Accounting service in a service-oriented gaming network environment

• US 20040248645A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gentles, Thomas A., Blackburn, Christopher W., Block, Rory L., Jan, Chih-Hui, Simmermon, James P., Swamy, Vikram, Warkentin, Terry D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,927,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

An accounting service for a gaming network including gaming machines provides systems and methods for retrieving accounting information such as gaming machine meter information from gaming machines 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 providing an accounting service in a gaming network including gaming machines, the method comprising:

publishing an availability of the accounting service on the gaming network;

receiving a discovery request for the accounting service;

registering by a gaming client with the accounting service; and

processing one or more service requests between the gaming client and the accounting service, said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accounting service comprises a web service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the accounting service is registered in a UDDI registry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to start receiving requests by the accounting service for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to stop receiving requests for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to post gaming meter information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service requests comprises a request by the gaming client to adjust gaming machine meter information maintained by the accounting service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service requests comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve information about gaming device meters on a gaming device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve report information about gaming device meters.

14. A gaming network system providing an accounting service, the gaming network system comprising:

a gaming client communicably coupled to the gaming network; and

an accounting service communicably coupled to the gaming network and operable to;

publish an availability of the accounting service on the gaming network;

register a gaming client with the accounting service; and

process one or more service requests between the gaming client and the accounting service, said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol.

15. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the accounting service comprises a web service.

16. The gaming network system of claim 15, wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.

17. The gaming network system of claim 16, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

18. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the accounting service is registered in a UDDI registry.

19. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

20. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider in the gaming network.

21. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to start receiving requests by the accounting service for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

22. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to stop receiving requests for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

23. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to post gaming meter information.

24. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to adjust gaming machine meter information maintained by the accounting service.

25. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve information about gaming device meters on a gaming device.

26. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve report information about gaming device meters.