REMOTE POWER RESET FEATURE ON A GAMING MACHINE

• US 20110195792A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: LEAP Forward Gaming
• Inventors: Wells, William R., Saffari, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A gaming device for a gaming machine is described. The gaming device can be configured to implement commands related to performing maintenance operations on the gaming machine. The commands can be initiated from a remote device, such as mobile device, separate from the gaming machine and the gaming device. In one embodiment, the gaming peripheral can be coupled to a power switching device on the gaming machine. A number of devices on the gaming machine, such as game controller, can be configured to receive power that is routed through the power switching device. The gaming device can be configured to receive a command from a remote device to cycle power on the gaming machine using the power switching device. In one example, the power can be cycled on the gaming machine to clear an error condition.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a power switching device configured to receive power and to output power including

     1) a switch configured to change positions such that received power is transmitted or blocked from being output and

     2) control circuitry for receiving a control signal to change a position of the switch; and

a gaming platform enhancement module (GPEM) including;

a first communication interface for receiving information from a game controller on a gaming machine for providing a wager-based game;

a second communication interface for wirelessly communicating with one or remote devices;

a third communication interface for sending the control signal to change a position of the switch via the one or more control inputs;

a power source that is not switched off by the power switching device;

a controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to

     1) receive information related to a status of the gaming machine via the first communication interface,

     2) wirelessly communicate with the one or more remote devices via the second communication interface and

     3) send the control signal to the power switching device via the third communication interface to change the position of switch such that power is interrupted to one or more devices on the gaming machine.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the switch is controlled using a DC control signal.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an opti-isolator circuit disposed between the power circuitry associated with the switch and the control circuitry to prevent electric discharge from the power switching device from entering the GPEM.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the power switching device includes a plurality of switches wherein the position of each switch is separately controlled by the control circuitry.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the power switching device is configured to provide switchable and non-switchable power.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the GPEM and the power switching device are provided as an integrated unit.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect an error condition on the gaming machine wherein the control signal is sent to the power switching device to interrupt power to clear the error condition.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to request an authorization from a remote device prior to sending the control signal to the power switching device to interrupt power.

9. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further designed or configured to receive a command from a remote device to generate the control signal to the power switching device to interrupt power.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game controller is configured to receive power via the power switching device so that power can be interrupted to the game controller under control of the GPEM.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the power is interrupted to the game controller without opening a gaming machine cabinet in which the game controller is disposed.

12. A method in a gaming system including a power switching device communicatively coupled to a Gaming Platform Enhancement Module (GPEM) wherein power is supplied to one or more gaming device on a gaming machine via the power switching device, the method comprising:

receiving in the GPEM a command from a remote device to interrupt power to one or more gaming devices on the gaming machine;

determining in the GPEM whether the gaming machine, which provides a wager-based game, is in a state that allows a power interruption; and

sending from the GPEM a control signal to the power switching device wherein the control signal is for changing a switch position in the power switching device such that the power is interrupted to the one or more gaming devices wherein the power is interrupted to the one or more gaming devices without opening a cabinet of the gaming machine in which the game controller is disposed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining in the GPEM an error condition has occurred on the gaming machine and sending a message to the remote device including information related to the error condition on the gaming machine.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more gaming devices is a game controller.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving in the GPEM via one or more devices coupled to the GPEM data indicating a proximity of the remote device to the GPEM.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the GPEM is configured to only command the power switching device to interrupt power to the one or more devices on the gaming when the remote device is within some distance of the GPEM.

17. A method in a gaming system including a power switching device communicatively coupled to a Gaming Platform Enhancement Module (GPEM) wherein power is supplied to one or more gaming device on a gaming machine via the power switching device, the method comprising:

determining in the GPEM that an error condition has occurred on the gaming machine;

determining in the GPEM that cycling power on the gaming machine can clear the error condition;

determining in the GPEM whether the gaming machine, which is configured to provide a wager-based game, is in a state that allows for power cycling; and

sending from the GPEM a control signal to the power switching device wherein the control signal is for changing a switch position in the power switching device such that the power is cycled on the gaming machine without opening a cabinet of the gaming machine in which the game controller is disposed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

prior to cycling power on the gaming machine, sending a request to authorize the power cycling to a remote device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the request includes information regarding a location of the gaming machine and the error condition.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, after the power cycling is completed, whether the error condition is cleared.