IP Library Granted Patent US 12,462,643
Granted Patent B2
US 12,462,643 · App. 18/597,359 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

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 12,462,643
App. No.
18/597,359
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
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 (31)

1 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to a marker transfer event occurring in association with a virtual marker associated with an amount of funds, cause the processor to:

modify a record of the virtual marker from being located at a first location to being located at a second, different location, and

responsive to the second, different location being associated with a gaming establishment device, 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.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gaming establishment device comprises one 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 gaming establishment device comprises an interface to a gaming establishment credit system.

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 remote from the second, different location.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the marker transfer event occurs a predetermined amount of time after an occurrence of a 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 remote from the second, different location.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker comprises at least one 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 of a record of the virtual marker, and

responsive to the determined location of the record of the virtual marker corresponding to an authorized repayment location, modify 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 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 with the authorized repayment location.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the record of the virtual marker corresponds 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 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 with the authorized repayment location.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the record of the virtual marker corresponds 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 transfer event occurring in association with a virtual marker associated with an amount of funds:

modifying, by a processor, a record of the virtual marker from being located at a first location to being located at a second, different location, and

responsive to the second, different location being associated with a gaming establishment device, displaying, by a display device, the amount of funds being available in association with the gaming establishment device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the gaming establishment device comprises one 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 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 remote from an interface to a gaming establishment credit system.

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

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

19 . 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 remote from the second, different location.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the amount of funds associated with the virtual marker comprises at least one of funds accessed from a gaming establishment credit system and funds accessed from front money maintained by a gaming establishment fund management system.

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 Mar 7, 2024
From: SHEPHERD, JEFFERY; HIGGINS, KEVIN
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 066678/0569 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17747675 · May 18, 2022
Related Publication 20240249588A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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