Remote configuration of gaming terminals

• US 9,251,647 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne R., Kiely, Daryn, Rowe, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/544,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

A gaming terminal data repository (GTDR) for storing game software components and transaction information for gaming machine and gaming terminals is disclosed. A system database is partitioned according to different gaming entities allowing game software component configurations of particular gaming terminals to be easily analyzed and modified. Game software components for gaming terminals connected to the GTDR may be automatically updated using various triggers. System gaming machines may utilize a combination of game software components residing on the gaming machine and those received from the GTDR. A library of preset gaming terminal configurations can be stored at the system database, where each such preset configuration includes specific settings for each of a plurality of gaming terminal setting categories. Gaming terminals can be configured remotely using the GTDR, and possibly one or more of the stored preset gaming terminal configurations.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a memory storing a database containing a first gaming terminal configuration associated with a first game associated with a first game type setting specifying a first type of game and a second gaming terminal configuration associated with a second game associated with a second game type setting specifying a second type of game, wherein the first and second gaming terminal configurations are different, the first and second games are different, the first and second game type settings are different, and the first and second types of games are different;

at least one gaming terminal including a housing, a display device supported by the housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor, a gaming terminal processor, a second network interface and a gaming terminal memory; and

a remote configuration device configured to access said database and configured to communicate with said at least one gaming terminal via a first network interface, said remote configuration device having a processor configured to;

(a) at a first point in time, cause the first gaming terminal configuration and first instructions to configure the at least one gaming terminal in accordance with the first gaming terminal configuration to be communicated to said at least one gaming terminal; and

(b) after a profitability of the at least one gaming terminal configured in accordance with the first gaming terminal configuration falls below a designated profitability, cause the second gaming terminal configuration and second instructions to configure the at least one gaming terminal in accordance with the second gaming terminal configuration to be communicated to said at least one gaming terminal,

wherein said at least one gaming terminal is configured to communicate with said remote configuration device via the second network interface and to receive said first and second gaming terminal configurations from said remote configuration device and store said first and second gaming terminal configurations in the gaming terminal memory; and

wherein said at least one gaming terminal is configured to;

(a) upon receipt of the first gaming terminal configuration and the first instructions, automatically configure the at least one gaming terminal to provide a play of the first game in accordance with the first gaming terminal configuration following receipt of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value by the acceptor and establishment of a first credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item, said play of the first game provided upon receipt of a first wager deducted from the credit balance, said play of the first game resulting in a first game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any award associated with the first game outcome; and

(b) upon receipt of the second gaming terminal configuration and the second instructions, automatically reconfigure the at least one gaming terminal to provide a play of the second game in accordance with the second gaming terminal configuration following receipt of a second physical item associated with a second monetary value by the acceptor and establishment of a second credit balance based at least in part on the second monetary value associated with the received and identified second physical item, said play of the second game provided upon receipt of a second wager deducted from the credit balance, said play of the second game resulting in a first game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any award associated with the second game outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, for each of the first and second gaming terminal configurations, said gaming terminal configuration includes at least one gaming terminal setting selected from the group consisting of:

pay tables, bonuses, software and hardware drivers, and jurisdictional rules.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, for each of the first and second gaming terminal configurations, said gaming terminal configuration includes the following gaming terminal settings:

pay tables, bonuses, software and hardware drivers, and jurisdictional rules.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first game type and the second game type are selected from the group consisting of:

video slot games, video poker, video blackjack, video pachinko, video card games, video bingo, video keno, video checkers and video lottery, and a combination thereof.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the database contains a third gaming terminal configuration different from the first and second gaming terminal configurations, and the remote configuration processor is further configured to:

automatically cause the third gaming terminal configuration and third instructions to configure the at least one gaming terminal in accordance with the third gaming terminal configuration to be communicated to said at least one gaming terminal upon an occurrence of one or more update triggers.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein said one or more update triggers include at least one update trigger based on one or more factors selected from the group consisting of:

specific dates, specific times, special events, and player input.

7. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal including;

a housing,

a display device supported by the housing,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor,

a gaming terminal processor, and

a gaming terminal memory; and

a remote configuration device configured to;

(a) monitor a profitability of the gaming terminal, the gaming terminal being configured in accordance with a first gaming terminal configuration such that the gaming terminal is configured to operate a play of a first type of game following receipt of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value by the acceptor and establishment of a first credit balance based at least in part on the first monetary value associated with the received and identified first physical item, said play of the first type of game provided upon receipt of a first wager deducted from the credit balance, said play of the first type of game resulting in a first game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any award associated with the first game outcome, said profitability being at least in part associated with operation of the first type of game on the gaming terminal; and

(b) after the monitored profitability of the gaming terminal falls below a designated profitability, automatically cause the gaming terminal to reconfigure from the first gaming terminal configuration to a second gaming terminal configuration such that the gaming terminal is configured to operate a play of a second different type of game following receipt of a second physical item associated with a second monetary value by the acceptor and establishment of a second credit balance based at least in part on the second monetary value associated with the received and identified second physical item, said play of the second type of game provided upon receipt of a second wager deducted from the credit balance, said play of the second type of game resulting in a second game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any award associated with the second game outcome.