Gaming device operable with platform independent code and method

• US 20030064808A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hecht, William L., Jones, Aaron T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,901,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

A wagering gaming device which includes at least one converter program. The gaming device processor, which operates on a particular platform, can use the converter program to read and use programs otherwise incompatible with such platform, such as platform independent programs. This type of gaming device enables developers to develop code on platforms which are different in type from the gaming device platform, and the gaming device processor can read and use this code to operate the gaming device.

Claims

1. A gaming device including a wagering game, said gaming device comprising:

at least one processor operating on a first platform type;

a first program format associated with the first platform type;

at least one converter program which converts at least one gaming device program from a second program format associated with a second platform type, to the first program format; and

at least one memory device accessible by the processor, the memory device storing the converter program and the gaming device program.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second program format includes a platform independent format.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second program format is compatible with a plurality of different types of computer platforms.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the second program format is only compatible with a computer platform other than the first platform type.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the converter program includes data associated with both:

(a) the first program format; and

(b) the second program format.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device program includes code selected from the group consisting of sound code, graphics code and paytable code.

7. A gaming device comprising:

a wagering game;

at least one processor which controls the wagering game, the processor operating on a first platform type and executing programs compatible with said first platform type; and

a memory device accessible by the processor, said memory device storing at least one predetermined program which enables the processor to read at least one program of a second platform type.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the program of the second platform type has a platform independent format.

9. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the program of the second platform type is compatible with a plurality of different types of computer platforms.

10. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the program of the second platform type is only compatible with a computer platform type other than the first platform type.

11. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the converter program includes data associated with both:

(a) the first platform type; and

(b) the second platform type.

12. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the program of the second platform type includes code selected from the group consisting of sound code, graphics code and paytable code.

13. A gaming device including a wagering game, said gaming device comprising:

at least one processor which operates on a gaming device platform;

a gaming device program format associated with the gaming device platform;

at least one memory device accessible by the processor;

a first code stored within the memory device, the first code having the gaming device program format;

platform independent code stored within the memory device, the platform independent code having a platform independent format; and

converter code stored within the memory device, the converter code adapted to convert the platform independent code from the platform independent format to the gaming device program format.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the first code and the platform independent code are organized within the memory device to isolate so that the first code from the platform independent code.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the first code includes at least one instruction call to the platform independent code.

16. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the platform independent code includes at least one instruction call to the first code.

17. The gaming device of claim 15, wherein the first code includes game code.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the platform independent code is selected from the group consisting of sound code, graphics code and paytable code.

19. A gaming device including a wagering game, said gaming device comprising:

a processor operating on a gaming device platform;

a gaming device program format associated with the gaming device platform;

at least one memory device accessible by the processor; and

at least one program stored in the memory device which the processor executes to;

(a) receive and store at least one platform independent program having a platform independent format;

(b) convert the platform independent program from the platform independent format to the gaming device program format; and

(c) control at least one wagering game function based on the platform independent program.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the platform independent code is selected from the group consisting of sound code, graphics code and paytable code.

21. A gaming device including a wagering game, said gaming device comprising:

a processor operating on a platform;

a native format associated with the platform;

at least one predetermined program which the processor executes to;

(a) change a foreign program from a foreign format which is not compatible with the platform to a platform independent format; and

(b) convert the foreign program from the platform independent format to the native format; and

at least one memory device accessible by the processor, the memory device storing the predetermined program.

22. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the predetermined program includes compiler code.

23. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the predetermined program includes translator code.

24. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the predetermined program includes converter code.

25. A method for developing code for a gaming device having a wagering game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) writing code using a computer operating on a first platform type, said code having a first program format associated with the first platform type;

(b) changing the code from the first program format to a platform independent format; and

(c) storing the code on a memory device, wherein said code in said platform independent format is convertible into a format which is readable by a gaming device processor operating on a second platform type.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of writing code includes the step of writing source code.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of writing code includes the step of writing code selected from the group consisting of sound code, graphics code and paytable code.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of changing the code includes the step of compiling the code.

29. The method of claim 25, which includes the steps of causing the gaming device processor to convert the code, causing the gaming device processor to read the code and causing the gaming device processor to perform at least one wagering game function based on the code.

30. The method of claim 29, which includes the step of evaluating the wagering game function.

31. The method of claim 30, which includes the step of modifying the code using the computer.