INFORMATION UPDATING MANAGEMENT IN A GAMING SYSTEM

• US 20080039208A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Playtech Software Ltd. (Playtech Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Andersson, Hakan, Nilsson, Jens, Abrink, Ulf
• Granted Patent: US 8,647,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

Updating information in a client-server based gaming system comprising a client gaming machine, a game application server and a central database, by: storing in said central database login information for gaming system units that are logged in to the gaming system; storing updated information in the central database; storing an information update control command comprising an indication of the updated information and an indication of a receiver gaming system unit in the central database; generating an update command message comprising an update command for execution of an update operation in the receiver gaming system unit; determining the communication route to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the stored login information; communicating the update command message to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the determined communication route; executing the update command comprised in the update command message in the receiver gaming system unit.

Claims

1. A method for updating information in a client-server based gaming system comprising a central database and gaming system units including at least a client gaming machine and a game application server, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in said central database login information for gaming system units that are logged in to the gaming system;

storing updated information in the central database;

storing an information update control command comprising an indication of the updated information and an indication of a receiver gaming system unit in the central database;

generating an update command message comprising an update command for execution of an update operation in the receiver gaming system unit;

determining the communication route to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the stored login information;

communicating the update command message to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the determined communication route;

executing the update command comprised in the update command message in the receiver gaming system unit.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the update command message comprises an indication of update information to be read from the central database.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the update command initiates, in the receiver unit, the execution of an operation to read updated information from the central database.

14. In combination, computer program instructions comprising computer program code portions for directing the gaming system units to perform the method of claim 1.

4. A system for updating information in a client-server based gaming system comprising a client gaming machine, a game application server and a central database, the system comprising:

a storage structure in said central database devised for storing login information for gaming system units that are logged in to the gaming system;

a storage structure in said central database devised for storing updated information;

a storage structure in said central database devised for storing an information update control command comprising an indication of the updated information and an indication of a receiver gaming system unit;

means for generating an update command message comprising an update command for execution of an update operation in the receiver gaming system unit;

means for determining the communication route to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the stored login information;

means for communicating the update command message to the receiver gaming system unit dependent on the determined communication route;

means for executing the update command comprised in the update command message in the receiver gaming system unit.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, further comprising means, in the receiver unit, for execution of an operation to read updated information from the central database in response to an update command.

6. A method for updating information in a client-server based network gaming system including a plurality of gaming system units arranged in a client-server architecture, the method comprising:

storing network address information for gaming system units that are connected to the gaming system;

determining dependent on the stored network address information the address of one or more receiver gaming system units to be updated, the one or more receiver gaming system units consisting of less than all of the gaming system units;

generating an update command message comprising an update command for execution of an update operation in the one or more receiver gaming system units, the update command comprising a command to adjust an operating parameter of the receiver gaming system unit and/or a command to download updated information from a specified source in the gaming system, the update command message including the determined address of the one or more receiver gaming system units;

communicating the update command message onto a network to which a plurality of servers of the gaming system are connected, and receiving the update command message at one of the plurality of servers as determined by the address in the update command message;

at the server, determining from the address in the update command message whether the server is a said receiver gaming system unit and if so, executing the command message at the server;

at the server, determining from the address in the update command message whether one or more clients of the server is a said receiver gaming system unit and if so, forwarding the command message to the one or more clients;

executing the update command comprised in the update command message in the one or more receiver gaming system units.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the server is a game application server in which critical gaming functions of one or more games provided by the gaming system are performed and wherein the one or more clients include at least one gaming machine terminal, at which a graphical user interface GUI and a user input interface function are implemented.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the server provides critical gaming functions to a plurality of gaming machine terminals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein there are a plurality of servers, that each provide critical gaming functions to a plurality of gaming machine terminals.

15. In combination, computer program instructions comprising computer program code portions for directing the gaming system units to perform the method of claim 6.

10. A client-server based network gaming system including a plurality of gaming system units arranged in a client-server architecture, the gaming system comprising:

a database storing network address information for a plurality of gaming system units that are connected to the gaming system;

an electronic processing system associated with the database, which receives update information including an identification of one or more receiver gaming system units that consist of less than all of the gaming system units, stores the update information in the database and determines dependent on the stored network address information the address of the one or more receiver gaming system units, the electronic processing system including a network interface;

a plurality of servers that perform gaming functions for a plurality of clients including at least one gaming terminal, each server storing address information of the clients that it services, the plurality of servers communicably connected to the network interface of the electronic processing system over a network;

wherein the electronic processing system generates and sends over the network an update command message addressed to the one or more receiver gaming system units comprising an update command for execution of an update operation in the one or more receiver gaming system units, the update command comprising a command to adjust an operating parameter of the receiver gaming system unit and/or a command to download updated information from a specified location in the database;

wherein at least one of the plurality of servers receives the update command message dependent on the address in the update command message and dependent on the address in the update command message executes the command message and/or forwards the command message to the one or more clients for execution.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the server is a game application server in which critical gaming functions of one or more games provided by the gaming system are performed and wherein the one or more clients include at least one gaming machine terminal, at which a graphical user interface GUI and a user input interface function are implemented.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the server provides critical gaming functions to a plurality of gaming machine terminals.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein there are a plurality of servers, that each provide critical gaming functions to a plurality of gaming machine terminals.