Gaming device and method for wireless gaming system providing non-intrusive processes

• US 8,088,014 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: LEAP Forward Gaming
• Inventors: Wells, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US12/943,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/42, 463/46
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A gaming peripheral for a gaming machine is described. The gaming peripheral can be configured to emulate the functions of a lighting device, such as a candle. The gaming peripheral can be configured to provide enhanced gaming features such as 1) enhanced networking capabilities, 2) enhanced peripheral device monitoring and upgrade capabilities, 3) enhanced player monitoring and security capabilities 4) enhanced gaming function capabilities and 5) enhanced player reward capabilities. The enhanced gaming features can be provided in a non-intrusive manner such that regulated software executed on a gaming machine does not have to be altered.

Claims

1. A candle device comprising:

a housing including a translucent portion and an opaque portion;

an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an exterior surface of a gaming machine cabinet;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within the translucent portion of the housing wherein light from the plurality of lighting elements is visible through the translucent portion when said plurality of lighting elements are activated;

a first communication interface for communicating with a game controller on a gaming machine;

a second communication interface for communicating with a peripheral device configured to receive control commands from the game controller, said peripheral device separate from the candle device wherein the peripheral device is one of a game display, a value input device or a value output device coupled to the gaming machine;

a third communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote server;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from the game controller and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) communicate with and receive status information from the peripheral device; and

     3) control a wireless communications to send the status information via the third communication interface to the remote server; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

2. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more antennas for sending and receiving wireless communications via the third communication interface.

3. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to monitor security events on a gaming machine.

4. The candle device of claim 3, further comprising:

a battery-backed non-volatile memory configured to store security event information.

5. The candle device of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the candle controller is further configured after a power interruption, to send the security event information stored in the battery-backed non-volatile memory to the remote server via the third communication interface.

6. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth communication interface for receiving communications from the game controller addressed to a first remote server.

7. The candle device of claim 6, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive the communications from the game controller addressed to the first remote server and wirelessly send the communications via the third communication interface.

8. The candle device of claim 6, wherein the candle controller is further configured to wirelessly receive via the third communication interface communications from the first remote server and send the received communications to the game controller.

9. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to send control commands to the peripheral device.

10. The candle device of claim 9, wherein the candle controller is further configured to monitor one of the peripheral device, the game controller or combinations thereof to avoid sending a control command to the peripheral device that interferes with a control command sent from the game controller to the peripheral device.

11. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a multi-port device including at least a first port for communicating with the game controller and a second port for communicating with the candle controller.

12. The candle device of claim 1, wherein candle controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of peripheral devices located on the gaming machine wherein the plurality of peripheral devices are selected from the group consisting of a bill acceptor, a ticket printer, a video display device and an audio output device.

13. The candle device of claim 1, where the candle controller is further configured to control an output of video data to the game display on which a wager-based game is displayed on the gaming machine or a secondary display on the gaming machine.

14. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more cameras coupled to the candle controller and disposed within the housing.

15. The candle device of claim 14, wherein the candle controller is further configured to send video data or still images captured from the one or more cameras to a remote device.

16. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to communicate with a printer on the gaming machine and send a command to the printer on the gaming machine to print a ticket.

17. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive operational data from the value input device or the value output device and send the operational data to a remote device.

18. The candle device of claim 17, wherein the operational data is used to determine a maintenance schedule for the value input device or the value output device.

19. The candle device of claim 17, wherein the operational data includes information regarding successful and unsuccessful value transactions generated using the value input device or the value output device.

20. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to send a command instructing the value input device or the value output device on the gaming machine to perform a power reset.

21. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to 1) communicate with a bill acceptor on the gaming machine, 2) to receive image data of instruments accepted by the bill acceptor and image data of instruments rejected by the bill acceptor and 3) to send the image data to a remote device.

22. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive firmware, software or data for the value input device or the value output device from a remote device and send the firmware, the software or the data to the value input device or the value output device.

23. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker coupled to the candle controller and coupled to the housing.

24. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising a video display coupled to the candle controller and coupled to the housing.

25. A gaming machine comprising:

a gaming machine cabinet;

a game controller configured to control a wager-based game on the gaming machine disposed within the gaming machine cabinet;

a game display coupled to the game controller for displaying the wager-based game;

a value input device coupled to the game controller;

a value output device coupled to the game controller; and

a candle device coupled to the game controller comprising;

a housing including a translucent portion and an opaque portion;

an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an exterior surface of the gaming machine cabinet;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within the translucent portion of the housing wherein light from the plurality of lighting elements is visible through the translucent portion when said plurality of lighting elements are activated;

a first communication interface for communicating with the game controller on the gaming machine;

a second communication interface for communicating with a peripheral device configured to receive control commands from the game controller, said peripheral device separate from the candle device ,wherein the peripheral device is one of the game display, the value input device or the value output device;

a third communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote server;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from the game controller and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) communicate with and receive status information from the peripheral device; and

     3) control a wireless communications to send the status information via the third communication interface to the remote server; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

26. The gaming machine of claim 25, wherein the candle controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of peripherals devices coupled to the gaming machine including the game display, the value input device and the value output device.