Apparatus and method for copying gaming machine configuration settings
First Claim
Patent Images
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.
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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.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for operating a gaming machine comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for copying configuration data from a first gaming machine to a second gaming machine, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for copying configuration data from a first gaming machine to a second gaming machine, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method for copying configuration settings between a plurality of gaming apparatuses comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification