Patent Publication Number: US-7713128-B2

Title: Headphone plug with the player tracker

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/796,192, filed May 1, 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to casino gaming machines and to the delivery of user-selectable recorded music while playing on a casino gaming machine, and particularly to a jukebox on a casino gaming machine that provides a system and method for providing an electronic jukebox for the individualized delivery of musical entertainment to a patron of a slot machine, video poker machine, or other casino gaming machine, or to a patron of an online gambling site. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Gambling casinos provide a wide variety of games of chance to attract customers. Traditionally casinos were furnished with rows of mechanically operated slot machines. Players would crank the levers and wait for the dials to stop spinning. Mechanical slot machines could be quite noisy. Most modern casinos have replaced mechanical slot machines with electrically operated slot machines, which are much quieter in operation. In addition, several new electronic gaming machines are available for the solo player, such as video poker. Instead of the traditional coin slot, electronic gaming machines may use a tracking device to charge a player&#39;s account for each game and to credit the player&#39;s account with winnings. 
   A player tracking device is used to provide player tracking services to a player wishing to participate in a player tracking program. Typically, up until now, a player is issued a magnetically striped player tracking card that may be fed into a card reader on the gambling machine. 
   Once accepted, player information contained on the card is used by the casino to track a user&#39;s play on the machine. Based on proprietary player tracking rules, a player may be awarded account credits and incentives to encourage continued play on the machine. The player tracking credits and/or debits and incentives may be stored in a database connected to the player tracking server. The card is usually updated so that the player may travel throughout the casino and play other machines, yet still be credited with historical player tracking data. 
   If a player does not provide the casino gambling machine with a player tracking card, the player may lose out on valuable credits and incentives, notwithstanding intensive use of the participating establishment&#39;s gambling machines. Moreover, the casino loses out on detailed marketing intelligence regarding the player&#39;s usage of their machines. 
   However, magnetic cards may be easily lost or misplaced, and the magnetic strip may become damaged. Moreover, the quiet operation of the machines do little to enhance the player&#39;s excitement and level of enthusiasm. It would be desirable to provide each gaming machine with an individualized music delivery system that permits the player to choose his or her musical selections, to listen to the selections without disturbing players at adjacent machines, and to deliver the music in a manner that permits the casino to charge for providing the music delivery system in a convenient manner. 
   Thus, a jukebox on a casino gaming machine solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The jukebox for casino gaming machines provides a casino gaming machine that has at least one device for playback of audio, and may include a video display for playback of multimedia files. A separate central server in operable communication with a gaming machine client has access to player account information, as well as music, graphics and themes. The client communicates with a jukebox player. The jukebox player accepts and responds to user commands via a user interface. Earphones and earphone plugs are provided. The earphones and plugs host a debit/credit and player tracking system. The earphones and plugs communicate with the server, which debits the player&#39;s account for playing back selections from the jukebox based upon account identification from the tracking system. 
   In an online version, a web page is provided to allow the user to select and experience an entertainment program in its entirety during operational modes of a casino game on a web-enabled device. 
   These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system for providing a jukebox on a casino gaming machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for providing a jukebox on a casino gaming machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a screenshot of an exemplary online casino gaming web page according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method for providing a jukebox for an online casino gaming machine, according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system for a jukebox for an online casino gaming machine according to the present invention. 
   

   Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention provides a casino gaming machine  102  that has at least one audio playback device, and preferably has at least one video display device  109  capable of playback of multimedia files. A separate central server  120  may be in operable communication with a gaming machine client  116 . The separate central server  120  may have access to player or user account information, as well as a jukebox function comprising music, graphics and themes. The user account information may be stored in an account database  122 . Similarly, the music, graphics, and themes information may be stored in a multimedia database  124 . 
   The client  116  communicates with a jukebox player  114 . The jukebox player  114  may be a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, a VHS player, a DVD player, an MP3 player, a musical jukebox, a video jukebox, a computer, a server, or alternatively a media software application, such as, e.g., Windows Media Player®. The jukebox player  114  may be stored on the gaming machine or in a central location separate from the gaming machine  102 . The jukebox player  114  accepts and responds to user commands via a user interface, such as, for example, user interface  112 . User interface  112  provides the user with the capability to preview and listen to, or download songs, music videos, movies, and the like, on at least one of the display screens  109  or  106  on the casino gaming machine  102 . 
   In addition to speakers  118 , earphones  105  and earphone plugs  107  provide a user with the capability to listen to musical songs from the jukebox player  114 . The earphones  105  and plugs  107  may provide a debit/credit and player tracking system. Plugs  107  may have an electronic circuit or chip programmed in the same manner as a traditional plastic player club tracking card, thus providing the user with the capability to use the earphones as a credit card to play the games on machine  102 . The earphones  105  and plugs  107  may communicate via wired, such as a USB cable or other plug connection  110 , or wireless  119  interface, with an enabling device in the casino to allow a user to experience a selected entertainment program in its entirety while the user is operating the casino gaming machine  102 . The enabling device may be the casino gaming machine  102  or some other device located within the casino. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , at step  210 , a player, i.e., user, may first plug in earphones  105  using plugs  107  and plug receptacle  110  at casino gaming machine  102 . At step  215 , the player can select a game, which may be a slot game, video poker game, or other gambling game capable of being presented by machine  102 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , step  220  the server  120  may query the player tracking and credit information in earphone plugs  107  and player earphones  105 . At step  225 , the server  120  may adjust the player account for a selected game, and then store the account information. 
   Account adjustments may be based on the player tracking information and player game request. At step  230  the player can request a jukebox selection from a menu presented on the display  106  or alternate display  109 . At step  235 , the server  120  downloads the entertainment content requested by the player or user. At step  240  the machine  102  plays the entire entertainment content selected by the user. As shown in step  250 , the server  120  adjusts and updates player account and tracking information upon termination of the session with the user. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 through 5 , an online version of the jukebox on a casino gaming machine provides a web page  520  to allow user U to select and experience an entertainment program in its entirety during operational modes of a gambling game on a web-enabled device, such as personal computer  510 . The online embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a gambling game server  530  having database storage  535  that may contain player account information, as well as a jukebox function comprising music, graphics and themes. Server  530  is capable of serving for presentation on a client such games as, but not limited to, Trivia, Backgammon, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Poker, Video Poker, Sci Bo, Red Dog Slots, Keno, and the like. 
   Communication with a user&#39;s web-enabled device, such as, but not limited to, a personal computer  510 , is provided via the Internet  525 . The user U can play the game by viewing a display and listening through a headset (not shown), or speakers  118 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the server  530  may present a gambling game web page  520 . The software provides a jukebox radio button  310  that the user may select for a menu of selectable jukebox items, i.e., entertainment programs. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , after the player logs onto the online gaming site at step  405 , the player is provided with an option to select a game at step  410 . At step  415  the server  530  adjusts and stores the user&#39;s account for the selected game. At step  420  the player may select entertainment content, i.e., programs from the web page  520 . At step  425  the server  530  downloads the requested entertainment content. 
   At step  430  the user&#39;s web enabled device, such as personal computer  510  plays the entire entertainment content selected by the user. At step  440 , after termination of the session, the server  530  adjusts the user&#39;s account and tracking information. 
   It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.