SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONE-WAY DELIVERY OF NOTIFICATIONS FROM SERVER-TO-CLIENTS USING MODIFIED MULTICASTS

• US 20090125603A1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruppert, Ryan, Atashband, Farshid
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates

Abstract

A slot management system including a download and configuration server-based sub-system and method is disclosed for use with game devices, systems, and methods is provided to enable users to monitor, control, and modify game devices and other related activities. A notification system and method is provided for providing one-way delivery of notifications to clients of a server.

Claims

1. A notification system to provide notifications to clients of a server, comprising:

a first communications network at a casino having a number of electronic gaming machines coupled thereto, wherein communications carried by the first communications network conforms to a first communication protocol;

a plurality of clients at the casino and communicatively coupled to a second communications network, the plurality of clients including at least one registered-client that receives a respective multi-cast client-notification message over the second communications network wherein communications carried by the second communications network conforms to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol; and

a notification server at the casino communicatively coupled to the plurality of clients by the second communications network and communicatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines by the first communications network, the notification server configured to receive a respective notification message via the first communications network and configured to multicast a respective client-notification message carrying information indicative of the respective notification message to selected registered-clients based at least on a respective message classifier associated with the respective notification message which is carried to the notification server via the second communications message, wherein the notification server and each respective client communicate in at least a client request-server response mode where the respective client provides a respective request and the server provides a respective response to the respective request.

2. The notification system of claim 1, comprising:

a database stored on a computer-readable medium having at least one look-up table that associates information indicative of a logical address and information indicative of a respective notification type requested by a respective registered client with a respective message classifier for each registered client of the plurality of clients.

3. The notification system of claim 2 wherein in response to receiving the respective notification message, the notification server updates at least one table, and wherein the respective client-notification message carries information indicative of the update in the at least one table.

4. The notification system of claim 2 wherein the plurality of clients includes at least one nonregistered-client that does not receive the respective multi-cast client-notification message.

5. The notification system of claim 2 wherein the notification server receives a first notification message via the first communication network and based at least on a respective message classifier for the first notification message and the at least one look-up table the server determines a respective logical address of each registered client associated with the respective message classifier of the first notification message and addresses a first multi-cast client notification message with the respective logical address of each the registered clients associated with the respective message classifier of the first notification message.

6. The notification system of claim 5 wherein the notification server receives a second notification message via the first communication network and based at least on a respective message classifier for the second notification message and the at least one look-up table the server determines a respective logical address of each registered client associated with the respective message classifier of the second notification message and addresses a second multi-cast client notification message with the respective logical address of each the registered clients associated with the respective message classifier of the second notification message, and wherein at least one registered client is an addressee of the first client-notification message and is not an addressee of the second client-notification message.

7. The notification system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of clients includes at least one nonregistered-client that does not receive multi-cast client-notification messages.

8. A computer implemented method of providing notifications to a plurality of clients of a server, the method comprising:

registering a respective client of a server to selectively receive client-notifications, wherein the respective client is one of a plurality of clients of the server, and wherein each respective client of the server and the server communicate in at least a client request-server response mode where the respective client provides a respective request and the server provides a respective response to the respective request;

receiving a respective notification message in accordance with a first communication protocol at the server; and

multi-casting a respective client-notification carrying information indicative the respective notification message in accordance with a second communication protocol to selected registered clients of the plurality of clients based at least on a respective message classifier associated with the respective notification message, wherein at least one client of the plurality of clients does not receive the respective client-notification.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, comprising:

reading content carried by the respective notification message, wherein the content carried by the respective notification message is formatted in accordance with the first communication protocol; and

updating at least one table stored in a memory based on the read content of the respective notification message, and where the information carried by the respective client-notification message is indicative of the update in the at least one table.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein prior to multi-casting a respective notification message, the method further comprises:

reading a respective logical address for a number of registered clients from a look-up table based at least on the respective message classifier; and

addressing the respective client-notification with each respective logical address for the number of registered clients.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein registering a respective client of a server to selectively receive client-notifications includes:

receiving a respective registration request from the respective client at the server, the respective registration request including information indicative of a respective logical address of the respective client and information indicative of a number of types of notifications requested; and

associating information indicative of the respective logical address of the respective client and information indicative of a respective notification requested with a respective message classifier for each of the number of types of notifications requested in a look-up table.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving a respective de-registration request from the respective client at the server; and

removing the information indicative of the respective logical address of the respective client from the look-up table.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the information indicative of the respective logical address of the respective client includes an IP address for the respective client and the information indicative of the number of types of notifications requested identifies each type of notification requested.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 8 wherein the information indicative of the respective logical address of the respective client includes an IP address for the respective client and the information indicative of the number of types of notifications requested identifies each tyype of notification requested.