DISCOVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY LOCATING NETWORKED GAMING COMPONENTS AND RESOURCES

• US 20090163279A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hermansen, William Dale, Miles, Peter D., Salls, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,958 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 17/3262 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 services discovery system and method is provided for providing dynamic access to gaming resources, services, and other components.

Claims

1. A method in a gaming machine located on a casino property for locating one or more of a plurality of gaming machine resources, comprising:

causing a domain name server to return an indicator to a specified directory service available on the casino property;

sending a query to the indicated directory service to provide information for accessing a named gaming resource available on the casino property, the resource being a database or a web service;

receiving from the indicated directory service a response to the query that specifies a server that is available for handling requests to access the named gaming resource and information for accessing the resource; and

using the information provided by the received response, accessing the named gaming resource through the specified server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the domain name server is a DNS server configured using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicated directory service is at least one of an LDAP or Active Directory service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information for accessing a named gaming resource is part of a directory services server entry comprising login or authentication parameters for accessing the specified server or named resource.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query is determined based upon a location of the gaming machine on the casino property.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query is determined based upon server availability and load of one or more possible servers having access to the named gaming resource.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query is determined based upon which version of software is running on one or more possible servers having access to the named gaming resource.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query is determined based upon which version of protocol is available on one or more possible servers having access to the named gaming resource.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query is determined based upon location of one or more possible servers having access to the named gaming resource.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query indicates a server used for testing.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the specified server that is available for handling requests received in response to the query indicates a server that is a substitute for a server no longer available.

12. A computer-readable medium containing content that is configured, when executed, to perform a method comprising:

using a DNS server, determining an indicator to a specified directory services server available from the casino property;

querying the indicated directory services service to retrieve information for accessing a named gaming resource available from the casino property, the resource being a database or a web service;

receiving from the indicated directory services server a response that indicates a server to be used to access the named gaming resource and that indicates information for accessing the server and/or the resource; and

using the indicated information, accessing the named gaming resource through the indicated server.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the medium is a memory of a computing system that contains instructions that, when executed, control a computer processor to perform the method.

14. A dynamic configuration system for managing access to a plurality of gaming resources distributed throughout or accessible from at least one casino property, comprising:

one or more directory services servers each configured to, in response to a request for access to a gaming resource, dynamically determine a server from a plurality of servers having access to gaming resources accessible from the casino property by a gaming machine and to return an indication to the determined server and optionally an indication of access information;

one or more DNS servers configured to locate and return an indication to one of the one or more directory services servers; and

one or more gaming machines distributed throughout the at least one casino property configured to query at least one of the DNS servers to obtain the indicated directory services server and to query the indicated directory services server for access to a named gaming resource.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the gaming resources are least one of a web service, a database, or an activity related resource.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein some of the one or more directory services servers are LDAP servers.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein some of the one or more directory services servers are Active Directory service servers.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the directory services servers is further configured to determine a server from the plurality of servers having access to the gaming resource based at least in part upon a determined location of a gaming machine from which the request for access to the gaming resource was received.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the directory services servers is further configured to determine a server from the plurality of servers having access to the gaming resource based at least in part upon a determined location of the server.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the directory services servers is further configured to determine a server from the plurality of servers having access to the gaming resource based at least in part upon a version of software residing on the server.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the indication of access information includes login or authentication information for gaining access to the named gaming resource.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the DNS server is configured to locate and return an indication to the one of the directory service servers based at least in part upon availability and/or load parameters of the one of the directory service servers.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the DNS server is configured to locate and return an indication to the one of the directory service servers based at least in part upon staged deployment of the directory service servers.