Modular entertainment and gaming systems

• US 6,916,247 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mudalla Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cyberview Technology, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gatto, Jean-Marie, Brunet De Courssou, Thierry, Beney, Pierre-Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/120,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463 16- 22, 463 12- 13, 463/25, 463/29, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143.R, 235/375, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

A secure and modular architecture for monitoring and controlling clusters of pay entertainment and gaming devices. The architecture allows flexible and secure use of state-of-the-art multimedia and Internet technologies to attract the younger player generation used to flashy and networked games. Cash or cash-less entertainment and gaming devices are supported.

Claims

1. A centrally controlled gaming system, comprising:

a communication network;

at least one central server, each having a first computer controller that is configured to control and monitor the gaining system, and a first network interface coupled to first computer controller and to the communication network;

at least one gaming terminal, each including a second computer controller that is configured to control game software of the gaming terminal;

at least one first specialized device fitted inside or to a side of each of the at least one gaming terminal, each first specialized device being configured to perform specialized functions for each gaining terminal that include both software control functions and hardware functions, each first specialized device comprising;

a third computer controller having software configured to perform the software control functions of the specialized functions;

hardware means configured to perform the hardware functions of the specialized functions under the control of the software control functions;

a second network interface coupled to the third computer controller and to the communication network, the third computer controller being configured to provide first network services via the second network interface independently of the second computer controller of the gaming terminal to which the at least one specialized device is fitted, the provided first network services including remote procedure calls to at least one of initiate, bind to, subscribe to notification of events, activate and access the specialized functions of the specialized device;

each central server being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided first network services via the first network interface.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one gaming machine includes at least one of a cashless gaming machine, a cash gaming machine and an entertainment machine.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first specialized device includes at least one player identification device.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first specialized device includes a device configured to handle payments to and/or from a player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one central server includes an automatic and unattended payment verification unit.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first specialized device includes a random number generator.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the communication network is wireless.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is portable and mobile.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first specialized device communicates with the at least one central server using one of an IP protocol, a secure protocol, a secure IP protocol, a VPN tunneling protocol, the Kerberos protocol and a SSL protocol.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, further including an authentication server and wherein communications between the at least one first specialized device to the at least one central server are authenticated by the authentication serving.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, further including high-level software modules that are configured to at least one of request and consume the first network services, wherein the at least one first specialized device is monitored and/or controlled by the high-level software modules.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of the central servers.

13. The centrally controlled gaining system of claim 11, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the second computer controller in each of the at least one gaming terminal.

14. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 13, wherein a plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of the central servers and another plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the second computer controller in each of the at least one gaming terminal.

15. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 11, wherein a plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of the central servers and another plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the second computer controller in each of the at least one gaming terminal.

16. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 1, wherein each central server is configured to consume at least one of the specialized functions via the first network services and via the first network interface and each first specialized device is configured to provide the specialized functions via the first network services and via the second network interface through an asynchronous notification of events.

17. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 16, wherein the asynchronous notification of events include at least of a binding function and a callback function of one of COM+, DCOM, Microsoft Remoting, Corba, SOAP and UDDI.

18. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one gaming terminal further comprises a third network interface coupled to the second computer controller, the second computer controller being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the specialized functions via the first network services and via the third network interface.

19. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 18, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the second computer controller in each of the at least one gaming terminal.

20. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a second specialized device fitted inside or to a side of each of the at least one gaming terminal, each second specialized device being configured to perform second specialized functions for each gaming terminal that include both software control functions and hardware functions, each second specialized device comprising:

a fourth computer controller having software configured to perform the software control functions of the second specialized functions;

hardware means configured to perform the hardware functions of the second specialized functions under the control of the software control functions;

a third network interface coupled to the fourth computer controller and to the communication network, the fourth computer controller being configured to provide second network services via the third network interface, the provided second network services including remote procedure calls to at least one of initiate, bind to, subscribe to notification of events, activate and access the second specialized functions of the second specialized device, the second specialized device being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided first network services via the third network interface.

21. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first specialized device is being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided second network services via the second network interface.

22. A centrally controlled gaming system, comprising:

a communication network;

at least one central server, each having a first computer controller that is configured to control and monitor the gaming system, and a first network interface coupled to first computer controller and to the communication network;

at least one gaming terminal, each including a second computer controller that is configured to control game software of the gaming terminal;

at least one payment verification unit, each including a third computer controller that is configured to control payment verification software of the payment verification unit;

at least one first specialized device fitted inside or to a side of each of the at least one payment verification unit, each first specialized device being configured to perform specialized functions for each payment verification unit that include both software control functions and hardware functions, each first specialized device comprising;

a fourth computer controller having software configured to perform the software control functions of the specialized functions;

hardware means configured to perform the hardware functions of the specialized functions under the control of the software control functions;

a second network interface coupled to the fourth computer controller and to the communication network, the fourth computer controller being configured to provide first network services via the second network interface independently of the second computer controller of the gaming terminal to which the at least one specialized device is fitted, the provided first network services including remote procedure calls to at least one of initiate, bind to, subscribe to notification of events, activate and access the specialized functions of the specialized device;

each central server being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided first network services via the first network interface.

23. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein each central server is configured to consume at least one of the specialized functions via the first network services and via the first network interface and each first specialized device is configured to provide the specialized functions via the first network services and via the second network interface through an asynchronous notification of events.

24. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 23, wherein the asynchronous notification of events include at least one of a binding function and a callback function of one of COM+, DCOM, Microsoft Remoting, Corba, SOAP and UDDI.

25. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one gaming terminal includes at least one of a cashless gaming terminal, a cash gaming terminal and an entertainment machine.

26. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one first specialized device includes at least one player identification device.

27. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the first specialized device includes a device configured to handle payments to and/or from a player.

28. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one first specialized device includes a random number generator.

29. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the communication network is wireless.

30. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one payment verification unit is portable and mobile.

31. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one first specialized device communicates with the at least one central server using one of an IP protocol, a secure protocol, a secure IP protocol, a VPN tunneling protocol, the Kerberos protocol and a SSL protocol.

32. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, further including an authentication server coupled to the communication network and wherein communications between the at least one first specialized device and the at least one central server are authenticated by the authentication server.

33. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, further including high-level software modules that are configured to at least one of request mud consume the first network services, wherein the at least one first specialized device is monitored and/or controlled by the high-level software modules.

34. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 33, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of central servers.

35. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 33, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the third computer controller in each of the at least one payment verification unit.

36. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 33, wherein a plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of central servers and another plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the third computer controller in each of the at least one payment verification unit.

37. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, wherein the at least one payment verification unit further comprises a third network interface coupled to the third computer controller, the third computer controller being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the specialized functions via the first network services and via the third network interface.

38. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 37, wherein the high-level software modules execute in the third computer controller in each of the at least one payment verification unit.

39. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 37, wherein a plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the first computer controller in at least one of central servers and another plurality of the high-level software modules execute in the third computer controller in each of the at least one payment verification unit.

40. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 22, further comprising

a second specialized device fitted inside or to a side of each of the at least one payment verification unit, each second specialized device being configured to perform second specialized functions for each gaming terminal that include both software control functions and hardware functions, each second specialized device comprising:

a fifth computer controller having software configured to perform the software control functions of the second specialized functions;

hardware means configured to perform the hardware functions of the second specialized functions under the control of the software control functions;

a third network interface coupled to the fifth computer controller and to the communication network, the fifth computer controller being configured to provide second network services via the third network interface, the provided second network services including remote procedure calls to at least one of initiate, bind to, subscribe to notification of events, activate and access the second specialized functions of the second specialized device, the second specialized device being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided first network services via the third network interface.

41. The centrally controlled gaming system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the first specialized device is being further configured to at least one of request and consume at least one of the provided second network services via the second network interface.