Apparatus and method for copying gaming machine configuration settings

• US 20040048668A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brosnan, Bill
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for use in a casino gaming system where data concerning set-up configuration of gaming units may be copied from one gaming unit to another gaming unit. The data concerning gaming unit configuration may be copied via an external device, such as a smart storage device or a dumb storage device, copied directly between gaming units or copied via a network storage device of a network that interconnects gaming units.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit that is capable of generating video images;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,

said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game, and

said controller being programmed to automatically download or upload configuration items between said memory and an external device when said gaming apparatus is connected with said external device, said configuration items comprising data related to predetermined configuration settings of said gaming apparatus.

2. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1;

and

an external device comprising a smart memory device having a memory and a device controller, said device controller including an interface to effect communication between said smart memory device and said gaming apparatus.

3. A gaming system as defined in claim 2, wherein said smart memory device comprises at least one of a personal data assistant and a personal computer.

4. A gaming system as defined in claim 2, wherein said interface includes at least one of an infrared link, a universal serial bus and a parallel bus.

5. A gaming system comprising:

an apparatus as defined in claim 1;

and

an external device comprising an external memory device.

6. A gaming system as defined in claim 5 wherein said external memory device comprises a dumb storage device comprising a memory and an interfacing apparatus that allows read and write operations to said memory of said dumb storage device and further having no controller with which to effect communication with said gaming apparatus.

7. A gaming system as defined in claim 6, wherein said dumb storage device comprises at least one of an Ethernet enabled hard drive and an E-key device.

8. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 1, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses and wherein said external device comprises a memory device connected within said network of gaming apparatuses.

9. A gaming system as defined in claim 8, wherein said gaming apparatuses are connected as said network of gaming apparatuses via one of the Internet, an Ethernet network and a wide area network.

10. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said configuration items includes one or more of payout related settings, wager-related settings, volume settings, display settings, credit settings and value denomination settings.

11. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit that is capable of generating video images;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game,

said controller being programmed to determine, after said video image has been displayed, a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image, and

said controller being programmed to automatically upload or download configuration items between said memory and an external device when said gaming apparatus is connected to said external device, said configuration items comprising data related to predetermined configuration settings of said gaming apparatus that include at least one of payout related settings, wager-related settings, volume settings, display settings, credit settings and value denomination settings.

12. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming apparatus as defined in claim 11;

and

an external device comprising a smart memory device having a memory and a device controller that is configured to effect interfacing between said smart memory device and said gaming apparatus.

13. A gaming system as defined in claim 12, wherein said smart memory device comprises at least one of a personal data assistant and a personal computer.

14. A gaming system including said gaming apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said external device comprises an external memory device.

15. A gaming system as defined in claim 14 wherein said external memory device comprises a dumb storage device comprising a memory and an interfacing apparatus that allows read and write operations to said memory of said dumb storage device and further comprising no controller with which to effect communication with said gaming apparatus.

16. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said dumb storage device comprises at least one of an Ethernet enabled hard drive and an E-key device.

17. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 11, said gaming apparatuses being connected to form a network of gaming apparatuses; and

an external device comprising a memory device connected within said network of gaming apparatuses.

18. A gaming system as defined in claim 17, wherein said gaming apparatuses are connected via a local area network or a wide area network.

19. A memory having a computer program stored therein, said computer program being capable of being used in connection with a gaming apparatus, said memory comprising:

a first memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to allow a person to make a wager;

a second memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on a display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,

said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;

a third memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image; and

a fourth memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to upload configuration data from said memory to an external device or download configuration data from said external device to said memory, said configuration data comprising data related to at least one of payout related settings, wager-related settings, volume settings, display settings, credit settings and value denomination settings.

20. A memory as defined in claim 19 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to detect when said external device is connected via an interface to said gaming apparatus and initialize one of a download or an upload copying routine configured to respectively copy said configuration data from said gaming apparatus to said external device or from said external device to said gaming apparatus.

21. A memory as defined in claim 20 wherein initializing includes determining whether said external device is authorized to receive configuration data from said memory when executing said upload routine to upload said configuration data from said memory of said gaming apparatus to said external device.

22. A memory as defined in claim 20 wherein initializing includes determining, based on an interface signaling received from said external device, whether said gaming apparatus is authorized to receive configuration data when executing said download routine to download said configuration data from said external device to said memory of said gaming apparatus.

23. A memory as defined in claim 22 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to receive an authorization code transmitted by said external device that allows downloading access when said gaming apparatus determines that it has authorization to download said configuration data.

24. A memory as defined in claim 19 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to one of request a predetermined configuration items in said configuration data and respond to a request for said predetermined configuration items received from said external device when said external device is connected via an interface to said gaming apparatus and correspondingly download said requested predetermined configuration items when downloading and upload said predetermined configuration items from said memory to said external device when uploading.

25. A memory as defined in claim 19 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to detect when said external device is connected via a network to said gaming apparatus and initialize one of a download and an upload routine for copying said configuration data via said network to or from said external device.

26. A memory as defined in claim 25 wherein initializing includes determining, based on a signal received from said external device, whether said gaming apparatus is authorized to receive configuration data when executing said download routine to download said configuration data from said external device to said memory of said gaming apparatus.

27. A memory as defined in claim 26 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance, with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to receive a key code transmitted by said external device to allow downloading access when said gaming apparatus determines that it has authorization to download said configuration data.

28. A memory as defined in claim 19 wherein said fourth memory portion is further physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause said gaming apparatus to one of request a predetermined configuration items in said configuration data and respond to a request for said predetermined configuration items received from said external device when said external device is connected via an interface to said gaming apparatus and correspondingly download said requested predetermined configuration items when downloading and upload said predetermined configuration items from said memory to said external device when uploading.

29. A method for operating a gaming machine comprising:

at least one of uploading and downloading configuration settings to and from an external device;

effecting machine operation based on said configuration settings; and

causing a video image representing a game to be generated, said video image representing one of the following games;

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, and

said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo; and

determining a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image.

30. A gaming method as defined in claim 29, further comprising:

detecting when said external device is interfaced with a gaming machine and initializing one of an upload and a download copying process that is used for copying said configuration settings.

31. A gaming method as defined in claim 30, further comprising:

determining, based on an interface signal issued by said external device, whether a gaming machine is authorized to download said configuration settings when executing said upload routine.

32. A gaming method as defined in claim 30, further comprising:

determining, based on a signaling received from said external device, whether said gaming machine is authorized to receive configuration data when executing said download routine.

33. A gaming method as defined in claim 30, further comprising:

receiving a key code in said gaming machine that is transmitted by said external device to allow downloading access when said gaming machine determines that it has authorization to download said configuration data.

34. A gaming method as defined in claim 29, further comprising:

requesting predetermined configuration items in said configuration data and responding to a request for said predetermined configuration items received from said external device when said external device is connected via an interface to said gaming machine and correspondingly downloading said requested predetermined configuration items when downloading and uploading said predetermined configuration items from said memory to said external device when uploading.

35. A method for copying configuration data from a first gaming machine to a second gaming machine, comprising:

connecting an external device to said first gaming machine via an interface port;

causing a copying routine to be performed at least within said first gaming machine;

determining whether said second gaming machine or said external device is authorized to receive said configuration data;

uploading at least a portion of said configuration data to said external device if said external device is authorized to receive said configuration data; and

downloading said configuration data from said external device to said second gaming machine if said second gaming device is authorized to receive said configuration data.

36. A method as defined in claim 35 comprising:

interfacing said external device with said second gaming machine via said external device,

causing said copying routine to be performed within said external device or said second gaming machine;

determining whether said second gaming machine is authorized to receive said configuration data; and

downloading said at least a portion of said configuration data to said second gaming machine.

37. A method as defined in claim 35, further comprising:

connecting said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine to form a network of gaming machines and wherein said external device is a memory device connected within said network of gaming machines and said configuration data is transferred between the first and second gaming machines via said network.

38. A method as defined in claim 37, wherein said network communication comprises at least onc of a wide area network and a local area network.

39. A method as defined in claim 35, wherein said external device comprises a passive memory device and said first and second gaming machines sense when said external device is interfaced with said first or second gaming machines and the first and second gaming machines initiate uploading or downloading of said configuration data.

40. A method as defined in claim 35, wherein said external device comprises a smart external memory and either said second gaming machine or said smart external memory initiate copying of said configuration data when said external device is interfaced with said second gaming machine.

41. A method as defined in claim 40, wherein said smart external memory comprises one of a personal data and a personal computer.

42. A method as defined in claim 35, wherein said external device comprises one of an Ethernet enabled hard drive and a smart hard drive.

43. A method for copying configuration data from a first gaming machine to a second gaming machine, comprising:

connecting said second gaming machine to said first gaming machine via respective interface ports, said first and second gaming machines;

causing a copying routine to be performed at least within said first gaming machine;

determining whether said second gaming machine or said external device is authorized to receive said configuration data;

uploading at least a portion of said configuration data to said external device if said external device is authorized to receive said configuration data; and

downloading said configuration data from said external device to said second gaming machine if said second gaming device is authorized to receive said configuration data.

44. A method as defined in claim 43, further comprising:

cross-connecting said first gaming machine to said second gaming machine wherein a transmit output of said first gaming machine is connected to a receive input of said second gaming machine and a transmit output of said second gaming machine is connected to a input of said first gaming machine.

45. A method for copying configuration settings between a plurality of gaming apparatuses comprising:

connecting a first gaming apparatus from said plurality of gaming apparatuses to an external device that is physically configured to store configuration settings;

causing said configuration settings to be uploaded from said first gaming apparatus to said external device, said configuration data comprising data related to at least one of payout related settings, wager-related settings, volume settings, display settings, credit settings and value denomination settings;

connecting said external device to one or more other gaming apparatuses of said plurality of gaming apparatuses and respectively downloading said configuration settings to said one or more other gaming apparatuses;

wherein each of said plurality of gaming apparatuses is physically configured to allow a person to input a value and make a wager and to determine a value payout based on an outcome of a game executed by said gaming apparatus.

46. A method as defined in claim 45, further comprising:

issuing a request from said external device to at least one of said gaming apparatus for said configuration settings when said configuration settings are uploaded from said gaming apparatus to said external device.

47. A method as defined in claim 46, further comprising:

determining whether said external device is authorized to receive said upload of configuration settings from said at least one gaming apparatus; and

prohibiting said upload of configuration settings when said external device is not authorized to upload said configuration settings.

48. A method as defined in claim 45, further comprising:

issuing a request from at least one gaming apparatus to said external device for said configuration settings when said configuration settings are downloaded from said external device to said gaming apparatus.

49. A method as defined in claim 46, further comprising:

determining whether said at least one gaming apparatus is authorized to receive said download of said configuration settings from said external device; and

prohibiting said download of said configuration settings when said at least one gaming apparatus is not authorized to download said configuration settings.

50. A method as defined in claim 45, further comprising:

determining whether a transaction of copying configuration settings is authorized between a particular gaming apparatus and said external device; and

prohibiting said transaction of copying configuration settings when one of said particular gaming apparatus and said external device is not authorized to copy configuration settings.