SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING GAMING DEVICES TO A NETWORK FOR REMOTE PLAY

• US 20080254897A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Legal Igaming Incorporated
• Inventors: Carlson, Rolf E., Miller, William D., Saunders, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/58 Random or pseudo-random number generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/582 Pseudo-random number generators
• 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A system and method for connecting remote player devices to regulated host gaming devices in a network to provide remote game play. A host gaming device is configured to provide game information to a plurality of remote player devices to allow remote play of the host game device. Whether each remote player device is permitted to receive gaming data is based upon, at least in part, the geographic location of the remote player device.

Claims

1. A method of resuming an interrupted gaming session on a first host gaming device comprising:

generating a gaming state of the gaming session on the first gaming device;

encrypting the gaming state;

transporting the encrypted gaming state from the first gaming device;

transporting the encrypted gaming state to a second gaming device;

decrypting the gaming state on the second gaming device; and

loading the game state into a second gaming device to resume the gaming session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transporting the encrypted game state to at least one remote player device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the at least one remote player device is configured to receive an encrypted gaming state from the first gaming device over the data network and to send the encrypted gaming state to the second gaming device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device is the second gaming device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gaming device is configured to receive an encrypted gaming state from a first gaming device over the data network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming state comprises user payment information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming state comprises gaming machine payout information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an auditable record of gaming transactions on the first gaming device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on each of the plurality of remote player devices.

10. A system for saving an interrupted gaming session comprising:

a data network;

a processor configure to execute at least one game;

a game state generator configured to generate a gaming state based on execution of at least one game;

an encrypting module configured to encrypt the gaming state; and

a transmitter configured to transport the encrypted gaming state to at least one of a second gaming device and a remote player device over the data network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming state includes user payment information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming state includes gaming machine payout information.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the first gaming device.

14. A system for resuming an interrupted gaming:

a receiver configured to receive a gaming state;

a decrypting module configured to decrypt the gaming state; and

a processor configured to load the game state and resume execution of at least one game from the gaming state.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the gaming state includes user payment information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the gaming state includes gaming machine payout information.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the second gaming device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the encrypted gaming state over a data network.

19. A system for saving an interrupted gaming session comprising:

means for executing at least one game;

means for generating a gaming state based on execution of at least one game;

means for encrypting the gaming state; and

means for transporting the encrypted gaming state to at least one of a second gaming device and a remote player device.

20. A system for resuming an interrupted gaming:

means for receiving a gaming state of a gaming session on a first gaming device means for decrypting the gaming state; and

means for loading the game state and resuming execution of at least one game from the gaming state.

21. A method of saving an interrupted gaming session on a gaming device comprising:

generating a gaming state of the gaming session;

encrypting the gaming state;

transporting the encrypted gaming state to a second device;

22. A method of resuming an interrupted gaming session on a first gaming device comprising:

receiving the encrypted gaming state from a host gaming device;

decrypting the gaming state; and

loading the game state to resume the gaming session on the first gaming device.