Monitoring system for plural gaming machines using power line carrier communications

• US 6,383,076 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iverson Gaming Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iverson Gaming Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Tiedeken, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/939,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 463/39-42, 463/20-22, 463/25-29, 463/16, 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.06, 340/825.35, 340/323.R, 375/259, 273/138.A
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a gaming machine has a controller and an AC power line modem. The controller and the AC power line modem send gaming machine data to a remote host polling computer via the AC power line in response to a polling request. A bank of gaming machines, each having a controller and an AC power line modem, may communicate with the host computer via the same AC power line. The gaming machine controller is adapted to communicate with a remote host computer via a plurality of different communication media, such as an AC power line, airwaves using radio frequency, and dedicated data lines. The gaming machine controller directly receives hard counts from pay-in devices of a gaming machine and transmits the hard counts to the remote polling computer. The gaming machine controller also uses a mask list to collect only the status codes, such as error codes, which the polling computer asks it to collect and transmit.

Claims

1. A gaming machine controller adapted for communication with a remote host computer via a plurality of different communication media, the controller comprising:

(a) a first connector for attachment to a gaming machine to allow the controller to receive data generated by the gaming machine;

(b) a memory for storing the gaming data; and

(c) a data router connected to the memory for communicating the gaming data to the remote host computer, the data router including a programmable device for selectively setting a communication mode therein from a plurality of communication modes to allow the controller to communicate via one or more communication medium selected from the plurality of different communication media.

2. A gaming machine controller according to claim 1 further comprising a modem interface and a hardwired interface, and the communication media include an AC power line and hardwired data lines, the data router causing the gaming data to be routed to the modem interface upon setting the programmable device to a power line mode, the data router causing the gaming data to be routed to the hardwired interface upon setting the programmable device to a hardwired mode.

3. A gaming machine controller according to claim 1 further comprising a modem interface and a hardwired interface, and the communication media include airwaves via radio frequency signals and hardwired data lines, the data router causing the gaming data to be routed to the modem interface upon setting the programmable device to a radio frequency mode, the data router causing the gaming data to be routed to the hardwired interface upon setting the programmable device to a hardwired mode.

4. A gaming machine controller adapted to collect data from a gaming machine, the gaming machine including at least one hard meter which reflects hard counts, the controller comprising:

(a) an input port directly connected to a signal line that is connected to the input of the at least one hard meter, wherein the signal line communicates hard count data,

(b) a memory for storing the hard count data received at the input port, and

(c) an output port connected to the memory for allowing the hard count data stored therein to be output from the controller and transmitted to a remote computer, the remote computer thereby receiving hard count data obtained directly from the signal line that is connected to the input of the at least one hard meter.

5. A gaming machine controller adapted for communication with a remote host computer, the controller comprising:

(a) an input port for receiving status codes from the gaming machine;

(b) a memory for storing the status codes;

(c) a filter which stores a list of a selectable subset of the status codes which are desired to be transmitted to the remote host computer; and

(d) a processor connected to the input port, the filter and the memory for storing the status codes received from the gaming machine which are on the filter list, and for causing the controller to transmit to the remote host computer only the status codes which are on the filter list.

6. A gaming machine controller according to claim 5 wherein the status codes are error codes.

7. A gaming machine controller according to claim 5 wherein the list of status codes which are desired to be transmitted to the remote host computer is received from the remote host computer.