Accounting service in a service-oriented gaming network environment

• US 7,927,210 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Block, Rory L., Jan, Chih-Hui, Simmermon, James P., Swamy, Vikram, Warkentin, Terry D., Gentles, Thomas A., Blackburn, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US10/802,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20040248645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/42, 463/40, 463/41, 705/1.1, 705/500, 709201-203, 340/5.1, 340/999
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

An accounting service for a gaming network including gaming machines provides systems and methods for retrieving accounting information such as gaming machine meter information from gaming machines on the gaming network. The gaming services framework comprises a set of services, protocols, XML schemas, and methods for providing gaming system functionality in a distributed, network based architecture that includes gaming machines and servers. The systems and methods provide a service-oriented framework for gaming and property management based upon internetworking technology and web services concepts.

Claims

1. A method for providing an accounting service in a gaming network including gaming machines, the method comprising:

sending service information for the accounting service from the accounting service to a discovery agent on the gaming network, wherein the accounting service provides a central store for meter information for one or more of a plurality of clients on the gaming network, the clients including a plurality of gaming machines, wherein in response to a wager at a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines the gaming machine depicts indicia representative of a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game;

determining by the discovery agent if the accounting service is authentic and authorized;

in response to determining that the accounting service is authentic and authorized, publishing service information to a service repository to make the accounting service available on the gaming network;

receiving by the discovery agent a discovery request for the location of the accounting service from a client of the plurality of clients;

returning the service information for the accounting service to the client;

using the service information for registering by a gaming client with the accounting service;

determining by the accounting service if the gaming client is authentic and authorized to use the accounting service; and

processing one or more service requests between the gaming client and the accounting service, said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol, wherein the requests include requests associated with meter information for at least one gaming machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accounting service comprises a web service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the accounting service is registered in a UDDI registry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to start receiving requests by the accounting service for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to stop receiving requests for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to post gaming meter information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service requests comprises a request by the gaming client to adjust gaming machine meter information maintained by the accounting service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service requests comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve information about gaming device meters on a gaming device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve report information about gaming device meters.

14. A gaming network system providing an accounting service, the gaming network system comprising:

an accounting service communicably coupled to the gaming network and operable to provide a central store for meter information for one or more of a plurality of gaming clients on the gaming network, the clients including a plurality of gaming machines; and

a discovery agent communicably coupled to the gaming network, wherein the discovery agent is operable to;

receive service information from the accounting service,

determine if the accounting service is authentic and authorized for the gaming network, and

publish the service information to a service repository to make the accounting service available on the gaming network;

wherein a gaming client of the plurality of gaming clients on the gaming network issues a request for the location of the accounting service to the discovery agent and uses the service information received from the discovery agent to register the gaming client with the accounting service and further to issue one or more service requests to the accounting service,

said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol.

15. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the accounting service comprises a web service.

16. The gaming network system of claim 15, wherein the service request is foil fatted according to a service description language.

17. The gaming network system of claim 16, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

18. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the accounting service is registered in a UDDI registry.

19. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

20. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider in the gaming network.

21. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to start receiving requests by the accounting service for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

22. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to stop receiving requests for gaming machine meters on the gaming client.

23. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to post gaming meter information.

24. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to adjust gaming machine meter information maintained by the accounting service.

25. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve information about gaming device meters on a gaming device.

26. The gaming network system of claim 14, wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming client to retrieve report information about gaming device meters.