BROWSER MANAGER, GAMING MACHINE, GAMING NETWORK, AND SYSTEM

• US 20120172134A1
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelly, Bryan M., Patel, Pravinkumar, Reddy, Mettu R., Green, Anthony E., Crowder, Robert W. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system that provides server based dynamic content onto a content display area of one or more gaming machines is disclosed. The system includes: a browser manager, one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, and one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service. The browser manager includes a user interface application and a core service, wherein the user interface application generates a user interface display on a user control station. Each gaming machine includes a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content.

Claims

1. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system including server based dynamic content for display of a content display area of one or more gaming machines, the system comprising:

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a graphical user interface application, a web service, and a core service, wherein the graphical user interface application generates a graphical user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein the one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine including a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables creating one or more browser windows on a display of a gaming machine from the server, positioning one or more browser windows next to each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server in an X-Y plane of a coordinate system;

and positioning an order of two or more browser windows on top of each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server along a Z axis of the coordinate system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables creating and positioning one or more browser windows on a display of a gaming machine from the server in an X-Y plane of a coordinate system;

and enabling server side control of two or more browser windows on top of each other in a Z-order of a display along a Z axis of the coordinate system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables frame management of one or more browser windows on any device in the casino property.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables determination of proper Z-order at least partially by player requests and casino business rules.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that receives requests for Z-order of browser windows from clients and servers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables, if casino business rules allow, proper Z-order of a browser window to deliver media to casino patrons.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a browser window and user interface for a player who selects a slot statistics application showing recent win/loss activity on the gaming device through the browser interface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager includes a main form panel generated by a browser manager client in a gaming network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables browser layout and assignments panels to be generated by a browser manager client in a gaming network.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for selecting a customizable browser window template;

means for customizing browser window location and size for one or more browser windows;

means for selecting an application to be displayed in each browser window;

means for enabling selected gaming machines to be configured with the selected customized browser windows; and

means for displaying a summary of browser window configurations.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to take over the entire screen or the top panel of the screen automatically.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to take over the entire screen or the top panel of the screen due to the base game having master control as a regulated gaming machine.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to give up control of an active window on a display screen when a base game has completed its priority content.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables a player to drag and drop browser windows in various positions around a display screen.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser manager enables a player resize each browser window using controls associated with the browser window.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein content within the browser window is scaled accordingly with the browser window.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein content a smaller window remains at the original size, and a player may only view a portion of the content in the smaller window at a time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a player may slide original sized content around within the smaller window using a finger gesture and a slider bar.

20. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system including server based dynamic content for display of a content display area of one or more gaming machines, the system comprising:

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a graphical user interface application, a web service, and a core service, wherein the graphical user interface application generates a graphical user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein the one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine including a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content;

means for converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema;

means for validating incoming message data with available data in a database; and

means for enabling an ID provider class to generate a required new ID from an ID provider data table by incrementing a relevant key ID based on category and key name.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the browser manager enables creating one or more browser windows on a display of a gaming machine from the server, positioning one or more browser windows next to each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server in an X-Y plane of a coordinate system;

and positioning an order of two or more browser windows on top of each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server along a Z axis of the coordinate system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to a universal resource locator (URL).

23. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to a different URL.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is a parent browser window and remaining browser windows are child browser windows, and wherein browser layout management incorporates prioritization of the parent browser window.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein parent browser window maintains the highest Z axis position on the display.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein parent browser window status can be changed to child browser window status by the server via the network, and wherein child browser window status can be changed to parent browser window status by the server via the network.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein child browser window positioning is based off of parent window position as a frame of reference.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein a new browser window is creatable on the display screen at the highest Z axis position, relative to other browser windows, to alert a player of priority information.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein a new browser window is creatable on the display screen of a gaming machine to deliver a message to a player.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein a child browser window is emphasized on the display screen to alert a player of priority information relating to the child browser window, and encourage a player to re-designate the child browser window as the parent browser window.

33. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system including server based dynamic content for display of a content display area of one or more gaming machines, the system comprising:

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a graphical user interface application, a web service, and a core service, wherein the graphical user interface application generates a graphical user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein the one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine including a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content;

wherein the browser manager converts incoming messages with respect to browser manager schema, processes incoming commands, and validates incoming message data.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein an application server sends a request to the browser manager to execute commands on one or more gaming machines, and wherein the browser manager validates the request, processes the request, sends corresponding commands to gaming machines, waits for a response from the gaming machines, builds a response to the application server, and sends back to the application server.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the browser manager core service is enabled to receives message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, wherein the message requests include data.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein, in response to receiving message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, the browser manager core service validates the data, performs associated processing, and stores the data to a browser manager database, if required.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein each gaming machine displays dynamic content from third party application servers in a pre-defined layout in the lay area that includes a control panel page and a content page in browser frames, which is served from an Internet server.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the browser manager GUI implements a smart client windows form, which can be viewed in the display area and enables managing applications, browser layouts, gaming machine summary, and reporting.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the browser manager web service connects the browser manager GUI to browser manager core windows service to execute business functionality, database operations and enable the exchange messages using a communication protocols.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the communication protocols include HTTP, XML, XSD, SOAP, and WSDL.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the browser manager core service is the central point for processing the business logic of browser class messages.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the browser manager core service is responsible for core functionality and execution of both incoming and outgoing messages from G2S and S2S server components.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the browser manager core service further comprising:

means for receiving S2S and G2S incoming message queues, and after message receipt, processing the message and sending back reply message, if needed;

means for converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the commands;

means for validating incoming message data with the available data in a database and if any inconsistent data found, building and sending a negative acknowledgement response back to a S2S client;

means for saving S2S or G2S command data information that is determined to relevant tables in the database;

means for logging information messages and error messages to log file;

means for logging incoming and outgoing S2S and G2S messages to log files, wherein S2S messages are logged to a S2S message log file and G2S messages are logged to a G2S message log file, wherein a data table stores information about commands received, commands processed, commands sent to gaming machines, and responses received from gaming machines; and

means for enabling an ID provider class to generate the required new ID from ID provider data table by incrementing the relevant key id based on category and key name.