Patent ID: 8678912

Claim:
A player tracking unit comprising: a display; a non-volatile memory; at least one input device configured to receive selections associated with interfaces displayed on the display; a communication board configured to communicate with one or more remote gaming devices; and a player tracking controller configured to operate with the display, the non-volatile memory, the at least one input device, and the communication board to: (a) track wagering activity on a gaming machine enabling wagering on a game of chance; (b) switch the player tracking unit between at least a first state and a second different state; (c) before switching the player tracking unit from the first state to the second state, store designated state information for the first state to the non-volatile memory such that the first state may be restored; (d) before switching the player tracking unit from the second state to the first state, store designated state information for the second state to the non-volatile memory such that the second state may be restored; (e) when a malfunction occurs when switching the player tracking unit from the first state to the second state, restore the first state using the state information for the first state stored in the non-volatile memory; and (f) when the malfunction occurs when switching the player tracking unit from the second state to the first state, restore the second state using the state information for the second state stored in the non-volatile memory.