Networked gaming system including a live floor view module

Abstract

A networked gaming system includes one or more gaming machines connected to a network, a network-connected user station having a user interface and a display. The networked gaming system further includes a host computer system having an environment module enabled to capture, analyze, and present both historical data stored in at least one data storage device and real-time gaming data from the gaming machines in accordance with one or more requests from the user station.

1 . A gaming floor monitoring system to at least monitor a plurality of gaming machines disposed about a gaming floor, each one of the plurality of gaming machines configured to provide respective activity data via a network to which the plurality of gaming machines are communicatively coupled, gaming floor monitoring system comprising:
 a user control station communicatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines through the network, the user control station including:
 at least one display device; 
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one processor readable storage medium that stores processor executable instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming machine related information and in response to the processed gaming machine related information the at least one processor causes the at least one display device to: 
 display a respective virtual multi-dimensional graphical representation of at least a first portion of the gaming floor; 
 display a first number of virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that correspond to an equal first number of gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines in an arrangement matching an arrangement of the corresponding first number of gaming machines, each one of first number of gaming machines being arranged within an outer periphery that defines the at least first portion of the gaming floor; and 
 display at least one of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of a respective one of the gaming machines of the first number of virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines with a first visual indicator that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the respective gaming machine determined from the processed gaming machine related information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor causes the display of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representation of at least the first portion of the gaming floor and the first number of virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines in a first virtual three-dimensional isometric/perspective graphical representation that is based at least on a first reference view-point, the first reference view-point being an isometric/perspective view-point. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor
 receives user input indicative of a selection of a second reference view-point, wherein the second reference view-point corresponds to at least one of the following: the second reference view-point being closer to the at least first portion of the gaming floor than the first reference view-point; the second reference view-point being farther from the at least first portion of the gaming floor than the first reference view-point; or the second reference view-point and the first reference view-point being rotationally offset about at least one axis; and the at least one processor causes: 
 causes display of a virtual second three-dimensional isometric/perspective graphical representation of at least a second portion of the gaming floor and of a second number of virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that correspond to an equal second number of gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines arranged within an outer periphery of the second portion of the gaming floor based at least on the second reference view-point. 
 
     
     
         4 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor further causes:
 display of a user dimensional-view selector that is indicative of one of a three-dimensional isometric/perspective view-point or a two-dimensional plan view-point, and 
 receives user input indicative of a selection of one of the isometric/perspective view-point or the plan view-point from the user dimensional-view selector. 
 
     
     
         5 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor causes display of the at least first portion of the gaming floor and the first number of multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines in a first three-dimensional plan graphical representation that is based at least on a first reference view-point, the first reference view-point being a two-dimensional plan view-point. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 5  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives user input indicative of a selection of a second reference view-point, wherein the second reference view-point corresponds to at least one of the following: the second reference view-point being closer to the at least first portion of the gaming floor than the first reference view-point; the second reference view-point being farther from the at least first portion of the gaming floor than the first reference view-point; or the second reference view-point and the first reference view-point being rotationally offset about at least one axis; and 
 causes display of a second virtual two-dimensional plan graphical representation of at least a second portion of the gaming floor and of a second number multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that correspond to an equal second number of gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines arranged within an outer periphery of the second portion of the gaming floor based at least on the second reference view-point. 
 
     
     
         7 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 5  wherein the at least one processor:
 provides a user dimensional-view selector that is indicative of one of a three dimensional isometric/perspective view-point or a two dimensional plan view-point; and 
 receives user input indicative of a selection of one of the isometric/perspective view-point or the plan view-point from the user dimensional-view selector. 
 
     
     
         8 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives user input indicative of selection of at least two of the gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines, and 
 causes display of at least two multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that correspond to the at least two selected gaming machines with the first visual indicator based at least on the received user input. 
 
     
     
         9 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one processor causes:
 display of each respective multi-dimensional graphical representation of a respective gaming machine with a respective second visual indicator that is different from the first visual indicator for each one of the first number of multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that does not correspond to a respective one of the at least two selected gaming machines. 
 
     
     
         10 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 9  wherein the first visual indicator is a first color and the respective second visual indicator is a second color that is different from the first color for each one of the first number of multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines that does not correspond to a respective one of the at least two selected gaming machines. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor:
 for each gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, receives respective game play data from a respective gaming machine; 
 for each respective gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, calculates a respective value for a respective measure quantity based at least on the respective game play from the respective gaming machine; 
 determines a respective maximum value and a respective minimum value of a measured quantity based at least on the game play data from the respective gaming machines; 
 estimates a respective total range of values for the measured quantity based at least on the respective maximum value and the respective minimum value; 
 varies the respective total range of values by at least one change of the respective maximum value and the respective minimum value; and 
 logically associates the first visual indicator with a respective gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines based at least on the respective total range of values and the respective calculated value of the respective gaming machine. 
 
     
     
         12 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 11  wherein the at least one processor determines whether the respective value of the calculated quantity is at least equal to a threshold value for each respective gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, and logically associates the first visual indicator with a respective gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines only if the respective value of the calculated quantity for respective gaming machine is at least equal to the threshold value. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 11  wherein the at least one processor further:
 for each at least one virtual multi-dimensional graphical representation of a respective gaming machine: 
 logically associates a respective gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines with a respective range of values of a plurality of ranges of values based at least on the respective value of the calculated quantity for the respective gaming machine being within the associated range of values, and logically associates each respective range of values with a respective visual indicator of a plurality of visual indicators, wherein each range of values has a respective visual indicator associated therewith that is different from all other visual indicators of the plurality of visual indicators. 
 
     
     
         14 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of visual indicators are colors in accordance with a graduated color scheme extending between a first color and a second color associated, wherein the plurality of ranges of values consists of a number of ranges ordered from a lowest range of values associated with the first color to a highest range of values associated with the second color, from the lowest range of values to the highest range of values, each respective range of values being associated a respective visual indicator in accordance with the graduated color scheme. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a manufacturer of each respective one of the gaming machines, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of a color logically associated the determined manufacturer of the respective gaming machine. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a manufacturer of each respective one of the gaming machines, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of an icon logically associated the determined manufacturer of the respective gaming machine. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a statistical performance of each respective one of the gaming machines or player playing at the gaming machine, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of a color logically associated with the determined statistical performance of the respective gaming machine or player. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 17  wherein the statistical performance is indicative of a difference between actual wins or losses and statistically predicted wins or losses. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a statistical performance of each respective one of the gaming machines, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of an icon logically associated with the determined statistical performance of the respective gaming machine. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a respective statistical performances of each of a number of players playing at the gaming machines, and causes display of an icon logically associated with ones of the players having a determined statistical performance that meets a defined criteria, the display of the icon located at least proximate one of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines which represents the gaming machine at which the respective player is currently playing. 
     
     
         21 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a metered performance of each respective one of the gaming machines, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of a color logically associated the determined metered performance of the respective gaming machine. 
     
     
         22 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 21  wherein the metered performance is indicative of at least one of coin in or coin out. 
     
     
         23 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor processes the gaming machine related information at least in part to determine a statistical performance of each respective one of the gaming machines or player playing at the gaming machine, and for each of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines causes display of an icon logically associated the determined statistical performance of the respective gaming machine or player. 
     
     
         24 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor further causes display of a window with player specific information. 
     
     
         25 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor further causes display of at least one virtual representation of an architectural element of the casino floor. 
     
     
         26 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor further causes display of at least one menu in response to a user selection of one of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines. 
     
     
         27 . The gaming floor monitoring system of  claim 26  wherein the displayed at least one menu allows remote management or configuration of a respective one of the gaming machines represented by the user selected one of the virtual multi-dimensional graphical representations of gaming machines.