Multi-system gaming terminal communication device
First Claim
1. A method for providing communications between a gaming machine and a plurality of game service servers via a communication multiplexer device, said gaming machine comprising a master gaming controller and said multiplexer device comprising a logic device, a first set of a plurality of communication ports and a second set of output communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board, said method comprising:
- connecting a plurality of the communication ports of the first set to the gaming machine, wherein each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is adapted to accept a physical communication connection compatible with one or more application specific protocols;
utilizing, by each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, a physical communication protocol that allows a set of messages in the one or more application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device;
storing information, within a memory device, regarding;
the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set,a second communication protocol, anda mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set and the destination device, the mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communication multiplexer device;
facilitating a communication by each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set of a message in one or more application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller of the gaming machine between the gaming machine and the communication multiplexer device, wherein the gaming machine is used to play a wager-based game by;
determining, by the logic device of the communication multiplexer device, a destination game service server for the first message received at one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, wherein the first message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols;
formatting, by the logic device, the first message in one of the application specific protocols into the second communication protocol; and
transmitting, by the communication multiplexer device, the first message formatted in the second communication protocol via only one output communication port of the second set of the communication multiplexer device to the destination game service server;
determining, by the logic device, a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports of the first set for a second message received at the only one output communication port of the second set, wherein the second message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol;
formatting, by the logic device, the second message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific protocols that is compatible with the destination port;
transmitting, by the communication multiplexer device, the second message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming machine with a communication multiplexer device that allows communications between the gaming machine and one or more game service servers all within a single network interface is described. The single network interface may be a wireless or wired network interface. The communication multiplexer device converts messages in native communication protocols used by the gaming machine to a network communication protocol such as transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) for transmission over the single wired or wireless network interface. The communication multiplexer is designed such that the gaming machine may receive messages that have been transmitted using the native communication protocols without modifying regulated gaming software on the gaming machine.
53 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for providing communications between a gaming machine and a plurality of game service servers via a communication multiplexer device, said gaming machine comprising a master gaming controller and said multiplexer device comprising a logic device, a first set of a plurality of communication ports and a second set of output communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board, said method comprising:
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connecting a plurality of the communication ports of the first set to the gaming machine, wherein each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is adapted to accept a physical communication connection compatible with one or more application specific protocols; utilizing, by each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, a physical communication protocol that allows a set of messages in the one or more application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device; storing information, within a memory device, regarding; the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, a second communication protocol, and a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set and the destination device, the mapping allowing the logic device to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communication multiplexer device; facilitating a communication by each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set of a message in one or more application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller of the gaming machine between the gaming machine and the communication multiplexer device, wherein the gaming machine is used to play a wager-based game by; determining, by the logic device of the communication multiplexer device, a destination game service server for the first message received at one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, wherein the first message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols; formatting, by the logic device, the first message in one of the application specific protocols into the second communication protocol; and transmitting, by the communication multiplexer device, the first message formatted in the second communication protocol via only one output communication port of the second set of the communication multiplexer device to the destination game service server; determining, by the logic device, a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports of the first set for a second message received at the only one output communication port of the second set, wherein the second message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol; formatting, by the logic device, the second message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific protocols that is compatible with the destination port; transmitting, by the communication multiplexer device, the second message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for providing communications between a gaming machine and a plurality of game service servers via a communication multiplexer device, said gaming machine comprising a master gaming controller and said multiplexer device comprising a logic device, a first set of a plurality of communication ports and a second set of output communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board, said method comprising:
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connecting a plurality of the communication ports of the first set to the gaming machine, wherein each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is adapted to accept a physical communication connection compatible with the one or more application specific protocols; emulating, by the logic device, one of the application specific protocols by configuring one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set; communicating, by the logic device, with a boot server that sends configuration information to the communication multiplexer device specifying a mapping between one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set and a game service server, one of the application specific protocols to use at one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, a physical communication protocol to use at one of the plurality of communication ports of the first set, or combinations thereof; facilitating a communication by each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set of a message in one or more application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller of the gaming machine between the gaming machine and the communication multiplexer device, wherein the gaming machine is used to play a wager-based game by; determining, by the logic device of the communication multiplexer device, a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports of the first set for the first message received at only one output communication port of a second set of the communication multiplexer device, wherein the first message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using a second communication protocol; formatting, by the logic device, the first message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port; and transmitting, by the communication multiplexer device, the first message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of providing communications between a gaming machine and a plurality of game service servers in a communication device including a plurality of communication ports and only one output communication port in a communication path between the gaming machine and the one or more game service servers, the method comprising:
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configuring the plurality of communication ports to receive information using one or more physical communication protocols compatible with physical connections from the gaming machine to the plurality of communication ports; configuring the plurality of communication ports to receive messages in one or more application specific protocols used by the gaming machine; mapping the plurality of communication ports to the plurality of game service servers; establishing communications between the plurality of communication ports of the communication device and the plurality of game service servers using a second communication protocol and the only one output communication port; establishing communications with a boot server and receiving configuration information from the boot server specifying at least one of the mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and the plurality of game service servers, one of the application specific protocols to use at one of the plurality of communication ports, a physical communication protocol to use at one of the plurality of communication ports, or a combination thereof; receiving a first message at the gaming machine from one of the game service servers via the only one output communication port in the second communication protocol by; formatting information in the first message into one of the application specific protocols; and routing the first message to the gaming machine via one of the plurality of communication ports; receiving a second message at one of the game service servers from the gaming machine, wherein the second message includes information formatted in one of the application specific protocols;
byformatting the second message in the second communication protocol; and sending the second message via the only one output communication port. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A gaming machine comprising:
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a master gaming controller configured to control a game played on the gaming machine by executing regulated gaming software and to receive a wager on an outcome of the game; a communication multiplexer device comprising; a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board, where the plurality of communication ports are included within a first set, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set configured to transmit and receive a set of messages between the gaming machine and the communication multiplexer device in one or more application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with one of the application specific protocols; only one output communication port of a second set; a logic device configured to; determine one of a plurality of destination devices for a first message received at one of the plurality of communication ports, wherein the first message is formatted using one of the application specific protocols; format the first message in one of the application specific protocols into a second communication protocol; transmit the first message formatted in the second communication protocol via the only one output communication port to the determined destination device; determine a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports of the first set for a second message received at the only one output communication port, wherein the second message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using the second communication protocol; format the second message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port; and transmit the second message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port; and the master gaming controller is further configured to communicate with a plurality of game service servers by using the one or more application specific protocols included in the regulated gaming software, the plurality of game service servers configured to provide a plurality of game services, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is configured to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in one of the application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device, the gaming machine further comprising; a display for displaying the game played on the gaming machine; a memory device for storing a) information regarding the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and the destination device, the logic device configured to use the mapping to determine the destination device or the destination port for each message received by the communication multiplexer device; a plurality of physical communication connections connected to the plurality of communication ports; and a network interface connected to the only one output communication port and a network that communicates a set of messages using the second communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A gaming machine comprising:
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a master gaming controller configured to control a game played on the gaming machine by executing regulated gaming software and to receive a wager on an outcome of the game; a communication multiplexer device comprising; a plurality of communication ports connected to a multi-port communication board, wherein the plurality of communication ports are included within a first set, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set configured to transmit and receive a set of messages between the gaming machine and the communication multiplexer device in one or more application specific protocols used by the master gaming controller, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is configured to accept a physical communication connection compatible with one of the application specific protocols; only one output communication port of a second set; a logic device configured to; determine a destination port from among the plurality of communication ports of the first set for a first message received at the only one output communication port, wherein the first message received at the only one output communication port is formatted using a second communication protocol; format the first message received in the second communication protocol into one of the application specific communication protocols that is compatible with the destination port; and transmit the first message formatted in one of the application specific protocols via the destination port; wherein the master gaming controller is further configured to communicate with a plurality of game service servers providing a plurality of game services by using the one or more application specific protocols included in the regulated gaming software, each of the plurality of communication ports of the first set is configured to utilize a physical communication protocol that allows messages in one of the application specific protocols to be parsed by the communication multiplexer device, the gaming machine further comprising; a display for displaying the game played on the gaming machine; a memory device for storing a) information regarding the one or more application specific protocols and the physical communication protocol used at each of the plurality of communication ports, b) the second communication protocol and c) a mapping between each of the plurality of communication ports and each of the plurality of game service servers, said mapping allowing the logic device to determine one of the game service servers or the destination port for each message received by the communication multiplexer device; a plurality of physical communication connections connected to the plurality of communication ports; and a network interface connected to the only one output communication port of the second set and a network that communicates messages using the second communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification