Methods and systems for tracking an event of an externally controlled interface

• US 8,992,304 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Weber, Reid M., Little, William C., LeMay, Steven G., Marcu, Adrian R., Cockerille, Warner R. IV, Beaulieu, Nicole M., Gipp, David A., de Waal, Daniel, Manfredi, Vincent S., Bullard, Bryan, Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J., Russell, Glenn Keith, Graham, Jacob, Schlottmann, Gregory A., Rowe, Richard E., Williams, David C., Larsen, Kurt M., Yi, Jae Man, Petersen, Erik B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/120,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,513 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/16, 463 40- 43, 463/25, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method for tracking an event of an externally controlled interface (ECI) is described. The method includes generating the externally controlled interface independent of an outcome of a wager-based game regulated by a regulatory authority, and logging the event of the externally controlled interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing, using at least one processor of a gaming machine, a first process configured to generate at least one state of a play of a wager-based game, wherein content of the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game is controlled by the at least one or processor;

receiving, at the at least one processor, a request from a remote host for control of a second process executed using the at least one processor;

granting the request from the remote host for control of the second process;

sending the remote host information describing gaming machine resources available for use by the second process;

executing, using the at least one processor, the second process to provide at least one state of an externally-controlled interface, wherein the second process is controlled by the remote host via instructions received from the remote host and the externally-controlled interface displays content distinct from the content associated with the play of the wager-based game;

storing information to a first non-volatile memory regarding the wager-based game, wherein the information regarding the wager-based game enables the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game to be regenerated at a later time; and

storing information to a second non-volatile memory regarding an event associated with the externally-controlled interface, wherein the information regarding the event enables the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface to be regenerated at a later time.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

displaying the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game on a first portion of a video display;

displaying the at least one state of the externally controlled interface externally-controlled interface on a second portion of the video display;

timestamping the information regarding the wager-based game with a first timestamp;

timestamping the information regarding the event of the externally-controlled interface with a second timestamp;

associating the information regarding the wager-based game with the information regarding the event of the externally-controlled interface by comparing the first timestamp and the second timestamp; and

simultaneously redisplaying;

the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game based on the information regarding the wager-based game, and

the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface based on the information regarding the event.

3. The method of claim 2, including resolving a dispute between a player and an entity by the synchronizing of the redisplay of the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game with the redisplay of the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first non-volatile memory is in the gaming machine,

the second non-volatile memory is in the remote host,

the information regarding the wager-based game upon which the redisplay of the one or more states of the wager-based game is based is retrieved from the first non-volatile memory, and

the information regarding the event upon which the redisplay of the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface is based is retrieved from the second non-volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

displaying the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game on a mechanical reel;

displaying the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface on a video display; and

synchronizing a redisplay of the at least one state of the play of the wager-based game based on the information regarding the wager-based game with a redisplay of the at least one state of the externally-controlled interface based on the information regarding the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the information regarding the wager-based game includes storing the information regarding the wager-based game at the same time as that of the storing the information regarding the event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the information regarding the wager-based game includes storing the information regarding the wager-based game at a different time than a time of the storing the information regarding the event.

8. A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising:

displaying a play of a wager-based game including a first series of states, wherein first information related to each state in the first series of states is stored to a first non-volatile memory prior to advancing to a subsequent state in the first series of states, wherein when a loss of power occurs between a first state in the first series of states and a second state in the first series of states, the gaming machine restores the first state using the first information stored to the first non-volatile memory associated with the first state;

generating an externally controlled interface on the gaming machine, wherein the generation includes generating a second series of states by utilizing instructions received from a remote host, wherein second information related to each state in the second series of states is stored to a second non-volatile memory prior to advancing to a subsequent state in the second series of states;

sending the remote host information describing resources available for use by the externally-controlled interface on the gaming machine; and

outputting visual content associated with each state in the second series of states to a video display device, wherein the outputted visual content is distinct from the displayed play of the wager-based game.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first non-volatile memory and the second non-volatile memory reside on a memory device located within a housing for the gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second non-volatile memory is located within a housing for the gaming machine and a copy of at least a portion of the second information is stored in a third non-volatile memory located remote from the housing.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second non-volatile memory is located in a memory device remote from the gaming machine.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first non-volatile memory or the second non-volatile memory is a battery-backed Random Access Memory.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a portion of the first information and a portion of the second information is associated with both the first series of states and the second series of states.

14. The method of claim 8, including:

logging first events associated with the first series of states;

logging second events associated with the second series of states;

determining a time sequence of events including the first events and the second events.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the first events and each of the second events includes a time stamp.

16. The method of claim 8, including:

generating a playback interface on the video display device;

receiving an input selection related to at least one previously-generated state in the second series of states; and

outputting first visual content related to the at least one previously-generated state to the video display device.

17. The method of claim 8, including:

generating a playback interface on the video display device;

receiving an input selection related to at least one previously-generated state in the first series states; and

outputting first visual content related to the at least one previously-generated state.

18. The method of claim 8, including:

generating a playback interface on the video display device;

receiving a first input selection related to a previously-generated state in the first series of states;

receiving a second input selection related to a previously-generated state in the second series of states;

outputting first visual content related to the previously-generated state in the first series of states; and

outputting second visual content related to the previously-generated state in the second series of states to the video display device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first visual content is output to the video display device.

20. The method of claim 8, including:

generating a playback interface on the video display device;

receiving an input selection related to a previously-generated state in the first series of states;

determining a previously-generated state in the second series of states related to the previously-generated state in the second series of states;

outputting first visual content related to the previously-generated state in the first series of states; and

outputting second visual content related to the previously-generated state in the second series of states to the video display device.

21. The method of claim 8, including:

generating a playback interface on the video display device;

receiving an input selection related to a previously-generated state in the second series of states;

determining a previously-generated state in the first series of states related to the previously-generated state in the second series of states;

outputting first visual content related to the previously-generated state in the first series of states; and

outputting second visual content related to the previously-generated state in the second series of states to the video display device.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first non-volatile memory is in the gaming machine, and

the second non-volatile memory is in the remote host.