Audio playback and control between an electronic gaming machine and a mobile device

Abstract

Music and sounds from a player's mobile device, such as a smart phone or tablet, can be played on an electronic gaming machine during game play. The invention enables a player of an electronic gaming machine to have music from his mobile device be played on the gaming machine as background music during game play. Music files from the player's mobile device are transmitted or streamed to the EGM and the audio is output during game play. A casino may have an audio files library where the files are tagged with certain categories (e.g., game type, specific game, promotion type, etc.). These tags are used to facilitate music and sound selection for the EGM. Music and sounds may be sourced from the player's mobile device, the casino's audio library, or from online sources.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of playing audio on a wager-based electronic gaming machine (EGM) having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
 establishing a connection with a mobile device;   detecting a command to control audio on the EGM;   enabling a player to control audio functions on the EGM;   providing audio to a player by utilizing one of solely the mobile device, solely the EGM, or a combination of the mobile device and the EGM; and   transitioning between outputting audio from the EGM and outputting audio from the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the mobile device has a first app that receives and processes audio from the EGM and a second app that mixes audio on the mobile device and audio on the EGM. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a combination is one of a gradual blending of audio, a fade-in and fade-out of audio, or a simultaneous overlaying of audio from either the mobile device or the EGM. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein transitioning between outputting audio is based on game play on the EGM or on song status. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein audio is categorized in a casino audio library. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 5  wherein tags are used to categorize audio in the casino audio library, said tags including game-specific tags, game-type tags, and promotional-type tags. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting audio from the mobile device to coincide with game content on the EGM. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 transmitting audio to the mobile device. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing a connection to the Internet or to a music library. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 executing an audio-related app on the EGM; and 
 streaming audio from the audio-related app to the mobile device. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting music based on player account data, music lists, or game information. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the EGM initiates connection to the mobile device or the mobile device initiates connection with the EGM. 
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein establishing a connection further comprises:
 connecting to an EGM component that plays audio using software that is separate from the EGM. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method of playing music on an electronic gaming machine (EGM), the music originating from a mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the EGM, a file containing audio data from the mobile device;   receiving input from a player, said input causing the audio file to be played on the gaming machine;   determining when to play the audio file on the gaming machine during game play; and   playing the audio file and gaming machine audio at different times during game play.   
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 14  wherein determining when to play the audio file further comprises:
 playing the audio file to coincide with game content. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the mobile device has a first app that receives and processes audio from the EGM and a second app that mixes audio on the mobile device and audio on the EGM. 
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising:
 establishing a connection with the mobile device. 
 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising:
 detecting a command to control audio on the EGM. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising:
 selecting audio from the mobile device to coincide with game content on the EGM. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising:
 executing an audio-related app on the EGM; and 
 streaming audio from the audio-related app to the mobile device. 
 
     
     
         21 . An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:
 a processor;   a network interface;   a memory storing music files imported from a player mobile device, wherein the imported music files are played on the EGM during wager game play;   an audio source selection and transition module to determine which audio is played during wager game play, said audio originally sourced from the player mobile device or from the EGM;   a mobile device playback proxy module to control playback of music files from the player mobile device; and   a display component displaying a service window containing playback controls for controlling playback functions on the EGM.   
     
     
         22 . An EGM as recited in  claim 21  wherein audio from the music files imported from the player mobile device is mixed with audio from EGM resident audio files. 
     
     
         23 . An EGM as recited in  claim 21  wherein the audio source selection and transition module selects audio from the Internet and from a casino music library. 
     
     
         24 . An EGM as recited in  claim 21  wherein the memory stores EGM audio files that are categorized based on game type, specific game, player account data, player preferences, game play status, promotions, and ads for a casino.