Gaming terminal data monitoring network

• US 8,197,344 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Rathsack, Erhard Walter, Gagner, Mark Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/409,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,353 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 2731381-1382, 273/143.R, 700/91, 709/224
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

A method of storing data serially transmitted between a gaming terminal and a computer on one or more servers in a network. The gaming terminal and computer are typically linked in gaming establishments by a serial communication link utilizing serial communication protocols. Although this data is stored on the gaming establishment'"'"'s computers, it is also highly desirable to make this data accessible on a secure server. Data is monitored and captured directly at the gaming terminal with a communication interface. The communication interface converts the captured data from a serial communication protocol into a network communication protocol for storage on a server in a network.

Claims

1. A method of storing data transmitted between a gaming terminal and a computer by storing the data on a monitoring server, the method comprising:

transmitting data having a plurality of types of different data between said gaming terminal and said computer in a first communication protocol;

receiving the data on said computer;

storing the data on said computer;

passively monitoring the data with a communication interface, said communication interface incapable of initiating data transmission between said gaming terminal and said computer;

selecting at least one type of the plurality of types of data;

converting data of the selected type of data into a second communication protocol with said communication interface;

transmitting the selectively converted data in said second communication protocol to said monitoring server, said monitoring server different from said computer and incapable of transmitting data to said computer; and

storing the data of the selected type of data transmitted in said second communication protocol on said monitoring server.

2. The method of storing data as described in claim 1, further including a communication line connecting said computer and said gaming terminal, and wherein said communication interface further includes:

at least one serial communication port connected to said communication line; and

a network communication port connected to said network.

3. The method of storing data described in claim 1, further including:

receiving the data transmitted in said first communication protocol with an interface board;

converting the data in said first communication protocol to a third communication protocol with said interface board; and

continuing the transmission of the data in said third communication protocol to said computer.

4. The method of storing data described in claim 3, wherein said first and said third communication protocols are serial communication protocols, and said second communication protocol is a network communication protocol.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein said serial communication protocols are selected from the group consisting of RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein said network communication protocol is selected from the group of TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocols.

7. A gaming computer system for storing data comprising:

a gaming terminal having a central processing unit for controlling gaming functions of said gaming terminal;

a computer;

a serial communication line connecting said computer and said central processing unit, said serial communication line for transmitting and receiving data having a plurality of types of different data using a serial communication protocol between the computer and gaming terminal when initiated by either the gaming terminal or the computer;

a monitoring server;

a network using a network communication protocol, said monitoring server connected to said network; and

a communication interface having at least one serial port and a network port, said serial port connected to said serial communication line, said network port connected to said network, said communication interface for capturing the data transmitted on said serial communication line only when the computer or gaming terminal initiates transmission of the data, selecting at least one type of the plurality of types of data, and converting the data of the selected type of data from said serial communication protocol to said network communication protocol, said communication interface further for transmitting the data of the selected type of data in said network communication protocol to said monitoring server;

whereby the data of the selected type of data transmitted from said gaming terminal may be stored on both said computer and said monitoring server.

8. The gaming computer system described in claim 7, further comprising an interface board for receiving the data transmitted over said serial communication line, and further for converting the data from a first serial communication protocol to a second serial communication protocol.

9. The gaming computer system of claim 8, wherein said first and second serial communication protocols are selected from the group consisting of RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485.

10. The gaming computer system of claim 8, wherein said network communication protocol is selected from the group of TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocols.

11. The gaming computer system of claim 8, wherein said network communication protocol includes a proprietary software communication protocol.

12. The gaming computer system of claim 8, wherein said first communication protocol includes a proprietary software communication protocol that is different from said second communication protocol.

13. A gaming computer system for storing data comprising:

a gaming terminal having a central processing unit for controlling gaming functions of said gaming terminal;

a computer;

a serial communication line connecting said computer and said central processing unit, said serial communication line for transmitting and receiving data having a plurality of types of different data using a serial communication protocol;

a monitoring server;

a network using a network communication protocol, said monitoring server connected to said network;

a communication interface having a plurality of serial ports and a network port, said serial ports connected to said serial communication line, one said serial port connected to receive the data from said computer, another said serial port connected to receive the data from said gaming terminal, said network port connected to said network, said communication interface for monitoring transmitted data on said serial communication line, selecting at least one type of the plurality of types of data, capturing the data of the selected type of data, when the data transmission is initiated by either the central processing unit or the computer and converting the data of the selected type of data from said serial communication protocol to said network communication protocol, said communication interface further for transmitting the data of the selected type of data in said network communication protocol to said monitoring server;

whereby data transmitted from said gaming terminal may be stored on both said computer and said monitoring server.

14. The gaming computer system described in claim 13, further comprising an interface board for receiving data transmitted over said serial communication line, and further for converting the data from a first serial communication protocol to a second serial communication protocol.

15. The gaming computer system of claim 14, wherein said first and second serial communication protocols are selected from the group consisting of RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485.

16. The gaming computer system of claim 14, wherein said network communication protocol is selected from the group of TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocols.

17. A method of acquiring data, comprising:

transmitting and receiving data having a plurality of types of different data between a gaming terminal and a host computer on initiation of either the gaming terminal or the host computer over a communication link, the data being transmitted in a first communication protocol;

selecting at least one type of the plurality of types of data;

converting the data of the selected type of data to a second communication protocol with an interface device coupled to said communication link only when transmitted by either the gaming terminal or host computer; and

transmitting the data of the selected type of data in said second communication protocol to a server of a network.

18. The method of storing data described in claim 17, wherein said first communication protocol is a serial communication protocol, and said second communication protocol is a network communication protocol.

19. The gaming computer system of claim 18, wherein said first serial communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485.

20. The gaming computer system of claim 18, wherein said network communication protocol is selected from the group of TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocols.

21. A method of acquiring data, comprising:

transmitting and receiving data having a plurality of types of different data between a gaming terminal and a host computer on initiation of either the gaming terminal or the host computer over a communication link between the gaming terminal and host computer;

tapping the data with a passive interface device coupled to said communication link only when data transmission is initiated by either the gaming terminal or host computer, the passive interface device incapable of transmitting data on the communication link between the gaming terminal and host computer;

selecting at least one type of the plurality of types of data; and

transmitting the data of the selected type of data from the passive interface device to a server in a network.