Apparatus, system and method for electronic gaming

• US 10,395,471 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exacta Systems LLC (Churchill Downs Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Exacta Systems LLC (Churchill Downs Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lind, Jefferson C., Enzminger, Joseph R., Stein, Jeremy F., Rose, Glen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar A
• Application Number:
  US14/851,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

A system for electronic gaming is described which includes a plurality of individual game stations each of which is constructed and arranged with a user interface. Upstream from each game station is a third party subsystem which includes a corresponding database. This third party subsystem is in data communication with each game station. Also upstream from the plurality of game stations is a gaming server subsystem which includes a database. A central determinate translator system is constructed and arranged in communication either directly or indirectly with each game station and provides a communication link and interface between the gaming server subsystem and each game station.

Claims

1. A system for electronic gaming comprising:

a first game station at a first location, said game station configured to allow a user to play a game;

a game server remote from said game station;

a central determinate translator which is constructed and arranged in communication with said game server, said game server communicating directly with said game station;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured with game instructions and prize information corresponding to said game; and

wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into said first game station and defines a universal protocol for delivering centrally determined results to said game station.

2. The system of claim 1 which further includes one or more additional game stations wherein each game station is constructed and arranged with a user interface.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said game server is in direct communication with each game station.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged with its own dedicated video display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with Class II games.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with racing based games.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a second game station at a second location remote from said first location, said second game station configured to allow a user to play said game;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to calculate a first outcome for said game using a first game instructions and prize information for said first game station, and a second outcome for said game using a second game instructions and prize information for said second game station; and

wherein said first and second game instructions and prize information are defined separately and differ according to said first location and said second location.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is a server separate from said game server and said first game station, and wherein said first game station, said game server, and said central determinate translator communicate via one or more computer networks.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is implemented as computer executable code executing in a processor in said first game station, and wherein said first game station, said game server, and said central determinate translator communicate via one or more computer networks.

10. The system of claim 1:

wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for performing the functions of maintaining bet information and receiving game inputs from said game station;

wherein said game station is constructed and arranged for performing the functions of maintaining account balances, accepting game inputs from said user, displaying game outputs to said user, and displaying said game instructions, prize information, and bet information received from said central determinate translator to said user;

and wherein said game instructions, prize information, bet information, account balances, and inputs from said user are communicated between said central determinate translator and said game station using said universal protocol.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged as a separate hardware device mounted to said first game station.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into said first game station as software executing directly by said game station.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into said first game station as software executing directly by said game station.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said central determinate translator is configured to display on said first game station one or more inputs and outputs required to play said game.

15. A system for electronic gaming comprising:

a first game station at a first location, said game station configured to allow a user to play a game;

a game server remote from said game station; and

a central determinate translator which is constructed and arranged in direct communication with said game server and in direct communication with said game station;

wherein said central determinate translator is remote from said game station and is configured with game inputs, game outputs, game instructions and prize information corresponding to said game;

wherein said central determinate translator provides to said game station said game inputs game outputs, said game instructions, and said prize information required for playing said game on said game station; and

wherein said game station is configured to display said inputs and accept input from said user based on said inputs provided by said central determinate translator;

wherein said game station is configured to send said outputs to said game server according to the outputs provided by said central determinate translator; and

wherein said central determinate translator defines a universal protocol for delivering said game inputs game outputs, said game instructions, and said prize information, and centrally determined results to said game station.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for performing one or more functions which have been moved from the game station to the central determinate translator.

17. The system of claim 15 which further includes one or more additional game stations wherein each game station is constructed and arranged with a user interface.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged with its own dedicated video display.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with Class II games.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with racing based games.

21. The system of claim 15, comprising:

a second game station at a second location remote from said first location, said second game station configured to allow a user to play said game;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to calculate a first outcome for said game using a first game instructions and prize information for said first game station, and a second outcome for said game using a second game instructions and prize information for said second game station; and

wherein said first and second game instructions and prize information are defined separately and differ according to said first location and said second location.

22. The system of claim 15:

wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for performing the functions of maintaining bet information and receiving game inputs from said game station;

wherein said game station is constructed and arranged for performing the functions of maintaining account balances, accepting game inputs from said user, displaying game outputs to said user, and displaying said game instructions, prize information, and bet information received from said central determinate translator to said user;

and wherein said game instructions, prize information, bet information, account balances, and inputs from said user are communicated between said central determinate translator and said game station using said universal protocol.

23. The system for electronic gaming of claim 15, wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into said first game station as software executing directly by said game station.

24. The system for electronic gaming of claim 15, wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into said first game station as a separate hardware device mounted to said first game station.

25. A central determinate translator which is constructed and arranged for use as part of an electronic gaming system which electronic gaming system includes a game terminal and a game server configured to allow a user to play a game, said central determinate translator comprising:

a gaming software interface positioned between and in communication with said game terminal and said game server;

wherein said gaming software interface is configured with game instructions and prize information corresponding to said game;

wherein said gaming software interface defines a universal protocol for delivering centrally determined results to said game terminal; and

wherein at least a portion of said central determinate translator is integrated into said game terminal.

26. The central determinate translator of claim 25 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for performing one or more functions which have been moved from the game terminal to the central determinate translator.

27. The central determinate translator of claim 25 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with Class II games.

28. The central determinate translator of claim 25 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for use with racing based games.

29. The central determinate translator of claim 25, wherein said central determinate translator is a software emulator installed directly on said gaming terminal and is executed by a CPU of said gaming terminal.

30. A racing based gaming system comprising:

a game terminal configured to allow a user to play a game;

a game server remote from said game terminal;

a third party system remote from said game server and said game terminal; and

a central determinate translator, wherein said third party system is in communication with said game terminal, said game server is in communication with said game terminal and said game server is in communication with said central determinate translator;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured with game instructions and prize information for converting the outcome of said game;

wherein said central determinate translator defines a universal protocol for delivering centrally determined results to said game terminal; and

wherein said central determinate translator is integrated into the game terminal.

31. The racing based gaming system of claim 30 wherein said central determinate translator is constructed and arranged for performing one or more functions which have been moved from the game terminal to the central determinate translator.

32. The racing based game system of claim 30:

wherein said third party system is configured to communicate directly with said game terminal, and is configured to perform the functions of player tracking, and cashless accounting services;

wherein said central determinate translator is included in said game terminal and communicates directly with said game server;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to translate game input from said user to server input acceptable to said game server before sending said server input to said game server; and

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to accept server output sent from said game server and translate said server output to game input.

33. The racing based game system of claim 30:

wherein said third party system is configured to communicate directly with said game terminal, and is configured to perform the functions of player tracking, and accounting services;

wherein said game terminal communicates directly with said game server, and said game terminal and communicates directly with said central determinate translator;

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to translate game input from said game terminal to server input acceptable to said game server according to said universal protocol before sending said server input to said game server; and

wherein said central determinate translator is configured to accept server output sent from said game server and translate said server output to game input according to said universal protocol before sending said game input to said game terminal.

34. The racing based gaming system of claim 30, wherein said central determinate translator is a hard wire emulator installed on a CPU of the game terminal.