Open architecture communications in a gaming network

• US 8,162,755 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brosnan, William R., LeMay, Steven G., Cockerille, Warner, Nelson, Dwayne, Breckner, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US11/830,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 41- 43, 463/21, 463/25, 463/26, 463/29, 700 91- 93
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Open architecture communication systems and methods are provided that allow flexible data transmission between gaming machines and other devices and nodes within a gaming machine network. The gaming machine and other devices employ a communication interface that sends and receives data via a common communication protocol and via common communication hardware. The communication interface and common communication protocol allow data transfer between gaming machines and other network nodes such as gaming service servers, despite the presence of different proprietary gaming machine functions and proprietary communication protocols and despite the presence of various proprietary hardware and proprietary communication protocols relied on by the servers.

Claims

1. A method of processing data in a gaming environment, comprising:

providing a casino floor system including a plurality of gaming machines configured to accept wagers, present games based on said wagers, provide awards based on the outcomes of said games, and generate data regarding various gaming activities, and a central data repository configured to collect and store data regarding various gaming activities;

providing a main casino system including at least one interface between said main casino system and said casino floor system, a plurality of general casino operating systems, said general casino operating systems being generally disparate, and at least one open interface associated with each of said plurality of general casino operating systems;

generating a first set of data at a first of said plurality of gaming machines regarding money input into said first gaming machine;

transmitting said first set of data from said first gaming machine to said central data repository;

storing said first set of data at said central data repository;

retransmitting said first set of data from said central data repository to a first open interface at a gaming accounting system;

translating said first set of data at said first open interface at said gaming accounting system from a first format adapted for use by said central data repository to a second format adapted for use by said gaming accounting system;

utilizing said first set of data by said gaming accounting system;

generating a second set of data at a second of said plurality of gaming machines regarding an insertion of a player tracking card at said second gaming machine;

transmitting said second set of data from said second gaming machine to said central data repository;

storing said second set of data at said central data repository;

retransmitting said second set of data from said central data repository to a second open interface at a player tracking system;

translating said second set of data at said second open interface at said player tracking system from said first format adapted for use by said central data repository to a third format adapted for use by said player tracking system;

utilizing said second set of data by said player tracking system;

generating a request for information at one of said plurality of general casino operating systems;

translating said request for information to said first format adapted for use by said central data repository to a first disparate format adapted for use by said one of said plurality of general casino operating systems;

sending said request for information from said one of said plurality of general casino operating systems to said central data repository; and

forwarding said requested information from said central data repository to said one of said plurality of general casino operating systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines further comprises:

managing the games presented on each of the plurality of gaming machines based on the wagers with a master gaming controller;

communicating data in both a first and a second communication protocol within the gaming machine with a communication interface device in communication with the master gaming controller; and

communicating data in a third communication protocol to the central data repository,

wherein the first, second, and third communication protocols are different from each other.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication interface comprises logic configured or designed to communicate data in both the first and second communication protocols and communicate the data in a third communication protocol to the central data repository.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the various gaming activities is selected from a group consisting of progressive game services, bonus game services, player tracking services, cashless/ticketing services, game downloading services, prize services, entertainment content services, concierge services, lottery services and money transfer services.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a player tracking service via a player tracking unit configured to communicate with each of the plurality of gaming devices and the main casino system, the player tracking unit;

communicating with each of the plurality of gaming devices via the player tracking unit with a communication interface, the communication interface designed or configured to communicate data in both the player tracking communication protocol and a second communication protocol with each of the plurality of gaming devices, and communicate the data in a third communication protocol over the main casino system using a third communication protocol.