Ultra-thick gaming device

• US 9,483,905 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oberberger, Michael M., Paulsen, Craig A., Rowe, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US12/477,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709/205
• 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
• 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: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and related methods for implementing services over a plurality of gaming devices in a mesh network. A plurality of gaming devices are situated in a mesh network. A gaming device includes a client processing module configured to provide play of one or more games of chance, and a mesh network interface configured to provide communications with a further one or more gaming devices. A gaming device also includes a server processing module configured to receive and transmit service data via the mesh network. The service data is independent of game play data for wagering on a game of chance at one or more of the gaming devices. The service data is capable of being stored at a gaming device and at the further one or more gaming devices to provide a level of redundant storage of the service data.

Claims

1. A method for implementing one or more services at a gaming device in a mesh network having a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:

providing, via one or more client controllers, play of one or more games of chance responsive to receiving a wager from a player at a player interface;

providing communications at a network node with the mesh network via a mesh network interface, the mesh network interface configured to transmit data to and receive data from a further gaming device of a plurality of gaming devices at associated network nodes via a selected data path from a plurality of possible data paths the further gaming device, wherein the selected data path is selected based on congestion levels of the plurality of possible data paths;

receiving, via one or more server controllers, a data update signal;

receiving, via the one or more server controllers, one or more updated gaming service data files;

storing, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files in a storage medium as at least a portion of data of a service provided in a wagering environment, said service being distinct from the play of the one or more games of chance, the gaming service data files being independent of game play data for wagering on a game of chance; and

executing, via the one or more controllers, a gaming service executable file to provide the gaming service and process the one or more updated gaming service data files, the gaming service executable file being independent of one or more files executable to provide play of the one or more games of chance at any of the gaming devices; and

transmitting, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files to a designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface, the one or more updated gaming service data files for storage at the designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium.

2. A gaming device for implementing one or more services in a mesh network having a plurality of network nodes, the gaming device comprising:

a player interface;

one or more client controllers configured to provide play of one or more games of chance responsive to receiving a wager from a player at the player interface;

a mesh network interface configured to provide communications at a network node with the mesh network, the mesh network interface configured to transmit data to and receive data from a further gaming device of a plurality of gaming devices at associated network nodes via a selected data path from a plurality of possible data paths to the further gaming device, wherein the selected data path is selected based on congestion levels of the plurality of possible data paths;

a storage medium storing a gaming service executable file and gaming service data files, the gaming service executable file being independent of one or more files executable to provide play of the one or more games of chance at any of the gaming devices and the gaming service data files being independent of game play data for wagering on the one or more games of chance at any of the gaming devices; and

one or more server controllers configured to;

receive a data update signal;

receive one or more updated gaming service data files;

store, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files in the storage medium;

execute the gaming service executable file to provide the gaming service and process the one or more updated gaming service data files; and

transmit, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files to a designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface for storage at the designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the one or more server controllers are further configured to:

receive one or more updated gaming service executable files,

store, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files in the storage medium, and

transmit, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files to a second designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface for storage at the second designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium; and

wherein the gaming service executable file or the one or more updated gaming service executable files include one or more items of executable data selected from the group consisting of;

player tracking executables, accounting executables, security executables, subscription executables, scheduling executables, authentication executables, cashless gaming executables, ticketing service executables, floor management executables, customer relations management (CRM) executables, virtual host executables, player preference executables, harm minimization executables, and game management executables.

4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the one or more server controllers are further configured to:

receive one or more updated gaming service executable files,

store, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files in the storage medium, and

transmit, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files to a second designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface for storage at the second designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium; and

wherein the gaming service executable file or one or more updated gaming service executable files include one or more items of executable data selected from the group consisting of;

bonusing executables, progressive executables, and tournament executables.

5. A gaming system for implementing services over a plurality of gaming devices in a mesh network, the system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices situated at respective network nodes of the mesh network, each of the plurality of gaming devices including;

a player interface;

one or more client controllers configured to provide play of one or more games of chance responsive to receiving a wager from a player at the player interface;

a mesh network interface configured to provide communications at a respective network node with the mesh network, the mesh network interface configured to transmit data to and receive data from a further gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices at a further associated network node via a selected data path from a plurality of possible data paths to the further gaming device, wherein the selected data path is selected based on congestion levels of the plurality of possible data paths;

a storage medium storing a gaming service executable file and gaming service data files, the gaming service executable file being independent of one or more files executable to provide play of the one or more games of chance at any of the gaming devices and the gaming service data files being independent of game play data for wagering on the one or more games of chance at any of the gaming devices; and

one or more server controllers configured to;

receive a data update signal;

receive one or more updated gaming service data files;

store, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files in the storage medium;

execute the gaming service executable file to provide the gaming service and process the one or more updated gaming service data files; and

transmit, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service data files to a designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface for storage at the designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more server controllers are further configured to:

receive one or more updated gaming service executable files,

store, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files in the storage medium, and

transmit, responsive to receipt of the data update signal, the one or more updated gaming service executable files to a second designated further one or more of the gaming devices via the mesh network interface for storage at the second designated further one or more gaming devices while also being stored in the storage medium; and

wherein the one or more server controllers are further configured to determine whether the one or more updated gaming service executable files or the one or more updated gaming service data files comply with one or more gaming regulations.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining whether the one or more updated gaming service executable files or the one or more updated gaming service data files comply with the one or more gaming regulations includes validation of the one or more updated gaming service executable files or the one or more updated gaming service data files.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more server controllers are further configured to send a message to one or more of the plurality of gaming devices in the mesh network, the message including instructions to suspend or disable play of the one or more gaming devices when the one or more updated gaming service executable files or the one or more updated gaming service data files do not comply with the one or more gaming regulations.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more server controllers are configured to generate and output a report indicating results of one or more validation operations performed on the one or more updated gaming service executable files or the one or more updated gaming service data files.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the gaming service executable file and the one or more updated gaming service executable files include one or more items of executable data selected from the group consisting of:

player tracking executables, accounting executables, security executables, subscription executables, scheduling executables, authentication executables, cashless gaming executables, ticketing service executables, floor management executables, customer relations management (CRM) executables, virtual host executables, player preference executables, harm minimization executables, game management executables, third party service executables, and gaming regulation executables.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the gaming service executable file and the one or more updated gaming service executable files include one or more items of executable data selected from the group consisting of:

bonusing executables, progressive executables, and tournament executables.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more server controllers are configured to:

monitor operational characteristics of the mesh network, and

adjust operational functions of one or more of the plurality of gaming devices in the mesh network in accordance with the monitored operational characteristics.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein adjusting the operational functions includes determining a priority of the operational functions according to gaming device operability.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein adjusting the operational functions includes sending a message to the one or more gaming devices, the message including instructions to suspend one or more designated operational functions.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more client controllers include a master gaming controller.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more client controllers are configured to store theme data in a memory device.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more client controllers are configured to store preference data in a memory device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the preference data includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

color data, brightness data, animation data, style data, and graphics data.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the preference data includes game preference data.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein the gaming service data files and the one or more updated gaming service data files include one or more items of data selected from the group consisting of:

player tracking data, meter history data, accounting data, security event data, subscription data, scheduling data, protocol data, authentication data, cashless gaming data, ticketing service data, floor management data, customer relations management (CRM) data, virtual host data, player preference data, harm minimization data, and game management data.

21. The system of claim 5, wherein the gaming service data files and the one or more updated gaming service data files include one or more items of data selected from the group consisting of:

bonusing data, progressive data, and tournament data.

22. The system of claim 5, wherein a network node is associated with a respective geographic location.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein a network node is associated with a respective network address.

24. The system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the network nodes are coupled via a wired connection.

25. The system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the network nodes are coupled via a wireless connection.

26. The system of claim 5, wherein a first one or more of the network nodes are geographically situated in a first gaming property.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein a second one or more of the network nodes are geographically situated in a second gaming property.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first gaming property and the second gaming property are situated in different cities, states, or countries.