Network gaming system

• US 8,172,683 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Bryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US11/277,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A casino gaming system is disclosed that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input. The gaming system includes a casino game server and a plurality of casino game units connected via a network. The game units each include a web browser. The game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning game play, wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash. The gaming system enables casino game units to request games from the game server over the network. The games may be downloaded over the network from the casino game server to the requesting game unit to be executed at the game unit and to be displayed in one or more web browsers.

Claims

1. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units each including a casino web browser, connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the casino network from the casino game server to the requesting game unit to be executed at the game unit and to be displayed in one or more casino web browsers.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game includes information that is sent using Hyper Text Markup Language.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game includes information that is sent using Java.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game includes information that is sent using Active X.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game includes information that is sent using Virtual Reality Modeling Language.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game is selected by a player at a game unit, and wherein the selected game is the game to be downloaded.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game is downloaded in response to a request.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game is executed locally at a game unit by a web browser located in the game unit.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game is executed at the game server and game execution related data is sent between the game server and a web browser in a game unit.

10. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server over a fiber optic line.

11. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server over an Ethernet line.

12. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

13. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server using Internetwork Packet Exchange.

14. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server using routers.

15. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein the casino game units are at least partially connected to the casino game server using switches.

16. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein each casino game unit includes a Uniform Resource Locator.

17. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more casino game units to request games from the casino game server over the wired casino network, and one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more requesting casino game units; and

wherein each casino game unit associates with resources on the game server using Uniform Resource Locators.

18. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form;

a casino web server; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network and the casino web server, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino game server to one or more casino game units.

19. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino web server; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino web server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash,

wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to one or more game units.

20. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino web server;

wherein the casino web server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino web server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the wired casino network from the casino web server to one or more casino game units.

21. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server, wherein the casino game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of casino game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to one or more game units, and wherein at least one casino game unit includes a casino browser.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein a game executes in the browser.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the browser displays game related data.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the browser displays tournament game related data.

25. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the browser displays prize game related data.

26. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the game server using the browser.

27. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the game server to the game unit for use by the browser.

28. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the browser displays advertising related data.

29. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein a game is executed at the game server and game execution related data is sent between the game server and a browser in a game unit.

30. The game unit of claim 21, wherein the gaming system includes a monetary input device.

31. A casino game unit in a casino game system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the game unit comprising:

one or more displays associated with the casino game unit; and

a casino browser associated with at least one of the one or more displays, wherein the casino browser output is shown on at least one of the one or more displays, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over a network from a server to the game unit,

wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at the casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash.

32. The game unit of claim 31, wherein a game executes in the browser.

33. The game unit of claim 31, wherein the browser displays game related data.

34. The game unit of claim 33, wherein the browser displays tournament game related data.

35. The game unit of claim 33, wherein the browser displays prize game related data.

36. The game unit of claim 31, wherein one or more games are downloadable over a network from a game server using the browser.

37. The game unit of claim 31, wherein one or more games are downloadable over a network from a game server to the game unit for use by the browser.

38. The game unit of claim 31, wherein the browser displays advertising related data.

39. The game unit of claim 31, wherein a game is executed at a game server and game execution related data is sent between the game server and the browser in the game unit.

40. The game unit of claim 31, wherein the gaming system includes a monetary input device.

41. A casino gaming system for providing casino tournament play data to a user located remote from a casino, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game unit for playing a tournament that generates casino tournament play data;

a casino server, wherein the casino server stores the casino tournament play data, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over a network from the server to the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash; and

an access device capable of accessing the Internet, wherein the casino tournament play data is available to the user via the access device while the user is located remote from the casino.

42. The gaming system of claim 41, wherein the gaming system includes a player account that is accessible by the user via the access device while the user is located remote from the casino.

43. A gaming system for providing casino game play data to a user located remote from a casino, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game unit for playing a casino game that generates casino game play data;

a casino server, wherein the casino server stores the casino game play data, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over a network from the server to the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a casino game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash; and

an access device capable of accessing the Internet, wherein the casino game play data is available to the user via the access device while the user is located remote from the casino.

44. The gaming system of claim 43, wherein the gaming system includes a player account that is accessible by the user via the access device while the user is located remote from the casino.

45. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to the game unit and displayed in a web browser of the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system includes direct play of one or more players located in a casino against one or more players located remote from the casino.

46. The gaming system of claim 45, wherein one or more of the remote locations are player residences.

47. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to the game unit and displayed in a web browser of the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system includes direct play of one or more players playing on a casino game unit against one or more players playing on a wireless receiver/transmitter device.

48. The gaming system of claim 47, wherein the game play is a tournament.

49. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server;

a plurality of game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to the game unit and displayed in a web browser of the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a game unit in response to winning casino game play, wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash, and wherein each casino game unit includes a player identification device for monitoring game play of a player; and

a touch screen interface associated with the player identification device for enabling the player to input information and commands.

50. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to the game unit and displayed in a web browser of the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system enables remotely adjusting prize and payout percentages of the game units.

51. The gaming system of claim 50, wherein the adjustment of prize and payout percentages is performed to achieve a desired profitability of the game units.

52. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a casino game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the casino game server over a wired casino network, wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the server to the game unit and displayed in a web browser of the game unit, wherein the casino game system enables a player to receive a prize at a game unit in response to winning casino game play, and wherein the prize comprises a physical prize, coins, cash, or a ticket voucher for a physical prize, coins, or cash;

wherein the casino gaming system automatically enables remotely adjusting prize and payout percentages.

53. The gaming system of claim 52, wherein the adjustment of prize and payout percentages is performed to achieve a desired profitability of the game units.