IP Library Granted Patent US 11,954,971
Granted Patent B2
US 11,954,971 · App. 17/747,675 · Granted Apr 9, 2024

Tracking locations of virtual markers

Inventors: Jeffery Shepherd (Reno, NV); Kevin Higgins (Reno, NV)
Assignee: IGT
G07F17/323G07F17/3211
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,954,971
App. No.
17/747,675
Granted
Apr 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods that dynamically assign, responsive to different events occurring, the location of an electronic record associated with an amount of funds accessed from a gaming establishment credit system.

Claims (37)

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

responsive to a marker creation event occurring in association with a gaming establishment device at a first location:

create, in a database, a record of a virtual marker associated with an amount of funds,

assign, in the database, the record of the virtual marker as being located at the first location, and

communicate data that results in a display, by a display device, of the amount of funds being available in association with the gaming establishment device, and

responsive to a marker transfer event occurring, assign, in the database, the record of the virtual marker as being located at a second, different location.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gaming establishment device comprises any of an electronic gaming machine, a gaming table component associated with a gaming table, a mobile gaming table component associated with a plurality of gaming tables, a kiosk, and a retail point-of-sale terminal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second, different location comprises a gaming establishment credit system interface.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs after escrowing the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker upon a determination that the record of the virtual marker is located, in the database, as being located remote from the second, different location.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs a predetermined amount of time after the occurrence of the marker creation event.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs responsive to an input received via an input device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs responsive to an attempted repayment of the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker at the second, different location and a determination that the record of the virtual marker is located, in the database, as being located remote from the second, different location.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker comprises any of funds accessed from a gaming establishment credit system and funds accessed from front money maintained by a gaming establishment fund management system.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to an attempted repayment of an amount of funds owed on a virtual marker associated with a user, cause the processor to:

determine a location, in a database, of a record of the virtual marker,

responsive to the determined location, in the database, of the record of the virtual marker corresponding to an authorized repayment location, modify, in the database, the amount of funds owed on the virtual marker associated with the user, and

responsive to the determined location, in the database, of the record of the virtual marker not corresponding to the authorized repayment location, maintain, in the database, the amount of funds owed on the virtual marker associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to the determined location, in the database, of the record of the virtual marker not corresponding to the authorized repayment location, cause the processor to cause the amount of funds to be held in a gaming establishment account associated with the user until the record of the virtual marker corresponds, in the database, with the authorized repayment location.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the record of the virtual marker corresponds, in the database, with the authorized repayment location in association with the user completing the attempted repayment at the authorized repayment location.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to the determined location, in the database, of the record of the virtual marker not corresponding to the authorized repayment location, cause the processor to escrow the amount of funds until the record of the virtual marker corresponds, in the database, with the authorized repayment location.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the record of the virtual marker corresponds, in the database, with the authorized repayment location in association with the user completing the attempted repayment at the authorized repayment location.

14. A method of operating a system, the method comprising:

responsive to a marker creation event occurring in association with a gaming establishment device at a first location:

creating, by a processor and in a database, a record of a virtual marker associated with an amount of funds,

assigning, by the processor and in the database, the record of the virtual marker as being located at the first location, and

displaying, by a display device, the amount of funds being available in association with the gaming establishment device, and

responsive to a marker transfer event occurring, assigning, by the processor and in the database, the record of the virtual marker as being located at a second, different location.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the gaming establishment device comprises any of an electronic gaming machine, a gaming table component associated with a gaming table, a mobile gaming table component associated with a plurality of gaming tables, a kiosk, and a retail point-of-sale terminal.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second, different location comprises a gaming establishment credit system interface.

17. The method of claim 3 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs after escrowing the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker upon a determination that the record of the virtual marker is located, in the database, as being located remote from the second, different location.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs a predetermined amount of time after the occurrence of the marker creation event.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs responsive to an input received via an input device.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs responsive to an attempted repayment of the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker at the second, different location and a determination that the record of the virtual marker is located, in the database, as being located remote from the second, different location.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2025
From: IGT
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071817/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2022
From: SHEPHERD, JEFFERY; HIGGINS, KEVIN
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 059962/0270 →
Continuity (1)
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