Networked gaming system communication protocols and methods

• US 20090227363A1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Bryan M., Lockard, Dennis, Tallcott, Jeffrey, Kroeckel, John, Soliterman, Gennady, Rupanagudi, Reddy
• Granted Patent: US 9,053,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices;

a rewards server having a rewards accounting system, the rewards server to communicate personalized gaming information with gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices, the personalized gaming information associated with players of the gaming devices, the personalized gaming information including player identification information and a player PIN number for each player; and

a player tracking server separate from the rewards server, the player tracking server to communicate player identification information and player PIN numbers with the rewards server, the player tracking server to authenticate player identification information based on player PIN numbers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the rewards server communicates bonus achievement data to the player tracking server responsive to player bonuses earned in bonus games.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the player tracking server communicates bonus point data to the rewards server responsive to attempts to play bonus games.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the player tracking server maintains bonus point data associated with players, the player tracking server increases bonus point data associated with players responsive to bonuses earned by players, the player tracking server decreases bonus point data associated with players responsive to use of points to play bonus games.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the rewards server requests use of bonus points from the player tracking server responsive to player eligibility for bonus games.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the rewards server communicates bonus point earnings data to the player tracking server responsive to bonus point awards of bonus games.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the rewards server and the gaming devices communicate reward threshold data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the rewards server triggers bonus games at the gaming devices responsive to achievement of reward thresholds players of the gaming devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the reward thresholds of the players of the gaming devices are personalized to the players.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the personalized gaming information includes custom paytables, available games, and personal game settings.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the bonus games are selected from personalized bonus games of the players of the gaming devices.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the bonus games are played collectively on the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on personalized threshold counts communicated from the gaming devices.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a slot accounting server having a slot accounting system, the slot accounting server to communicate game data with the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the slot accounting server is to maintain progressive bonus data.

16. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices;

a rewards server having a rewards accounting system, the rewards server to communicate personalized gaming information with gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices, the personalized gaming information associated with players of the gaming devices, the personalized gaming information including player identification information and a player PIN number for each player;

a player tracking server separate from the rewards server, the player tracking server to communicate player identification information and player PIN numbers with the rewards server, the player tracking server to authenticate player identification information based on player PIN numbers; and

a slot accounting server having a slot accounting system, the slot accounting server to communicate game data with the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein:

the player tracking server maintains bonus point data associated with players, the player tracking server increases bonus point data associated with players responsive to bonuses earned by players, the player tracking server decreases bonus point data associated with players responsive to use of points to play bonus games.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein:

the rewards server requests use of bonus points from the player tracking server responsive to player eligibility for bonus games and the rewards server communicates bonus point earnings data to the player tracking server responsive to bonus point awards of bonus games.

19. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein:

the slot accounting server is to maintain progressive bonus data.

20. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices;

a rewards server having a rewards accounting system, the rewards server communicates personalized gaming information with gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices, the personalized gaming information associated with players of the gaming devices, the personalized gaming information including player identification information and a player PIN number for each player;

a player tracking server separate from the rewards server, the player tracking server communicates player identification information and player PIN numbers with the rewards server, the player tracking server authenticates player identification information based on player PIN numbers, the player tracking server maintains bonus point data associated with players, the player tracking server increases bonus point data associated with players responsive to bonuses earned by players, the player tracking server decreases bonus point data associated with players responsive to use of points to play bonus games;

a slot accounting server having a slot accounting system, the slot accounting server to communicate game data with the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices, the slot accounting server maintains progressive bonus data;

wherein the rewards server requests use of bonus points from the player tracking server responsive to player eligibility for bonus games and the rewards server communicates bonus point earnings data to the player tracking server responsive to bonus point awards of bonus games; and

wherein bonus games are played collectively on the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices and the bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on personalized threshold counts communicated from the gaming devices.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving player identification data from a gaming device at a rewards server;

receiving player PIN data from the gaming device at the rewards server;

sending player identification data and player PIN data to a player tracking server;

receiving authentication of the player identification data based on the player PIN data from the player tracking server; and

providing personalized game data to the gaming device responsive to the authentication.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving base game data from the gaming device at the rewards server.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the game data includes data reflecting achievement of a personalized threshold for a bonus game based on results of the game data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving bonus points from the player tracking server at the rewards server.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

requesting bonus points at the rewards server from the player tracking server for the bonus game.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

triggering the bonus game at the gaming device responsive to a personalized threshold achieved based on results of the base game and responsive to receiving the bonus points from the player tracking server.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

the bonus game is a personalized bonus game.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the bonus game is a collective bonus game including the gaming device and another gaming device.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein:

personalized game data includes pay tables, player preferences and available games.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

accumulating player rewards at the rewards server responsive to game data.

31. A method, comprising:

receiving player identification data from a plurality of gaming devices at a rewards server;

receiving player PIN data from the plurality of gaming devices at the rewards server;

sending player identification data and player PIN data to a player tracking server;

receiving authentication of the player identification data based on the player PIN data from the player tracking server; and

providing personalized game data to the plurality of gaming devices responsive to the authentication.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving base game data from the plurality of gaming devices at the rewards server.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining the base game data includes data reflecting achievement of a personalized threshold for a bonus game based on results of the game data of two or more gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

requesting bonus points at the rewards server from the player tracking server for the bonus game for each player associated with achievement of a threshold.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving bonus points from the player tracking server at the rewards server.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

triggering the bonus game selectively at each gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices responsive to a personalized threshold achieved based on results of the base game at the selected gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices and responsive to receiving the bonus points from the player tracking server.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein:

the bonus game is a collective bonus game including each selected gaming device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein:

results of the bonus game include bonus points for a player of the bonus game having a winning result of the bonus game.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

sending the bonus points for the player having the winning result of the bonus game to the player tracking server.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein:

personalized game data includes pay tables, player preferences and available games.