Multipurpose egm/player tracking device and system

Abstract

A system for providing gaming related services is described herein. The system includes a plurality of gaming devices and a plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices. Each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices is coupled to a corresponding gaming device for providing gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device. Each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device is adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device using a plurality of EGM communications protocols.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system, comprising
 a plurality of gaming devices; and   a plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices, each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices coupled to a corresponding gaming device for providing gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device, each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device using a plurality of EGM communications protocols.   
     
     
         2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device includes a processor adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device, the processor for determining an EGM communications protocol associated with the corresponding gaming device and for transmitting data indicative of the gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device using the determined EGM communications protocol. 
     
     
         3 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device coupled to a first gaming device; and   a second multipurpose EGM/player tracking device coupled to a second gaming device, the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device communicating with the first gaming device using a first EGM communications protocol, the second multipurpose EGM/player tracking device communicating with the second gaming device using a second EGM communications protocol that is different than the first EGM communications protocol.   
     
     
         4 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the gaming related services includes at least one of EGM gaming services, player services, and gaming attendant EGM interaction services. 
     
     
         5 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a server computer coupled to each of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices for providing the gaming related services to each of the plurality of gaming devices. 
     
     
         6 . A system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device is adapted to communicate with the server computer using a system communications protocol that is different from each of the plurality of EGM communications protocols. 
     
     
         7 . A system in accordance with  claim 5 , system further comprises a plurality of middleware servers coupled to the server computer, each of the plurality of middleware servers adapted to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices for providing gaming services from the server computer to the at least one of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices. 
     
     
         8 . A system in accordance with  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first middleware server coupled to a first set of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices; and   a second middleware server coupled to a second set of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices that is different than the first set.   
     
     
         9 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices includes an associated unique identifier, the server computer has a first table associated with the first middleware server and a second table associated with the second middleware server, wherein the unique identifier of a first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device is stored within the first table, the server computer adapted to transfer the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device unique identifier from the first table to the second table to enable the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device and the corresponding gaming device to be disconnected from the first middleware server and to be connected to the second middleware server. 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising
 a plurality of gaming devices;   a server computer for providing gaming related services to each one of the plurality of gaming device; and   a plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices coupled to the server computer, each of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices coupled to a corresponding gaming device for providing the gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device, each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device using a plurality of EGM communications protocols.   
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices includes a processor adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device, the processor for determining an EGM communications protocol associated with the corresponding gaming device and for transmitting data indicative of the gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device using the determined EGM communications protocol. 
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device coupled to a first gaming device; and   a second multipurpose EGM/player tracking device coupled to a second gaming device, the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device communicating with the first gaming device using a first EGM communications protocol, the second multipurpose EGM/player tracking device communicating with the second gaming device using a second EGM communications protocol that is different than the first EGM communications protocol.   
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices is adapted to communication with the server computer using a system communications protocol that is different from the corresponding EGM communications protocol. 
     
     
         14 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of middleware servers coupled to the server computer, each of the plurality of middleware servers being coupled to at least one multipurpose EGM/player tracking device of the plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices for providing gaming services from the server computer to the corresponding multipurpose EGM/player tracking device. 
     
     
         15 . A system in accordance with  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first middleware server coupled to a first set of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices; and   a second middleware server coupled to a second set of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices that is different from the first set.   
     
     
         16 . A system in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices includes an associated unique identifier, the server computer has a first table associated with the first middleware server and a second table associated with the second middleware server, wherein the unique identifier of a first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device is stored within the first table, the server computer adapted to transfer the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device unique identifier from the first table to the second table to enable the first multipurpose EGM/player tracking device and the corresponding gaming device to be disconnected from the first middleware server and to be connected to the second middleware server. 
     
     
         17 . A method of providing gaming services, comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of gaming devices;   providing a plurality of multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices, each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device being coupled to a corresponding gaming device for providing gaming related services to the corresponding gaming device, each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device adapted to communicate with the corresponding gaming device using a plurality of EGM communications protocols; and,   for each gaming device:
 determining, by a corresponding multipurpose EGM/player tracking device, an EGM communications protocol associated with the gaming device; and 
 transmitting data indicative of the gaming related services from the corresponding multipurpose EGM/player tracking device to the gaming device using the determined EGM communications protocol. 
   
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a server computer being coupled to each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices; and   transmitting data indicative of the gaming related services between each of the multipurpose EGM/player tracking devices and the server computer using a system communications protocol that is different from each of the plurality of EGM communications protocols.   
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 18 , further comprising the step of providing a plurality of middleware servers being coupled to the server computer, each of the plurality of middleware servers adapted to be coupled to at least one multipurpose EGM/player tracking device for providing gaming services from the server computer to the at least one multipurpose EGM/player tracking device. 
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance with  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 assigning a unique identifier associated with each multipurpose EGM/player tracking device;   generating, by the server computer, a first table associated with a first middleware server and a second table associated with a second middleware server, the unique identifier of the at least one multipurpose EGM/player tracking device being stored within one of the first and second tables;   allowing the at least one multipurpose EGM/player tracking device and the corresponding gaming device to be disconnected from the first middleware server and to be connected to the second middleware server; and   responsively transferring the corresponding unique identifier from the one of the first and second tables to the other table.