Browser based wagering game systems and configuration

• US 8,690,682 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frattinger, Christopher J., Ward, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/116,726
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/16, 463/25, 463/40
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions

Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include presenting a web browser on a display associated with a wagering game machine and receiving a request to present wagering game content on the display, via the web browser. The operations can further include determining a web address stored in a setting associated with a wagering game machine and sending the web address associated with the wagering game machine to a wagering game server. The wagering game server is configured to provide a webpage document described in the web address. The web address can be stored in the setting prior to the request to present the wagering game content on the display. The operations can further include receiving the webpage document from the wagering game server; and presenting the webpage document on the display of the wagering game machine via the web browser.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting a web browser on a display associated with a wagering game machine;

detecting a request to present wagering game content on the display, via the web browser;

reading a web address stored in a setting associated with the wagering game machine, wherein the web address is stored in the setting prior to the request to present the wagering game content on the display;

providing the web address to a wagering game server, via a communication network, wherein the wagering game server is configured to provide a webpage document described in the web address, wherein the wagering game content is included in the webpage document;

receiving the webpage document from the wagering game server; and

presenting the webpage document on the display of the wagering game machine via the web browser, in response to receiving the webpage document.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web address is stored in a memory device of the wagering game machine and further comprising initiating a boot up operation on the wagering game machine prior to the presenting the web browser on the display, wherein the boot up operation is configured to generate the request to present the wagering game content on the display, read the web address from the memory device, and transmit the web address via the communication network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

logging in a user account before presenting the web browser on the display, wherein the user account has user rights to configure the wagering game machine;

receiving the web address via user input associated with the user account; and

storing the web address in a memory storage location associated with the wagering game machine prior to the receiving the request.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the providing the web address to the wagering game server includes automatically copying the web address from the memory storage location associated with the setting and inserting the web address into an address field of the web browser.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web address is a locator to a static web address stored on a web server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the webpage document is specific to a theme and denomination for the wagering game content advertised at the wagering game machine.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the web browser includes disabling user-controls of the web browser configured to navigate away from the webpage during a wagering game session.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the web browser comprises presenting the web browser to entirely cover the display.

9. One or more machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting a request to present wagering game content via a web browser associated with a wagering game machine, wherein a web address is associated with the request, wherein the web address is stored in a setting associated with the wagering game machine prior to the request;

generating a webpage document associated with the web address, wherein the wagering game content is included in the webpage document; and

providing the webpage document for presentation via the web browser.

10. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9 said operations further comprising:

evaluating gaming conditions against content presentation rules, wherein the gaming conditions represent a state of a gaming session when the request is made to present the wagering game content, and wherein the conditions are associated with one or more of a player preference, a player game history, a network time, a network date, a player status, a patron population, a wagering game machine status, and a popularity of a wagering game; and

selecting the wagering game content based on the evaluating of the conditions against the content presentation rules.

11. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 9, said operations further comprising:

detecting a unique identifier associated with the wagering game machine in response to detecting the request to present the wagering game content via the web browser;

accessing a webpage template assigned to the unique identifier; and

generating the webpage document based on the webpage template.

12. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the operation of generating the webpage document based on the webpage template includes operations comprising:

reading web document code included in the webpage template, wherein the web document code specifies sections of the webpage document, and wherein the web document code specifies a content identifier for each of the sections; and

embedding different content into each of the sections of the webpage document using the content identifier for the each of the sections.

13. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein a first of the content identifiers for a first of the sections specifies a first type of wagering game content, wherein a second of the content identifiers for a second of the sections specifies a second type of wagering game content different from the first wagering game content, and wherein said operation for embedding the different content into each of the sections of the webpage document includes operations comprising:

embedding into the first of the sections a first web application that corresponds to the first type of wagering game content; and

embedding into the second of the sections a second web application that corresponds to the second type of wagering game content.

14. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the first web application and the second web application are vector graphic animations with wagering game control scripting.

15. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the unique identifier is a serial number for the wagering game machine.

16. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein said operation of detecting the unique identifier associated with the wagering game machine comprises one or more of obtaining the unique identifier from data associated with the request, querying the wagering game machine for the unique identifier, and accessing a database that indicates the unique identifier.

17. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein said operation of accessing the webpage template assigned to the unique identifier includes operations comprising searching a database for a relationship between a first database value that specifies the unique identifier and a second database value that specifies the webpage template.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory storage devices configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations to

detect a request to present wagering game content via a web browser of a wagering game machine, wherein a web address is associated with the request, wherein the web address is stored in a setting associated with the wagering game machine prior to the request;

generate a webpage document associated with the web address, wherein the wagering game content is included in the webpage document; and

provide the webpage document for presentation via the web browser.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the setting associated with the wagering game machine is stored in a memory device of the wagering game machine and wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations to initiate a boot up operation on the wagering game machine prior to detecting the request, read the web address from the memory device, and transmit the web address via a communication network.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the webpage document is specific to a theme and denomination for the wagering game machine.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one of the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations to one or more of disable a user-control of the web browser configured to navigate away from the webpage and present the web browser to entirely cover the display.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one of the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations to:

detect a unique identifier associated with the wagering game machine;

access a webpage template assigned to the unique identifier; and

generate the webpage document based on the webpage template.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the operation to generate the webpage document based on the webpage template includes operations to:

read web document code included in the webpage template, wherein the web document code specifies sections of the webpage document, and wherein the web document code specifies a content identifier for each of the sections; and

include different content in each of the sections of the webpage document using the content identifier for the each of the sections.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a first of the content identifiers for a first of the sections specifies a first type of wagering game content, wherein a second of the content identifiers for a second of the sections specifies a second type of wagering game content different from the first wagering game content, and wherein said operation to include the different content in each of the sections of the webpage document includes operations to:

embed into the first of the sections a first web application that corresponds to the first type of wagering game content; and

embed into the second of the sections a second web application that corresponds to the second type of wagering game content.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first web application and the second web application are vector graphic animations with wagering game control scripting.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier is a serial number for the wagering game machine.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by the at least one of the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations to:

access a wagering game player account logged on to the wagering game machine;

determine a player preference stored in the wagering game player account, wherein the player preference describes a preference for a type of the wagering game content;

select a webpage template associated with the type of the wagering game content; and

use the webpage template to generate the webpage document.