Gaming apparatus supporting virtual peripherals and funds transfer

Abstract

In one embodiment, a peripheral management device may have a controller configured to communicate with a gaming machine and a portable electronic device. The controller may be configured to: (i) receive a peripheral data packet from a gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command; (ii) determine whether to process the peripheral data packet on at least one peripheral device of the gaming machine or at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device; (iii) generate an instructional data packet for the at least one virtual peripheral device if the peripheral data packet is determined to be processed on the at least one virtual peripheral device; and (iv) transmit the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transferring funds from an external account for use by a gaming device, comprising:
 wirelessly coupling a portable electronic device to the gaming device, the gaming device having a device identifier, and the portable electronic device being associated with a user;   receiving, at a server device, a funds transfer request requesting to transfer an amount of funds from the external account to a gaming account, the external account being independent of the gaming account, the funds transfer request being initiated from the portable electronic device, the funds transfer request including at least (i) a funds transfer amount, (ii) the device identifier for the gaming device and (iii) a user identifier or a device identifier for the portable electronic device;   determining, at the server, whether the user is authorized to make the requested transfer of the funds transfer amount from the external account, the authorization being determined with regard to a user account, the user account being associated with the user identifier, a ticket identifier, or the device identifier;   initiating transfer of the funds transfer amount from the external account to the gaming account to make such funds available for wager-based gaming if the determining determines that the user is authorized to make the requested transfer of the funds transfer amount; and   subsequently providing an indication of the transfer of funds to the portable electronic device.   
     
     
         2 . A method for transferring funds to a gaming account for use to play wager-based games, comprising:
 wirelessly coupling a portable electronic device to a server device associated with the gaming account, the portable electronic device being associated with a user;   receiving, at a server device, a funds transfer request requesting to transfer an amount of funds from an external account to the gaming account, the external account being independent of the gaming device and the gaming account, the funds transfer request being initiated from the portable electronic device, the funds transfer request including at least (i) a funds transfer amount, (ii) an account identifier for the gaming account and (iii) a user identifier or a device identifier for the portable electronic device;   determining, at the server device, whether the user is authorized to make the requested transfer of the funds transfer amount from the external account, the authorization being determined with regard to the gaming account, the gaming account being associated with the user identifier, a ticket identifier, or the device identifier for the portable electronic device;   initiating transfer of the funds transfer amount from the external account to the gaming account to make such funds available for use at the gaming establishment if the determining determines that the user is authorized to make the requested transfer of the funds transfer amount; and   subsequently providing an indication of the transfer of funds to the portable electronic device.