Network gaming system
DCFirst Claim
1. A gaming system that allows players to play games via a plurality of remote player devices, said gaming system comprising:
- a first gaming server that facilitates play of a first game by a player utilizing one of said remote player devices, said first gaming server comprising a controller that comprises a processor and a memory in which image data corresponding to a video image representing said first game is stored, said controller being programmed to facilitate play of said first game and said first game being one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;
a second gaming server that facilitates play of a second game by a player utilizing one of said remote player devices, said second game being different than said first game, said second gaming server comprising a controller that comprises a processor and a memory in which image data corresponding to a video image representing said second game is stored, said controller of said second gaming server being programmed to facilitate play of said second game and said second game being one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo; and
a website server that is capable of being operatively coupled via the Internet to said remote player devices, said website server capable of being operatively coupled to said first and second gaming servers, said website server comprising;
a controller that comprises a processor and a memory; and
a network communications circuit coupled to said controller of said website server, said network communications circuit allowing data to be communicated between said controller of said website server and said remote player devices,said controller of said website server being programmed to select logon display data and to cause said logon display data to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices via said network communications circuit when said one remote player device is operatively coupled to said website server,said controller of said website server being programmed to cause player data received from said one remote player device to be stored in memory,said controller of said website server being programmed to cause data representing a game selection display to be transmitted to said one remote player device, said game selection display comprising a first image representing said first game and a second image representing said second game,said controller of said website server being programmed to receive data representing a game selection from said one remote player device,said controller of said website server being programmed to determine whether said data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game;
said controller of said website server being programmed to determine whether to select said first gaming server or said second gaming server based on said game selection received from said one remote player device;
said controller of said website server being programmed to select said first gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said first gaming server if said player selected said first game for play, andsaid controller of said website server being programmed to select said second gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said second gaming server if said player selected said second game for play.
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method of operating a website computing apparatus may comprise receiving at the website computing apparatus game selection data representing a game selection from a player device via the Internet, transmitting a data communication from the website computing apparatus to either a first gaming apparatus that facilitates play of a first game if the game selection data represents the first game, or to a second gaming apparatus that facilitates play of a second game if the game selection data represents the second game, receiving at the website computing apparatus game display data from one of the gaming apparatuses, transmitting the game display data to the remote player device via the Internet, receiving at the website computing apparatus wager data from the remote player device via the Internet, transmitting the wager data to either the first or second gaming apparatus.
167 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A gaming system that allows players to play games via a plurality of remote player devices, said gaming system comprising:
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a first gaming server that facilitates play of a first game by a player utilizing one of said remote player devices, said first gaming server comprising a controller that comprises a processor and a memory in which image data corresponding to a video image representing said first game is stored, said controller being programmed to facilitate play of said first game and said first game being one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;a second gaming server that facilitates play of a second game by a player utilizing one of said remote player devices, said second game being different than said first game, said second gaming server comprising a controller that comprises a processor and a memory in which image data corresponding to a video image representing said second game is stored, said controller of said second gaming server being programmed to facilitate play of said second game and said second game being one of the following games;
poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo; anda website server that is capable of being operatively coupled via the Internet to said remote player devices, said website server capable of being operatively coupled to said first and second gaming servers, said website server comprising; a controller that comprises a processor and a memory; and a network communications circuit coupled to said controller of said website server, said network communications circuit allowing data to be communicated between said controller of said website server and said remote player devices, said controller of said website server being programmed to select logon display data and to cause said logon display data to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices via said network communications circuit when said one remote player device is operatively coupled to said website server, said controller of said website server being programmed to cause player data received from said one remote player device to be stored in memory, said controller of said website server being programmed to cause data representing a game selection display to be transmitted to said one remote player device, said game selection display comprising a first image representing said first game and a second image representing said second game, said controller of said website server being programmed to receive data representing a game selection from said one remote player device, said controller of said website server being programmed to determine whether said data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; said controller of said website server being programmed to determine whether to select said first gaming server or said second gaming server based on said game selection received from said one remote player device; said controller of said website server being programmed to select said first gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said first gaming server if said player selected said first game for play, and said controller of said website server being programmed to select said second gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said second gaming server if said player selected said second game for play. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A website server, comprising:
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a network communications circuit that allows data to be communicated between said website server and a plurality of remote player devices when said remote player devices are operatively coupled to said website server; and a controller that controls the operation of said website server, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to select logon display data and to cause said logon display data to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices via said network communications circuit when said one remote player device is operatively coupled to said web site server, said controller being programmed to cause player data received from said one remote player device to be stored in memory, said controller being programmed to cause data representing a game selection display to be transmitted to said one remote player device, said game selection display comprising a first image representing a first game and a second image representing a second game, said controller being programmed to receive data representing a game selection from said one remote player device, said controller being programmed to determine whether said data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; said controller being programmed to determine whether to select a first gaming server or a second gaming server based on said game selection received from said one remote player device; said controller being programmed to select said first gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said first gaming server that facilitates play of said first game if said player selected said first game for play, and said controller being programmed to select said second gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said second gaming server that facilitates play of said second game if said player selected said second game for play. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A website server, comprising:
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a network communications circuit that allows data to be communicated between said website server and a plurality of remote player devices when said remote player devices are operatively coupled to said website server; and a controller that controls the operation of said website server, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to retrieve from said memory data prompting a game selection to be made, and to cause said data prompting a game selection to be made to be transmitted to one of said remote player devices to prompt a player to select at least a first game or a second game; said controller being programmed to receive game selection data representing a game selection from said one remote player device, said controller being programmed to determine whether said game selection data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; said controller being programmed to determine whether to select a first gaming server or a second gaming server based on said game selection received from said one remote player device; said controller being programmed to select said first gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said first gaming server that facilitates play of said first game if said game selection data specifies said first game, and said controller being programmed to select said second gaming server for data communication between said one remote player device and said second gaming server that facilitates play of said second game if said game selection data specifies said second game. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A website controller that controls operation of a website, said controller comprising:
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a processor; a memory operatively coupled to said processor; a first computer program portion stored in said memory that causes data prompting a game selection to be made to be transmitted to a remote player device to allow a first game or a second game to be selected via said remote player device; a second computer program portion stored in said memory that causes game selection data representing a game selection that is received from said remote player device to be stored in memory; a third computer program portion stored in said memory that determines whether said data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; a fourth computer program portion stored in said memory that determines whether to select a first gaming computer or a second gaming computer based on said game selection received from said remote player device; a fifth computer program portion stored in said memory that facilitates data communication between said remote player device and said first gaming computer that facilitates play of said first game if said game selection data specifies said first game; and a sixth computer program portion stored in said memory that facilitates data communication between said remote player device and said second gaming computer that facilitates play of said second game if said game selection data specifies said second game. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of operating a website computing apparatus, comprising:
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retrieving logon display data from a memory associated with said website computing apparatus and transmitting said logon display data from said website computing apparatus to a remote player device over the Internet; receiving player data from said remote player device via the Internet; transmitting data representing a game selection display to said remote player device via the Internet, said game selection display comprising a first image representing a first game and a second image representing a second game; receiving game selection data representing a game selection from said remote player device via the Internet; determining whether said game selection data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; determining whether to select a first gaming computer or a second gaming computer based on said game selection received from said remote player device; facilitating data communication via the Internet between said remote player device and said first gaming computer that facilitates play of said first game if said game selection data represents said first game, said data communication being conducted through said website computing apparatus; and facilitating data communication via the Internet between said remote player device and said second gaming computer that facilitates play of said second game if said game selection data represents said second game, said data communication between said remote player device and said second gaming computer being conducted through said website computing apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method of operating a website computing apparatus, comprising:
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receiving at said website computing apparatus via the Internet game selection data representing a game selection from a player device remote from said website computing apparatus, said game selection data representing either a first game or a second game; at said website computing apparatus, determining whether said game selection data representing said game selection corresponds to said first game or said second game; at said website computing apparatus, determining whether to select a first gaming apparatus or a second gaming apparatus based on said game selection data received from said player device; at said website computing apparatus, initiating the retrieval of game display data from said first gaming apparatus that facilitates play of said first game if said game selection data represents said first game; at said website computing apparatus, initiating the retrieval of game display data from said second gaming apparatus that facilitates play of said second game if said game selection data represents said second game; transmitting said game display data received from one of said gaming apparatuses to said remote player device via the Internet; receiving at said website computing apparatus wager data from said remote player device via the Internet; transmitting said wager data from said website computing apparatus to said first gaming apparatus if said game selection data represents said first game; and transmitting said wager data from said website computing apparatus to said second gaming apparatus if said game selection data represents said second game. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of operating a gaming apparatus, comprising:
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transmitting first game display data from said gaming apparatus to a website computing apparatus, said first game display data representing a first game image relating to a game that may be played via a player device that is remote from said website computing apparatus and that is remote from said gaming apparatus, said first game display data being included in a data communication having a destination address that specifies said player device; receiving wager data from said website computing apparatus, said wager data being included in a data communication having a source address that specifies said player device; transmitting second game display data from said gaming apparatus to said website computing apparatus, said second game display data representing a second game image relating to said game, said second game display data being included in a data communication having a destination address that specifies said player device; and transmitting outcome data from said gaming apparatus to said website computing apparatus, said outcome data representing an outcome of said game, said outcome data being included in a data communication having a destination address that specifies said player device. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification