COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Copyright 2020, SG Gaming, Inc.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to networked gaming systems and, more specifically, to networked gaming devices that are locatable within a gaming environment based on communication signals.

BACKGROUND

Gaming devices used in the gaming industry, such as electronic gaming machines (EGMs), card-handling devices, and the like, are used for increasing the efficiency, security and game speed in games such as blackjack, baccarat, poker, and reel-based games, The gaming devices are deployed in a gaming environment (e.g., a casino). At least some gaming devices generate and/or collect data associated with gameplay, device diagnostics, and/or the like. The gaming devices may be communicatively coupled to a network to store and analyze the data from the gaming devices using a centralized data processing system. However, in at least some known networked gaming devices systems, the data collected may be hindered due to processing, memory, and/or networking limitations present in at least some gaming environments. For example, wireless networking in a gaming environment may be limited as a result of congestion in populated wireless bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz).

Moreover, these gaming devices may be moveable to facilitate selective deployment within one or more gaming environments. That is, the gaming devices can be deployed at various locations to fit the configuration of the gaming environments and/or can be removed from the gaming environments for maintenance and storage. As a result, tracking the location of the gaming devices may be desirable to effectively monitor maintenance schedules, usage of the gaming devices (e.g., for billing purposes), and/or gaming environment configurations. However, the processing, memory, and/or networking limitations of the gaming environments may hinder or otherwise prevent accurate and updated location tracking without manual intervention.

SUMMARY

Embodiments include a system for monitoring the location of moveable table game devices used in connection with stationary gaming tables in a gaming environment. The system includes a plurality of stationary gaming tables positioned at a plurality of respective locations, a moveable table game device equipped with a device transceiver and associated memory, one or more processors, a communication node, a server with associated memory that is communicatively coupled to the communication node. Each gaming table is equipped with a table transceiver and associated memory. Each table transceiver is in communication with a first communication network and a second communication network different from the first communication network. The device transceiver transmits and receives data signals including identification data via the first communication network with table transceivers of the stationary gaming tables. The processors, individually or in combination, determine an identity of each stationary gaming table based on the identification data extracted from the data signals received by the device transceiver, calculate a relative distance between the moveable table game device and each gaming table based on at least one characteristic of a respective data signal received or transmitted by the respective table transceiver, and generate location data associated with the moveable table game device at least partially as a function of the calculated relative distances and the respective locations of the gaming tables. The communication node is in communication with the second communication network to collect the generated distance data from at least one of the table transceivers. The server receives and stores the collected location data from the communication node.

Embodiments further include a method for monitoring the location of moveable table game devices used in connection with stationary gaming tables in a gaming environment. The method includes receiving, by a device transceiver of a moveable table game device, data signals including identification data via a first communication network from a plurality of respective table transceivers of a plurality of stationary gaming tables, determining, by one or more processors, an identity of each gaming table based on the identification data extracted from the data signal received from the respective table transceiver, calculating, by the one or more processors, a relative distance between the moveable table game device and each gaming table based on at least one characteristic of the respective data signal received from the respective table transceiver, generating, by the one or more processors, location data indicating a relative location of the moveable table game device at least partially as a function of the calculated relative distances associated with the moveable table game device and the stationary gaming tables, and transmitting, by at least one of the table transceivers, the location data to a communication node over a second communication network different from the first communication network. The communication node is communicatively coupled to a server that stores the location data and predetermined locations of the stationary gaming tables.

Embodiments also include a moveable game device located in a gaming environment for play of one or more wagering games. The moveable game device includes a device transceiver having an associated memory and a communication interface to communicate with a plurality of table transceivers via a first communication network, and at least one processor in communication with the table transceivers and the associated memory. Each table transceiver is associated with a stationary gaming table. The processors receive, via the communication interface, a respective data signal from each table transceiver, extract identification data from the respective data signals to identify the associated stationary gaming tables, calculate a relative distance between the moveable game device and each stationary gaming table based on at least one characteristic of the respective data signal, generate location data indicating a relative location of the moveable game device at least partially as a function of the calculated relative distances between the moveable game device and the stationary gaming tables, and transmit the location data to at least one stationary gaming table. The stationary gaming tables then transmit the location data to a server via a second communication network different from the first communication network for storage.

