Device identification

• US 8,591,340 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Robb, Harold K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US13/372,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120142431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463 16- 20, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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

Abstract

The system provides the capability of identifying the presence and location of network devices. During start-up, a device sends its MAC address out on the network. A local switch collects MAC and IP addresses for the devices connected to it. Periodically, the switch transmits raw Ethernet frames, USB packets, or TCP packets containing tables of devices and associated MAC/IP addresses. When a device receives information about another device, the device may attempt communication with that device. First, a verification procedure is used to validate the devices. Subsequently, communication is possible between the devices.

Claims

1. A method for identifying in-cabinet gaming devices on a gaming system, the method comprising:

providing a gaming system that includes a plurality of gaming devices connected to a gaming network, wherein each gaming device includes a plurality of in-cabinet devices that communicate with each other over the gaming network;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions with a first in-cabinet gaming device within a first gaming machine during an initialization procedure;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions between a second in-cabinet gaming device within the first gaming machine and the first in-cabinet gaming device; and

enabling new in-cabinet gaming devices to be added to a game cabinet where the new devices in-cabinet are integrated and identified.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a MAC/IP transmission at a switch and creating a table of a MAC/IP address of the first in-cabinet gaming device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

periodically transmitting the table from the switch to the gaming network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a verification procedure between the first in-cabinet gaming device and the second in-cabinet gaming device to permit communication between the in-cabinet gaming devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming system maps an association between an IP address, a device MAC address, and a unique device identifier (DID), and wherein the gaming network treats any alteration of the IP/MAC/DID association as an intrusion attempt.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices are made aware of each other'"'"'s presence through MAC/IP transmissions, and wherein the gaming system enables use of a single network port for each in-cabinet device to communicate with each other and with a back-end system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices do not require pre-knowledge of the MAC/IP addresses of other devices since the in-cabinet gaming devices learn the MAC/IP addresses of other devices both at start up and during run-time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch transmits the table in an Ethernet frame.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the verification procedure comprises reading an identification number of a component of the first gaming device and verifying that the identification number is valid.

10. A method for identifying in-cabinet gaming devices on a gaming system, the method comprising:

providing a gaming system that includes a plurality of gaming devices connected to a gaming network, wherein each gaming device includes a plurality of in-cabinet devices that communicate with each other over the gaming network;

collecting the MAC addresses for each in-cabinet gaming device in a table at a switch and periodically transmitting the table to the gaming devices;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions with a first in-cabinet gaming device within a first gaming machine during an initialization procedure;

executing a verification process between the first in-cabinet gaming device and a second in-cabinet gaming device within the first gaming machine;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions between a second in-cabinet gaming device within the first gaming machine and the first in-cabinet gaming device if the verification process is successful; and

enabling new in-cabinet gaming devices to be added to a game cabinet where the new devices in-cabinet are integrated and identified.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

initiating an identification process from the first in-cabinet gaming device to the second in-cabinet gaming device, and wherein the identification process enables the in-cabinet devices to identify themselves to each other.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the gaming system maps an association between an IP address, a device MAC address, and a unique device identifier (DID), and wherein the gaming network treats any alteration of the IP/MAC/DID association as an intrusion attempt.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices are made aware of each other'"'"'s presence through MAC/IP transmissions, and wherein the gaming system enables use of a single network port for each in-cabinet device to communicate with each other and with a back-end system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices do not require pre-knowledge of the MAC/IP addresses of other devices since the in-cabinet gaming devices learn the MAC/IP addresses of other devices both at start up and during run-time.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission of the table is accomplished in an Ethernet frame.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the verification procedure comprises reading an identification number of a component of the first gaming device and verifying that the identification number is valid.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the table is rebroadcast over the gaming network.

18. A method for identifying in-cabinet gaming devices on a gaming system, the method comprising:

providing a gaming system that includes a plurality of gaming devices connected to a gaming network, wherein each gaming device includes a plurality of in-cabinet devices that communicate with each other over the gaming network;

causing the first in-cabinet gaming device to send identifying information on the gaming system;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions with a first in-cabinet gaming device within a first gaming machine during an initialization procedure;

causing a second in-cabinet gaming device within the first gaming machine to send identifying information via the gaming network to the first in-cabinet gaming device, wherein the sending of the identifying information enables the in-cabinet devices to identify themselves to each other;

establishing communication through MAC/IP transmissions between a second in-cabinet gaming device within the first gaming machine and the first in-cabinet gaming device; and

enabling new in-cabinet gaming devices to be added to a game cabinet where the new devices in-cabinet are integrated and identified.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

collecting the identifying information in a table at a switch in the gaming network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the gaming system maps an association between an IP address, a device MAC address, and a unique device identifier (DID), and wherein the gaming network treats any alteration of the IP/MAC/DID association as an intrusion attempt.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices are made aware of each other'"'"'s presence through MAC/IP transmissions, and wherein the gaming system enables use of a single network port for each in-cabinet device to communicate with each other and with a back-end system.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the in-cabinet gaming devices do not require pre-knowledge of the MAC/IP addresses of other devices since the in-cabinet gaming devices learn the MAC/IP addresses of other devices both at start up and during run-time.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the table periodically on the network.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifying information is used to generate address information.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifying information is a MAC address.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the MAC address is associated with an IP address in the table.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

verifying the first gaming device and the second gaming device.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

permitting communication between the first gaming device and the second gaming device when the verifying is successful.