Wireless Mesh Networking in Wagering Game Environments

• US 20080300046A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Buchholz, Dale R., St. John, Daniel Norman
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

Systems and methods for wireless mesh networking in a gaming environment are described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a network interface unit to wirelessly receive gaming data from ones of a plurality of components of a wireless mesh network, the network interface unit to wirelessly transmit the gaming data to others of the plurality of components of the wireless mesh network. The system also includes a memory unit to store certain of the gaming data and to store instructions for conducting wagering games and a central processing unit to perform operations based in part on the certain of the gaming data and to perform operations based on the instructions.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a network interface unit to wirelessly receive gaming data from ones of a plurality of components of a wireless mesh network, the network interface unit to wirelessly transmit the gaming data to others of the plurality of components of the wireless mesh network;

a memory unit to store certain of the gaming data and to store instructions for conducting wagering games; and

a central processing unit to perform operations based in part on the certain of the gaming data and to perform operations based on the instructions.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, the gaming device to maintain routing information for transmitting the gaming data to the others of the plurality of components of the wireless mesh network.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the ones of the plurality of components include other gaming devices, and wherein the gaming data includes information about a community wagering game in which the gaming device and the other gaming devices participate.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, the network interface unit to perform the wireless transmission of the gaming data using a low-power radiofrequency signal.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the others of the plurality of components of the wireless mesh network are located relatively near the gaming device.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming data includes game themes, game settings, bonus events, pay tables, program code, audio content, or video content.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the new gaming content includes executable game code, game math, game art, game configuration data, game operating system features, game peripheral device drivers, attract mode displays, advertisements, or episodic game content.

8. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a gaming device cause the gaming device to perform operations comprising:

wirelessly receiving a gaming data packet from a gaming device on a wireless mesh network;

determining whether the gaming data packet should be forwarded to another gaming device on the mesh network; and

if the gaming packet should be forwarded, wirelessly transmitting the gaming data packet directly to the other gaming device.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the gaming packet includes a time to live value, and wherein if the time to live value equals zero, the gaming data packet should not be forwarded to another gaming device.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the gaming packet includes a time to live value, the operations further comprising:

before wirelessly transmitting the gamine data packet directly to the other gaming device, decrementing the time to live value.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the transmitting includes sending the gaming data packet directly to the other gaming device of the mesh network using a low-power wireless signal.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the component of the wireless mesh network is a gaming device.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

inviting a set of gaming devices to participate in a community wagering game;

determining routing information for each gaming device of the set;

transmitting the routing information to an arbiter, wherein the arbiter designates one of the set to act as a community wagering game server;

receiving an indication indicating which of the set will act as the community game server, wherein the community wagering game server can determine an outcome of the community wagering game; and

transmitting gaming information to the community wagering game server.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the gaming information includes player input for the community wagering game.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein gaming devices of the set are connected to a mesh network.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the routing information for each gaming device indicates how efficiently the gaming device communicates with other gaming devices of the set.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the routing information for each gaming device indicates a number of hops between the gaming device and others gaming devices of the set.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the routing information for each gaming device indicates a transmission time of data sent from the gaming device to other gaming devices of the set.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the transmitting the routing information to the arbiter includes using wireless low-power radiofrequency signals to propagate the routing information through a mesh network to the arbiter.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the gaming devices are portable.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, in a mesh node, gaming data destined for a gaming device on a mesh network;

determining whether the gaming data has reach its destination; and

if the gaming data has reached its destination, transmitting a response destined for a sender of the gaming data, wherein the response indicates a route traveled by the gaming data.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising determining, based on a characteristic of the gaming data, that the response should be transmitted.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising:

modifying the message to include identification information associated with the mesh node; and

forwarding the message.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising determining that the gaming data is not a duplicate of previously received gaming data.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the method is performed by a machine as a result of the machine executing instructions included in a machine-readable medium.

26. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting inquiries destined for gaming devices in a mesh network;

receiving responses originating from the gaming devices, wherein the responses include traversal information for the mesh network;

creating, based on the responses, routing information indicating topology and network characteristics; and

maintaining the routing information.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting some or all of the routing information to ones of the gaming devices.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the some or all of the routing information is selected from the group consisting of only routes for a gaming device to which the some or all of the routing information is transmitted and only next hops for a gaming device to which the some or all of the routing information is transmitted.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising:

advertising mesh routing server services; and

receiving requests for mesh networking information.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein the mesh network includes more than one mesh routing servers.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting of the inquiries includes transmitting using methods selected from the group consisting of multicasting, unicasting and broadcasting.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the traversal information includes information selected from the group consisting of hop count, latency, and time-to-live.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the maintaining includes transmitting messages to determine whether topology and network characteristics are still valid.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the maintaining includes recalculating paths as the mesh network changes.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the method is performed by a machine as a result of the machine executing instructions included in a machine-readable medium.

36. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a requester, a request for a route to a specific gaming device in a mesh network;

determining that the route is not known;

transmitting a broadcast indicating the specific gaming device;

receiving one or more responses, wherein each of the responses indicates a route to the specific gaming device;

if more than one response is received, determining a preferred route to the specific gaming device; and

transmitting, to the requestor, the route to the specific gaming device.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the route to the specific gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a next hop and an entire route.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the route to the specific device is a route originating at the requestor.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the determining that the route is not known is performed by searching a routing table.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the determining the preferred route to the specific gaming device includes comparing characteristics of the responses.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the method is performed by a machine as a result of the machine executing instructions included in a machine-readable medium.