Download and data transfer gaming method

• US 8,171,155 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2010
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruppert, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US12/813,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20100248842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/223, 463/42
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• 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 17/3225 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: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments

Abstract

A download and data transfer gaming system utilizes a hybrid peer-to-peer, segmented file distribution protocol to vastly improve the download capabilities of a gaming system by improving the upload cost burdened by the download host. The system redistributes this cost to the download clients by allowing clients on the gaming system to upload pieces of a file to each other. This system is much more redundant by eliminating the possibility of a client missing a download broadcast. The system alleviates this possibility of missing packets and bad data integrity by using SHA-1 verification of the file pieces. The benefits of the improved bandwidth capabilities enable the download of much larger files, thus enhancing the game play experience.

Claims

1. In a download and data transfer gaming system including a gaming network including at least one host server, a tracking server, and a plurality of gaming devices, wherein the gaming devices are capable of uploading and/or transferring data as well as receiving downloaded data, and a memory device storing a set of data to be distributed, wherein the set of data can be divided into a plurality of different subsets of data, a method for improving the download capabilities in a gaming environment by redistributing a data transfer burden, comprising:

the host server distributing an initial distribution of the plurality of different subsets of data to the plurality of gaming devices, wherein none of the plurality of gaming devices receives the entire set of data to be distributed from the host server; and

the plurality of gaming devices distributing all further distributions of the plurality of different subsets of data only amongst each other until all of the gaming devices have received the entire set of data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the tracking server tracking the download and data transfer of the set of data to be distributed to each of the plurality of gaming devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the tracking server tracking the download and data transfer of the set of data by tracking only metadata related to the download and data transfer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which downloads and/or transfers subsets of data using a random distribution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which downloads and/or transfers subsets of data by prioritizing rarest subsets of data for distribution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which utilizes a tit-for-tat data exchange policy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which utilizes a data exchange policy that results in Pareto equilibrium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which enables the downloading and/or distributing of much larger files than can be managed using HTTP GET requests.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which is more redundant than HTTP GET requests and substantially prevents a gaming device from missing a download broadcast.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and gaming device distributing steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which substantially prevents losing packets and bad data integrity by using SHA-1 verification of the plurality of different subsets of data.

11. In a download and data transfer gaming system, including a gaming network including a tracking server and a plurality of gaming devices, wherein the gaming devices are enabled to transfer subsets of data to each other in addition to being enabled to receive data downloads, and a memory device storing a set of data to be distributed, wherein the sets of data is segmented into a plurality of different subsets of data, a method for improving data distribution capabilities in a gaming environment by reallocating a download burden from a single network device to a plurality of network devices, comprising:

the memory device distributing an initial distribution of the plurality of different subsets of data to the plurality of gaming devices, wherein none of the plurality of gaming devices receives the entire set of data to be distributed from the memory device; and

the plurality of gaming devices distributing all further distributions of the plurality of different subsets of data only amongst each other until all of the gaming devices have received the entire set of data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the system further includes a tracking server and the method further comprises the tracking server tracking the download and data transfer of the set of data to be distributed to each of the plurality of gaming devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the tracking of the download and data transfer of the set of data comprises tracking only metadata related to the download and data transfer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which downloads and/or transfers subsets of data using a random distribution.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which downloads and/or transfers subsets of data by prioritizing rarest subsets of data for distribution.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which utilizes a tit-for-tat data exchange policy.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which utilizes a data exchange policy that results in Pareto equilibrium.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which enables the downloading and/or distributing of much larger files that can be managed using HTTP GET requests.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which is more redundant than HTTP GET requests and substantially prevents a gaming device from missing a download broadcast.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device and gaming device distribution steps comprise using a file distribution protocol which substantially prevents losing packets and bad data integrity by using SHA-1 verification of the plurality of different subsets of data.