DATA IMPORT/EXPORT ARCHITECTURE BETWEEN ONLINE PROPERTIES

• US 20130045797A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gura, Damon E., Himawan, Budyanto, Lakshmanaperumal, Mahesh, Meluveettil, Krishnakumar, Schulhof, Scott H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A secure architecture can provide a bridge between the utility and entertainment value of online properties. An architecture that employs an internal entity that controls import and export of data (“import/export controller”) and an external entity that operates as a liaison (“data liaison”) between the import/export controller and one or more other online properties allows this bridge in a secure manner. The import/export controller and the data liaison handle data transmissions (e.g., data feeds, data updates, etc.) between the online properties without exposing resources of the online properties. The import/export controller applies rules that regulate import and export of data, and the data liaison allows the import/export controller to operate in obscurity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

evaluating a request for a data transmission from a data source of a first online property to a destination of a second online property against import rules that regulate import of data into the second online property;

determining that the request is valid based on said evaluating the request for the data transmission against the import rules;

forwarding the request to a data liaison that is separate from both the first online property and the second online property responsive to said determining that the request is valid;

receiving a forward of the data transmission from the data liaison;

applying the import rules to the data transmission from the data liaison and generating a rules compliant data transmission from said applying the import rules; and

supplying the rules compliant data transmission to the destination of the second online property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the forward of the data transmission from the data liaison and said applying the rules to the data transmission from the data liaison to generate the rules compliant data transmission are performed by an import/export controller on a machine of the second online property.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the import/export controller agreeing with the data liaison upon a communication protocol and a security protocol before said evaluating the request for the data transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second online property is one of a virtual wagering game establishment, an online social community, and an online wagering game community.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying the import rules to the data transmission from the data liaison to generate a rules compliant data transmission comprises at least one of determining whether the data transmission corresponds to a player registered with the second online property, limiting the data transmission to a bandwidth specified by the import rules, expurgating data of the data transmission that does not comport with a data format specified by the import rules, selecting particular fields from the data transmission that can be imported, limiting the data transmission to a size specified by the import rules, and limiting the data transmission to an amount of time specified by the import rules.

6. A method comprising:

evaluating a request from a first online property for a data transmission from a data source of a second online property against export rules that regulate export of data from the second online property, wherein the request was received via a data liaison that is separate from the first online property and the second online property;

determining that the request is valid based on said evaluating the request for the data transmission against the export rules;

a data import/export controller of the second online property requesting the data transmission from the data source;

the data import/export controller receiving the data transmission;

applying the export rules to the data transmission and generating a rules compliant data transmission based on said applying the export rules to the data transmission; and

supplying the rules compliant data transmission to the data liaison for forwarding to a destination of the second online property, wherein the request indicates the destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first online property is one of a virtual wagering game establishment, an online social community, and an online wagering game community.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said applying the export rules to the data transmission to generate the rules compliant data transmission comprises expurgating units of the data transmission in accordance with the export rules.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said expurgating the units of the data transmission in accordance with the export rules comprises one of removing and scrambling one of a player identifier used by the second online property and notes about a player maintained by the second online property.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said applying the export rules to the data transmission to generate a rules compliant data transmission comprises applying different levels of encryption for different aspects of player data indicated by the data transmission.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said applying the export rules to the data transmission to generate the rules compliant data transmission comprises locating a first indication of the data liaison and a second indication of the first online property in a hierarchical data structure of data liaison indications and online property indications, wherein positions of the first indication and the second indication correspond to security measures specified by the export rules.

12. A machine-readable storage medium having program instructions for securing data transmissions between online properties in accordance with import/export rules, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured to evaluate a request for a data transmission from a data source of a first online property to a destination of a second online property against import rules that regulate import of data into the second online property;

program instructions configured to determine that the request is valid based on evaluation of the request for the data transmission against the import rules;

program instructions configured to forward the request to a data liaison that is separate from both the first online property and the second online property responsive to a determination that the request is valid;

program instructions configured to receive a forward of the data transmission from the data liaison;

program instructions configured to apply the import rules to the data transmission from the data liaison and generate a rules compliant data transmission; and

program instructions configured to supply the rules compliant data transmission to the destination of the second online property.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprising program instructions configured to agree with the data liaison upon a communication protocol and a security protocol before said evaluating the request for the data transmission.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the program instructions configured to apply the import rules to the data transmission from the data liaison and generate a rules compliant data transmission comprises program instructions configured to at least one of determine whether the data transmission corresponds to a player registered with the second online property, limit the data transmission to a bandwidth specified by the import rules, expurgate data of the data transmission that does not comport with a data format specified by the import rules, select particular fields from the data transmission that can be imported, limit the data transmission to a size specified by the import rules, and limit the data transmission to an amount of time specified by the import rules.

15. A machine-readable storage medium having program instructions for securing data transmissions between online properties in accordance with import/export rules, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured to evaluate a request from a first online property for a data transmission from a data source of a second online property against export rules that regulate export of data from the second online property, wherein the request was received via a data liaison that is separate from the first online property and the second online property;

program instructions configured to determine whether the request is valid based on evaluation of the request for the data transmission against the export rules;

program instructions configured to request the data transmission from the data source;

program instructions configured to receive the data transmission;

program instructions configured to apply the export rules to the data transmission and generate a rules compliant data transmission based on applying the export rules to the data transmission; and

program instructions configured to supply the rules compliant data transmission to the data liaison for forwarding to a destination of the second online property, wherein the request indicates the destination.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions configured to apply the export rules to the data transmission and generate the rules compliant data transmission comprises program instructions configured to expurgate units of the data transmission in accordance with the export rules.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions configured to expurgate the units of the data transmission in accordance with the export rules comprises one of program instruction configured to remove a player identifier used by the second online property, program instructions configured to remove notes about a player maintained by the second online property, program instructions configured to scramble a player identifier used by the second online property, and program instructions configured to scramble notes about a player maintained by the second online property.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions configured to apply the export rules to the data transmission and generate a rules compliant data transmission comprises program instructions configured to apply different levels of encryption for different aspects of player data indicated by the data transmission.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions configured to apply the export rules to the data transmission to generate the rules compliant data transmission comprises program instructions configured to locate a first indication of the data liaison and a second indication of the first online property in a hierarchical data structure of data liaison indications and online property indications, wherein positions of the first indication and the second indication correspond to security measures specified by the export rules.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a network interface; and

a data import/export controller that regulates import and export of data transmissions corresponding to a first online property, the data import/export controller configured to,

evaluate a request to import a data transmission from a data source of a second online property into a destination of the first online property against import rules, wherein the import rules regulate import of data into the first online property;

evaluate a request for export of a data transmission from a data source of the first online property to a destination of the second online property against export rules, wherein the export rules regulate export of data from the first online property;

determine whether a request to import a data transmission is valid based on evaluation of the request against the import rules;

determine whether a request to export a data transmission is valid based on evaluation of the request against the export rules;

if a request to import a data transmission is valid,

forward the request to import the data transmission to a data liaison that is separate from the first online property and the second online property;

apply the import rules against the data transmission received from the data liaison corresponding to the request and generate an import rules compliant data transmission;

supply the import rules compliant data transmission to the destination in the first online property;

if a request to export a data transmission is valid,

request the data transmission from the data source of the first online property;

apply the export rules against the data transmission from the data source and generate an export rules compliant data transmission;

supply the export rules compliant data transmission to the data liaison for forwarding to the second online property.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data import/export controller configured to apply the import rules to the data transmission from the data liaison and generate the import rules compliant data transmission comprises the data import/export controller configured to at least one of determine whether the data transmission corresponds to a player registered with the second online property, limit the data transmission to a bandwidth specified by the import rules, expurgate data of the data transmission that does not comport with a data format specified by the import rules, select particular fields from the data transmission that can be imported, limit the data transmission to a size specified by the import rules, and limit the data transmission to an amount of time specified by the import rules.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data import/export controller configured to apply the export rules to the data transmission to generate the rules compliant data transmission comprises the data import/export controller configured to locate a first indication of the data liaison and a second indication of the first online property in a hierarchical data structure of data liaison indications and online property indications, wherein positions of the first indication and the second indication correspond to security measures specified by the export rules.