IP Library Granted Patent US 8,568,212
Granted Patent B2
US 8,568,212 · App. 13/125,356 · Granted Oct 29, 2013

Living digital achievements

Inventors: Mark B. Gagner (West Chicago, IL); Damon E. Gura (Chicago, IL); Krishnakumar Meluveettil (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: WMS Gaming, Inc
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,568,212
App. No.
13/125,356
Granted
Oct 29, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for granting and managing dynamic digital achievements can grant dynamic digital achievements in a controlled manner to encourage player participation in wagering game establishments. A dynamic digital achievement lives beyond an initial grant and can exhibit different behaviors over time and/or in combination with other digital achievements. The dynamic digital achievements can comprise an image, a sequence of images, video, executable code, audio, etc. The dynamic behavior of a digital achievement can increase interest in the digital achievement, thus increasing interest in the corresponding activity, whether wagering game activity or non-wagering game activity. Moreover, the system for granting and managing dynamic digital achievements is not limited to wagering game networks. The system can interface with other vendor systems and cause a dynamic digital achievement to exhibit behavior based on activity by a player in a non-gaming environment.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

associating a dynamic digital achievement with a player identifier, wherein the dynamic digital achievement exhibits a first behavior at a device that presents a wagering game;

updating a structure associated with the player identifier to reflect granting of the dynamic digital achievement, wherein the structure indicates achievements associated with the player identifier from a wagering game machine and an online social community;

receiving, from the device, notification of an event corresponding to wagering game activity of the wagering game, wherein the notification indicates the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement associated with the player identifier;

determining an update for the dynamic digital achievement based, at least in part, on the achievements indicated in the structure from both the wagering game machine and the online social community, the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement indicated in the notification, wherein applying the update to the dynamic digital achievement will cause the dynamic digital achievement to exhibit a second behavior at the device and wherein the update comprises at least one of program code to overwrite current program code of the dynamic digital achievement, content to overwrite current content of the dynamic digital achievement, additional program code for the dynamic digital achievement, additional content for the dynamic digital achievement, and one or more values to apply to the digital achievement; and

transmitting the update to the device for the device to apply the update to the dynamic digital achievement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the dynamic digital achievement based, at least in part, on at least one of wagering game activity associated with the player identifier and online social community activity associated with the player identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the update comprises one or more of executable code, an image, a sequence of images, video, audio, and a reference.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining the update for the dynamic digital achievement comprises accessing a structure that tracks dynamic digital achievements, wherein the structure associates different updates with different combinations of dynamic digital achievements and events corresponding to wagering game activities.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising evaluating data associated with the player identifier and the dynamic digital achievement against a policy to determine availability of the update.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining purchasing activity associated with the player identifier at a vendor;

determining that the purchasing activity is associated with a second update for the dynamic digital achievement; and

indicating grant of the second update to the player.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting the second update to a second device associated with the player identifier.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising updating the structure to indicate availability of the update for the player.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said associating the dynamic digital achievement with the player identifier comprises associating the dynamic digital achievement with an anonymous identifier associated with a player.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the player identifier comprises one of a mobile phone number, an RFID tag, an Ethernet address, and a temporary player identifier.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a set of one or more tasks with the player identifier, wherein grant of the dynamic digital achievement depends on completion of the set of one or more tasks by a team; and

determining that the set of one or more tasks have been completed by the team.

12. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions executable to:

associate a dynamic digital achievement with a player identifier, wherein the dynamic digital achievement exhibits a first behavior at a device that presents a wagering game;

update a structure associated with the player identifier to reflect granting of the dynamic digital achievement, wherein the structure indicates achievements associated with the player identifier from a wagering game machine and an online social community;

receive, from the device, notification of an event corresponding to wagering game activity of the wagering game, wherein the notification indicates the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement;

determine an update for the dynamic digital achievement based, at least in part, on the achievements indicated in the structure from both the wagering game machine and the online social community, the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement indicated in the notification, wherein applying the update to the dynamic digital achievement will cause the dynamic digital achievement to exhibit a second behavior at the device and wherein the update comprises at least one of program code to overwrite current program code of the dynamic digital achievement, content to overwrite current content of the dynamic digital achievement, additional program code for the dynamic digital achievement, additional content for the dynamic digital achievement, and one or more values to apply to the digital achievement; and

transmit the update to the device for the device to apply the update to the dynamic digital achievement.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12 further comprising program instructions executable to determine the dynamic digital achievement based, at least in part, on at least one of wagering game activity associated with the player identifier and online social community activity associated with the player identifier.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the update comprises one or more of executable code, an image, a sequence of images, video, audio, and a reference.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions executable to determine the update for the dynamic digital achievement comprises program instructions executable to access a structure that tracks dynamic digital achievements, wherein the structure associates different updates with different combinations of dynamic digital achievements and events corresponding to wagering game activities.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 15 further comprising program instructions executable to evaluate data associated with the player identifier and the dynamic digital achievement against a policy to determine availability of the update.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 16 further comprising program instructions executable to:

determine purchasing activity associated with the player identifier at a vendor;

determine that the purchasing activity is associated with a second update for the dynamic digital achievement; and

indicate grant of the second update to the player.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

machine-readable media having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to,

associate a dynamic digital achievement with a player identifier, wherein the dynamic digital achievement exhibits a first behavior at a device that presents a wagering game;

update a structure associated with the player identifier to reflect granting of the dynamic digital achievement, wherein the structure indicates achievements associated with the player identifier from a wagering game machine and an online social community;

receive, from the device, notification of an event corresponding to wagering game activity of the wagering game, wherein the notification indicates the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement;

determine an update for the dynamic digital achievement based, at least in part, on the achievements indicated in the structure from both the wagering game machine and the online social community, the event, the player identifier, and the dynamic digital achievement indicated in the notification, wherein applying the update to the dynamic digital achievement will cause the dynamic digital achievement to exhibit a second behavior at the device and wherein the update comprises at least one of program code to overwrite current program code of the dynamic digital achievement, content to overwrite current content of the dynamic digital achievement, additional program code for the dynamic digital achievement, additional content for the dynamic digital achievement, and one or more values to apply to the digital achievement; and

transmit the update to the device for the device to apply the update to the dynamic digital achievement.

Assignments (11)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: LNW GAMING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071340/0404 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE NUMBERS 7963843, 8016666, 9076281, AND 9257001 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051642 FRAME: 0910. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 21, 2023
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 063122/0307 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 7, 2023
From: SG GAMING, INC.
To: LNW GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 062669/0341 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2022
From: SG GAMING INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 059793/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; DON BEST SPORTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059756/0397 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 19, 2020
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051642/0910 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045909/0513 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044889/0662 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 29, 2015
From: WMS GAMING INC.
To: BALLY GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 036225/0464 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 18, 2013
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031847/0110 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2012
From: GAGNER, MARK B.; GURA, DAMON E.; MELUVEETTIL, KRISBNAKUMAR
To: WMS GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 028759/0327 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61107004 · Oct 21, 2008
Related Publication 20110201415A1 · Aug 18, 2011