel casino, while enabling non-wagering-based services, such as messaging, regardless of the location of the device 113. Similarly, certain services may be enabled or disabled by a provider and/or user based on the location of the device. For example, a user may be able to disable non-wager-based services, such as messaging, when in a betting area, such as a casino, and/or during certain events, such as when the user is playing a game. The above classification and threshold restrictions may allow a user to specify only stricter service restrictions, thereby overriding certain restrictions imposed by the service provider. For example, a user may not be able to enable wagering-based games in areas where this type of game has been disabled by the service provider. User-defined service restrictions may be stored in a user profile in a database associated with the system 100.

In one embodiment, the gaming system 100 provides services in at least two areas 140, 146, each of which has a different monitoring level than the others. The monitoring level may be quantified based on whether an authorized user is actually using the gaming system 100, or any manner that indicates effectiveness in determining that the gaming system 100 is being used appropriately. The level may be established based on the number of measurements implemented in this regard. For example, an area that uses face recognition and people monitoring may be considered to have a higher monitoring level than an area that uses only fingerprint scanning. Alternatively or additionally, a measurement may be given a higher weighting, for example, based on the reliability of the measurement. For example, a fingerprint scan may have a higher reliability or accuracy in authenticating a user's identity than an iris scan. The weighting of a particular measurement may be independent of its reliability and may simply be based on the subjective belief of the user or service provider, etc., in that measurement relative to other measurements. The monitoring level may have a designation that indicates overall effectiveness and/or reliability. For example, the levels of the areas may be classified as A, B, C, ..., Z; low, medium, high, or type I, II, III, ... etc. The monitoring levels may likewise be differentiated using more granular designations such as 1, 0.1, 0.01 increments from 0% to 100%, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 provides access based on a surveillance level of an area from which the gaming system 100 is accessed, such as from 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 surveillance level, as defined by either the system provider and/or the user. In this regard, surveillance-based access may be implemented in any one of a number of ways. The system may, for example, provide wagering-based gaming services only if the level of security associated with the access area meets a minimum level. For example, a user may use the system 100 to restrict wagering-based gaming to areas that do not fall below a Type I surveillance level, such as a casino. Thus, wagering-based gaming is disabled in areas at or below a Type II surveillance level, such as, for example, common areas of a hotel, such as swimming pools, hotel lobbies, and non-common areas, such as hotel rooms.

In one embodiment, the system 100 complements the monitoring level with monitoring measurements available with the system 100 to achieve a desired monitoring level. Further to the previous example, the system 100 may prompt the user to enter personal authentication data to raise the monitoring level of a type II area to type I for betting games, and/or collect user proficiency data from this prompt by adding a monitoring level of a type II area sufficient to classify the area and the monitoring measurement of the device as type I or above, which has a mixed area. Thus, the system 100 may allow the user to access services in areas with higher monitoring levels, such as casinos, without biometric data, while requiring device biometric data in areas with lower monitoring levels, such as hotel courtyards. Monitoring based access restrictions may be stored in a user profile in a database associated with the system 100.

As may be appreciated from the present disclosure, the system 100 may maintain multiple data of different types for personal authentication for each authorized user, such as physical biometric data, behavioral biometric data, proficiency data, playing pattern data, etc. The system 100 preferably verifies the identity of the user before granting the user access to at least one of the services provided therewith. In this regard, the system may require the user to submit at least one item of personal authentication data, such as an ID and password combination, or any one of the items of physical biometric data described herein. The system may further require at least one additional item of personal authentication data from the user for access to the system. In this regard, the system maintains at least one redundant item of authentication data. The requirement for additional authentication data may be implemented in some, but not all, examples. For example, additional authentication data may be required in certain areas of a hotel, such as surveillance or low trust locations as described above. In these areas, system 100 may prompt the user for first and second items of verifying data, such as a facial image, an iris scan, a retina scan, a fingerprint scan, a vascular pattern scan, etc., before allowing the user access to system services. The level of supervision or reliability associated with each of the measurements may be added to achieve a desired level of supervision or reliability, as described above.

A user may generally customize any aspect of the services provided by the system 100, or any other customizable aspect of the system 100, including classification and threshold settings, and access restrictions based on services, location, and monitoring. In some examples, customization generally allows a user to vary the security level, such as higher than the minimum set by the service provider, based on the user's comfort level and/or the location from which the service is accessed. For example, if a user intends to only access a gaming system 100, such as a gaming device 113, in a particular casino, the user may set the system 100 to require biometric data whenever the gaming device is used outside the grounds of the particular casino, such as at another casino. This feature may be used to prevent a situation in which a thief steals a gaming device 113 and attempts to access another casino. Services may be customized for each device 113 independently or for groups of devices.

The system 100 may further be configured to encrypt data, such as physical biometric data, before communicating it from the gaming device 113 to the remote computer 118 over the network 116 for authentication. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished using a one-way encryption algorithm that encrypts the personal authentication data, for example, generating an alphanumeric string from the image data, in one example, having a length of 100 or more. The string may then be communicated to the remote computer 118 for authentication, which is compared to data in the user's profile. The remote computer 118 preferably does not store any personal authentication data in raw, i.e., unencrypted form, but rather the remote computer stores the encrypted string for verification. Thus, a match of the string communicated from the device for personal authentication with the stored string results in validating the user's access to one or more of the services offered by the system 100, within a configurable tolerance. Gaming device 113 may similarly choose not to persistently store raw and/or encrypted personal authentication data and/or to periodically erase it when the data is successfully transmitted to remote computer 118 after verification, or at any time when the data is no longer needed for immediate verification. Thus, in this example, gaming device 113 would be required to retrieve and/or encrypt personal authentication data each time there is a new prompt for such data.

System 100 may similarly revoke access to it using a hardware check mechanism. That is, device 113 may include a reader 150 that obtains information from a corresponding authentication device 155. Authentication device 155 may be any article for storing information, such as a card with a magnetic strip such as a credit card, a key with an RFID transponder, a finite range signal transmitter or other transponder, a smart card, a bracelet or wristband with a signal transmitter such as an RFID signal transmitter, or a substrate with a magnetically encoded signal, a bar code or other optically readable identifier, or any combination thereof. Reader 150 may be a magnetic strip reader, an RF or infrared receiver, an optical scanner, etc.

Thus, the gaming device 113 may 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. Similarly, continued access may be conditioned on the receiving gaming device 113 to continued detection of a signal from the authentication device 155. The signal generated by the authentication device 155 may additionally or alternatively include information stored on the device 155, such as personal authentication data, or any other data that may be used as a key to system access. In one embodiment, the authentication device 155 comprises a token derived from biometric data of an authenticated user, such as an alphanumeric string derived from the user's biometrics. The system 100 may then provide access based on a comparison of the alphanumeric string derived from the biometric sensor reading to the string stored in the authentication device. Alternatively or additionally, the string stored in the authentication device 155 may be used to authenticate the user without the use of other personal authentication data. That is, the authentication device data may be given more weight and used as the primary data for personal authentication.

It should be understood that all or some of the data described herein may be stored in the authentication device 155 and used as a basis for comparison with data acquired for personal authentication. For example, the device 155 may include physical biometric data, such as fingerprint data, which is compared to the received fingerprint data for immediate personal authentication. The data used for the comparison may also be restricted to be stored only in areas within the user's control, such as areas other than the authentication device 155 and/or the gaming device 113. Thus, the verification may be performed locally between the gaming device 113 and the authentication device 155, without the transfer of personal authentication data to the remote computer 118 for this purpose. Alternatively or additionally, the verification may be performed between the remote computer 118 and the authentication device 155.

The functionality disclosed herein may be provided using software residing on both the gaming communication device 113 and the remote computer 118. The software residing on the gaming communication device 113 is preferably operable to provide information corresponding to system services, including betting and non-betting types of gaming, to a user. This information may include, for example, but is not limited to, one or more interface screens, windows, and/or message boxes, pictorial and/or textual representations of objects associated with the service, such as menus, icons, buttons, selectable areas, hyperlinks, etc., having representations of selectable options related to the service. The software on the gaming device is also preferably operable to receive data from the remote computer 118 and data input by a user. The software on the remote computer 118 is preferably capable of exchanging data with the gaming device 118, accessing additional computers and data storage devices, and performing all functions, including back-end functions for the services described herein, as well as those generally associated with a gaming system.

The data described herein as being transferred to or used by the various devices of the gaming system 100 may be in any format necessary or suitable for the services provided to the user. This information may be transmitted in whole or in part in any format, including digital or analog, text or audio, and according to any transmission technology, including wired or wireless technology. Wireless technologies may include licensed or license-exempt technologies. Some specific methods that may be used include, but are not limited to, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio System (GPRS), WiFi (802.11x), WiMax (802.16x), Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), or cable modem technologies. These are exemplary only, and one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other types of communication technologies are within the scope of the present invention. It is further understood that additional components may be used to communicate information between the user and the gaming server. Such additional components may include, but are not limited to, physical communication lines, wireless communication paths, antennas, switches, cables, transmitters, receivers, computers, routers, servers, fiber optic transmitters, repeaters, amplifiers, and the like.

In at least one embodiment, some or all of the data communication may occur over the Internet or without the involvement of the Internet. In some embodiments, some of the information may be transmitted over the Internet while other parts of this information are communicated over a more secure network. For example, image files depicting a roulette table, such as gif or jpg format files, may be communicated over the Internet while game information, such as the results of the spin of the roulette wheel, are communicated in a parallel network and aggregated at the gaming device 113 for display together in a single interface screen. In addition to security considerations, which of the multiple networks handles the split data may be based on the bandwidth of the networks. Thus, larger image files may be transmitted to the device 113 over a WiMax network while smaller data files are transmitted over a cellular network.

2, the communication network 116 may be a cellular network 222. The cellular network 222 includes a number of base stations 223, each of which has a corresponding coverage area. The base stations may have overlapping coverage areas 225. The base stations may have overlapping coverage areas. Furthermore, the coverage areas may be sectorized or non-sectorized. In a cellular network, the gaming devices 113 are typically mobile stations 224, such as cellular phones, that may be temporary in the network. The mobile stations 224 communicate wirelessly via radio frequency signals with the base stations 223. The base stations 223 typically communicate with, for example, the remote computer 118 via POTS, T1-T3, ISDN or other land lines. Each base station is preferably programmed to transmit and receive voice and/or data to and from the mobile station. The gaming devices 113 may connect to the remote computer 118 via a private label cellular carrier. The mobile stations 224 are preferably pre-programmed with the carrier's authentication software to establish a connection with the cellular network.

In one embodiment, the location proof feature for determining the location of the gaming device 113 does so in relation to the location of at least one base station of a 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 direction (azimuth) of the device 113 from the at least one base station. The distance may be determined based on the strength of the transmitted signal received from the gaming device 113. That is, the transmitter of the gaming system device communicates at a fixed transmit power output. The attenuation of the transmitted 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 is measured by the base station and may be determined, for example, by calculation or by reference to a database or table that maps distance against signal strength. The direction may be determined based on the azimuth of the antenna receiving the signal from the device 113. Alternatively or additionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the direction may be determined based on the distance of the device 113 from multiple base stations 223, such as two or three, using techniques such as triangulation, multilateration, etc. Determining the location of a gaming device 113 based on the power level of signals received from the gaming device is not limited to cellular networks, but rather the method is generally applicable to all types of wireless networks, including satellite, WiFi, GPS, LORAN, RFID, etc., and may derive the location of the device 113 based on distance from a base station, if the base station location is known.

3, in one embodiment, the location proof feature may be implemented using geo-fencing. That is, location-based access as disclosed herein is based on the coverage of base stations in a wireless communication network. For example, gaming system 100 may communicate with multiple gaming devices 354, 355, and 356. Device 354 is shown to be located outside gaming jurisdiction or area 358. Devices 355 and 356 are both located inside gaming area 58. However, only device 356 is located within a sub-area or geo-fence 357 defined by the perimeter of the coverage area of multiple base stations 353. Thus, the geo-fence may be used to enable access for device 356 but disable service for devices 354 and 355. Some gaming devices, such as device 355, may be within area 358 and these devices should not be allowed access to gaming system 100 based on their location with respect to geo-fence 357. The base stations may be cellular base stations as described above, or base stations with a relatively short range, such as WiFi or RFID transmitters/receivers located within a hotel's grounds. Short-range base stations may be set up within a grid-like coverage area, for example within the ceiling of a facility, with sufficient spacing to determine the location of the device.

Location proof may be implemented using multiple overlapping and non-overlapping geofences. For example, a geofence 361 may be defined to cover less than all base stations in the network, such as base station 360 including all base stations in a casino. Geofence 360 may be a subset of geofence 357 or may be exclusive from area 357 that may include all base stations in a hotel. In either case, location-based access classifications, thresholds, services, monitoring, etc. may be specific to the geofence. Geofences may further be combined with triangulation and/or location proof techniques to determine the specific location of a device within the geofence. For example, the location of device 356 may be determined based on triangulation of three base stations 353.

Alternatively or additionally, 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 operate alone, in this example, the GPS chip transmits GPS location data to other components of the device, such as processor 122 and/or communications element 124, or part of a single computer chip that combines the functionality of the GPS chip with other elements.

The location proof feature may generally be implemented using an element, i.e., a location proof element, which may be a gaming device 113, a remote computer 118, any of these intermediary components such as a base station or multiple base stations, or a combination thereof. The location proof element may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof, and generally determines the location of the gaming device 113.

In connection with either method of location determination, the gaming system 100 may periodically update the location determination information, which may occur during a game session rather than immediately after login or initial access, for example, at predetermined time intervals to ensure that movement of the gaming device 113 into an unauthorized area during the game session is detected.

4, a method according to at least one embodiment of the methods disclosed herein begins at 402 with initializing the gaming device 113. The initialization depends on the type of gaming device 113. For example, the initialization may simply be powering on the device 113 or may be running a browser application or special purpose software. In one embodiment, the initialization includes communicating an initialization message from the device 113 to the system 100, such as the remote computer 118. The initialization message is generally interpreted by the system 100 as an initial request for access. The initialization message may include information therein that identifies the device and/or user, such as, for example, a unique device identification number, for example, for initial access decisions. The unique device identification number may be a serial number, a mobile phone number, an IP address, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 displays a first interface screen in response to initialization, such as in response to an initialization message, at 404. The first interface screen may be stored locally on the device 113 or communicated to the device 113 via the network 116 for display. The nature of the first interface screen varies depending on the situation. For example, if the device 113 is unable to establish a link with the remote computer 118, the first interface screen may include a message indicating so. Alternatively, upon successful establishment of the required connection, the first interface screen may include at least one form element, such as a text box, for the user to enter an ID, password, or combination thereof to log into the system 100. The ID and/or password may be used to provide the user with certain customized services, generally as a first level of personal authentication. Alternatively or additionally, the customized services may be device specific, in this example, a device identification number may be used to distinguish the particular device 113 from all other devices in the system.

If it is determined at 408 that the user is new and/or the device is not activated, the user and system are registered at 140 and activated for services, respectively. In one embodiment, the user is registered at 412 by receiving personal authentication data such as ID and password, name, identification number, address, credit card number, physical biometric data such as fingerprint scan, iris scan, retina scan, vascular pattern scan, and facial image. The personal authentication data may be authenticated by a third party provider such as a department of motor vehicles, credit rating agency, etc. User preference information may also be received at 414, such as preference information related to error classifications and thresholds, location access restrictions, service restrictions, monitoring restrictions, etc. The personal authentication data may be encrypted at 416 and stored by the remote computer 118 or authentication device 155 as described above, and the device 113 may be activated at 417 for services. Once all of the requirements and/or desired information has been obtained, an interface screen for the appropriate service type is displayed at 430.

If it is determined at 408 that the user and/or device 113, respectively, are not new and not activated, then in one embodiment, the system 100 determines the location of the device 113 at 406. The location of the device 113 may be determined in various ways, as described 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 communicates wirelessly. The base station may be a base station in a cellular network, a WiFi router, an RFID transponder, etc. The location of the device 113 may simply be confirmation that the device 113 is in communication with at least one base station whose location is known. In this manner, it may be determined from this that the device is within an area defined by the communication range of at least one base station. Additionally or alternatively, the location of the device 113 may be determined further based on the distance and direction of the device 113 from one or more base stations, for example, based on the signal power received from the device transmitter, etc. Determining the location of the device may also be accomplished using GPS technology. In any example, the location of device 113 may be communicated and/or received by system 10 for use in providing services, as described herein. The location may be specified in terms of coordinates, such as latitude and longitude, a classification of base stations with which the device communicates, e.g., base stations in a casino versus in a hotel, a geofenced area with betting versus a base station with betting, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 determines 418 a monitoring level associated with the location of the device 113. This may be accomplished, for example, by referencing the monitoring level in a table that contains monitoring level data that is mapped to locations within the service area of the system 100. Alternatively or additionally, the monitoring level may be calculated in real time based on monitoring measurements for the location at that time.

In one embodiment, the system 100 may prompt the user for personal authentication data, such as physical biometric data, based on the location and/or the level of surveillance associated with the location of the device 113. In this example, the system 100 implements a method of surveillance based on this. That is, the specific type and quality of personal authentication data required to access the services of the system 100 is based on the location and/or the level of surveillance associated with the location. For example, in a casino area, the system 100 may not require any physical biometric evidence for access, while a non-casino area may require a physical biometric evidence having at least one item of physical biometric data. Similarly, personal authentication in certain common areas outside the casino may further require a second redundant item of physical biometric data. In the context of surveillance levels, an area with type I surveillance may not require a physical biometric evidence, while an area with type II surveillance may require at least one item of physical biometric data, and an area with type III surveillance may require at least one redundant item of physical biometric data. As discussed above, system 100 may implement an attestation scheme to achieve a target surveillance level. That is, system 100 may determine a surveillance level for a device location and require personal authentication to the extent necessary to meet or exceed the target level. For example, at least one item of redundant attestation data may be required to raise a Type II to a target Type I. Similarly, at least two items of redundant attestation data may be required to raise a Type III to a target Type I.

The personal authentication data may then be compared at 422 with previously stored data, such as with the remote computer 118 and/or authentication device 155. If the personal authentication fails at 424, the system 100 may prompt the user for re-entry or additional data. If the authentication passes, the system 100 may determine at 426 whether there are location-based service restrictions and, at 428, any applicable user preferences associated therewith. That is, the system 100 determines to which of a number of available services the user will be provided access to based on the device's location and/or the monitoring level associated with the location. For example, the system 100 may provide access to all services within the casino, such as betting, entertainment, news, messaging, telephone, IP telephone, etc., when the device 113 is within the casino. Similarly, access to all services other than betting may be provided in all areas. In this regard, the system 100 may block access to betting services in certain areas, such as areas outside the casino.

After personal authentication, an interface screen appropriate for a service may be displayed for the user at device 113. That is, the interface screen displayed to the user includes selectable options therein for accessing the enabled services. Services that are not enabled are preferably blacked out. For example, the interface screen may include menu items, icons, hyperlinks, selectable text and images, etc., for each enabled service that, upon selection, displays the associated interface screen. As discussed above, system 100 may provide the user with access to, for example, a video version of a table game, such as poker. In this example, the associated interface screen may include images for video poker, including playing card images, betting selections, etc. The interface screen preferably includes selectable elements for navigating through the service environment, such as access to other services and/or selectable elements for entering game and wagering commands, such as hit, stay, hold, draw, bet, bet up, bet down, double down, etc.

In one embodiment, the system 100 obtains data to determine whether there has been a change in the user since the previous personal authentication. As described above, the change in the user may be determined based on various types of data, such as, for example, blood pressure, heart or pulse rate, temperature data, behavioral biometric data such as speech, handwriting, keystrokes, body movements, etc., player pattern data such as keystroke speed, speed of menu item or icon selection, size and speed of game commands, betting commands, and other proficiency data. If it is determined at 434 that there may have been a change in the user since the previous personal authentication, the system 100 may prompt the user for personal authentication data at 436, or may respond based on error classifications and thresholds and repeat the personal authentication. The system 100 preferably determines at 438 whether there has been a change in the location of the device 113 and adjusts/enables services accordingly.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, upon reading and understanding this disclosure, various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

(First Addendum) The method of First Addendum 1 includes the steps of: at least one processor determining that a device having a display and a biometric sensor is located in a first area of a plurality of service areas; the at least one processor activating a service on the device located in the first area without prompting a user of the device to enter physical biometric data based on the device being located in the first area, the service including a wagering game; the at least one processor determining that the device is located in a second area of a plurality of service areas; the at least one processor prompting a user of the device to enter a first item of physical biometric data based on the device being located in the second area; the at least one processor receiving the first item of physical biometric data; and the at least one processor activating the service on the device located in the second area based on matching the first item of physical biometric data to another item of physical biometric data associated with the user and obtained prior to receiving the first item of physical biometric data.

The method of first appendix 2, wherein the first item of physical biometric data includes at least one of a fingerprint scan, an iris scan, a retina scan, a vascular pattern scan, and a facial image of the user.

The method of first Supplementary Note 3 is the method of first Supplementary Note 1 or 2, further comprising the steps of: the at least one processor determining that the device is located in a third area of a plurality of service areas; and the at least one processor prohibiting access to the service based on the device being located in the third area.

The method of first Supplementary Note 4, in any of the methods of first Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, further comprises the steps of: after the at least one processor determines that the device is installed in the first area, determining a first surveillance level associated with the first area; and determining, based on the first surveillance level, that there is no need to prompt a user of the device to enter physical biometric data.

The method of first Supplementary Note 5 is the method of first Supplementary Note 4, further comprising the steps of: after the at least one processor determines that the device is located in the second area, determining a second surveillance level associated with the second area; and determining based on the second surveillance level that a user of the device should be prompted to enter the first item of physical biometric data.

The apparatus of first appendix 6 comprises at least one processor and a computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing the processor to execute the method of any of first appendixes 1 to 5.

(Second Addendum) The method of Second Addendum 1 includes the steps of: a processor receiving at least one item of personal authentication data from a device; the processor enabling at least one service on the device based at least in part on a match between the received at least one item of personal authentication data and at least one other item of previously obtained personal authentication data, the at least one service including a wagering-based game; while the at least one service is enabled, the processor receiving data acquired by a sensor of the device, the data including data indicative of bodily movements of a user of the device; following receipt of the data while the at least one service is enabled, the processor receiving data acquired by the sensor of the device, the data including data indicative of an invalid reading by the sensor; and, based at least in part on receiving data including data indicative of bodily movements of the user of the device and data including data indicative of an invalid reading by the sensor, the processor determining whether there has been a change in user and, if it is determined that there has been a change in user, prompting the user of the device to enter personal authentication data.

The method of Second Appendix 2 includes, following activation of the at least one service, the processor obtaining at least one item of user variation data for a user of the device, the at least one item of user variation data including at least one of playing pattern data, keystrokes, speaking style, blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and handwriting; the processor determining that the at least one item of user variation data does not match at least one item of previously obtained user variation data; and based on the processor determining that the at least one item of user variation data does not match at least one item of previously obtained user variation data, prompting the user of the device to enter personal authentication data.

The method of Second Appendix 3 is the method of Second Appendix 2, wherein the step of determining that at least one item of the user variation data does not match at least one item of the previously obtained user variation data includes the processor comparing play pattern data obtained from the user with second previously obtained play pattern data.

The method of Second Supplementary Note 4 includes a step of the processor determining a degree of inconsistency between the at least one item of user change data and the at least one item of previously acquired user change data in response to determining that at least one item of user change data does not match at least one item of previously acquired user change data, and the step of prompting a user of the device to input personal authentication data includes the processor prompting the user based on the degree determined as the degree of inconsistency between the at least one item of user change data and the at least one item of previously acquired user change data.

The method of Second Appendix 5 is characterized in that the personal authentication data is classified into at least a first class and the user's variation data is in at least a second class, the first class being associated with one category of degree of error and the second class being associated with another category of degree of error.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the classification of the error is based on the degree of the error relative to other errors.

The method of Second Supplementary Note 7 is the method of Second Supplementary Note 5, wherein the step of prompting a user of the device to input personal authentication data is triggered based on the processor registering a plurality of second class errors that exceed a configured number of acceptable second class errors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the classes of error and a threshold for the second class of error are user defined.

The method of Second Supplementary Note 9 is the method of Second Supplementary Note 5, wherein the step of prompting a user of the device to input personal authentication data is based on at least one of the processor determining a degree of inconsistency between at least one item of the user variation data and at least one item of the user variation data previously obtained, or the processor registering a plurality of second class errors that exceed a set number of acceptable second class errors.

The method of Second Supplementary Note 10 includes the step of prompting a user of the device to input personal authentication data, followed by the step of the processor determining that a user change has occurred, and the step of the processor blocking access to the at least one service on the device based on the determination.

The method of Second Appendix 11 includes the step of the processor displaying an interface screen, the interface screen including graphical elements associated with the wagering-type game and at least one selectable element for a user to enter at least one of a game command and a wagering command during the wagering-type game. The method of Second Appendix 1 includes the step of:

The apparatus of second appendix 12 includes at least one processor and a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of: receiving at least one item of personal authentication data from the device; activating at least one service on the device based at least in part on matching the received at least one item of personal authentication data with at least one other item of previously obtained personal authentication data, the at least one service including a wagering-based game; and detecting a sensor of the device while the at least one service is activated. receiving data acquired by the sensor of the device following receipt of the data while the at least one service is enabled, the data including data indicative of bodily movements of a user of the device, the data including data indicative of an invalid reading by the sensor, determining whether there has been a change in user based at least in part on receiving data including data indicative of bodily movements of the user of the device and data including data indicative of an invalid reading by the sensor, and prompting the user of the device to enter personal authentication data if it is determined that there has been a change in user.

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a flash memory.

The apparatus of second appendix 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: subsequent to enabling of the at least one service, obtain at least one item of user change data relating to a user of the apparatus, the at least one item of user change data including at least one of playing pattern data, keystrokes, speech pattern, blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and handwriting; and determine that the at least one item of user change data does not match at least one item of previously obtained user change data; and prompting a user of the device to input personal authentication data based on the determined number of acceptable second class errors, the personal authentication data being classified into at least a first class and the user variation data being in at least a second class, the first class being associated with one category of degree of error and the second class being associated with another category of degree of error, the prompting step including determining a degree of inconsistency between at least one item of the user variation data and at least one item of previously obtained user variation data, or registering a number of second class errors that exceed a set number of acceptable second class errors.