Two wire exchange system

• US 6,863,611 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, James, Rathsack, Erhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US09/967,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 43, 463 1- 9, 700/92, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol

Abstract

A two wire exchange system is disclosed that enables a gaming machine having one communication port to function as a gaming machine having a plurality of communication ports. The two-wire exchange system allows a gaming machine having only a single communication port to connect to two or more system hosts simultaneously. The two wire exchange system is an intelligent multiplexer that communicates using the same protocol as the system hosts to which it is connected. The two-wire exchange system has the ability to respond to a poll from the system host by indicating that the gaming machine is busy, and that the system host should poll the gaming machine again. This is provided to avoid and to prevent data collisions.

Claims

1. A gaing machine system, comprising:

a gaming machine having a communication port; and

an intelligent multiplexer that enables the communication port to function as if the communication port were a plurality of ports, and wherein the intelligent multiplexer is in simultaneous communication with a plurality of system hosts.

2. The gaming machine system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of system hosts are connected to the communication port through the multiplexer, the hosts being able to communicate with the multiplexer simultaneously, and wherein the multiplexer controls the timing of when each of the system hosts communicates with the gaming machine using fixed time response windows.

3. The gaming machine system as recited in claim 2, wherein the system hosts communicate with the gaming machine through the intelligent multiplexer using a series of polls, each poll being transmitted from the multiplexer to the gaming machine in accordance with the fixed time response windows, wherein a fetching period is the time requited for the gaming machine to respond to a poll, and wherein the multiplexer is capable of arbitrating the polls even when the fixed time response windows are shorter than the fetching period.

4. The gaming machine system as recited in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer responds to a polling system host during a fetching period that the system host should send the poll again.

5. The gaming machine system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of system hosts are connected to the port through the multiplexer, the hosts being able to communicate with the multiplexer simultaneously, wherein the multiplexer communicates with the system hosts using a protocol specific response.

6. The gaming machine system as recited in claim 5, wherein the multiplexer responds to a polling system host during a fetching period using a protocol specific response.

7. A method of enabling a gaming machine having one communication port to function as a gaming machine having two communication ports, comprising.

multiplexing the communication port via a multiplexer;

and

connecting a plurality of hosts to the multiplexer, wherein the multiplexer communicates with the plurality of hosts simultaneously using the same protocol the hosts use to communicate.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the hosts communicate with the gaming machine through the multiplexer using a series of polls, each poll being transmitted from the multiplexer to the gaming machine in accordance with fixed time response windows, wherein a fetching period is the time required for the gaming machine to respond to a poll, and wherein the multiplexer is capable of arbitrating the polls even when the fixed time response windows are shorter than the fetching period.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multiplexer responds to a polling host during a fetching period that the host should send the poll again.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the protocol is a protocol specific response that utilizes fixed time response windows.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the multiplexer responds to a polling system host during a fetching period using a protocol specific response.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the multiplexer is a two wire exchange system.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the multiplexer controls the timing of when each of the hosts communicates with the gaming machine using fixed time response windows.

14. A multiplexer, comprising:

a two-wire exchange system used by a gaming machine, wherein the two-wire exchange system simultaneously communicates with a plurality of host systems, and responds to independent polls from the host systems while arbitrating the polls to the gaming machine using fixed time response windows, thereby preventing data collision.

15. A method of multiplexing data sent by a plurality of hosts to a gaming machine, comprising:

connecting the gaming machine to the plurality of hosts via an intelligent multiplexer;

maintaining simultaneous communication with the plurality of hosts using the intelligent multiplexer;

responding to independent polls from a plurality of host systems; and

arbitrating the polls to from the intelligent multiplexer to the gaming machine using fixed time response windows, thereby preventing data collision.

16. A method of multiplexing data seat by a plurality of hosts to a gaming machine, comprising:

enabling and maintaining simultaneous communication with the plurality of hosts using the intelligent multiplexer;

passing a poll sent by a host to the gaming machine, the poll lasting for a period of time within a protocol-specific, fixed time response window;

waiting for a fetching period, wherein the fetching period is the period of time that is required for a response to the poll from the gaming machine; and

sending a response to the host when the fetching period is longer than the fixed time response window, the response indicating that the host should poll the gaming machine again.

17. A method of multiplexing polling from a plurality of hosts to a gaming machine using time division multiplexing and a communication protocol that together dictate a response window of a designated time period, and wherein a time period required to fetch a response from a polling request is a fetching time period, the method comprising:

upon receipt of a polling request firm a requesting host, responding back to the requesting host with a message to poll again later;

forwarding the polling request from the requesting host to the gaming machine, wherein the gaming machine processes the polling request;

continuing to send the poll again later message until the gaming machine has processed the response to the polling request when the fetching time period that is longer than the response window; and

responding to the requesting host with the response to the polling request from the gaming machine, upon receipt of the response to the polling request from the gaming machine and receipt of another polling request from the requesting host.

18. A gaming system configured to multiplex polling requests from a plurality of hosts to a gaming machine using time division multiplexing and a communication protocol that together dictate a response window of a designated time period, wherein a time period required to fetch a response from a polling request is a fetching time period, the gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine having a single designated communication port, wherein the gaming machine processes the polling request in a fetching time period; and

an intelligent multiplexer in simultaneous communication with the plurality of hosts that receives polling requests from a requesting host, wherein the intelligent multiplexer responds back to the requesting host with a message to poll again later, forwards the polling request from the requesting host to the gaming machine, continues to send the poll again later message until the gaming machine has processed the response to the polling request when the fetching time period that is longer than the response window, and responds to the requesting host with the response to the polling request from the gaming machine, upon receipt of the response to the polling request from the gaming machine and receipt of another polling request from the requesting host.

19. A gaming system, comprising:

a gaming machine having a single designated communication port;

an intelligent multiplexer that enables the communication port to function as if the communication port were a plurality of communication ports;

a plurality of system hosts connected to the communication port via the multiplexer, the hosts being able to communicate with the multiplexer simultaneously; and

a protocol converter, wherein when the gaming machine and the plurality of system hosts utilize different protocols, the protocol converter enables the gaming machine and the plurality of system hosts to communicate with each other;

wherein the system hosts communicate with the gaming machine using a series of polls, each poll being transmitted from the multiplexer to the gaming machine in accordance with fixed time response windows, wherein a fetching period is the time required for the gaming machine to respond to a poll, and wherein the multiplexer is capable of arbitrating the polls even when the fixed time response windows are shorter than the fetching period.

20. A gaming system configured to multiplex polling requests from a plurality of hosts to a gaming machine using time division multiplexing and at least one communication protocol that together dictate a response window of a designated time period, wherein a time period required to fetch a response from a polling request is a fetching time period, the gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine having a single designated communication port, wherein the gaming machine processes the polling request in a fetching time period;

a protocol converter, wherein when the gaming machine and the plurality of system hosts utilize different protocols, the protocol converter enables the gaming machine and the plurality of system hosts to communicate with each other;

an intelligent multiplexer in simultaneous communication with the plurality of hosts that receives polling requests from a requesting host, wherein the intelligent multiplexer responds back to the requesting host with a message to poll again later, forwards the polling request from the requesting host to the gaming machine, continues to send the poll again later message until the gaming machine bas processed the response to the polling request when the fetching time period that is longer than the response window, and responds to the requesting host with the response to the polling request from the mug machine, upon receipt of the response to the polling request from the gaming machine and receipt of another polling request from the requesting host.