Device health monitoring for gaming machines

• US 9,022,861 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Leap Forward Gaming, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wells, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/320,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A gaming peripheral for a gaming machine is described. The gaming peripheral can be configured to emulate the functions of a lighting device, such as a candle. The gaming peripheral can be configured to provide enhanced gaming features such as 1) enhanced networking capabilities, 2) enhanced peripheral device monitoring and upgrade capabilities, 3) enhanced player monitoring and security capabilities 4) enhanced gaming function capabilities and 5) enhanced player reward capabilities. The enhanced gaming features can be provided in a non-intrusive manner such that regulated software executed on a gaming machine does not have to be altered.

Claims

1. A method in a retrofit gaming device having a controller including a processor and a memory and a network interface, said retrofit gaming device retrofitted to an existing wager-based gaming machine having a display mechanism which is configured to visually output an outcome of a wager-based game, a value input device, a value output device and a game controller communicatively coupled to the value input device, the value output device and display mechanism wherein after a retrofit of the existing wager-based gaming machine, the retrofit gaming device, the game controller, the display mechanism, the value input device and the value output device are each coupled to an existing gaming machine cabinet, comprising:

receiving, by the processor via a first communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the value input device, first data from the value input device;

receiving, by the processor via a second communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the value output device within the existing gaming machine cabinet, second data from the value output device;

receiving, by the processor via a third communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and a touch screen video display third data from the touch screen video display;

sending, by the processor via a fourth communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and a touch screen video display, first video data for output to the touch screen video display;

receiving, by the processor via a fifth communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the game controller within the existing gaming machine cabinet, fourth data associated with a play of a wager-based game from the game controller;

wherein the game controller is configured to control a play of a wager-based game played on the existing gaming machine including controlling the display mechanism to display the outcome associated with the play of the wager-based game;

sending, by the processor, via a sixth communication pathway added during the retrofit that uses the network interface, the first data, the second data and the fourth data to a remote server;

sending, by the processor, via the fourth communication pathway, second video data associated with a lottery game, separate from the wager-based game, to output to the touch screen video display; and

after the second video data is output, receiving via the third communication pathway, fifth data from the touch screen video display wherein the fifth data is associated with a play of the lottery game

wherein functions of the retrofit gaming device including receiving the first data from the value input device via the first communication pathway, receiving the second data from the value output device via the second communication pathway, receiving the third data and the fifth data from the touch screen video display via the third communication pathway, send the first video data and the second video data to the touch screen video display via the fourth communication pathway and receiving the fourth data from the game controller via the fifth communication pathway do not require modification to existing game software executed by the game controller prior to the retrofit of the existing gaming machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is the touch screen video display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is a plurality of mechanical reels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a lottery ticket associated with the lottery game.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the value output device is a printer and the lottery ticket is output via the printer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising intercepting a cashout request sent from the game controller to an external device.

7. The method of claim 6, in response to intercepting the cashout request, generating third video data indicating an offer and outputting the third video data to the touch screen display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the offer is associated with the lottery game.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the offer includes a purchase of a lottery ticket associated with the lottery game.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving via the touch screen video display an indication the offer is not accepted.

11. The method of claim 10, in response to receiving the indication the offer is not accepted, sending the intercepted cashout request to the external device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the offer costs a portion of the cash out value associated with the cash out request.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving an indication the offer is accepted, requesting from the external device a validation number associated with a cashout out ticket which is to be dispensed wherein the validation number is associated with a second cashout value which is less than the cash out value associate associated with the cashout request sent from the game controller.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising intercepting a print request from the game controller to a printer to print out a cashout ticket with a first cashout value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising replacing the print request with a second print request to print out a modified cashout ticket with a second cashout value lower than the first cashout value and one or more offer tickets associated with the offer.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating a request to an external device to request a ticket validation number.

17. A method in a retrofit gaming device having a controller including a processor and a memory and a network interface, said retrofit gaming device retrofitted to an existing wager-based gaming machine having a display mechanism which is configured to visually output an outcome of a wager-based game, a value input device, a value output device and a game controller communicatively coupled to the value input device, the value output device and display mechanism wherein after a retrofit of the existing wager-based gaming machine, the retrofit gaming device, the game controller, the display mechanism, the value input device and the value output device are each coupled to an existing gaming machine cabinet, comprising:

receiving, by the processor via a first communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the value input device, first data from the value input device;

receiving, by the processor via a second communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the value output device within the existing gaming machine cabinet, second data from the value output device;

receiving, by the processor via a third communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and a touch screen video display third data from the touch screen video display;

sending, by the processor via a fourth communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and a touch screen video display, first video data for output to the touch screen video display wherein the first video data is associated with an offer;

receiving, by the processor via a fifth communication pathway added during the retrofit that is between the retrofit gaming device and the game controller within the existing gaming machine cabinet, fourth data associated with a play of a wager-based game from the game controller;

wherein the game controller is configured to control a play of a wager-based game played on the existing gaming machine including controlling the display mechanism to display the outcome associated with the play of the wager-based game;

sending, by the processor, via a sixth communication pathway added during the retrofit that uses the network interface, the first data, the second data and the fourth data to a remote server;

after the first video data is output, receiving via the third communication pathway, fifth data from the touch screen video display wherein the fifth data indicates an acceptance or a rejection of the offer;

when the offer is accepted, sending, by the processor, via the fourth communication pathway, second video data associated with a redemption of the offer, separate from the wager-based game, to output to the touch screen video display;

wherein functions of the retrofit gaming device including receiving the first data from the value input device via the first communication pathway, receiving the second data from the value output device via the second communication pathway, receiving the third data and the fifth data from the touch screen video display via the third communication pathway, send the first video data and the second video data to the touch screen video display via the fourth communication pathway and receiving the fourth data from the game controller via the fifth communication pathway do not require modification to existing game software executed by the game controller prior to the retrofit of the existing gaming machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the offer is associated with a purchase of a lottery ticket.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the offer is purchased using a portion of credits maintained by the game controller.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising printing out a ticket associated with the offer.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a validation number from an external device wherein the validation number is associated with an offer ticket.