Open architecture communications in a gaming network

• US 8,545,333 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• 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:
  US13/425,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20120184354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/29, 463 39- 43, 463 9- 13, 463/26, 463/30, 463/36, 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 system for a gaming environment comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices configured to generate and output data wherein each of the plurality of gaming devices includes a master min controller configured to manage a game played on the gaming machine and a communication interface device in communication with the master gaming controller, the communication interface device configured to communicate data and translate data to and from a plurality of communication protocols;

a plurality of general casino operating systems, each of said plurality of general casino operating systems configured to utilize a particular communication protocol which is different than communication protocols utilized by another general casino operating system; and

at least one open interface associated with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems, said open interface configured to permit communication between each of the plurality of general casino operating systems and the plurality of gaming devices and configured to translate data to and from the particular communication protocol of the associated general casino operating system and a common communication protocol for transmission over a network;

wherein the communication device is configured to receive data formatted in the common communication protocol from the at least one open interface and to translate the data formatted in the common protocol to the particular communication protocol;

wherein the communication device is further configured to translate data formatted in the particular communication protocol to the common protocol and to transfer the data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to the at least one open interface;

wherein the at least one open interface is configured to receive data formatted in the common communication protocol from the communication device and to translate the data formatted in the common protocol to the particular communication protocol; and

wherein the at least one open interface is further configured to translate data from the particular communication protocol to the common protocol and to transfer the data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to the communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one open interface is configured to communicate data to each of the plurality of general casino operating systems to provide a plurality of gaming machine functions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gaming machine functions 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.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular communication protocol is one of a TCP/IP, SLIP, and PPP communication protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a progressive game service protocol, a bonus game service protocol, a player tracking service protocol, a cashless/ticketing service protocol, a game downloading service protocol, a prize service protocol, an entertainment content service protocol, a concierge service protocol, a lottery service protocol and a money transfer service protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a player tracking unit configured to communicate with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems, the player tracking unit comprising:

a processor logic that employs a player tracking communication protocol for implementing a player tracking service; and

a communication interface device configured to communicate with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems and configured to translate data received in a common communication protocol to the player tracking communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication device is further configured to:

translate data formatted in the player tracking communication protocol to the common communication protocol; and

transmit data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to one of the plurality of gaming devices via the communication interface associated with the one of the plurality of gaming devices.

8. A network architecture for a gaming environment comprising:

a casino floor system including;

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device configured to present a plurality of games and generate data regarding gaming activities, each of the plurality of gaming devices including a master gaming controller configured to manage a game played on the gaming machine and a communication interface device in communication with the master gaming controller, the communication interface configured to communicate data and translate a plurality of communication protocols; and

a main casino system, said main casino system including;

a network provided between the main casino system and the casino floor system, the network configured to permit communication between the main casino system and the casino floor system;

a plurality of general casino operating systems, each of said plurality of general casino operating systems configured to utilize a particular communication protocol which is different than another general casino operating system; and

at least one open interface associated with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems, the at least one open interface being configured to translate data formatted in a common communication protocol to the particular communication protocol associated with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems;

wherein data being transmitted from a gaming device to one of the plurality of general casino operating systems is converted from the particular communication protocol of the one of the plurality of general casino operating systems to the common communication protocol in the communication interface, and then converted back to the particular communication protocol in the at least one open interface associated with the one of the plurality of general casino operating systems.

9. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein the at least one open interface includes a socket.

10. The network architecture of claim 9, wherein the socket is selected from the group consisting of RS-422/485, Fiber Optic, RS-232, DCS Current Loop, Link Progressive Current Loop, FireWire, Ethernet and USB.

11. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein the main casino system further includes a plurality of casino applications.

12. The network architecture of claim 11, wherein the plurality of casino applications 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.

13. The network architecture of claim 8, further comprising:

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

a processor logic that employs a player tracking communication protocol for implementing a player tracking service; and

a communication interface device configured to communicate with each of the plurality of gaming devices and the main casino system, the communication interface configured to communicate data and configured to translate data formatted in a non-player tracking unit communication protocol to the player tracking communication protocol.

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

receiving at a first communication interface of a gaming server, data formatted in a particular communication protocol;

translating, by the first communication interface, the data into a common communication protocol for transmission over a network;

transmitting the data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to a second communication interface, the second communication interface being associated with a gaming machine;

receiving, at the second communication interface, data formatted in the common communication protocol from the gaming services server;

determining, by the second communication interface, a gaming machine communication protocol used by a gaming machine that is designated to receive the data;

translating, by the second communication interface, data formatted in the common communication protocol to the gaming machine communication protocol; and

transmitting, by the second communication interface, data formatted in the gaming machine communication protocol to the gaming machine.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the first communication interface, data formatted in a common communication protocol originating from the gaming machine;

determining, by the first communication interface, a gaming services server communication protocol used by the gaming services server that is designated to receive the data;

translating, by the first communication interface, data formatted in the common communication protocol to the gaming services server communication protocol; and

transmitting, by the first communication interface, data formatted in the gaming services server communication protocol to the gaming services server.