METHOD FOR LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING PLAYERS ON A NETWORK OF GAMING MACHINES
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for locating and identifying players on a network of gaming machines. A player's name or a gaming machine number is searched on a mobile computing device that is operatively connected to the network. A match of a name displays the gaming machine where the player is playing. A match of a gaming machine indicates whether an identified player is playing the gaming machine, and if so, displays the player's name.
1 . A method for clearing a jammed bill acceptor in an electronic gaming machine and for monitoring performance of an employee who clears the jammed bill acceptor, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of floor areas in the casino, each floor area including a predefined number of electronic gaming machines, at least some of which include a bill acceptor for accepting at least one of paper money and printed tickets for applying a credit balance to an associated electronic gaming machine;
storing the plurality of floor areas in a database;
creating a list of casino employees each having at least one associated floor area and at least one of a plurality of qualifications to repair, to maintain, or to provide supplies to the electronic gaming machine;
associating at least one of the plurality of qualifications with clearing of a jammed bill acceptor;
storing the list of casino employees in the database;
equipping at least some of the casino employees on the list with a mobile device;
monitoring a network of the electronic gaming machines in the casino;
detecting via the network that one of the electronic gaming machines has a jammed bill acceptor that requires clearing;
accessing the database via a computer operatively connected to the network;
determining via the computer a first casino employee in the database associated with the floor area including the one electronic gaming machine and having the associated at least one of the plurality of qualifications with the clearing of a jammed bill acceptor;
generating a call to provide the required clearing of the jammed bill acceptor at the one electronic gaming machine;
automatically sending a first call signal via wireless communication to the mobile device carried by the first determined casino employee, wherein the first call signal activates a software application on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee to cause the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee to make a first audible notification;
determining whether a call-acceptance signal is received responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has accepted the call;
when the call-acceptance signal is received,
receiving a call-arrival signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has arrived at the one electronic gaming machine,
receiving a call-completion signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has cleared the jammed bill acceptor and completed the call;
logging the times of the first call signal, the call-acceptance signal, the call-arrival signal, and the call-completion signal, and
analyzing at least some of the logged times to determine a call-commute time and a call-completion time for the first casino employee; and
when the call-acceptance signal from the first determined employee is not received:
sending a second call signal via the wireless communication to the mobile device carried by a second casino employee, wherein the second call signal activates a software application on the mobile computing device carried by the second casino employee to cause the mobile computing device carried by the second casino employee to make a second audible notification;
receiving a call-acceptance signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has accepted the call;
receiving a call-arrival signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has arrived at the one electronic gaming machine;
receiving a call-completion signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has cleared the jammed bill acceptor and completed the call at the one electronic gaming machine; and
logging the times of the second call signal, the second call-arrival signal, and the second call-completion signal.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a status of a current call for the one casino employee on the screen of the another computing device.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a call-deferral signal from the first casino employee responsive to the first call signal.
4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising logging additional call-deferral signals from the first casino employee.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein each floor area is associated with at least one adjoining floor area in the casino.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the casino employees are selected from the at least one associated floor area or the at least one adjoining floor area.
7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising logging additional call-quit signals from the first casino employee.
8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a call-quit signal from the first casino employee after receiving a call-acceptance signal from the first casino employee.
9 . A method for dispatching a casino employee to an electronic gaming machine and for monitoring performance of the employee, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of floor areas in the casino, each floor area including a predefined number of electronic gaming machines;
storing the plurality of floor areas in a database;
creating a list of casino employees each having at least one associated floor area and at least one of a plurality of qualifications to repair, to maintain, or to provide supplies to the electronic gaming machine;
storing the list of casino employees in the database;
equipping at least some of the casino employees on the list with a mobile device;
monitoring a network of the electronic gaming machines in the casino;
detecting via the network that one of the electronic gaming machines requires repair, maintenance, or supplies;
accessing the database via a computer operatively connected to the network;
determining via the computer a first casino employee in the database associated with the floor area including the one electronic gaming machine and having the associated at least one of the plurality of qualification with the required repair, maintenance, or provision of supplies;
generating a call to provide the required repair, maintenance, or supplies to the one electronic gaming machine;
automatically sending a first call signal via wireless communication to the mobile device carried by the first determined casino employee;
determining whether a call-acceptance signal is received responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has accepted the call;
when the call-acceptance signal is received,
receiving a call-arrival signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has arrived at the one electronic gaming machine,
receiving a call-completion signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the first determined employee indicating that he or she has completed the call;
logging the times of the first call signal, the call-acceptance signal, the call-arrival signal, and the call-completion signal, and
analyzing at least some of the logged times to determine a call-commute time and a call-completion time for the first casino employee; and
when the call-acceptance signal from the first determined employee is not received:
sending a second call signal via the wireless communication to the mobile device carried by a second casino employee;
receiving a call-acceptance signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has accepted the call;
receiving a call-arrival signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has arrived at the one electronic gaming machine;
receiving a call-completion signal responsive to an input on the mobile computing device carried by the second employee indicating that he or she has completed the call at the one electronic gaming machine; and
logging the times of the second call signal, the second call-arrival signal, and the second call-completion signal.
10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying a status of a current call for the one casino employee on the screen of the another computing device.
11 . The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a call-deferral signal from the first casino employee responsive to the first call signal.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising logging additional call-deferral signals from the first casino employee.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein each floor area is associated with at least one adjoining floor area in the casino.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the casino employees are selected from the at least one associated floor area or the at least one adjoining floor area.
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising logging additional call-quit signals from the first casino employee.
16 . The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a call-quit signal from the first casino employee after receiving a call-acceptance signal from the first casino employee.