Open architecture communications in a gaming network

• US 20090069094A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Breckner, Robert, Nelson, Dwayne, Brosnan, William R., Cockerille, Warner
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,440 B2
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Open architecture communication systems and methods are provided that allow flexible data transmission between gaming machines and other devices and nodes within a gaming machine network. The gaming machine and other devices employ a communication interface that sends and receives data via a common communication protocol and via common communication hardware. The communication interface and common communication protocol allow data transfer between gaming machines and other network nodes such as gaming service servers, despite the presence of different proprietary gaming machine functions and proprietary communication protocols and despite the presence of various proprietary hardware and proprietary communication protocols relied on by the servers.

Claims

1. A communication interface for communicating between a gaming machine and a gaming machine network, the interface comprising:

multiple non-network communication ports, a first one the non-network communication ports allowing communication of data according to a first communication protocol and a second one the non-network communication ports allowing communication of data according to a second communication protocol; and

a network communication port, wherein the network communication port allows communication of data according to a third communication protocol.

2. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the first communication protocol is a first proprietary communication protocol.

3. The communication interface of claim 2 wherein the second communication protocol is a second proprietary communication protocol that is different from the first proprietary communication protocol.

4. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the network communication port communicates data with a gaming machine server that provides at least one game service in the first communication protocol.

5. The communication interface of claim 4 wherein the game service is selected from group consisting of progressive game services, bonus game services, player tracking services, cashless/ticketing services, game downloading services, prize services, entertainment content services, concierge services, lottery services and money transfer services.

6. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the third communication protocol is one of a TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocol.

7. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the first communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a progressive game service protocol, a bonus game service protocol, a player tracking service protocol, a cashless/ticketing service protocol, a game downloading service protocol, a prize service protocol, an entertainment content service protocol, a concierge service protocol, a lottery service protocol and a money transfer service protocol.

8. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the communication interface further comprises logic configured or designed to communicate data in both the first and second communication protocols and communicate the data in a third communication protocol over a network using the third communication protocol.

9. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the interface is included in a player tracking unit.

10. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the gaming machine employs proprietary gaming software that provides data in the non-network communication protocol to the one or more non-network communication ports.

11. The communication interface of claim 10 wherein the proprietary gaming software is not configured to receive messages transmitted in the third communication protocol.

12. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is assigned an IP address.

13. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein a physical interface of the one or more non-network communication ports is selected from the group consisting of RS-422/485, Fiber Optic, RS-232, DCS Current Loop, Link Progressive Current Loop, FireWire, Wireless, Ethernet and USB.

14. The communication interface of claim 1 wherein the network interface is a wired Ethernet connection.