Multi-system gaming terminal communication device
First Claim
1. A gaming machine comprising:
- a master gaming controller designed or configured i) to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine by executing regulated gaming software, ii) to receive wagers on an outcome for the game of chance and iii) to communicate with one or more game service servers providing game services using one or more application specific protocols included in the regulated gaming software;
a display for displaying the game of chance played on the gaming machine;
a communication device comprising;
a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board wherein each communication port transmits and receives messages between the gaming machine and the communication device in at least one of the application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller and wherein each communication port is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with at least one or more of the application specific protocols and wherein each communication port is configurable to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in at least one of the application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device;
only one output communication port that transmits messages addressed to the one or more game service servers and receives messages from the one or more game service servers addressed to one of the plurality of communication ports using a second communication protocol;
a logic device that does not communicate with the master gaming controller on the gaming machine, said logic device adapted for;
i) determining a destination device for each message received at one of the plurality of communication ports wherein each message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols, formatting each message in one of the application specific protocols into the second communication protocol and transmitting a message formatted in the second communication protocol via the output communication port to the destination device wherein the message formatted in the second communication protocol includes information originally formatted in one of the application specific protocols;
ii) determining a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports for each message received at the only one output communication port wherein each message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol, formatting the message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port and transmitting the message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port; and
a memory device for storing a) information regarding the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and one or more of the destination devices, said mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communications multiplexer device;
the physical communication connections connected to each of the plurality of communication ports; and
a network interface connected to the only one output communication port and a network that receives and transmits messages using the second communication protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A disclosed gaming machine provides a communication multiplexer device that allows communications between the gaming machine and one or more game service servers all within a single network interface. The single network interface may be a wireless or wired network interface. The communication multiplexer device converts messages in native communication protocols used by the gaming machine to a network communication protocol such as TCP/IP for transmission over the single wired or wireless network interface. The communication multiplexer is designed such that the gaming machine may receive messages that have been transmitted using the native communication protocols without modifying regulated gaming software on the gaming machine.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A gaming machine comprising:
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a master gaming controller designed or configured i) to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine by executing regulated gaming software, ii) to receive wagers on an outcome for the game of chance and iii) to communicate with one or more game service servers providing game services using one or more application specific protocols included in the regulated gaming software;
a display for displaying the game of chance played on the gaming machine;
a communication device comprising;
a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board wherein each communication port transmits and receives messages between the gaming machine and the communication device in at least one of the application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller and wherein each communication port is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with at least one or more of the application specific protocols and wherein each communication port is configurable to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in at least one of the application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device;
only one output communication port that transmits messages addressed to the one or more game service servers and receives messages from the one or more game service servers addressed to one of the plurality of communication ports using a second communication protocol;
a logic device that does not communicate with the master gaming controller on the gaming machine, said logic device adapted for;
i) determining a destination device for each message received at one of the plurality of communication ports wherein each message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols, formatting each message in one of the application specific protocols into the second communication protocol and transmitting a message formatted in the second communication protocol via the output communication port to the destination device wherein the message formatted in the second communication protocol includes information originally formatted in one of the application specific protocols;
ii) determining a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports for each message received at the only one output communication port wherein each message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol, formatting the message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port and transmitting the message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port; and
a memory device for storing a) information regarding the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and one or more of the destination devices, said mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communications multiplexer device;
the physical communication connections connected to each of the plurality of communication ports; and
a network interface connected to the only one output communication port and a network that receives and transmits messages using the second communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)
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17. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine comprising a master gaming controller designed or configured i) to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine by executing regulated gaming software, ii) to receive wagers on an outcome for the game of chance and iii) to communicate with one or more game service servers providing game services using one or more application specific protocols included in the regulated gaming software;
a display for displaying the game of chance played on the gaming machine;
a communication device comprising;
a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board wherein each communication port transmits and receives messages between the gaming machine and the communication device in at least one of the application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller and wherein each communication port is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with at least one or more of the application specific protocols and wherein each communication port is configurable to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in at least one of the application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device;
only one output communication port that transmits messages addressed to the one or more game service servers and receives messages from the one or more game service servers addressed to one of the plurality of communication ports using a second communication protocol;
a logic device that does not communicate with the master gaming controller on the gaming machine, said logic device adapted for;
i) determining a destination device for each message received at one of the plurality of communication ports wherein each message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols, formatting each message in one of the application specific protocols into the second communication protocol and transmitting a message formatted in the second communication protocol via the output communication port to the destination device wherein the message formatted in the second communication protocol includes information originally formatted in one of the application specific protocols;
ii) determining a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports for each message received at the only one output communication port wherein each message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol, formatting the message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port and transmitting the message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port; and
a memory device for storing a) information regarding the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and one or more of the destination devices, said mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communications multiplexer device;
the physical communication connections connected to each of the plurality of communication ports; and
a network interface connected to the only one output communication port and a network that receives and transmits messages using the second communication protocol;
the one or more game service servers;
the network for providing a communication path between the one or more game service servers and the gaming machine.
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19. A method of providing communications between a gaming machine and one or more game service servers in a communication device including a plurality of communication ports and only one output communication port in a communication path between the gaming machine and the one or more game service servers, the method comprising:
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configuring the plurality of communication ports to receive information using one or more physical communication protocols compatible with physical connections from the gaming machine to the plurality of communication ports;
configuring the plurality of communication ports to receive messages in one or more application specific protocols used by the gaming machine;
mapping the plurality of communication ports to the one or more game service servers;
establishing communications between the plurality of communication ports and the game service servers using a second communication protocol and the only one output communication port;
receiving a first message to the gaming machine from one of the game services servers via the only one output communication port in the second communication protocol, formatting information in the first message to one of the application specific protocols and routing the first message to the gaming machine via one of the plurality of communication ports; and
receiving a second message from the gaming machine to one of the game service servers wherein the second message includes information formatted in one of the application specific protocols, formatting the second message in the second communication protocol and sending the second message via the only one output communication port. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification