Remote content management and resource sharing on a gaming machine and method of implementing same

• US 10,169,950 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Little, William C., De Waal, Daniel J., Manfredi, Vincent S., Bullard, Bryan E., Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J., LeMay, Steven G., Beaulieu, Nichole M., Gipp, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garner, Werner G
• Application Number:
  US14/332,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system including a number of host devices each coupled to one or more gaming machines, wherein content provided by the host device is output on the gaming machine. To output the content provided by the remote host, a host-controlled process that is authenticated by the gaining machine and executed in a secure memory location such that it is isolated from other processes executing on the gaming machine may be utilized. The host-controlled processes may be decoupled from the process used to execute the game of chance played on the gaming machine such that the content output by the host-controlled process doesn'"'"'t alter the play of game of chance.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

enable a placement of a wager on a play of a game, for the wagered on play of the game;

determine a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

cause the at least one display device to display, in a game window controlled by the at least one processor, the determined game outcome,

determine any award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

after a determination occurs to allocate control of a first resource of the at least one display device to a remote host executing remote host software, cause a display, in a first service window controlled by the remote host which is distinct from the at least one processor, of at least one of;

an available player service and an available function, wherein said determination to allocate control of the first resource of the at least one display device to the remote host occurs based on a usage of the at least one processor.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the available player service is at least one player service selected from the group consisting of:

enabling a player to order at least one of a food item and a drink item, enabling the player to communicate with another player, enabling the player to communicate with a gaming establishment concierge, enabling the player to learn gaming establishment information, enabling the player to make at least one reservation, enabling the player to transfer funds, enabling the player to purchase a lottery ticket, enabling the player to obtain change, enabling the player to make a wager on an event separate from the play of the game, enabling the player to cash out a winning event ticket, enabling the player to send and receive electronic messages, enabling the player to locate another player, enabling the player to purchase at least one vending item, enabling the player to access an internet enabled service, enabling the player to check a quantity of player tracking points, enabling the player to redeem player tracking points, enabling the player to receive gaming establishment promotional information, enabling the player to watch television, enabling the player to watch a movie, enabling the player to listen to music, enabling the player to access a gaming establishment account, enabling the player to pick a game to play from a plurality of available games, enabling the player to place at least one side-bet, enabling the player to play for at least one progressive award, enabling the player to participate in a gaming tournament, enabling the player to customize at least one aspect of displayed content, enabling the player to enroll in a player tracking system, enabling the player to simultaneously play a plurality of games, enabling the player to access a score card of accomplished events, enabling the player to access a tournament leader board, and enabling the player to select a favorite award to play for.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the available function is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

displaying information relating to a gaming experience of a player, providing personalized audio-video content, providing a virtual automatic teller machine, providing a virtual entertainment center, providing a virtual lottery machine, providing a virtual change machine, providing a virtual sports book, providing a virtual communication center, providing a virtual concierge, providing a virtual vending machine and providing a virtual internet kiosk.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display in the first service window controlled by the remote host occurs without affecting the wagered on play of the game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to a determination occurring to allocate control of a second resource to the remote host, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display, in a second service window controlled by the remote host, of at least one of:

the available player service and the available function.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to:

responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first service window and the game window are displayed via the same display device.

8. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive data associated with a wager placed on a play of a game,

for the wagered on play of the game;

determine a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

cause a display, in a game window of a display device controlled by the at least one processor, of the determined game outcome, the display device being distinct from the gaming system server,

determine any award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

cause a display of any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome,

determine, based on a usage of the at least one processor, whether to allocate control of a first resource of the display device to a remote host executing remote host software, the display device being distinct from the remote host, and

responsive to the determination being to allocate control of the first resource of the display device to the remote host which is distinct from the at least one processor, cause a display, in a first service window controlled by the remote host, of at least one of;

an available player service and an available function.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the available player service is at least one player service selected from the group consisting of:

enabling a player to order at least one of a food item and a drink item, enabling the player to communicate with another player, enabling the player to communicate with a gaming establishment concierge, enabling the player to learn gaming establishment information, enabling the player to make at least one reservation, enabling the player to transfer funds, enabling the player to purchase a lottery ticket, enabling the player to obtain change, enabling the player to make a wager on an event separate from the play of the game, enabling the player to cash out a winning event ticket, enabling the player to send and receive electronic messages, enabling the player to locate another player, enabling the player to purchase at least one vending item, enabling the player to access an internet enabled service, enabling the player to check a quantity of player tracking points, enabling the player to redeem player tracking points, enabling the player to receive gaming establishment promotional information, enabling the player to watch television, enabling the player to watch a movie, enabling the player to listen to music, enabling the player to access a gaming establishment account, enabling the player to pick a game to play from a plurality of available games, enabling the player to place at least one side-bet, enabling the player to play for at least one progressive award, enabling the player to participate in a gaming tournament, enabling the player to customize at least one aspect of displayed content, enabling the player to enroll in a player tracking system, enabling the player to simultaneously play a plurality of games, enabling the player to access a score card of accomplished events, enabling the player to access a tournament leader board, and enabling the player to select a favorite award to play for.

10. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the available function is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

displaying information relating to a gaming experience of a player, providing personalized audio-video content, providing a virtual automatic teller machine, providing a virtual entertainment center, providing a virtual lottery machine, providing a virtual change machine, providing a virtual sports book, providing a virtual communication center, providing a virtual concierge, providing a virtual vending machine and providing a virtual internet kiosk.

11. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the display in the first service window controlled by the remote host occurs without affecting the wagered on play of the game.

12. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to a determination occurring to allocate control of a second resource to the remote host, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display, in a second service window controlled by the remote host, of at least one of:

the available player service and the available function.

13. The gaming system server of claim 8, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

14. The gaming system server of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

15. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the placed wager causes a decrease of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.

16. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the first service window and the game window are displayed via one display device.

17. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

receiving data associated with a placement of a wager on a play of a game,

for the wagered on play of the game;

determining, by at least one processor, a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes,

causing a display, in a game window of a display device controlled by the at least one processor, of the determined game outcome,

determining, by the at least one processor, any award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

causing a display of any determined award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

after a determination occurs to allocate control of a first resource of the display device to a remote host executing remote host software, causing a display, in a first service window controlled by the remote host which is distinct from the at least one processor, of at least one of;

an available player service and an available function, wherein said determination to allocate control of the first resource of the display device to the remote host occurs based on a usage of the at least one processor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the available player service is at least one player service selected from the group consisting of:

enabling a player to order at least one of a food item and a drink item, enabling the player to communicate with another player, enabling the player to communicate with a gaming establishment concierge, enabling the player to learn gaming establishment information, enabling the player to make at least one reservation, enabling the player to transfer funds, enabling the player to purchase a lottery ticket, enabling the player to obtain change, enabling the player to make a wager on an event separate from the play of the game, enabling the player to cash out a winning event ticket, enabling the player to send and receive electronic messages, enabling the player to locate another player, enabling the player to purchase at least one vending item, enabling the player to access an internet enabled service, enabling the player to check a quantity of player tracking points, enabling the player to redeem player tracking points, enabling the player to receive gaming establishment promotional information, enabling the player to watch television, enabling the player to watch a movie, enabling the player to listen to music, enabling the player to access a gaming establishment account, enabling the player to pick a game to play from a plurality of available games, enabling the player to place at least one side-bet, enabling the player to play for at least one progressive award, enabling the player to participate in a gaming tournament, enabling the player to customize at least one aspect of displayed content, enabling the player to enroll in a player tracking system, enabling the player to simultaneously play a plurality of games, enabling the player to access a score card of accomplished events, enabling the player to access a tournament leader board, and enabling the player to select a favorite award to play for.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the available function is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

displaying information relating to a gaming experience of a player, providing personalized audio-video content, providing a virtual automatic teller machine, providing a virtual entertainment center, providing a virtual lottery machine, providing a virtual change machine, providing a virtual sports book, providing a virtual communication center, providing a virtual concierge, providing a virtual vending machine and providing a virtual internet kiosk.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the display in the first service window controlled by the remote host occurs without affecting the wagered on play of the game.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising, responsive to a determination occurring to allocate control of a second resource to the remote host, causing a display, in a second service window controlled by the remote host, of at least one of:

the available player service and the available function.

22. The method of claim 17, which is executed through a data network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data network is an internet.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the placed wager causes a decrease of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the first service window and the game window are displayed via one display device.