Networked gaming system communication protocols and methods

• US 9,117,342 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Bryan M, Kroeckel, John, Sturtevant, Paul, Soliterman, Gennady, Foxworth, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US12/291,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device having a first base game processor, the first gaming device having one or more system processors, the first gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module;

a first server networked with said first gaming device and having a slot accounting system, the first server to communicate base game data including personalized gaming information with the game monitoring module using a first protocol, wherein one or more system processors and the game monitoring module of the first gaming device communicate the base game data using a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, said personalized game data including result data for a game played by a player on the first gaming device to update an account balance of the player; and

a second server networked with said first gaming device having a rewards system, the second server to communicate base game data, player identification data, player identification authentication data and personalized gaming information with a system processor of the first gaming device using a third protocol that is different from the first protocol and the second protocol, the personalized gaming information associated with the player of the first gaming device, said personalized gaming information including custom paytables and available games

whereby the first server uses the first protocol to receive game data from the game monitoring module and the second protocol to receive base game data and personalization data from the first gaming device, and the second server uses the third protocol to communicate rewards data with the rewards system module of the first gaming device.

2. A gaming system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second server and the system processor communicate reward threshold data and the system processor and the game monitoring module communicate the reward threshold data.

3. A gaming system as recited in claim 2 wherein the second server triggers bonus games at the first gaming device responsive to achievement of reward thresholds by the player, the bonus games selected from personalized bonus games of the player.

4. A gaming system as recited in claim 2 wherein the reward thresholds of the player are personalized to the player.

5. A gaming system as recited in claim 1 wherein the personalized game data includes bonus data transferred to the first gaming device.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the personalized gaming information includes personal preferences of the player.

7. A gaming system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices each having a first base game processor, each gaming device having one or more system processors, each gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module;

the first server further to communicate base game data with the game monitoring module of each gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices using the first protocol; and

the second server further to communicate personalized gaming information with a system processor of the each of the plurality of gaming devices using the third protocol, the personalized gaming information associated with identified players of each gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices;

wherein the system processor and the game monitoring module of each gaming device communicate base game data using the second protocol.

8. A gaming system as recited in claim 7 wherein the second server is to trigger bonus games collectively on the first gaming device and one or more of the plurality of gaming devices.

9. A gaming system as recited in claim 8 wherein the bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on personalized threshold counts communicated using the third protocol.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device having a first base game processor, the first gaming device having one or more system processors, the first gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module, the rewards system module implemented by one or more of the one or more system processors of the first gaming device;

a second gaming device having a first base game processor, the second gaming device having one or more system processors, the second gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module, the rewards system module implemented by one or more of the one or more system processors of the second gaming device;

a first server networked with said first gaming device and said second gaming device, said first server having a slot accounting system, the first server to communicate base game data with the game monitoring module using a first protocol and to accumulate progressive bonuses of a player of the first gaming device;

a second server networked with said first gaming device and said second gaming device, said second server having a rewards system, the second server to communicate personalized gaming information with a system processor of the first gaming device using a third protocol that is different from the first protocol, the personalized gaming information associated with the player of the first gaming device, the second server to accumulate rewards bonuses of the player;

the first gaming device to pay bonuses including progressive bonuses and rewards bonuses below a first threshold amount and to defer bonuses including progressive bonuses and rewards bonuses above the first threshold amount, the first gaming device to pay bonuses above the first threshold amount responsive to an employee identification;

the second gaming device to receive bonuses from the first server responsive to identification of the player and further to receive bonuses from the second server responsive to identification of the player, the second gaming device further to pay bonuses above the first threshold amount responsive to an employee identification; and

a cage payout device to receive bonuses from the first server and the second server and to pay bonuses from the first server and the second server to the player responsive to employee identification;

wherein said game monitoring module and said rewards system module communicate using a second protocol that is different than the first protocol and the third protocol; and

whereby the first server uses the first protocol to receive game data from the game monitoring module and the second protocol to receive base game data and personalization data from the first gaming device, and the second server uses the third protocol to communicate rewards data with the rewards system module of the first gaming device.

11. A gaming system as recited in claim 10 wherein the personalized gaming information includes custom paytables and available games.

12. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein the personalized gaming information includes personal preferences of the player.