Gaming terminal network with a message director

• US 20040185936A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blackburn, Christopher W., Block, Rory L., Jan, Chih-Hui, Simmermon, James P., Warkentin, Terry D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,414,397 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a gaming network for transmitting event messages from gaming terminals to a central server and, consequently, routing each event message to an appropriate application. The system may include multiple gaming function specific servers with multiple applications on each server using a dedicated central server for message routing. In addition, this system can route secondary event messages generated by primary event messages. These secondary messages may be routed to other applications, other servers, or the gaming terminals. The system utilizes an association data structure in the central server to route messages without the need for embedded routing software code in each application, minimizing the need to rewrite software code that may result from any changes in gaming function or the applications that provide that functionality.

Claims

1. A method of communication in a gaming network having a central server linked to a plurality of gaming terminals, the method comprising:

receiving a primary event message in a routing queue of the central server;

processing the primary event message to identify a first application queue associated with the primary event message using an association data structure; and

transmitting the primary event message to the first application queue.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

retrieving the primary event message from the first application queue with a first application; and

processing the primary event message with the first application.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

generating a secondary event message from the processing of the primary event message;

transmitting the secondary event message to the routing queue;

processing the secondary event message to identify a second application queue associated with the secondary event message using the association data structure; and

transmitting the secondary event message to the second application queue.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the gaming network further includes executing the first application on a secondary server in communication with the central server.

5. The method of claim 4, further including:

generating a secondary event message from the processing of the primary event message;

transmitting the secondary event message to the routing queue;

processing the secondary event message to identify a second application queue associated with the secondary event message using the association data structure; and

transmitting the secondary event message to the second application queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming terminal generates the primary event message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising processing the secondary event message to identify the gaming terminal that generated the primary event message.

8. A gaming network comprising:

a gaming terminal for generating an event message; and

a central server in communication with the gaming terminal, the central server having a plurality of application queues and a routing queue, the central server further having an association data structure for establishing a correspondence between the event message and at least one of the plurality of application queues, the central server further for receiving the event message in the routing queue, the association data structure for identifying at least one of the plurality of application queues corresponding with the event message, the central server further for transmitting the event message to the at least one application queue identified by the association data structure.

9. A method of communication in a gaming network having a central server linked to a plurality of gaming terminals, the method comprising:

receiving a primary event message in the central server, the central server having an association data structure;

processing the primary event message with the association data structure to identify at least one application requiring the primary event message; and

transmitting the primary event message to the at least one application.