Networked gaming system having a browser manager

• US 8,137,200 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• 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: Kelly, Bryan M., Patel, Pravinkumar, Reddy, Mettu R., Green, Anthony E., Crowder, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US12/267,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/217, 709/203, 709/223, 463/16, 463/17, 463/40, 463/42, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system that provides server based dynamic content onto a content display area of one or more gaming machines is disclosed. The system includes: a browser manager, one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, and one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service. The browser manager includes a user interface application and a core service, wherein the user interface application generates a user interface display on a user control station. Each gaming machine includes a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content.

Claims

1. An integrated browser manager and networked gaming system, the system comprising:

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a graphical user interface application, a web service, and a core service, wherein the graphical user interface application generates a graphical user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service;

one or more gaming machines connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine including a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a display area for displaying the external content, wherein the integrated system provides server based dynamic content onto the display area of gaming machines;

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

means for converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the commands;

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

means for saving S2S or G2S command data information to relevant tables in the database;

means for logging information messages and error messages to a log file;

means for 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

means for 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 system 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 the response to the application server.

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

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

10. The system 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. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base game; and

a first display to display the base game, wherein the first display includes one or more first display areas, and wherein one of the first display areas includes the content display area.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base game;

a first display to display the base game, a player interface unit including a second display with one or more second display areas, wherein the one or more second display areas include the content display area.

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

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a user interface application and a core service, wherein the user interface application generates a user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein the one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine includes a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content;

wherein the browser manager converts incoming messages with respect to browser manager schema, processes incoming commands, and validates incoming message data;

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

means for converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema and processing the commands;

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

means for 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.

14. The system of claim 13, 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 the response to the application server.

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

16. The system of claim 15, 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.

17. The system of claim 13, 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.

18. The system of claim 13, 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.

19. The system of claim 13, 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.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication protocols include HTTP, XML, XSD, SOAP, and WSDL.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the browser manager core service is the central point for processing the business logic of browser class messages.

22. The system of claim 13, 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.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a base game; and

a first display to display the base game, wherein the first display includes one or more first display areas, and wherein one of the first display areas includes the content display area.

24. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a base game;

a first display to display the base game, a player interface unit including a second display with one or more second display areas, wherein the one or more second display areas include the content display area.

25. The system of claim 13, 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.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein the servers can only communicate with the one or more gaming machines through the browser manager.

27. The system of claim 13, 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.

28. The system of claim 13, wherein transmitting the content to the secondary display comprises the browser manager pulling content to the secondary display.

29. The system of claim 13, wherein transmitting the content to the secondary display comprises the server pushing content to the secondary display.

30. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to a universal resource locator (URL).

31. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to a different URL.

32. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

33. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more browser windows is linked to an application.

34. The system of claim 13, 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.

35. The system of claim 13, wherein parent browser window maintains the highest Z axis position on the display.

36. The system of claim 13, 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.

37. The system of claim 13, wherein child browser window positioning is based off of parent window position as a frame of reference.

38. The system of claim 13, 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.

39. The system of claim 13, wherein a new browser window is creatable on the display screen of a gaming machine to deliver a message to a player.

40. The system of claim 13, 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.

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

a browser manager, wherein the browser manager includes a user interface application and a core service, wherein the user interface application generates a user interface display on a user control station;

one or more application servers connected to the browser manager by a server-to-server (S2S) server and S2S web service, wherein the one or more gaming machines are connected to the browser manager by a game-to-server (G2S) server and G2S web service, wherein each gaming machine includes a network interface to receive external content from the application server via the browser manager, and a content display area for displaying the external content;

wherein the browser manager converts incoming messages with respect to browser manager schema, processes incoming commands, and validates incoming message data;

means for converting incoming S2S or G2S messages to a browser manager message with respect to browser manager schema;

means for validating incoming message data with available data in a database; and

means for 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.