Methods and devices for downloading games of chance

• US 7,972,214 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Benbrahim, Jamal, Kinsley, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/173,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20070004506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 713/100, 713/175, 717/173, 709/222, 386/230
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, devices and systems for downloading gaming software. According to some implementations of the invention, gaming software is continuously transmitted on a plurality of channels, e.g., by one or more servers. In some such implementations, each channel is dedicated to software for a different wagering game. In other implementations, gaming software components are transmitted on a plurality of channels, with each channel dedicated to a particular gaming software component. Some implementations provide gaming software in response to a request from a gaming machine. Implementations over dedicated and/or public networks are provided. Preferred implementations of the invention allow gaming software to be downloaded to gaming machines in a secure manner that automatically ensures that licensing and regulatory requirements are satisfied. Some such implementations determine whether payment is required for gaming software and provide for automated payment, if so required.

Claims

1. A method of downloading gaming software, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a server, a set of gaming software blocks on a channel, wherein each gaming software block in the set of gaming software blocks includes gaming software for a corresponding wagering game in a plurality of wagering games, wherein said transmitting the set of gaming software blocks comprises repeatedly transmitting the set of gaming software blocks one or more times in a continuous manner, wherein said transmitting is performed independent of whether a request for the transmission is received by the server, and wherein the wagering games in the plurality of wagering games share one or more common game characteristics;

determining, by a gaming machine, that desired gaming software for a first wagering game in the plurality of wagering games is available on the channel based on the one or more common game characteristics corresponding with game characteristics of the desired wagering game, wherein the desired gaming software is included in a first gaming software block in the set of gaming software blocks, and wherein the first gaming software block is bounded by a first frame and a last frame;

selecting, by the gaming machine, the channel; and

beginning, by the gaming machine, a download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at an arbitrary frame within the first gaming software block during a first transmission of the first block during the transmitting; and

completing, by the gaming machine, the download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at a second frame within the first gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the first gaming software block during the transmitting, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, respectively, and wherein the portion of the first gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the first gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the first gaming software block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired gaming software is a whole desired wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired gaming software is a desired software component for the first wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating a requestor of the desired gaming software.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a license is available for the desired gaming software.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether it is legal to use the desired gaming software in a jurisdiction where the desired gaming software will be received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected channel is one of an electromagnetic frequency range, a separate physical link, a separate virtual link or a component of a multiplexed data stream.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of authorizing a payment for the desired gaming software.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of detecting the desired gaming software in the transmission of the set of gaming software blocks, wherein the gaming software for one or more wagering games in the plurality of wagering games represents software for the whole wagering game.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of detecting the desired gaming software in the transmission of the set of gaming software blocks, wherein the gaming software for one or more wagering games in the plurality of wagering games represents one or more software components for the one or more wagering games.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting comprises repeating the transmission of the set of gaming software blocks without reference to whether an acknowledgement of receipt has been received for any of the transmissions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the set of gaming software blocks comprises repeating the transmissions of the gaming software without any interruption between the repeat transmissions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the set of gaming software blocks comprises transmitting the gaming software block for a particular wagering game in the plurality of wagering games more than twice in succession.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the set of gaming software blocks comprises repeating a transmission of a particular gaming software block immediately subsequent to a previous transmission of the particular gaming software block.

15. A method of downloading gaming software in a network of gaming machines, comprising:

detecting, by a gaming machine, desired gaming software related to a first wagering game in a transmission on a channel of a gaming network, wherein the transmission is performed by a server independent of whether a request for the transmission from the gaming machine is received by the server, wherein the transmission comprises repeatedly transmitting a gaming software block including the desired gaming software one or more times in a continuous manner, and wherein the gaming software block is bounded by a first frame and a last frame;

beginning, by the gaming machine, a download of the desired gaming software at an arbitrary frame within the gaming software block during a first transmission of the gaming software block in the transmission; and

completing, by the gaming machine, the download of the desired gaming software at a second frame within the gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the gaming software block in the transmission, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, and wherein the portion of the gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the gaming software block.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired gaming software comprises all components of the first wagering game.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired gaming software consists of a software component for the first wagering game.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the channel is one of an electromagnetic frequency range, a separate physical link, a separate virtual link or a component of a multiplexed data stream.

19. A gaming machine for playing wagering games of chance, the gaming machine comprising:

a gaming controller; and

a communications interface, wherein the communications interface is configured to access a channel over which a transmission of gaming software for a plurality of wagering games is broadcast, wherein the transmission is performed by a server independent of whether a request for the transmission from the gaming machine is received by the server, wherein the wagering games in the plurality of wagering games share one or more common game characteristics, wherein the transmission comprises a set of gaming software blocks, wherein each gaming software block in the set of gaming software blocks corresponds with a corresponding wagering game in the one or more wagering games, and wherein the transmission includes one or more continuous repeats of the set of gaming software blocks,

wherein the gaming controller is configured to;

determine that desired wagering game software for a first wagering game in the plurality of wagering games is available on the channel based on the one or more common game characteristics corresponding with game characteristics of the desired wagering game, wherein the desired gaming software is included in a first gaming software block in the set of gaming software blocks, and wherein the first gaming software block is bounded by a first frame and a last frame,

select the channel,

begin a download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at an arbitrary frame within the first gaming software block during a first transmission of the first block during the transmission; and

complete the download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at a second frame within the first gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the first gaming software block during the transmission, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, respectively, and wherein the portion of the first gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the first gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the first gaming software block,

accept a wager for an instance of the first wagering game generated at least in part by executing the desired wagering game software, and

present the instance of the first wagering game.

20. A gaming machine for playing wagering games of chance, the gaming machine comprising:

a gaming controller; and

a communications interface, wherein the communications interface is configured to access a channel of a gaming network over which a transmission of desired gaming software for a first wagering game is broadcast, wherein the transmission is performed by a server independent of whether a request for the transmission from the gaming machine is received by the server, wherein the transmission comprises repeatedly transmitting a gaming software block including the desired gaming software one or more times in a continuous manner, and wherein the gaming software block is bounded by a first frame and a last frame,

wherein the gaming controller is configured to;

detect the desired wagering game software on the channel;

begin a download of the desired wagering game software at an arbitrary frame within the gaming software block during a first transmission of the gaming software block in the transmission

complete the download of the desired wagering game software at a second frame, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, and wherein the portion of the gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the gaming software block,

accept a wager for an instance of the first wagering game generated at least in part by executing the desired wagering game software, and

present the instance of the first wagering game.

21. A gaming network, comprising:

at least one server configured to provide a transmission of wagering game software for a first wagering game on a channel of the gaming network, wherein the at least one server is configured to provide the transmission independent of whether the at least one server receives a request to download the wagering game software to a first gaming machine from the first gaming machine, wherein the transmission comprises repeated transmissions of a gaming software block including the wagering gaming software one or more times in a continuous manner, and wherein the gaming software block is bounded by a first frame and a last frame; and

a plurality of gaming machines, the plurality of gaming machines including the first gaming machine, configured to offer a plurality of wagering games, each of the plurality of gaming machines further configured for communication with the at least one server via the gaming network, and each of the plurality of gaming machines comprising;

a communications interface configured to communicate with the gaming network; and

a gaming controller, the gaming controller configured to;

detect the desired wagering game software on the channel;

begin a download of the wagering game software at an arbitrary frame within the gaming software block during a first transmission of the gaming software block in the transmission;

complete the download of the wagering game software at a second frame, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames of the desired software, and wherein the portion of the gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the gaming software block;

accept a wager for an instance of the first wagering game generated at least in part by executing the wagering game software; and

present the instance of the first wagering game.

22. The gaming network of claim 21, wherein the wagering game software is a whole desired wagering game.

23. The gaming network of claim 21, wherein the wagering game software is a desired software component for the first wagering game.

24. A method of downloading gaming software, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a server, a plurality of gaming software blocks on a channel, each gaming software block corresponding to a wagering game in a plurality of wagering games, wherein the gaming software blocks in the plurality of gaming software blocks are transmitted in a predetermined sequence, wherein the transmitting comprises repeating the transmission of the plurality of gaming software blocks one or more times in a continuous manner, and wherein said transmitting is performed independent of whether a request for download of a wagering game in the plurality of wagering games is received from a gaming machine by the server;

determining, by the gaming machine, that the plurality of gaming software blocks includes a first gaming software block corresponding to a desired wagering game in the plurality of wagering games;

determining, by the gaming machine, the identity of the first gaming software block based on the position of the first gaming software block in the sequence relative to the other gaming software blocks in the plurality of gaming software blocks;

selecting, by the gaming machine, the channel; and

beginning, by the gaming machine, a download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at an arbitrary frame within the first gaming software block during a first transmission of the first block during the transmitting;

completing, by the gaming machine, the download of the desired gaming software from the selected channel at a second frame within the first gaming software block during a subsequent repeat transmission of the first gaming software block during the transmitting, wherein the arbitrary frame and the second frame are not the first and last frames, respectively, and wherein the portion of the first gaming software block between the arbitrary frame and the last frame, inclusive of the arbitrary frame and the last frame, and the portion of the first gaming software block between the first frame and the second frame, inclusive of the first frame and the second frame, include all frames comprising the first gaming software block.