Presentation of remotely-hosted and locally rendered content for gaming systems

• US 10,706,660 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garner, Werner G
• Application Number:
  US16/033,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20180322723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A gaming system including a number of host devices each coupled to one or more gaming machines, wherein content provided by the host device is output on the gaming machine. To output the content provided by the remote host, a host-controlled process that is authenticated by the gaming machine and executed in a secure memory location such that it is isolated from other processes executing on the gaming machine may be utilized. The host-controlled processes may be decoupled from the process used to execute the game of chance played on the gaming machine such that the content output by the host-controlled process does not alter the play of game of chance.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, from a wagering gaming machine executing wagering gaming machine software, data associated with gaming content generated by a processor of the wagering gaming machine, wherein the device is distinct from the wagering gaming machine,

receive, from a remote logic device executing remote logic device software, data associated with supplemental content generated by the remote logic device, wherein the device is distinct from the remote logic device,

integrate the data associated with the gaming content generated by the processor of the wagering gaming machine and the data associated with the supplemental content generated by the remote logic device to produce integrated content, and

after a determination occurs to allocate control of a single display device of the wagering gaming machine to the processor of the device, communicate integrated content data which results in the single display device of the wagering gaming machine displaying the produced integrated content, wherein the display of the produced integrated content includes the gaming content and the supplemental content being simultaneously displayed by the single display device of the wagering gaming machine, and the determination occurs based, at least in part, on a usage of the processor of the wagering gaming machine.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a side bet.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a progressive award.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a quantity of player tracking points of a player logged into the wagering gaming machine.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a promotion being offered by a gaming establishment operator.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is determined based on at least one of:

an identity of a player, a location of the wagering gaming machine within a gaming establishment, a status of the player, an amount wagered, an amount of an award, a theme of a game of chance, a theme of the gaming establishment where the wagering gaming machine is located, a preference of the player, a preference of an operator of the wagering gaming machine, and an event related to a play of the game of chance.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the gaming content comprises an outcome randomly determined in association with a game of chance.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is associated with an application selected via an input device of the wagering gaming machine.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein at least the memory device is supported by a housing of the wagering gaming machine.

10. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

responsive to a first determination occurring, based on a first usage of a processor of a gaming machine at a first point in time, to allocate control of a first resource associated with a first portion of a display device of the gaming machine to a remote logic device that is distinct from the processor and executing remote logic device software, cause a display, in a first moveable service window of the display device, of remote logic device content selected from the group consisting of;

content associated with a side bet, content associated with a progressive award, content associated with a quantity of player tracking points of a player logged into the gaming machine, content associated with a promotion being offered by a gaming establishment operator, and

while the first service window is being displayed and responsive to a second determination occurring, based on a second usage of the processor of the gaming machine at a second, subsequent point in time, to allocate control of a second resource associated with a second portion of the display device of the gaming machine to the remote logic device, cause a display, in a second moveable service window of the display device, of different remote logic device content.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first moveable service window and the second moveable service window are configured to overlap a same area of the display device of the gaming machine.

12. A method of operating a device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wagering gaming machine executing wagering gaming machine software, data associated with gaming content generated by a processor of the wagering gaming machine, wherein the device is distinct from the wagering gaming machine,

receiving, from a remote logic device executing remote logic device software, data associated with supplemental content generated by the remote logic device, wherein the device is distinct from the remote logic device,

integrating, by a processor, the data associated with the gaming content generated by the processor of the wagering gaming machine and the data associated with the supplemental content generated by the remote logic device to produce integrated content, and

after a determination occurs to allocate control of a single display device of the wagering gaming machine to the processor, communicating integrated content data which results in the single display device of the wagering gaming machine displaying the produced integrated content, wherein the display of the produced integrated content includes the gaming content and the supplemental content being simultaneously displayed by the single display device of the wagering gaming machine, and the determination occurs based, at least in part, on a usage of the processor of the wagering gaming machine.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a side bet.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a progressive award.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a quantity of player tracking points of a player logged into the wagering gaming machine.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is associated with a promotion being offered by a gaming establishment operator.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is determined based on at least one of:

an identity of a player, a location of the wagering gaming machine within a gaming establishment, a status of the player, an amount wagered, an amount of an award, a theme of a game of chance, a theme of the gaming establishment where the wagering gaming machine is located, a preference of the player, a preference of an operator of the wagering gaming machine, and an event related to a play of the game of chance.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the gaming content comprises an outcome randomly determined in association with a game of chance.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the supplemental content is associated with an application selected via an input device of the wagering gaming machine.