Virtual gaming peripherals for a gaming machine

• US 20030176213A1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal, Breckner, Robert E., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,997,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A disclosed gaming machine provides a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals that are each used to generate one or more gaming services. To provide a particular gaming service, each virtual gaming peripheral may comprise virtual gaming peripheral software that controls one or more gaming devices. Examples of gaming services provides by virtual gaming peripherals may include but are not limited to a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service and a locator service. A logic device, such as a master gaming controller on the gaming machine, may simultaneously activate a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals. Therefore, a gaming device may be shared by a plurality of active virtual gaming peripherals and additional logic may be provided to resolve conflicts that arise when two or more virtual gaming peripherals desire to control the same gaming device at the same time.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices;

a master gaming controller designed to generate a game of chance played on the gaming machine by executing a plurality of game play processes wherein the plurality of game play processes control a first combination of the plurality gaming devices to generate the game of chance;

at least one virtual gaming peripheral process that provides a gaming service wherein each virtual gaming peripheral process controls a second combination of the plurality of gaming devices to provide the gaming service;

a gaming operating system used activate and deactivate gaming processes wherein the gaming processes comprise the game play processes and the at least one virtual gaming peripheral process;

at least one shared gaming device in the plurality of gaming devices that is i) controlled by the at least one virtual gaming peripheral process and at least one game play process or ii) controlled by the at least one virtual gaming peripheral process and a second virtual gaming peripheral process; and

a shared gaming device manager process that determines which of the at least one virtual gaming process and the at least one other gaming process is allowed to control the at least one shared gaming device.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one shared gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a wireless communication interface, a coin hopper and a coin acceptor.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gaming devices are selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a coin hopper, a note dispenser and a coin acceptor.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming service is selected from the group consisting of a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service, Internet enabled services, and a locator service.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is selected from the group consisting of a virtual player tracking unit process, a virtual vending machine process, a virtual lottery machine process, a virtual ATM process, a virtual concierge process, a virtual video phone process, a virtual telephone process, a virtual casino kiosk process, a virtual prize redemption process, a virtual sports book process, a virtual entertainment center process and a virtual message center process.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a first virtual gaming peripheral process provides the gaming service using a first set of gaming devices and wherein a second virtual gaming peripheral process provides the same gaming service using a second set of gaming devices.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual player tracking unit process that uses at least a card reader, a display screen and a key pad to provide a player tracking service.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual player tracking unit process that uses at least a card reader, a display screen and a touch screen to provide a player tracking service.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual ATM process that uses at least a key pad, a card reader, a display screen and a touch screen to provide ATM services.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual lottery machine process that uses at least a touch screen, a display screen and a ticket printer to provide a lottery ticket purchase.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual sports book process that uses at least a touch screen, a display screen and a ticket printer to provide a sports book wager.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is a virtual communication center that uses at least a touch screen and a display screen to provide communication services, messaging services, Internet enabled services and locator services.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a slot game, a keno game, a poker game, a pachinko game, a video black jack game, a bingo game, a baccarat game, a roulette game, a dice game and a card game.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more logic devices wherein each logic device includes a logic device operating system that is used to activate and deactivate gaming processes.

15. A method of providing a gaming service and a game play for a game of chance on a gaming machine using one or more shared gaming devices, the method comprising:

loading a plurality of gaming processes on the gaming machine wherein at least one of the gaming processes is a virtual gaming peripheral process that is used to provide the gaming service;

receiving a request for the gaming service provided by the virtual gaming peripheral process wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process uses one or more shared gaming devices to provide the game service;

determining each of the one or more shared gaming devices used by the virtual gaming process is available; and

providing the gaming service using a first combination of gaming devices including the at least one or more shared gaming devices.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining one of the shared gaming devices used to provide the game service is unavailable;

17. The method of claim, 16, wherein the shared gaming device is unavailable because it requires maintenance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the shared gaming device is unavailable because it is controlled by another gaming process.

19. The method of claim 16, prior to providing the gaming service, waiting for the unavailable shared gaming device to become available.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a message indicating the gaming service is unavailable.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the gaming service using a second combination of gaming devices that does not include the unavailable shared gaming device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

loading a virtual gaming peripheral that provides the gaming service using the second combination of gaming devices.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

assigning control of a first shared gaming device to a first gaming process.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a request from a second gaming process to use the first gaming device;

preventing the second gaming process from using the first gaming device controlled by the first gaming process.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a request from a second gaming process to use the first gaming device;

switching control of the first gaming device controlled by the first gaming process to the second gaming process.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a first request to use a first shared gaming device from a first gaming process; and

assigning a priority to the first request.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a second request to use the first shared gaming device from a second gaming process;

assigning a priority to the second request; and

assigning control of the shared gaming device to the gaming process with the highest priority.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more shared gaming devices is selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a wireless communication interface, a coin hopper, a note dispenser, a coin acceptor, a smart card and a hand-held computer.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the gaming service is selected from the group consisting of a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service, Internet enabled services and a locator service.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is selected from the group consisting of a virtual player tracking unit process, a virtual vending machine process, a virtual lottery machine process, a virtual ATM process, a virtual concierge process, a virtual video phone process, a virtual telephone process, a virtual casino kiosk process, a virtual prize redemption process, a virtual sports book process, a virtual entertainment center process and a virtual message center process.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a slot game, a keno game, a poker game, a pachinko game, a video black jack game, a bingo game, a baccarat game, a roulette game, a dice game and a card game.

32. The method of claim 15, wherein the gaming processes comprise virtual gaming peripheral processes and game play processes.

33. In a shared gaming device manager process executed on a gaming machine with a gaming operating system that activates and deactivates gaming processes, a method of allocating control of a shared gaming device, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first gaming process to use the shared gaming device to provide a gaming service;

assigning control of the shared gaming device to the first gaming process; and

preventing at least one gaming process different from the first gaming process from controlling the shared gaming device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first gaming process is a virtual gaming peripheral process or a game play process.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least gaming process is a virtual gaming process, a game play process and combinations thereof.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

determining the first gaming process is finished using the shared gaming device; and

assigning control of the shared gaming device to another gaming process different from the first gaming process.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of request to use the shared gaming device from different gaming processes;

assigning a priority to each request; and

assigning control of the shared gaming device to each gaming process in an order determined from the priority assigned to each request.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the priority assigned to each request is determined from a context in which the shared gaming device is to be used.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the priority assigned to a request changes as a function of time.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

generating a list in order of priority of gaming processes waiting to use the shared gaming device.

41. The method of claim 33,

assigning a first priority to the first gaming process;

while the shared gaming device is controlled by the first gaming process, receiving a second request to use the shared gaming device from a second gaming process;

assigning a second priority to the second gaming process that is higher than the second gaming process; and

switching control of the gaming device from the first gaming process to the second process.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the shared gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a wireless communication interface, a coin hopper, a coin acceptor, a note dispenser, a smart card and a hand-held computer.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the gaming service is selected from the group consisting of a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service and a locator service.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the first gaming processes and other gaming processes are selected from the group consisting of a virtual player tracking unit process, a virtual vending machine process, a virtual lottery machine process, a virtual ATM process, a virtual concierge process, a virtual video phone process, a virtual telephone process, a virtual casino kiosk process, a virtual prize redemption process, a virtual sports book process, a virtual entertainment center process, a virtual message center process and a gaming process used to play a game of chance.

45. In a virtual gaming peripheral process executed on a gaming machine with a gaming operating system that activates and deactivates gaming processes, a method of providing a gaming service, the method comprising:

sending a request to a shared gaming device process manger to use a shared gaming device;

receiving control of the shared gaming device; and

providing the gaming service using at least the shared gaming device.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

sending a message that indicates the virtual gaming peripheral process has finished using the shared gaming device.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

receiving a message from the shared gaming device manager is being used and

prior to providing the gaming service, waiting to receive control of the shared gaming device.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

prior to completely providing the game service, losing control of the shared gaming device; and

terminating the game service.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the shared gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a light panel, a bonus wheel, a sound projection device, a card reader, a ticket reader, an input panel, a ticket reader, a touch screen, a display screen, a key pad, a camera, a finger print reader, a bill validator, a solenoid, a CD/DVD-drive, a removable media drive, a flash drive, a USB communication port, an infrared communication port, an Ethernet communication port, a printer, a bar-code reader, a biometric input device, a slot reel, a motor, a mass storage device, a communication device, a wireless communication interface, a coin hopper, a coin acceptor, a note dispenser, a smart card and a hand-held computer.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the gaming service is selected from the group consisting of a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service, Internet enabled services and a locator service.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the virtual gaming peripheral process is selected from the group consisting of a virtual player tracking unit process, a virtual vending machine process, a virtual lottery machine process, a virtual ATM process, a virtual concierge process, a virtual video phone process, a virtual telephone process, a virtual casino kiosk process, a virtual prize redemption process, a virtual sports book process, a virtual entertainment center process and a virtual message center process.