Hierarchical multi-tiered system for gaming related communications

• US 8,029,365 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Burke, Mary M., Sylla, Craig J., Ward, Matthew J., Liber, Nevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duffy; David
• Application Number:
  US11/277,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for gaming-related communications in a hierarchical multi-tiered system are described herein. In some embodiments, a method includes transmitting a master configuration from a central operations of a hierarchical multi-tiered system to a local gaming site having one or more gaming components. The method also includes receiving a selected configuration for one or more of the gaming components based on the master configuration. The method includes downloading the selected configuration to the one or more of the gaming components through the hierarchical multi-tiered system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a master configuration from a central operations of a hierarchical multitiered system to a local gaming site having a site controller and one or more gaming components, the master configuration having a first set of configuration parameters;

deriving by the site controller a second configuration from the master configuration, the second configuration having a second set of configuration parameters that further limit the first set of configuration parameters;

receiving, by the central operations, a selected configuration from the local gaming site, wherein the selected configuration is determined from the second configuration and wherein the selected configuration is determined by at least one of the site controller or the one or more gaming components; and

downloading, from the central operations to the one or more gaming components, the selected configuration to the one or more of the gaming components through the hierarchical multi-tiered system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging the downloading of the selected configuration in a data store that is part of the central operations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating an accounting data store based on the downloading of the selected configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading a digital certificate with the selected configuration, wherein the one or more gaming components authenticate the selected configuration based on the digital certificate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing an operation, by a component at the local gaming site, in response to a determination that a network link between the local gaming site and the central operations is disrupted, wherein the operation is executable by the component at the local gaming site and executable by a component at the central operations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the operation comprises downloading a game asset to one or more gaming machines at the local gaming site at a scheduled time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the operation comprises downloading an updated configuration to one or more gaming machines at the local gaming site.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a request, from a gaming machine at the local gaming site, to execute the operation.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the operation comprises:

retrieving configuration data from a local data store at the local gaming site; and

transmitting the configuration data to a gaming machine at the local gaming site.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the operation comprises:

retrieving a game asset from a local data store at the local gaming site; and

transmitting the game asset to the gaming machine.

11. A system comprising:

a central data store to store a master configuration for a number of gaming components at a local gaming site having a site controller, the master configuration having a first set of configuration parameters; and

a central administration unit to transmit the master configuration to the site controller for the local gaming site, wherein the site controller derives a second configuration from the master configuration, the second configuration having a second set of configuration parameters that further limit the first set of configuration parameters and further wherein the central administration unit is to receive, from the local gaming site, a selected configuration for at least one of the number of gaming components, wherein the selected configuration is determined from the second configuration and wherein the selected configuration is determined by at least one of the site controller or one of the number of gaming components.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a central game asset store to store a number of game assets to be installed on the number of gaming components, wherein the selected configuration is to include one of the number of game assets.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the central administration unit is to download the selected configuration to the one of the number of gaming components.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the central administration unit is to log the download of the selected configuration into the central data store.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the central administration unit is to update accounting data in an accounting data store based on the selected configuration.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein

the site controller executes a scheduled operation related to a gaming machine, if a network link between a central operations and the local gaming site is disrupted, wherein a component in the central operations is scheduled to execute the scheduled operation.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a local game asset store, wherein the scheduled operation is to download a game asset from the local game asset store to the gaming machine.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a local data store, wherein the scheduled operation is to download an updated configuration from the local data store to the gaming machine.