Universal game modules for message communication between at least two casino controllers

• US 8,016,679 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lord, John, Steil, Rolland, Ruckle, Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/387,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 23, 463 25- 33, 463 39- 43, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/138.2, 273/141.A, 273454-456, 273/460, 709203-207, 709/FOR.113, 713/1, 713/100, 713/150, 713/155, 713/170, 713/176, 713182-184, 713186-189, 713/300, 713/375, 713/400, 713/500, 713/600, 902 2- 3, 902/23, 902/38, 902/40
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

Two-way communications between casino games and diverse master controllers using a universal game module there between allows routing event messages with standard protocols. The universal game module with a computer processor, circuitry, connection ports, interfaces and protocols allows the communications by evaluating, prioritizing, polling and routing communications. A jackpot group of differing games is possible because the win cycles of the various games can be equalized. The volatility of the games in the group is increased by randomly segregating a percentage of the machines to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot for a limited time period. A life changing jackpot is thus payable for a variety of games in a casino on a relatively frequent basis.

Claims

1. A method that provides concurrent communications of a wide area progressive system and a player tracking system and each of a plurality of casino electronic gaming machines using a respective universal game device coupled within a respective one of the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines, said method comprising:

configuring communications with at least one processor in the respective universal game device to provide two-way message communication between the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system and each of the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines, wherein the respective universal game device of the respective one of the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines is configured to;

identify a receipt of a plurality of messages received from the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system by the at least one processor;

evaluate a message source of the plurality of messages by the at least one processor, the message source being at least one of the following;

the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system;

evaluate a message type of the plurality of messages by the at least one processor, the message type being a command received from at least one of the following;

the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system;

establish, by the at least one processor, a level of importance of each of the plurality of messages based on the source of each of the plurality of messages and the type of each of the plurality of messages;

establish, by the at least one processor, a message sequence precedence based on the source of each of the plurality of messages and the type of each of the plurality of messages, the message sequence precedence giving a higher transmission priority to a message of the plurality of messages having a level of importance above a predefined importance level with respect to the level of importance of the other of the plurality of messages having a level of importance below the predefined importance level;

use the at least one processor to prioritize the two-way message communication transmission from the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system to the respective one of the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines, and subsequently back to the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system based on the message sequence precedence; and

enable an execution of two-way message communication transmission of the message having the higher transmission priority.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the communications between each of the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines using at least an RS232C connector coupled to the universal game device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the communications using a slot accounting system message protocol in the plurality of casino electronic gaming machines.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising equipping at least one of the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system with a slot accounting system by using an RS422 connector.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the communications using at least a slot accounting system message protocol in at least one of the wide area progressive system and the player tracking system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring the communications comprises configuring the communications with the at least one processor to provide two-way message communication using at least a slot accounting system message protocol.