Peripheral management device for virtual game interaction

• US 9,235,952 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nguyen Gaming LLC
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US12/945,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,885 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• 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: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

In one embodiment, a peripheral management device may have a controller configured to communicate with a gaming machine and a portable electronic device. The controller may be configured to: (i) receive a peripheral data packet from a gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command; (ii) determine whether to process the peripheral data packet on at least one peripheral device of the gaming machine or at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device; (iii) generate an instructional data packet for the at least one virtual peripheral device if the peripheral data packet is determined to be processed on the at least one virtual peripheral device; and (iv) transmit the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A peripheral management device, comprising:

a controller configured to communicate with a gaming machine and a portable electronic device, the controller configured to;

receive a peripheral data packet from a gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command;

parse the at least one command;

determine, based on the parsed command, whether to process the peripheral data packet on at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device or at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine;

determine at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine to execute the at least one command after it is determined that the peripheral data packet is to be processed on the gaming machine;

facilitate execution of the at least one command on the at least one of the plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine;

generate an instructional data packet for the at least one virtual peripheral device after the peripheral data packet is determined to be processed on the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device; and

transmit the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device,

wherein the at least one virtual peripheral device includes at least one of a virtual monetary acceptor or a virtual printer.

2. The peripheral management device of claim 1, wherein the instructional data packet is transmitted to the portable electronic device via a wireless communication module.

3. The peripheral management device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive at least one request to access at least one of the at least one peripheral device of the gaming machine, the at least one peripheral device corresponding to one of the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device; and

process the at least one request, the at least one request including instructions to access at least one of the at least one peripheral device on the gaming machine, wherein the at least one of the at least one peripheral device of the gaming machine is controlled by the portable electronic device based on the instructions.

4. The peripheral management device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises:

a display configured to display at least one virtual peripheral device indicator, each of the at least one virtual peripheral device indicators associated with one of the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable.

5. The peripheral management device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to route the peripheral data packet to the gaming machine processor if it is determined that the peripheral data packet is not processed on at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device.

6. A system for communicating information between a gaming machine and a portable electronic device, comprising:

a gaming machine including at least one gaming machine processor, the at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices on the gaming machine;

a portable electronic device including at least one controller, the at least one controller configured to control at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device, wherein the at least one virtual peripheral device includes at least one of a virtual monetary acceptor or a virtual printer; and

a peripheral controller configured to communicate with the gaming machine and the portable electronic device, the peripheral controller configured to;

receive a peripheral data packet from the gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command;

parse the at least one command;

determine, based on the parsed command, whether to process the peripheral data packet on at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device or at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine;

determine at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine to execute the at least one command after it is determined that the peripheral data packet is to be processed on the gaming machine;

facilitate execution of the at least one command on the at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

generate an instructional data packet for the at least one virtual peripheral device after the peripheral data packet is determined to be processed on the at least one virtual peripheral device; and

transmit the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device corresponds to one of the at least one plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the peripheral controller is configured to transmit the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device via a wireless communication module.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructional data packet is encrypted by the peripheral controller prior to being transmitted to the portable electronic device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the portable electronic device comprises:

a display configured to display at least one virtual peripheral device indicator, each of the at least one virtual peripheral device indicators associated with one of the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the peripheral controller is configured to:

receive at least one request to access at least one of the at least one peripheral device of the gaming machine, the at least one of the at least one peripheral device corresponding to one of the at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device; and

process the at least one request, the at least one request including instructions to access at least one of the at least one peripheral device on the gaming machine, wherein the at least one peripheral device is controlled by the portable electronic device based on the instructions.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the peripheral controller is further configured to:

receive a first location data of the gaming machine from a location server;

obtain a second location data of the portable electronic device; and

authenticate the portable electronic device if the first location data is substantially proximate to the second location data.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the peripheral controller is configured to route the peripheral data packet to the gaming machine processor if it is determined that the peripheral data packet is not processed on at least one virtual peripheral device of the portable electronic device.

14. A method for communicating information between a gaming machine having at least one peripheral device and a portable electronic device having at least one virtual peripheral device, comprising:

receiving, at a peripheral management device, a peripheral data packet from a gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command;

parsing the at least one command;

determining, based on the parsed command, whether to process the peripheral data packet on the at least one virtual peripheral device or on at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine, wherein the at least one virtual peripheral device includes at least one of a virtual monetary acceptor or a virtual printer;

determining at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices of the gaming machine to execute the at least one command after it is determined that the peripheral data packet is to be processed on the gaming machine;

facilitating execution of the at least one command on the at least one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

generating an instructional data packet for the at least one virtual peripheral device after the determining determines to process the peripheral data packet on the at least one virtual peripheral device; and

transmitting the instructional data packet to the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

encrypting the instructional data packet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the encrypted instructional data packet to the portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving comprises:

authenticating the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the instructional data packet is transmitted to the portable electronic device if the portable electronic device is authenticated.

19. A gaming machine, comprising:

a gaming machine processor configured to operate the gaming machine to provide a game of chance to a user of the gaming machine;

a user input device configured to receive one or more user inputs from the user for use with the game of chance;

a display device configured to present gaming information pertaining to the game of chance;

a wireless interface configured to support wireless communication with at least one external virtual peripheral device associated with at least one portable computing device;

at least one internal peripheral device configured to provide at least one internal peripheral function for the gaming device; and

a peripheral management device operatively connected to the gaming processor, the at least one internal peripheral device and the wireless interface, the peripheral management device configured to;

receive a peripheral data packet from the gaming machine processor, the peripheral data packet including at least one command;

parse the at least one command; and

determine, based on the parsed command, whether to process the peripheral data packet on at least one virtual peripheral device of a portable electronic device or on at least one internal peripheral device.

20. A gaming device as recited in claim 19, wherein the peripheral management device is configured to determine whether peripheral bound data is to be provided to the wireless interface for transmission to the at least one external peripheral device.

21. A gaming device as recited in claim 19, wherein the peripheral management device is configured to determine whether peripheral bound data is to be provided to one or both of the at least one internal peripheral device and the wireless interface for transmission to the at least one external peripheral device.

22. A gaming device as recited in claim 19, wherein the peripheral management device is further configured to:

receive a first location data of the gaming machine from a location server;

obtain a second location data of the portable electronic device; and

authenticate the portable electronic device if the first location data is substantially proximate to the second location data.

23. A gaming device as recited in claim 22, wherein the gaming machine is a slot machine.

24. A gaming device as recited in claim 19,

wherein the at least one virtual peripheral device has a graphical user interface displayed by the portable electronic device, and

wherein the command pertains to information to be included in the graphic user interface displayed by the portable electronic device.

25. A gaming device as recited in claim 24, wherein the command pertains to a funds transfer.

26. A gaming device as recited in claim 25, wherein the peripheral management device is further configured to:

receive a first location data of the gaming machine from a location server;

obtain a second location data of the portable electronic device; and

authenticate the portable electronic device if the first location data is substantially proximate to the second location data.