Local game-area network system

• US 9,311,776 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Crowder, Robert W. Jr., Pravinkumar, Patel, Larsen, Joshua D.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOSHI, ANKIT B
• Application Number:
  US14/220,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/39
• 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 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users

Abstract

A local game-area network includes a plurality of gaming devices and local game-area servers. Each local game-area server is associated with a corresponding gaming device. Each local game-area server in the local game-area network is operatively associated with every other local game-area server in the local game-area network. Additionally, one of the local game-area servers is a host local game-area server while the remaining gaming devices and associated local game-area servers are clients. Furthermore, the host status of the host local game-area server moves dynamically to an available local game-area server in the local game-area network in response to the host local game-area server becoming non-operational.

Claims

1. A local game-area network in a casino environment, the network comprising:

a plurality of gaming device sub-systems in the local game-area network, each gaming device sub-system including a gaming device, a corresponding local game-area server, and a local game-area data storage medium;

wherein each local game-area server is associated with a corresponding gaming device in each gaming device sub-system, and wherein each local game-area data storage medium is associated with a corresponding local game-area server in each gaming device sub-system;

wherein each local game-area server in the local game-area network is operatively associated with every other local game-area server in the local game-area network;

wherein a first of the local game-area servers is designated as an active game-area server that acts as a host, a second of the local game-area servers is designated as a back-up host, and the remaining local game-area servers act as clients, wherein only the local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums acting as the host and the back-up host are used to support the plurality of gaming devices, and the other local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums in the plurality of gaming device sub-systems are inactive; and

wherein host status of the active local game-area server moves dynamically to the second local game-area server in response to the active local game-area server becoming non-operational; and

wherein back-up host status move dynamically to one of the inactive local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network is non-operating system-dependent.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network optionally connects to a larger casino floor network.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the larger casino floor network is a serial network.

5. The network of claim 3, wherein the larger casino floor network is Ethernet.

6. The network of claim 3, wherein the larger casino floor network is an IP-based network.

7. The network of claim 3, wherein the local game-area network is operational without support from the larger casino floor network.

8. The network of claim 3, wherein the local game-area network is operational as a back-up network if the larger casino floor network becomes non-operational.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network supports group gaming among the plurality of gaming devices in the local game-area network.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein the group gaming includes tournament gaming.

11. The network of claim 9, wherein the group gaming includes progressive gaming.

12. The network of claim 9, wherein the group gaming includes head-to-head competitive gaming.

13. The network of claim 9, wherein the group gaming includes collaborative gaming.

14. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network supports local downloads among the plurality of gaming devices in the local game-area network without assistance from any larger casino floor network or back-end system.

15. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network includes additional gaming machines that are connected to and supported by the plurality of gaming device sub-systems.

16. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network is at least partially comprised of wireless connections.

17. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network supports synchronization of sounds, lights, video, pictures, graphics, reels, or combinations thereof, within the gaming devices in the local game-area network.

18. The network of claim 1, wherein the local game-area network supports local data storage of group gaming data without assistance from any larger casino floor network or back-end system.

19. A local game-area network in a casino environment, the network comprising:

a plurality of gaming device sub-systems in the local game-area network, each gaming device sub-system comprising a gaming device, a corresponding local game-area server, and a local game-area data storage medium;

wherein a first of the local game-area servers is designated as an active local game-area server that acts as a host, a second of the local game-area servers is designated as an active local game-area server that acts as a back-up host, and the remaining local game-area servers act as clients, wherein only the acting host and acting back-up local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums are used to support the plurality of gaming devices, and the other local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums in the plurality of gaming device sub-systems are inactive;

wherein host status of the active local game-area server moves dynamically to the second local game-area server that was acting as the hack-up host in response to the host local game-area server becoming non-operational; and

wherein back-up host status move dynamically to one of the inactive local game-area servers and local game-area data storage mediums.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the local game-area network is non-operating system-dependent.

21. The network of claim 19, wherein the local game-area network optionally connects to a larger casino floor network.