Methods and devices for downloading games of chance

• US 8,388,448 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kinsley, Michael, Nguyen, Binh T., Benbrahim, Jamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/101,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 713/100, 713/175, 717/173, 709/222, 386/230
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

The present invention provides methods, devices and systems for downloading gaming software. According to some implementations of the invention, gaming software is continuously transmitted on a plurality of channels, e.g., by one or more servers. In some such implementations, each channel is dedicated to software for a different wagering game. In other implementations, gaming software components are transmitted on a plurality of channels, with each channel dedicated to a particular gaming software component. Some implementations provide gaming software in response to a request from a gaming machine. Implementations over dedicated and/or public networks are provided. Preferred implementations of the invention allow gaming software to be downloaded to gaming machines in a secure manner that automatically ensures that licensing and regulatory requirements are satisfied. Some such implementations determine whether payment is required for gaming software and provide for automated payment, if so required.

Claims

1. A method of downloading gaming software, the method comprising:

repeatedly transmitting, by a server, a gaming software block one or more times on a channel, wherein the gaming software block includes gaming software for a corresponding wagering game and is bounded by a first frame and a last frame, wherein the transmitting is performed independent of whether a request for the transmission is received by the server from a gaming machine;

beginning, by the gaming machine, a download of the gaming software block from the channel at an arbitrary frame within the gaming software block during a first transmission of the gaming software block during the transmitting; and

completing, by the gaming machine, the download of the gaming software block from the channel at a second frame within the gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the gaming software block during the transmitting, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, respectively, and wherein the portion of the gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the gaming software block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming software block is a whole desired wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming software block is a desired software component for the wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating a requestor of the gaming software block.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a license is available for the gaming software block.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that it is legal to use the gaming software block in a jurisdiction where the gaming software block will be received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frame is determined based on the arbitrary frame and the size of the gaming software block in bytes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected channel is one of an electromagnetic frequency range, a separate physical link, a separate virtual link or a component of a multiplexed data stream.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authorizing a payment for the desired gaming software.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of detecting the identity of the whole desired wagering game prior to beginning the download.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of detecting the identity of the desired software component prior to beginning the download.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein frames of the gaming software block are interleaved with frames of other data for transmission over the channel, wherein the repeatedly transmitting the gaming software block comprises repeatedly transmitting the frames of the gaming software block.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the frames are assigned a download priority and a degree of interleaving is determined based on the download priority.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the gaming software component comprises internationalization components which provide software for customizing the wagering game according to the language or currency in which the wagering game will be played.

15. A gaming server, the gaming server comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

a communications interface configured to communicate with a gaming network,

the one or more processors, the memory, and the communications interface configured to repeatedly transmit a first gaming software block for a first wagering game over a first channel on the gaming network,

the first gaming software block bounded by a first frame and a last frame, and

the first gaming software block configured to allow a gaming machine to initiate a download of the first gaming software block at a first arbitrary frame within the first gaming software block and to allow the gaming machine to complete the download of the first gaming software block at a second frame within the first gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the first gaming software block, wherein the first arbitrary frame and second frame within the first gaming software block are not the first frame and the last frame of the first gaming software block, respectively.

16. The gaming server of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors, the memory, and the communications interface are further configured to transmit a second gaming software block for a second wagering game over a second channel on the gaming network,

the second gaming software block bounded by a first frame and a last frame, and

the second gaming software block configured to allow a gaming machine to initiate a download of the second gaming software block at a first arbitrary frame within the second gaming software block and to allow the gaming machine to complete the download of the second gaming software block at a second frame within the second gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the second gaming software block, wherein the first arbitrary frame and second frame within the second gaming software block are not the first frame and the last frame of the second gaming software block, respectively.

17. The gaming server of claim 15, wherein the first gaming software block comprises all components of a first wagering game.

18. The gaming server of claim 15, wherein the first gaming software block consists of a software component for a first wagering game.

19. The gaming server of claim 15, wherein the first channel is one of an electromagnetic frequency range, a separate physical link, a separate virtual link or a component of a multiplexed data stream.

20. The gaming server of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors, the memory, and the communications interface are further configured to transmit information regarding the byte size of the first gaming software block prior to completion of a download of the first gaming software block.