Wager game license management in a game table

• US 20080234047A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T.
• Application Number:
  US11/726,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234047A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

Novel wager gaming systems and methods for game license management utilizing a game table connected in a network at a gaming establishment are described. A game table having multiple player stations, equipped with gaming devices, performs as a local licensing server for the player stations at the game table. It may also function as a licensing server for player stations at other game tables and for gaming machines in the network. The wager game table may be connected to a central licensing server with operates in conjunction with the wager game table. A player station may also have certain license management components that may complement the operations of a game table license management module. The game table may perform certain local licensing and auditing functions for each player station with regard to wager game code and other game-related content and operational software. The management module may also monitor the usage of various types of wager game code, related content, and game-related software. These usage data are maintained by the game table and may be used for auditing purposes.

Claims

3-1. The wager game table of claim 1 further comprising a floating license management module operable to manage the distribution and retrieval of license tokens among the plurality of player stations in a floating license gaming environment.

18. A wager gaming network comprising:

a first game table having a first plurality of player stations, a license management module, and a first network interface;

a second game table having a second plurality of player stations and a second network interface; and

a central licensing server having a network connection with the first game table;

wherein the first game table is operable to perform as a local licensing server for the first plurality of player stations and for the second plurality of player stations;

wherein the first game table functions as an intermediary licensing component between the central licensing server and the second game table;

wherein the second network interface of the second game table has a data connection with the first network interface of the first game table, over the wager gaming network; and

wherein the first game table monitors game usage of the first plurality of player stations and of the second plurality of player stations.

19. The wager gaming network of claim 18 further comprising:

a gaming machine wherein the first game table is operable to perform as a local licensing server for the gaming machine.

20. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the central licensing server performs licensing functions in conjunction with the first game table.

21. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a gaming device verification module and a user verification module.

22. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a wager game usage component operable to monitor wager game usage for the first plurality of player stations and the second plurality of player stations, and to maintain wager game usage data in a first game table memory.

23. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a content usage component operable to monitor content usage related to wager game execution for the first plurality of player stations and the second player of player station and to maintain content usage data in a first game table memory.

24. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a software application usage component operable to monitor software usage related to wager game execution and to maintain application usage data in a first game table memory for the first plurality of player stations and the second player of player station.

25. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the first game table and the second game table have a direct network connection and wherein data transmissions between the first game table and the second game table bypass transmission via other wager gaming network components.

26. The wager gaming network of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of gaming devices associated with the first game table and the second game table.

27. The wager gaming network of claim 26 wherein a gaming device from the plurality of gaming devices is one of a game table gaming device, a hand-held, portable gaming device, or a gaming device external to the gaming network.

28. The wager game network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a license token distribution rules module.

29. The wager game network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes a floating license management component.

30. The wager game network of claim 18 wherein the license management module of the first game table includes an auditing module.

31. The wager gaming network of claim 18 wherein the network is a peer network.

32. A local licensing server operable to service a plurality of player stations contained in one or more wager game tables in a gaming network, the server comprising:

a processor;

a network interface operable to provide data communication with other network devices in a gaming network;

a license management module in communication with the plurality of player stations, the license management module including;

a wager game usage monitoring component operable to monitor wager game execution associated with the plurality of player stations;

a content usage monitoring component operable to monitor usage of content related to the wager game execution; and

a software usage monitoring component operable to monitor usage of software applications associated with the plurality of player stations; and

a server storage area for storing game usage data, content usage data, and software application usage data.

33. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the license management module further comprises a floating license management module operable to manage the retrieval and distribution of license tokens in a gaming establishment having a limited number of license tokens.

34. The local licensing server of claim 32 further comprises an auditing module for performing auditing-related functions associated with the plurality of player stations.

35. The local licensing server of claim 34 wherein the auditing module is operable to perform wager game authorization functions and to create auditing reports related to wager game execution at the plurality of player stations.

36. The local licensing server of claim 32 further comprising a gaming device verification module to authenticate a gaming device when the device is establishing a connection with a player station from the plurality of player stations.

37. The local licensing server of claim 32 further comprising a user verification module to authenticate a user of a gaming device establishing a connection with a player station from the plurality of player stations.

38. The local licensing server of claim 32 operable to service a plurality of gaming machines.

39. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the processor and the storage area are contained in a host controller.

40. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the plurality of player stations has an associated plurality of gaming devices.

41. The local licensing server of claim 40 wherein the server storage area further stores gaming device operational capabilities data.

42. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the server storage area further stores gaming network topology data.

43. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the license management module is a software component executing on the local licensing server.

44. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the license management module is a software agent.

45. The local licensing server of claim 32 wherein the license management module is a host server in a gaming network.

46. A method of managing wager game licensing for a game table operating in a gaming network, comprising:

receiving a license token request for a wager game from a player station at the game table, the player station having an associated gaming device;

verifying that the associated gaming device is registered with the gaming network;

determining that the wager game is authorized for execution at a requesting location where the game table is located;

selecting a license token for a wager game code suitable for execution on the associated gaming device;

distributing the license token to the player station, such that the wager game code is executable on the associated gaming device; and

updating game usage data related to execution of the wager game code on the associated gaming device, wherein the game usage data are used to perform auditing-related functions related to the game table.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein receiving a license token request further comprises receiving a license token request for a wager game component.

48. The method of claim 46 further comprises verifying that a user of the associated gaming device is allowed to use the associated game device to engage in wager gaming at the game table.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein determining whether the wager game is authorized further comprising examining an authorized game list.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein selecting a license token further comprises examining gaming device operational capability data.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein distributing the license token further comprises implementing floating license distribution rules.

52. The method of claim 46 further comprising determining if there is game-related content which will be utilized during wager game code execution.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising updating content usage data related to the use of game-related content during game table operation.

54. The method of claim 46 further comprising updating content usage data related to the use of non-game related content during game table operation.

55. The method of claim 46 further comprising determining if there is software application usage during execution of wager on the associated gaming device.

56. The method of claim 55 further comprising updating application software usage data related to execution of wager game code on the associated gaming device.

57. The method of claim 46 further comprising creating a reconciliation report related to a player station software configuration.

58. The method of claim 56 further comprises utilizing player station game usage data stored on the player station.

59. The method of claim 46 wherein wager game licensing is performed by one game table for a plurality of player stations contained at a plurality of game tables in the gaming network.

60. The method of claim 46 further comprising retrieving the license token from the player station when the license token is no longer needed.

61. The method of claim 46 further comprising determining whether the associated gaming device is a game table device, a non-game table, hand-held gaming device, or an external gaming device operating outside of the gaming network.

62. The method of claim 61 further comprising determining the operational capabilities of the associated gaming device.

63. The method of claim 46 further comprising determining whether a license token is available for distribution to the player station.

64. The method of claim 46 further comprising auditing execution of the wager game on the associated gaming device and maintaining auditing data.