SOURCING OF ELECTRONIC WAGERING GAMES ACCESSED THROUGH UNAFFILIATED HOSTS

• US 20100178987A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pacey, Larry J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,962 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

Abstract

The play of a wagering game by a user on the user'"'"'s computing device is supported while a web page from a host server is displayed on the user'"'"'s screen. The game is contained in a window on the web page, but the game is under the control of a server. The user'"'"'s computing device downloads a module of an application that supports play of the wagering game. Requests from the user'"'"'s computing device for critical game information is routed via the host server to the source server. A reply to this request is transmitted from the source server via the host server to the user'"'"'s computing device thereby permitting play of the game within web page window as displayed on the user'"'"'s screen. The host server controls the subject matter displayed on the web page outside the window containing the wagering game.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a host server which supports wagering on games comprising the steps of:

transmitting a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page containing a first icon associated with a corresponding first wagering game available for play under the control of a source server, the web page configured for display on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device;

downloading to the user'"'"'s computing device at least a module of an application support service that supports play of the first wagering game upon receipt of a signal from the user'"'"'s computing device indicating a selection of the first icon;

causing a window to be displayed within the web page on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device where the window presents the first wagering game for play;

receiving from the user'"'"'s computing device a request for critical information required for play of the first game and routing the request to the source server;

receiving from the source server a reply to the critical information request and routing the reply to the user'"'"'s computing device for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of requests for non-critical information by the user'"'"'s computing device not being routed to the source server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying images on said web page outside of the window being determined only by an owner of the host server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the images displayed on the web page outside of the window are independent of any control by the source server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a module of the application support service supports rendering of the window and images within the window.

6. A host server that supports wagering on games comprising:

microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to transmit a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page containing a first icon associated with a corresponding first wagering game available for play under the control of a source server, the web page configured for display on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to download to the user'"'"'s computing device at least a module of an application support service that supports play of the first wagering game upon receipt of a signal from the user'"'"'s computing device indicating a selection of the first icon;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to cause a window to be displayed within the web page on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device where the window presents the first wagering game for play;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to receive from the user'"'"'s computing device a request for critical information required for play of the first game and route the request to the source server;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to receive from the source server a reply to the critical information request and route the reply to the user'"'"'s computing device for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.

7. The host server of claim 6 further comprising the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to handle requests for non-critical information from the user'"'"'s computing device by not routing requests for non-critical information to the source server.

8. The host server of claim 6 further comprising the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to display images on said web page outside of the window determined only by an owner of the host server.

9. The host server of claim 8 wherein the images displayed on the web page outside of the window are independent of any control by the source server.

10. The host server of claim 6 wherein the at least a module of the application support service supports rendering of the window and images within the window.

11. A method implemented by a source server which supports wagering on games comprising the steps of:

transmitting and receiving messages with a host server where the host server transmits a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page including a window containing a first wagering game available for play within said window;

receiving a request for critical information from the host server in response to a request for critical information received from the user'"'"'s computing device by the host server, the critical information required for play of the first game;

transmitting a reply to the critical information request to the user'"'"'s computing device via the host server for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of requests for non-critical information by the user'"'"'s computing device received at the host server not being routed to the source server.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein any images displayed on said web page outside of the window not being under the control of the source server.

14. A source server which supports wagering on games comprising the steps of:

a microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to transmit and receive messages with a host server where the host server transmits a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page including a window containing a first wagering game available for play within said window;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to receive a request for critical information from the host server in response to a request for critical information received from the user'"'"'s computing device by the host server, the critical information required for play of the first game;

the microprocessor-based processing unit adapted to transmit a reply to the critical information request to the user'"'"'s computing device via the host server for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.

15. The source server of claim 14 wherein any requests for non-critical information by the user'"'"'s computing device received at the host server are not routed to the source server.

16. The source server of claim 14 wherein any images displayed on said web page outside of the window are not under the control of the source server.

17. A tangible computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for controlling a host server that supports wagering games comprising:

computer readable storage instructions for transmitting a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page containing a first icon associated with a corresponding first wagering game available for play under the control of a source server, the web page intended for display on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device;

computer readable storage instructions for downloading to the user'"'"'s computing device at least a module of an application support service that supports play of the first wagering game upon receipt of a signal from the user'"'"'s computing device indicating a selection of the first icon;

computer readable storage instructions for causing a window to be displayed within the web page on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device where the window presents the first wagering game for play;

computer readable storage instructions for receiving from the user'"'"'s computing device a request for critical information required for play of the first game and routing the request to the source server;

computer readable storage instructions for receiving from the source server a reply to the critical information request and routing the reply to the user'"'"'s computing device for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on the screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.

18. A tangible computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for controlling a source server that supports wagering games comprising:

computer readable storage instructions for transmitting and receiving messages with a host server where the host server transmits a web page to a user'"'"'s computing device, the web page including a window containing a first wagering game available for play within said window;

computer readable storage instructions for receiving a request for critical information from the host server in response to a request for critical information received from the user'"'"'s computing device by the host server, the critical information required for play of the first game;

computer readable storage instructions for transmitting a reply to the critical information request to the user'"'"'s computing device via the host server for display in the window, thereby permitting play of the first game within said window of the web page as displayed on a screen of the user'"'"'s computing device.