Virtual gaming peripherals for a gaming machine

• US 6,997,803 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal, Breckner, Robert E., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/097,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 463 17- 21, 463/25, 463 29- 30, 463/37, 463/40, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals that are each used to generate one or more gaming services. To provide a particular gaming service, each virtual gaming peripheral may comprise virtual gaming peripheral software that controls one or more gaming devices. A logic device, such as a master gaming controller on the gaming machine, may simultaneously activate a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals. Therefore, a gaming device may be shared by a plurality of active virtual gaming peripherals and additional logic may be provided to resolve conflicts that arise when two or more virtual gaming peripherals desire to control the same gaming device at the same time.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of gaming devices coupled to the housing including a shared gaming device;

an input mechanism coupled to the housing configured for inputting cash or indicia of credit used for wagers on a game of chance played on the gaming machine;

a master gaming controller designed to generate the game of chance played on the gaming machine and to execute simultaneously a first virtual gaming peripheral process, a second virtual gaming peripheral process, a shared gaming device manager process and logic for managing and distributing game events wherein the logic for managing and distributing game events is designed to receive the game events and to distribute the game events to at least the first virtual gaming peripheral process, the second virtual gaming peripheral process and the shared gaming device manager process;

the first virtual gaming peripheral process designed to provide a first gaming service by controlling a first combination of the plurality of gaming devices, including a shared gaming device, to provide the first gaming service wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process is operable to take control of the shared gaming device in response to receiving a first game event;

the second virtual gaming peripheral process designed to provide a second gaming service by controlling a second combination of the plurality of gaming devices, including the shared gaming device, to provide the second gaming service wherein the second virtual gaming peripheral process is operable to take control of the shared gaming device in response to receiving a second game event;

the shared gaming device adapted for control by the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process; and

a shared gaming device manager process designed to determine when the first virtual gaming peripheral process and the second virtual gaming peripheral process want to control the at least one shared gaming device at the same time, which of the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is allowed to control the shared gaming device and which of the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is prevented from using the shared gaming device.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the shared gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USS communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a wireless communication interface, a coin hopper and a coin acceptor.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gaming devices are selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a coin hopper, a note dispenser and a coin acceptor.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming service is selected from the group consisting of a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service, Internet enabled services, and a locator service.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is selected from the group consisting of a virtual player tracking unit process, a virtual vending machine process, a virtual lottery machine process, a virtual ATM process, a virtual concierge process, a virtual video phone process, a virtual telephone process, a virtual casino kiosk process, a virtual prize redemption process, a virtual sports book process, a virtual entertainment center process and a virtual message center process.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a first virtual gaming peripheral process provides the gaming service using a first set of gaming devices and wherein a second virtual gaming peripheral process provides the same gaming service using a second set of gaming devices.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual player tracking unit process that uses at least a card reader, a display screen and a key pad to provide a player tracking service.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual player trucking unit process that uses at least a card reader, a display screen and a touch screen to provide a player tracking service.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual ATM process that uses at least a key pad, a card reader, a display screen and a touch screen to provide ATM services.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual lottery machine process that uses at least a touch screen, a display screen and a ticket printer to provide a lottery ticket purchase.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual sports book process that uses at least a touch screen, a display screen and a ticket printer to provide a sports book wager.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first virtual gaming peripheral process or the second virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual communication center that uses at least a touch screen and a display screen to provide communication services, messaging services, Internet enabled services and locator services.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a slot game, a keno game, a poker game, a pachinko game, a video black jack game, a bingo game, a baccarat game, a roulette game, a dice game and a card game.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more logic devices wherein each logic device includes a logic device operating system that is used to activate and deactivate one or more of the gaming processes.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first game event and the second game event are the same game event.