Configurable wagering game manager

• US 8,172,686 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Warkentin, Terry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/293,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20090264203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/40, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring and/or servicing wagering game machines are described herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request to configure wagering game manager content, wherein the request is associated with a user identifier. The method can also include transmitting another request and the user identifier, and receiving and presenting configuration options, where the configuration options determine from which of a plurality of application servers that services can be requested. Additionally, in some embodiments, the configuration options determine separate modules for presenting information about the services. The method can also include receiving one or more configuration selections associated with the configuration options.

Claims

1. A method of requesting and displaying gaming machine information using a wagering game manager displayed via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user via at least one input device, a first request to configure the wagering game manager for display via the graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the first request is associated with a user identifier;

transmitting, to a game manager server, a second request for wagering game manager configuration options associated with the user identifier, wherein the wagering game manager configuration options determine wagering game manager content including one or more separate modules providing information about services available from one or more application servers;

receiving, from the game manager server, the requested configuration options and displaying the requested configuration options to the user;

receiving, from the user via the at least one input device, one or more configuration option selections;

obtaining wagering game information and module placement information for the one or more separate modules as determined by the selected configuration options;

generating wagering game manager content based on the placement information, the wagering game information, and the one or more separate modules; and

displaying, via the GUI on at least one display device, the generated wagering game manager content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the configuration option selections to a remote server for storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration options can differ based on the user identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration options are included in a web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration options include content obtained from different ones of the plurality of application servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the services include at least one of the services selected from the group consisting of wagering game machine monitoring services, wagering game machine configuration services, player tracking services, event tracking services, wagering game machine accounting services, licensing services, progressive jackpot services, and wagering game content distribution services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration options include one or more configuration options selected from the group consisting of available services, module placement, color options, text options, and periodic update options.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and presenting configuration options includes presenting a configuration wizard.

9. A machine-readable, non-transitory medium including instructions that, the instructions, when executed by a gaming system, cause the gaming system to perform a method including:

receiving, via at least one input device, a request to launch a wagering game manager, the request including a user identifier;

providing, via one or more display devices, configuration options associated with the user identifier;

receiving, via the at least one input device, one or more configuration option selections;

determining, based on the one or more configuration option selections, a set of modules and module placement information;

obtaining wagering game manager content, wherein some of the content originates from one or more remote application servers, wherein the content includes wagering game machine information for each of the modules of the set of modules; and

displaying, via at least one display device, the wagering game manager content based on the wagering game machine information, the placement information, and the set of modules.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the content is included in a web page.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the configuration option selections are represented in hypertext markup language.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein wagering game machine information includes information about one or more of wagering game players, wagering game machine meters, wagering game events, and wagering game machine reports.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the configuration option selections define one or more of the group consisting of available services, module placement, color options, text options, and periodic update options.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a configuration data store configured to store configuration selections associated with a wagering game manager, wherein the configuration selections are also associated with a user identifier; and

a wagering game manager server configured to;

determine and present configuration options associated with the user identification;

receive the configuration selections;

receive the user identification and a request for content associated with the user identification, wherein the content is determined in part by the configuration selections;

determine, based on the configuration selections, a set of modules and module placement information;

obtain wagering game machine information for each of modules of the set; and

generate the content based on the placement information, the wagering game information, and the set of modules.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the configuration selections define panes in which the modules are to appear.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the configuration selections include a module selections and module placement information.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the content includes modules and information obtained from remote application servers.