System for managing gaming devices

• US 8,371,942 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Finnimore, Ian, Davis, Joseph J. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US13/366,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value

Abstract

An embedded web server is disclosed. In one embodiment, a casino gaming system comprises a back-end system having one or more servers. One or more gaming machines are operatively connected to the back-end system via a network connection, and one or more gaming devices are operatively connected to at least one gaming machine. The gaming device includes an embedded web server and a web browser in communication with the web server, and delivers a management user interface to the web browser for accessing the gaming device.

Claims

1. A casino gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines;

a plurality of gaming components included as part of each gaming machine, wherein at least two gaming components are enhanced gaming components, and the enhanced gaming components each include an embedded web server; and

a plurality of web browsers associated with each of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the web browsers are on external clients, wherein each embedded web server delivers a unique management user interface to the web browsers for accessing each gaming component that has an embedded web server, and wherein the web browsers receive input via the unique management user interface that includes instructions for managing a first gaming component of the plurality of gaming components in which a first web server is embedded.

2. The casino gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an external computer comprising a display, wherein a web browser is presented on the display.

3. The casino gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a hand-held mobile web browser for receiving the management user interface delivered by an embedded web server via a wireless interface.

4. The casino gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an embedded web page display device, wherein a web browser is presented on a display device.

5. The casino gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming component is a network rack, network bridge, gaming machine, game monitoring unit, video controller, player input mechanism, ticket reader, ticket printer, bill acceptor device, card reader, machine processing unit, overhead signage controller, or game controller.

6. A casino gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine that includes two or more gaming components;

a web server embedded in each gaming component; and

a plurality of web browsers associated with the gaming machine, wherein the web browsers are on external clients, wherein the web browsers are configured to display a unique management user interface generated by each embedded web server, wherein each unique management user interface allows for access to a particular gaming component, and wherein the web browsers receive input via the unique management user interface that includes instructions for managing a first gaming component of the plurality of gaming components.

7. The casino gaming system of claim 6, further comprising an external computer having a display, wherein a web browser is presented on the display.

8. The casino gaming system of claim 6, further comprising an embedded web page display device, wherein a web browser is presented on a display device.

9. The casino gaming system of claim 6, further comprising a hand-held mobile device for interfacing wirelessly with the embedded web servers, and wherein a web browser is displayed on the hand-held mobile device.

10. The casino gaming system of claim 6, wherein the gaming component having an embedded web server is a network rack, network bridge, gaming machine, game monitoring unit, video controller, player input mechanism, ticket reader, ticket printer, bill acceptor device, card reader, machine processing unit, overhead signage controller, or game controller.

11. The casino gaming system of claim 6, wherein the network connection is a wireless connection.

12. A gaming component management system for managing gaming components of a gaming machine, comprising:

a plurality of gaming components that are included in a gaming machine, wherein two or more of the gaming components include an embedded web server;

a plurality of web browsers associated with each of a plurality of gaming components, wherein the web browsers are on external clients; and

a unique management user interface, wherein the unique management user interface is delivered to each web browser from an embedded web server and associated gaming component, wherein each unique management user interface provides access for managing the gaming component, and wherein each web browser is configured to receive input via the unique management user interface that includes instructions for managing a first gaming component of the plurality of gaming components.

13. The gaming device management system of claim 12, wherein the gaming component is a network rack, network bridge, gaming machine, game monitoring unit, video controller, player input mechanism, ticket reader, ticket printer, bill acceptor device, card reader, machine processing unit, overhead signage controller, or game controller.