GAME DEVELOPMENT ARCHITECTURE THAT DECOUPLES THE GAME LOGIC FROM THE GRAPHICS LOGIC

• US 20080096656A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Beaulieu, Nicole, Benbrahim, Jamal, Breckner, Robert, Nelson, Dwayne, LeMay, Steven, Palchetti, Johnny, Schlottmann, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 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

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine is designed to execute a modular gaming software architecture. A plurality of gaming software modules may be loaded into RAM on the gaming machine and executed to play a game of chance. Many of the gaming software modules are designed to communicate via application program interfaces so that the logic in many of the gaming software modules may be designed independently of each other. In particular, the modular gaming software architecture allows a game flow software module used to generate a game of chance on the gaming machine to be decoupled from a game presentation software module used to present the game chance. Thus, a group of games may be designed where the games share a common game flow software module but use different game presentation software modules to change the look and feel of the game.

Claims

1. A method of generating a game flow for the play of a game of chance in a game flow software module executed from a RAM on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving a request to start a game flow;

generating a plurality of game states in the game flow used to play the game of chance; and

communicating with one or more gaming software modules via one or more application program interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

loading the game flow software module into the RAM.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a game outcome and sending the game outcome to one or more gaming software modules via the one or more application program interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command to end the game and entering an idle state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command to process an award and processing an award.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game state information is used to generate a game presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating game state information to gaming software modules via one or more application program interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming software module is a gaming operating system software module that loads and unloads gaming software modules into the RAM from a memory device and controls the play of the game of chance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming software module is a game presentation software module a game presentation software module that presents the game of chance on a display screen on the gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more application program interface are selected from the group consisting of a game flow interface, a bank interface and a configuration interface.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing critical game data in a non-volatile memory device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more gaming software modules is located on a remote gaming device.

13. A method of generating a game presentation for the play of a game of chance in a game presentation software module executed from a RAM on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving a request to start a game presentation;

receiving game state information for a game state on the gaming machine;

displaying graphics and sounds for the game state on a display screen and on audio output devices on the gaming machine;

communicating with gaming software modules via one or more application program interfaces.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

reading critical game information from a non-volatile storage device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

updating metering displays on the gaming machine.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

synchronizing the display of graphics with the output of sounds on the gaming machine.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a message acknowledge the completion of a presentation for a game state.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating presentation state information via one or more application program interfaces.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the gaming software module is a gaming operating system software module that loads and unloads gaming software modules into the RAM from a memory device and controls the play of the game of chance.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the gaming software module is a game flow software module that generates the game flow for the game of chance.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving game state information for a game state on a remote gaming device; and

displaying graphics and sounds for the game state on a display screen and on audio output devices on the gaming machine.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating with gaming software modules located on a remote gaming device via one or more application program interfaces.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the gaming software module is a gaming operating system software module located on the remote gaming device that loads and unloads gaming software modules into the RAM from a memory device and controls the play of the game of chance.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the gaming software module is a game flow software module located on the remote gaming device that generates the game flow for the game of chance.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating presentation sub-state information via one or more application program interfaces.

26. A method of generating a game of chance played on a gaming machine using a gaming operating system executed from a RAM on the gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving a request to start the game of chance from an input device located on the gaming machine;

sending a command, via a game flow application program interface, to start the game of chance to a game flow software module that generates the game flow for the game of chance;

sending a plurality of commands to control the play of the game of chance; and

communicating with gaming software modules via one or more application program interfaces.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the gaming software module is a game presentation software module that presents the game of chance on a display screen on the gaming machine.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the game presentation software module is located on a remote gaming device and the game presentation software module presents the game of chance on a display screen on the remote gaming device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the gaming software module is a gaming device driver that communicates with a gaming device located on the gaming machine.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the gaming device is selected from the group consisting of lights, printers, coin hoppers, bill validators, ticket readers, card readers, key pads, button panels, display screens, speakers, information panels, motors, mass storage devices and solenoids.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a request to play a particular game of chance;

loading from a memory storage device a game flow software module that generates the game flow for the particular game of chance; and

loading from a memory storage device a gaming presentation software module a game presentation software module that presents the game of chance on a display screen on the gaming machine.

32. The method claim 26, further comprising:

sending a command, via an application program interface, to start a bonus game to a bonus game flow software module that generates the bonus game flow for the bonus game.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more application program interface are selected from the group consisting of a game flow interface, a presentation interface, a bank interface and a configuration interface.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

communicating game information via the one or more application program interfaces.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the game information is selected from the group consisting of game state information, presentation state information, configuration information, betting information, game outcome information, critical event data, I/O information and metering information.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a game outcome from the game flow software module via at least one of the one or more application program interfaces.

37. The method of claim 26, further comprising;

sending a command to process an award to the game flow software module via the game flow application program interface.

38. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving presentation state information from a game presentation software module via the one or more application program interfaces.

39. The method of claim 38,

wherein the game presentation software module is located on a remote gaming device.

40. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

sending a command to the game flow software module via the game flow application interface to end the game of chance.

41. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

storing a game history for the game of chance to a non-volatile memory device.

42. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

communicating game information to remote gaming devices.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the remote gaming device is a player tracking server.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the remote gaming device is a gaming machine.

45. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

loading one or more gaming software modules from a remote file storage device.