Location Detection for Portable Wagering Game Machines

1 . A passive location detection system comprising:

a plurality of wireless signal sources arranged in predetermined physical locations in a gaming establishment, each of the plurality being configured to provide a signal that includes at least one of location information or identity information of the respective wireless signal source of the plurality;

a location server including one or more processors configured, individually or in combination, to determine a location of a handheld wagering game machine in the gaming establishment, the handheld wagering game machine including a location detection component; and

wherein two or more wireless signal sources of the plurality are configured to establish communication with the handheld wagering game machine at a particular location, wherein the handheld wagering game machine, via the location detection component, is configured to receive the respective signals from the two or more wireless signal sources and to transmit, via the location detection component, the location information or the identity information contained in the received signals to the location server, wherein the one or more processors determine the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine based, at least in part, on the location information or the identity information.

2 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless signal sources includes wireless access points.

3 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless signal sources includes transmitter beacons.

4 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined physical locations correspond to a grid coordinate system, and wherein each signal includes coordinate information corresponding to the grid coordinate system.

5 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein location detection component is further configured to receive signals from a plurality of wireless signal source types, and to instantiate a signal monitor for each type of wireless signal source supported by the location detection component.

6 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein the location detection component is configured to analyze signal strengths of received signals and to include signal strength data with the location information or identity information transmitted to the location server for use in determining the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine.

7 . The passive location detection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless signal sources are further configured to encode the provided signals according to a coding format and wherein instructions for decoding the encoded signals are known only to the location server.

8 . The passive location detection system of claim 7 , wherein a coding format for encoding the provided signals is changed frequently in a random or unpredictable manner.

9 . A method of determining a physical location of a handheld wagering game machine via a system including a location server and a plurality of wireless signal sources arranged in predetermined physical locations in a gaming establishment, the method comprising:

providing, via each of the plurality of wireless signal sources, a signal that includes at least one of location information or identity information of the respective wireless signal source;

receiving, by the handheld wagering game machine while at a particular location, signals from two or more wireless signal sources of the plurality;

transmitting, from the handheld wagering game machine to the location server, the location information or identity information contained in the received signals; and

determining, by one or more processors of the location server, the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine based, at least in part, on the location information or identity information.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the location information or identity information transmitted to the location server includes received signal strength, and wherein determining the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine includes using the received signal strength to interpolate the particular location.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising encoding the signals provided by the plurality of wireless signal sources according to a coding format, wherein instructions for decoding the encoded signal are known only to the location server.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coding format for encoding the signals is changed frequently in a random or unpredictable manner.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the location detection component is configured to analyze arrival times of received signals and to include arrival time data with the location information or identity information transmitted to the location server for use in determining the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the signals provided by each of the wireless signal sources further includes at least one of wagering game-related data, accounting data, or player tracking data.

15 . A passive location detection system comprising:

a plurality of wireless signal sources arranged in predetermined physical locations in a gaming establishment, each of the plurality being configured to provide a signal encoded via a coding format, each encoded signal including at least one of location information or identity information of the respective wireless signal source of the plurality;

a location server including one or more processors configured, individually or in combination, to determine a location of a handheld wagering game machine in the gaming establishment, the handheld wagering game machine including a location detection component; and

wherein the handheld wagering game machine at a particular location is configured to establish communication with two or more wireless signal sources of the plurality and to receive the encoded signals, via the location detection component, from the two or more wireless signal sources and to transmit, via the location detection component, the received encoded signals to the location server, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to decode the signals and to determine the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine based, at least in part, on the location information or the identity information.

16 . The passive location detection system of claim 15 , wherein the coding format for encoding the signals is changed frequently in a random or unpredictable manner.

17 . The passive location detection system of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined physical locations correspond to a grid coordinate system, and wherein the each signal includes coordinate information corresponding to the grid coordinate system.

18 . The passive location detection system of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined physical locations of the plurality are stored in a database at the location server, and wherein the particular location is determined by reference to the database.

19 . The passive location detection system of claim 15 , wherein the location detection component is configured to analyze signal strengths of received signals and to include signal strength data with the location information or identity information transmitted to the location server for use in determining the particular location of the handheld wagering game machine.

20 . The passive location detection system of claim 15 , wherein the coded signals provided by each of the wireless signal sources further includes at least one of wagering game-related data, accounting data, or player tracking data.