Boot service in a service-oriented gaming network environment

• US 20040242328A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gentles, Thomas A., Blackburn, Christopher W., Block, Rory L., Swamy, Vikram, Warkentin, Terry D.
• Application Number:
  US10/794,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242328A1
• 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

A boot service for a gaming network including gaming machines provides communications addresses, boot file names and configuration details for gaming machine as the boot on the gaming network. The gaming services framework comprises a set of services, protocols, XML schemas, and methods for providing gaming system functionality in a distributed, network based architecture that includes gaming machines and servers. The systems and methods provide a service-oriented framework for gaming and property management based upon internetworking technology and web services concepts.

Claims

1. A method for booting a gaming machine in a gaming network, the method comprising:

issuing by the gaming machine a request to a well known address within the gaming network for a boot service;

receiving a response from the boot service;

said response including a communications address; and

retrieving a boot file in accordance with the response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes a configuration address and further comprising:

issuing by the gaming machine a request for the configuration; and

configuring by the gaming machine in accordance with the configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a DHCP request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the well known address comprises a TCP port.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications address comprises an IP address.

6. A method for providing a boot service to a gaming machine in a gaming network, the method comprising:

listening by the boot service at a well known address within the gaming network;

receiving a boot request from a gaming machine on the gaming network;

transmitting a response to the gaming machine, said response including a communications address for the gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the response includes a boot file name specifying a boot image for the gaming machine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the boot file name is selected in accordance with a profile for the gaming machine.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the response includes a communications address for a configuration server.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications address comprises an IP address.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the request and the response substantially conform to the DHCP protocol.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising authorizing the gaming machine.

13. A gaming network system providing a boot service, the gaming network system comprising:

a boot server hosting a boot service, said server communicably coupled to a gaming network; and

at least one gaming machine communicably coupled to the gaming network;

listen at a well known address within the gaming network;

receive a boot request from a gaming machine on the gaming network; and

transmit a response to the gaming machine, said response including a communications address for the gaming machine.

14. The gaming network system of claim 13, wherein the response includes a boot file name specifying a boot image for the gaming machine.

15. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the boot file name is selected in accordance with a profile for the gaming machine.

16. The gaming network system of claim 13, wherein the gaming network further includes a configuration server, and wherein the response includes a communications address for the configuration server.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the configuration server and the boot server are located on the same computing system.

18. The gaming network system of claim 13, wherein the communications address comprises an IP address.

19. The gaming network system of claim 13, wherein the request and the response substantially conform to the DHCP protocol.

20. The gaming network system of claim 13, wherein the gaming network further includes an authorization database, and wherein the boot services is further operable to authorize the gaming machine using the authorization database.