Universal operating system to hardware platform interface for gaming machines
First Claim
1. An electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and potentially granting a monetary payout based on the game result, said electronic gaming machine comprising:
- one or more hardware components defining a first hardware platform;
an exterior housing arranged to contain at least one of said one or more hardware components therein;
at least one non-volatile storage component adapted to store data regarding an overall state of the electronic gaming machine, wherein said data regarding said overall state is recoverable from said at least one non-volatile storage component after a substantial interruption to the electronic gaming machine;
one or more code storage components containing computer code forming a software structure that includes a first game application, a first gaming platform, a universal interface layer and a pre-boot system configuration, wherein said first gaming platform includes a first set of gaming software modules and a first operating system and is hardware platform independent, and wherein said universal interface layer includes a second set of gaming software modules and is adapted to facilitate communication between said first gaming platform and said first hardware platform; and
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said one or more code storage components and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game based on a wager and involving a potential grant of a monetary payout based on the game result, wherein said master gaming controller is adapted to execute said computer code forming a software structure, and is further adapted to execute at least one gaming software module without said first operating system being loaded.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. An electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and potentially granting a monetary payout based on the game result, said electronic gaming machine comprising:
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one or more hardware components defining a first hardware platform;
an exterior housing arranged to contain at least one of said one or more hardware components therein;
at least one non-volatile storage component adapted to store data regarding an overall state of the electronic gaming machine, wherein said data regarding said overall state is recoverable from said at least one non-volatile storage component after a substantial interruption to the electronic gaming machine;
one or more code storage components containing computer code forming a software structure that includes a first game application, a first gaming platform, a universal interface layer and a pre-boot system configuration, wherein said first gaming platform includes a first set of gaming software modules and a first operating system and is hardware platform independent, and wherein said universal interface layer includes a second set of gaming software modules and is adapted to facilitate communication between said first gaming platform and said first hardware platform; and
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said one or more code storage components and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game based on a wager and involving a potential grant of a monetary payout based on the game result, wherein said master gaming controller is adapted to execute said computer code forming a software structure, and is further adapted to execute at least one gaming software module without said first operating system being loaded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, said electronic gaming machine comprising:
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a plurality of hardware components defining a first hardware platform;
an exterior housing arranged to contain one or more of said plurality of hardware components therein; and
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of hardware components and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game, said master gaming controller being configured to execute a software structure including a first game application, a first gaming platform and a universal interface layer, wherein said first gaming platform includes a first set of gaming software modules and a first operating system and is hardware platform independent, and wherein said universal interface layer includes a second set of gaming software modules and is adapted to facilitate communication between said first gaming platform and said first hardware platform. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A gaming system adapted for accepting wagers, playing games based on the wagers and granting payouts based on the results of the games, comprising:
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a plurality of input and output devices adapted to accept wagers, play games based on the wagers and grant payouts based on the results of the games, wherein one or more of said plurality of input and output devices form at least a portion of a first hardware platform; and
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of input and output devices and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game, said master gaming controller being configured to execute a software structure including a first game application, a first gaming platform and a universal interface layer, wherein said first gaming platform includes a first set of gaming software modules and a first operating system and is hardware platform independent, and wherein said universal interface layer includes a second set of gaming software modules and is adapted to facilitate communication between said first gaming platform and said first hardware platform. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer readable memory adapted to direct an electronic gaming machine to function in a specified manner, comprising:
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a game application software layer including instructions for running a specific game involving a player wager and a potential payout based on the game result;
a gaming platform software layer including an operating system and a first set of gaming modules adapted to perform various gaming machine functions, said gaming platform software layer being hardware platform independent; and
a universal interface software layer adapted to facilitate communication between said gaming platform software layer and a specific hardware platform designed for use on said electronic gaming machine, said universal interface software layer including;
custom firmware adapted to run said specific hardware platform, a second set of gaming modules adapted to perform various gaming machine functions, one or more drivers adapted to operate in conjunction with said custom firmware, said specific hardware platform, or both, and one or more application program interfaces adapted to facilitate communication between said gaming platform software layer and one or more of said second set of gaming modules, said one or more drivers and said custom firmware. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A method of manufacturing a plurality of gaming machines adapted for accepting wagers, playing games based on the wagers and granting payouts based on the results of the games, the method comprising:
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creating a standardized gaming platform including an operating system and one or more gaming modules adapted to perform various gaming machine functions, said standardized gaming platform being hardware platform independent;
forming a first hardware platform and a second hardware platform, said first and second hardware platforms being substantially disparate;
designing a first universal interface layer adapted to facilitate communication between said standardized gaming platform and said first hardware platform and a second universal interface layer adapted to facilitate communication between said standardized gaming platform and said second hardware platform;
constructing a first gaming machine containing said first hardware platform and said first universal interface layer and a second gaming machine containing said second hardware platform and said second universal interface layer; and
installing said standardized gaming platform in both of said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine.
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33. A method of converting a hardware platform of an existing electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, the method comprising:
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retaining on the electronic gaming machine a standardized gaming platform including an operating system and one or more gaming modules adapted to perform various gaming machine functions, said standardized gaming platform being hardware platform independent;
converting a first hardware platform residing on the electronic gaming machine into a second hardware platform, said first and second hardware platforms being substantially disparate; and
replacing a first universal interface layer residing on the electronic gaming machine with a second universal interface layer, said second universal interface layer being adapted to facilitate communication between said standardized gaming platform and said second hardware platform. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. An electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, said electronic gaming machine comprising:
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a plurality of hardware components defining a first hardware platform;
an exterior housing arranged to contain one or more of said plurality of hardware components therein; and
a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of hardware components and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game, said master gaming controller being configured to execute a software structure including a first game application, a first gaming platform, a universal interface layer and a pre-boot system configuration, wherein said first gaming platform includes a first set of gaming software modules and a first operating system and is hardware platform independent, wherein said universal interface layer includes a second set of gaming software modules and is adapted to facilitate communication between said first gaming platform and said first hardware platform, and wherein said master gaming controller is configured to execute at least one of said second set of gaming software modules after a reset condition and before said first operating system is loaded. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for starting an electronic gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, said method comprising:
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activating a boot manager within said electronic gaming machine, said boot manager being adapted to operate within a pre-boot system environment;
reading a pre-boot system configuration for information regarding one or more pre-boot procedures;
loading one or more gaming software modules to the master gaming controller of said electronic gaming machine prior to executing a base operating system;
executing at least one of said one or more loaded gaming software modules on said master gaming controller prior to executing said base operating system;
loading said base operating system to said master gaming controller; and
executing said base operating system on said master gaming controller. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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Specification