Multi-system gaming terminal communication device

• US 6,875,110 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Crumby, Hardy Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/690,925
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/42, 463/41, 710/51, 370/379, 370/382, 370/916, 709/222, 709/200, 709/245
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/04 Anorexiants; Antiobesity agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/06 Antihyperlipidemics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• 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

Abstract

A gaming machine with a communication multiplexer device that allows communications between the gaming machine and one or more game service servers all within a single network interface is described. The single network interface may be a wireless or wired network interface. The communication multiplexer device converts messages in native communication protocols used by the gaming machine to a network communication protocol such as TCP/IP for transmission over the single wired or wireless network interface. The communication multiplexer is designed such that the gaming machine may receive messages that have been transmitted using the native communication protocols without modifying regulated gaming software on the gaming machine.

Claims

1. A multiplexer communication device for multiplexing communications between a master gaming controller on a gaming machine and one or more game service servers, the multiplexer communication device comprising:

a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board wherein each communication port transmits and receives messages between the gaming machine and the multiplexer communication device in an application specific protocol wherein the application specific protocol is programmed in regulated gaming software that is executed by the master gaming controller for allowing the master gaming controller to receive and to send messages in the application specific protocol and wherein each communication port is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with the application specific protocol and wherein each communication port is configurable to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in the application specific protocol to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device;

only one output communication port that transmits messages addressed to one or more game service servers and receives messages from one or more game service servers addressed to one of the plurality of communication ports using a second communication protocol;

a logic device that does not communicate with the master controller on the gaming machine, said logic device adapted for;

i) determining a destination device for each message received at one of the plurality of communication ports wherein each message is formatted using a particular application specific protocol, formatting each message in the particular application specific protocol into the second communication protocol and transmitting a message formatted in the second communication protocol via the output communication port to the destination device wherein the message formatted in the second communication protocol includes information originally formatted in the particular application specific protocol;

ii) determining a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports for each message received at the output communication port wherein each message received at the output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol, formatting the message received in the second communication protocol into the particular application specific communication protocol that is compatible with the destination port and transmitting the message in the particular application specific protocol via the destination port; and

a memory device for storing a) information regarding the application specific protocol and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and one or more of the des tion devices, said mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communications multiplexer device.

2. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the regulated gaming software on the gaming machine that is used when the communication multiplexer device is in a communication path between the gaming machine and the one or more game service servers is the same as when the communication multiplexer device is not in a communication path between the gaming machine and the one or more game ice servers.

3. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, further comprising:

an EPROM that provides configuration information to the processor board, said configuration information including one or more of the mapping, the physical communication protocol used at each of the communication ports or the application specific protocol used at each of the communication ports.

4. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, further comprising:

a firewall connected to the output communication port.

5. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply.

6. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface board.

7. The communication mutliplexer device of claim 6, wherein the network interface board provides a wireless radio network interface.

8. The communication multiplexer device of claims 6, wherein the network interface board provides a Ethernet network interface.

9. The communication mutiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol is a TCP/IP communication protocol.

10. The communication mutliplexer device of claim 1, wherein the application specific protocol is selected from the group consisting of a progressive game service protocol, a bonus game service protocol, a player tracking service protocol, a cashless ticketing service protocol, a game downloading service protocol, a prize service protocol, an entertainment content service protocol a concierge service protocol, a lottery service protocol and a money transfer service protocol.

11. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the physical communication connection is selected from the group consisting of RS422/485, Fiber Optic, RS-232. DCS Current Loop, Link Progressive Current Loop, IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers) 1394-compatible, Ethernet and USB (Universal Serial BUS)-compatible.

12. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna connected to the output communication port.

13. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication ports comprise 8 communication ports.

14. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication ports comprise 16 communication ports.

15. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein the logic device is adapted for receiving information in a first application specific protocol and translating information to a second application specific protocol.

16. The communication multiplexer device of claim 15, wherein the first application specific protocol is a first player tracking protocol and the second application specific protocol is a second player tracking protocol.

17. The communication multiplexer device of claim 1, wherein information stored in the memory device is loaded into the memory device from a boot server.