1. A system of the type including gaming terminals, the system including a processor in communication with the terminals to interact therewith and with an employee workstation, said workstation configured to require a log on input to enable the workstation to be operated by an authorized person and a log out input to disable the workstation, the system comprising:
(i) an electromagnetic signal transmitter in position of each employee authorized to operate the workstation, each transmitter configured to issue a unique signal;
(ii) a receiver configured to at least periodically receive an electromagnetic signal from a transmitter when an authorized person is proximate the workstation; and
(iii) an interface for an authorized person to input password data at the workstation, one of said workstation and central processor configured to, from the electromagnetic signal and input of password data place said workstation in an enabled condition and place the workstation in a disabled condition to said authorized person when said signal is not received by said receiver.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said workstation and processor is configured to place the workstation in a disabled condition to said authorized person when said signal is not received by said receiver for a time period.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter and receiver are a transceiver.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises a transponder in possession of the authorized person and said receiver is configured to periodically issue an interrogation signal, said transponder configured to send said electromagnetic signal in response to said interrogation signal.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said authorized person is authorized to access administrative functions at the workstation when said signal is at least periodically received by said receiver.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central authority for verifying at least one of said signal and said password data to authorize access by said authorized person to said workstation.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein said disabled condition comprises a log out of said workstation.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein access to administrative functions at a gaming terminal by said authorized person is facilitated by said transmitter and said receiver.
9. In a system of the type including gaming terminals linked to a central processor and a secure system workstation, a method for an authorized person to enable the workstation for the person to interface with the system and to disable the workstation, the method comprising:
(i) issuing an electromagnetic transmitter to each authorized person, each transmitter configured to issue a unique signal;
(ii) at least periodically receiving at a receiver proximate the workstation said transmitter signals when an authorized person is proximate the workstation;
(iii) the authorized person inputting password data at the terminal to, in combination with receipt of a corresponding signal, place the workstation in an enabled condition; and
(iv) placing the workstation in a disabled condition upon non-receipt of said signal by said receiver.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising placing the workstation in a disabled condition upon non-receipt of said signal by said receiver for a predetermined time period.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising issuing an electromagnetic signal transponder to each authorized person, each transponder configured to issue a unique signal and periodically sending from said receiver an interrogation signal, said transponder in response to said interrogation signal issuing said electromagnetic signal.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein said disabled condition comprises a log out of said workstation.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising authorizing access to a gaming terminal by said authorized person based on said signal.
14. The method of claim 9, further comprising verifying at least one of said signal and said password data via an external system to authorize access by said authorized person to said workstation.
15. A method for allowing access in a gaming environment, said method comprising:
transmitting an interrogation signal;
generating an identification signal in response to said interrogation signal;
authorizing access to a gaming system based on said identification signal; and
maintaining said access to said gaming system based on presence of said identification signal.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said interrogation signal comprises a radio frequency interrogation signal and said identification signal comprises a radio frequency identification signal.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising obtaining at least one of a pass code and biometric identification for access to said gaming system.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising authorizing access to administrative functions at said gaining system.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising termination of access to said gaming system after an interval without receiving an identification signal.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein said authorizing step further comprises authorizing access to said gaming system based on a plurality of identification signals.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for use by a client system including or coupled to a display device, the method for presenting content to a user via the display device, the method comprising:
(a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data;
(b) obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;
(c) identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;
(d) displaying a portion of the video content data on the display device; and
(e) based on results of the identifying, while displaying the portion of the video content data on the display device, also displaying, alongside the portion of the video content data, a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the (a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data comprises:
(a.1) receive a selection of content that the user wants to view;
(a.2) sending a request for the selected content to a remote system; and
(a.3) receiving the video content data from the remote system in response to the request.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the (a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data further comprises:
(a.4.i) receiving the video time data along with the video content data from the remote system in response to the request; or
(a.4.ii) determining the video time data using a timer of the client system.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the (b) obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data includes:
(b.1) sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system;
(b.2) receiving the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the remote system in response to the request; and
(b.3) storing the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data at least until the contextual content data is displayed.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the (b) obtaining contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time occurs prior to the (a) obtaining video content data corresponding to the particular point in time.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the (c) identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data comprises:
(c.1) tracking a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and
(c.2) identifying that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the (b.1) sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system comprises periodically sending requests for contextual content data to the remote system.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises a polling question.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises an option to display additional contextual content data not currently being displayed.
11. A system for presenting content to a user, comprising:
a network interface that receives video content data and corresponding video time data, and receives contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;
a display interface that interfaces with a display device capable of displaying video content; and
one or more storage devices that store the received video content data and corresponding video time data, and store the received contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;
one or more processors in communication with the one or more storage devices, the network interface, and the display interface, wherein the one or more processors
identify portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;
cause a portion of the video content data to be displayed on the display device; and
while the portion of the video content data is being displayed on the display device, also cause a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device display, to be displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to select content that the user wants to view;
wherein the network interface sends a request for the selected content to a first remote system, and receives the video content data along with the video time data from the first remote system in response to the request;
wherein the network interface sends a request for the contextual content data to a second remote system, and receives the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the second remote system in response to the request;
wherein the contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time is received prior to the video content data corresponding to the particular point in time; and
wherein the first and second remote systems can be a same remote system or different remote systems.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein, in order to identify portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data, the one or more processors:
track a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and
identify that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises a polling question.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises an option to display additional contextual content data not currently being displayed.
17. One or more processor readable storage devices having instructions encoded thereon which when executed cause one or more processors of a client system to perform a method for presenting content to a user via a display device, the method comprising:
obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data;
obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;
identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;
displaying a portion of the video content data on the display device; and
based on results of the identifying, while displaying the portion of the video content data on the display device, also displaying, alongside the portion of the video content data, a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.
18. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 17, wherein the obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data includes:
sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system;
receiving the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the remote system in response to the request; and
storing the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data at least until they are displayed;
wherein the obtaining contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time occurs prior to the obtaining video content data corresponding to the particular point in time.
19. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 18, wherein the identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data comprises:
tracking a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and
identifying that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.
20. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 17, wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.