Distributed game services

• US 9,314,698 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Benbrahim, Jamal, Bansemer, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/095,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A local gaming machine is in communication with a remote gaming machine over a data network. The local gaming machine may include a storage medium. The local gaming machine may further include an interface for communicating with the remote gaming machine over a network. The local gaming machine may include a controller. The controller is configured to establish communications between the gaming machine and the remote gaming machine through the interface. The controller is further configured to initiate a game streaming session with the remote gaming machine in which output data from an instance of a game application is initiated from the remote gaming machine to the gaming machine. The controller is configured to detect an interrupt in the game streaming session. The controller is further configured to, after the interrupt is detected, determine whether the outcome of the instance of the game application has been received.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a storage medium;

an interface configured to communicate with a remote gaming machine over a network;

a controller configured to;

(a) establish communications between the gaming machine and the remote gaming machine through the interface,

(b) initiate a game streaming session with the remote gaming machine in which output data from an instance of a game application is initiated from the remote gaming machine to the gaming machine,

(c) if no interrupt is detected in the game streaming session, display an outcome of the instance of the game application, and

(d) if an interrupt in the game streaming session is detected,

if the outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to be received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, and

if the received outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to have not been displayed prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, thereafter display a modified outcome of the instance of the game application, said displayed modified outcome being different from the received outcome and said displayed modified outcome being based, at least in part, on the received outcome.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interrupt is a loss of communication between the gaming machine and the remote gaming machine.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interrupt occurs when an acknowledgement message is not received at at least one of:

the gaming machine and the remote gaming machine.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the modified outcome of the instance of the game application

includes an abbreviated outcome.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein if the outcome of the instance of the game application has not been received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, the controller is configured to present a notification to a player of the gaming machine that the game application is not available for play at the gaming machine.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the notification includes a suggestion of a similar game.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, which includes an acceptor and a cashout device, wherein the controller is configured to, if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

8. A method of operating a gaming system over a data network, the method comprising:

(a) establishing, through a communication interface of a local gaming machine and over the data network, a communication session between the local gaming machine and a remote gaming machine;

(b) initiating, by a controller of the local gaming machine, a game streaming session with the remote gaming machine in which output data from an instance of a game application is initiated from the remote gaming machine to the gaming machine;

(c) if no interrupt is detected in the game streaming session, causing at least one display device of the local gaming machine to display an outcome of the instance of the game application

(d) if an interruption in the game streaming session is detected by the controller of the local gaming machine,

if the outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to be received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, and

if the received outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to not have been displayed prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, thereafter causing the at least one display device of the local gaming machine to display a modified outcome of the instance of the game application, said displayed modified outcome being different from the received outcome and said displayed modified outcome being based, at least in part, on the received outcome.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the modified outcome includes an abbreviated outcome.

10. The method of claim 8, which includes, if the outcome of the instance of the game application has not been received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, presenting a notification to the player of the local gaming machine that the game application is not available for play at the local gaming machine.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any award associated with the outcome of the instance of the game application, said credit balance being:

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device.

12. A gaming system comprising:

a local gaming machine including;

a storage medium configured to store one or more local game applications,

a local gaming machine interface configured to communicate with a remote gaming machine over a network, and

at least one local gaming machine display device,

a local gaming machine controller;

the remote gaming machine including;

a storage medium configured to store a remote game application, and

a remote gaming machine interface configured to communicate with the local gaming machine over the network,

wherein the local gaming machine controller is configured to;

(a) establish communications between the local gaming machine and the remote gaming machine through the local gaming machine interface and the remote gaming machine interface,

(b) initiate a game streaming session with the remote gaming machine in which output data from an instance of a game application is initiated from the remote gaming machine to the local gaming machine,

(c) if no interrupt is detected in the game streaming session, display an outcome of the instance of the game application, and

(d) if an interrupt is detected,

if the outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to be received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, and

if the received outcome of the instance of the game application was determined to not have been displayed prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, thereafter display a modified outcome of the instance of the game application, said displayed modified outcome being different from the received outcome and said displayed modified outcome being based, at least in part, on the received outcome.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the interrupt is a loss of communication between the local gaming machine and the remote gaming machine.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the interrupt occurs when an acknowledgement message is not received at the local gaming machine or the remote gaming machine.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the modified outcome of the instance of the game application

includes an abbreviated outcome.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein, if the outcome of the instance of the game application has not been received prior to the interruption in the game streaming session, the local gaming machine controller is configured to present a notification to the player of the gaming machine that the game application is not available for play at the gaming machine.

17. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the local gaming machine includes an acceptor and a cashout device, and the local gaming machine controller is configured to, if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.