Distributed Game Services

• US 20120322563A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Benbrahim, Jamal, Bansemer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,597,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In some implementations, a local gaming machine is in communication with a remote gaming machine over a data network. A player input requesting a game application is received at the local gaming machine. The requested game application may be located at the remote gamine machine. It is determined whether the requested game application is available for execution on the remote gaming machine. In some instances, determining availability of the requested game application includes determining compliance with interface specifications, licensing specifications and/or jurisdictional specifications. When the requested game application is available for execution, an instance of the requested game application is reserved on the remote gaming machine. When the instance is executed on the remote gaming machine, output data is sent to the local gaming machine over the data network. In some instances, one or more game parameters can be captured from the received output data.

Claims

1. A local gaming machine configured to interact with a remote gaming machine to provide games of chance, the local gaming machine comprising:

a gaming controller configured to;

identify a location of a first game application as being at the remote gaming machine, the remote gaming machine being configured to store and execute one or more remote game applications including the first game application, and

request reservation of an instance of the first game application at the remote gaming machine when it is determined that the first game application is available for execution at the remote gaming machine;

a communications interface coupled to receive a request from the remote gaming machine for a second game application;

a storage medium configured to store one or more local game applications including the second game application;

the gaming controller further configured to;

execute the one or more local game applications, and

reserve an instance of the second game application when it is determined that the second game application is available for execution at the local gaming machine.

2. The local gaming machine of claim 1, wherein:

the gaming controller is configured to execute the instance of the second game application; and

the communications interface is coupled to provide output data of the executed instance of the second game application to the remote gaming machine over a data network.

3. The local gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the communications interface is coupled to receive, responsive to execution of the instance of the first game application at the remote gaming machine, output data of the executing instance of the first game application from the remote gaming machine over the data network.

4. The local gaming machine of claim 3, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to perform one or more of:

storing the received output data in a memory, and providing the received output data to a user interface.

5. The local gaming machine of claim 3, further comprising:

a data capture module coupled to;

capture one or more game parameters from one or more frames of the received output data, and

store the captured game parameters in a memory, wherein;

the game parameters include one or more of;

a credit meter, a bet meter, a bet history, lines bet, number of credits, side bets, and an outcome history.

6. The local gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further coupled to provide authentication information in a frame of the output data.

7. A method for providing games of chance on gaming machines over a data network, the method comprising:

identifying a location of a first game application as being at a remote gaming machine, the remote gaming machine configured to store and execute one or more remote game applications including the first game application;

determining whether the first game application is available for execution at the remote gaming machine;

reserving an instance of the first game application at the remote gaming machine when it is determined that the first game application is available for execution;

receiving, at a local gaming machine, a request message for a second game application from the remote gaming machine, the local gaming machine configured to store and execute one or more local game applications including the second game application;

determining whether the second game application is available for execution at the local gaming machine; and

reserving an instance of the second game application at the local gaming machine when it is determined that the second game application is available for execution.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

releasing the reserved instance of the first game application at the remote machine.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, responsive to execution of the first game application at the remote gaming machine, output data of the executing first game application from the remote gaming machine over the data network;

providing the received output data on an interface of the local gaming machine;

receiving a generic output data component from a storage medium; and

providing the generic output data component on the interface of the local gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the storage medium is situated at the local gaming machine or at the remote gaming machine.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the first game application is available for execution at the remote gaming machine includes identifying the remote gaming machine as one of a plurality of gaming machines having the first game application and having a closest network distance to the local gaming machine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the remote gaming machine as one of the plurality of gaming machines having the game application includes:

accessing a routing table listing a sequence of gaming machines.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sequence of gaming machines is arranged according to most often accessed gaming machines.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sequence of gaming machines is arranged according to most often accessed game applications.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving user interaction signals from an input terminal of the local gaming machine;

sending the user interaction signals from the local gaming machine to the remote gaming machine over the data network.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying interface requirements of the first game application;

determining whether the identified interface requirements are compatible with an interface of the local gaming machine, wherein the interface requirements of the first game application include one or more of;

input button information, payline information, denominations, paytable information, processor speed, memory availability, and hard disk space.

17. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, at an input terminal, a game configuration input setting parameters for the first game application, wherein the parameters include one or more of;

payline information, a wager amount, and a jackpot; and

sending the game configuration input to the remote gaming machine.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the first game application is available for execution at the remote gaming machine includes one or more of:

determining compliance of the first game application with interface requirements, determining compliance of the first game application with licensing requirements, and determining compliance of the first game application with jurisdictional requirements.

19. A system for providing games of chance, the system comprising:

a local gaming machine including;

a storage medium configured to store one or more local game applications;

a controller configured to;

determine a location of a first game application as being at a remote gaming machine,

determine whether the first game application is available for execution at the remote gaming machine, and

reserve an instance of the first game application at the remote gaming machine when it is determined that the first game application is available for execution; and

the remote gaming machine including;

a storage medium configured to store one or more remote game applications;

a controller configured to;

determine a location of a second game application as being at the local gaming machine,

determine whether the second game application is available for execution at the local gaming machine, and

reserve an instance of the second game application at the local gaming machine when it is determined that the second game application is available for execution.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the local gaming machine or the remote gaming machine includes is an item selected from the group consisting of:

a slot machine, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, and an interactive television enabled device.