Browser manager for a networked gaming system and method

• US 8,062,134 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reddy, Mettu R., Kelly, Bryan M., Patel, Pravinkumar, Green, Anthony E., Crowder, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US12/267,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 463/17, 463/40, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

An integrated browser manager and networked gaming method for providing server based dynamic content onto a content display area of one or more gaming machines is disclosed. The method includes: receiving incoming message queues, and after message receipt, processing the message and sending back reply message, if needed; converting incoming messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the commands; validating incoming message data with the available data in a database and if any inconsistent data found, building and sending a negative acknowledgement response back to a client; saving command data information that is determined to relevant tables in the database; logging information messages and error messages to log file; logging incoming and outgoing messages to log files, wherein messages are logged to a message log file, wherein a data table stores information about commands received, commands processed, commands sent to gaming machines, and responses received from gaming machines; and enabling an ID provider class to generate the required new ID from ID provider data table by incrementing the relevant key id based on category and key name.

Claims

1. A browser manager and networked gaming method, wherein a browser manager includes a user interface application, an associated processor, a web service, and a core service, wherein the user interface application generates a display on a user control station, wherein one or more application servers are connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, and wherein each gaming machine includes a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, the method comprising:

receiving S2S and G2S incoming message queues, and after message receipt, processing the message and sending back reply message, if needed;

converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the messages using the processor;

validating incoming message data with available data in a database and if any inconsistent data found, building and sending a negative acknowledgement response back to a S2S client;

saving S2S or G2S command data information to the database;

logging information messages and error messages to a log file;

logging incoming and outgoing S2S and G2S messages to log files, wherein S2S messages are logged to a S2S message log file and G2S messages are logged to a G2S message log file, wherein a data table stores information about commands received, commands processed, commands sent to gaming machines, and responses received from gaming machines; and

enabling an ID provider class to generate a required new ID from an ID provider data table by incrementing a relevant key ID based on category and key name.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an application server sends a request to the browser manager to execute commands on one or more gaming machines, and wherein the browser manager validates the request, processes the request, sends corresponding commands to gaming machines, waits for a response from the gaming machines, builds a response to the application server, and sends back to the application server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser manager core service is enabled to receives message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, wherein the message requests include data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in response to receiving message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, the browser manager core service validates the data, performs associated processing, and stores the data to a browser manager database, if required.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each gaming machine displays dynamic content from third party application servers in a pre-defined layout in the lay area that includes a control panel page and a content page in browser frames, which is served from an Internet server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser manager GUI implements a smart client windows form, which can be viewed in the display area and enables managing applications, browser layouts, gaming machine summary, and reporting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser manager web service connects the browser manager GUI to browser manager core windows service to execute business functionality, database operations and enable the exchange messages using a communication protocols.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication protocols include HTTP, XML, XSD, SOAP, and WSDL.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser manager core service is the central point for processing the business logic of browser class messages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser manager core service is responsible for core functionality and execution of both incoming and outgoing messages from G2S and S2S server components.

11. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming method for provides server based dynamic content onto a content display area of one or more gaming machines, the method comprising:

receiving S2S and G2S incoming message queues, and after message receipt, processing the message and sending back reply message, if needed;

converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the messages using a processor;

validating incoming message data with available data in a database and if any inconsistent data found, building and sending a negative acknowledgement response back to a S2S client;

saving S2S or G2S command data information to the database;

logging information messages and error messages to a log file;

logging incoming and outgoing S2S and G2S messages to log files, wherein S2S messages are logged to a S2S message log file and G2S messages are logged to a G2S message log file, wherein a data table stores information about commands received, commands processed, commands sent to gaming machines, and responses received from gaming machines; and

enabling an ID provider class to generate a required new ID from an ID provider data table by incrementing a relevant key ID based on category and key name.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an application server sends a request to the browser manager to execute commands on one or more gaming machines, and wherein the browser manager validates the request, processes the request, sends corresponding commands to gaming machines, waits for a response from the gaming machines, builds a response to the application server, and sends back to the application server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager core service is enabled to receives message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, wherein the message requests include data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, in response to receiving message requests from S2S and G2S message queues, the browser manager core service validates the data, performs associated processing, and stores the data to a browser manager database, if required.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each gaming machine displays dynamic content from third party application servers in a pre-defined layout in the lay area that includes a control panel page and a content page in browser frames, which is served from an Internet server.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager GUI implements a smart client windows form, which can be viewed in the display area and enables managing applications, browser layouts, gaming machine summary, and reporting.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager web service connects the browser manager GUI to browser manager core windows service to execute business functionality, database operations and enable the exchange messages using a communication protocols.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication protocols include HTTP, XML, XSD, SOAP, and WSDL.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager core service is the central point for processing the business logic of browser class messages.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager core service is responsible for core functionality and execution of both incoming and outgoing messages from G2S and S2S server components.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager regulates content from third party servers and configures corresponding browsers on one or more gaming machines, and wherein the browser manager communicates said content as messages to the browsers of one or more gaming machines.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the servers can only communicate with the one or more gaming machines through the browser manager.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager adds a security layer by only authorizing pre-registered servers, web pages, and URL to communicate with the one or more gaming machines.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the content to the secondary display comprises the browser manager pulling content to the secondary display.

25. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the content to the secondary display comprises the server pushing content to the secondary display.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager regulates content from third party servers and configures corresponding browsers on one or more gaming machines, and wherein the browser manager communicates said content as messages to the browsers of one or more gaming machines.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein the servers can only communicate with the one or more gaming machines through the browser manager.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein the browser manager adds a security layer by only authorizing pre-registered servers, web pages, and URL to communicate with the one or more gaming machines.

29. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to a universal resource locator (URL).

30. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to a different URL.

31. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

32. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

33. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is a parent browser window and remaining browser windows are child browser windows, and wherein browser layout management incorporates prioritization of the parent browser window.

34. The method of claim 11, wherein parent browser window maintains the highest Z axis position on the display.

35. The method of claim 11, wherein parent browser window status can be changed to child browser window status by the server via the network, and wherein child browser window status can be changed to parent browser window status by the server via the network.

36. The method of claim 11, wherein child browser window positioning is based off of parent window position as a frame of reference.

37. The method of claim 11, wherein a new browser window is creatable on the display screen at the highest Z axis position, relative to other browser windows, to alert a player of priority information.

38. The method of claim 11, wherein a new browser window is creatable on the display screen of a gaming machine to deliver a message to a player.

39. The method of claim 11, wherein a child browser window is emphasized on the display screen to alert a player of priority information relating to the child browser window, and encourage a player to re-designate the child browser window as the parent browser window.

40. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming method for provides server based dynamic content onto a content display area of one or more gaming machines, the method comprising:

receiving incoming message queues, and after message receipt, processing the message and sending back reply message, if needed;

converting incoming messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the messages using a processor;

validating incoming message data with available data in a database and if any inconsistent data found, building and sending a negative acknowledgement response back to a client;

saving command data information to the database; and

enabling an ID provider class to generate a required new ID from an ID provider data table by incrementing a relevant key ID based on category and key name.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables creating one or more browser windows on a display of a gaming machine from the server, positioning one or more browser windows next to each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server in an X-Y plane of a coordinate system;

and positioning an order of two or more browser windows on top of each other on a display of a gaming machine from the server along a Z axis of the coordinate system.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables creating and positioning one or more browser windows on a display of a gaming machine from the server in an X-Y plane of a coordinate system;

and enabling server side control of two or more browser windows on top of each other in a Z-order of a display along a Z axis of the coordinate system.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables frame management of one or more browser windows on any device in the casino property.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables determination of proper Z-order at least partially by player requests and casino business rules.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that receives requests for Z-order of browser windows from clients and servers.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a Z-order director application that enables, if casino business rules allow, proper Z-order of a browser window to deliver media to casino patrons.

47. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a browser window and user interface for a player who selects a slot statistics application showing recent win/loss activity on the gaming device through the browser interface.

48. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager includes a main form panel generated by a browser manager client in a gaming network.

49. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables browser layout and assignments panels to be generated by a browser manager client in a gaming network.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

selecting a customizable browser window template;

customizing browser window location and size for one or more browser windows;

selecting an application to be displayed in each browser window;

enabling selected gaming machines to be configured with the selected customized browser windows; and

displaying a summary of browser window configurations.

51. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to take over the entire screen or the top panel of the screen automatically.

52. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to take over the entire screen or the top panel of the screen due to the base game having master control as a regulated gaming machine.

53. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables a base game to give up control of an active window on a display screen when a base game has completed its priority content.

54. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables a player to drag and drop browser windows in various positions around a display screen.

55. The method of claim 40, wherein the browser manager enables a player resize each browser window using controls associated with the browser window.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein content within the browser window is scaled accordingly with the browser window.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein a player may slide original sized content around within the smaller window using a finger gesture and a slider bar.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein content a smaller window remains at the original size, and a player may only view a portion of the content in the smaller window at a time.