Game transaction module interface to single port printer

• US 8,821,268 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Young, J Scott, Kompella, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/564,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.12, 705/14.13, 705/14.25, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A gaming device includes a game module for presenting instances of a game title and a game transaction module for interfacing with a system controller of a game entertainment center. The gaming device further includes a printer for printing various items such as tickets, coupons, vouchers, and other promotional material. The gaming device further includes a printer manager for arbitrating print job conflicts.

Claims

1. A method of retrofitting a gaming machine having a game module and a printer device with only one communications port, wherein the game module provides instances of a game title and implements a slot-accounting-system protocol, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a game transaction module configured to interface with the game module in accordance to the slot-accounting-system protocol and configured to interface with a remote computing device in accordance with a game-to-system protocol to the remote computing device;

communicatively coupling the game transaction module to the only one communications port of the printer device; and

providing a printer manager configured to arbitrate print jobs for the printer device.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

configuring the printer manager to communicate with the printer device;

configuring the printer manager to buffer print jobs for the printer device; and

configuring the printer manager to provide the printer device with a respective print job of one of the buffered print jobs only in response to receiving an indicator of printer device availability indicative of the printer device being available to print content corresponding to the respective print job.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising:

configuring the printer manager to query the printer device for the indicator of printer device availability.

4. The method of claim 2 comprising:

configuring the printer manager to provide the printer device with respective ones of the buffered print jobs on a first-in/first-out basis.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the printer manager is configured to arbitrate the print jobs for the printer device by:

receiving a first print job provided by the game module at the printer manager, wherein the printer manager is part of the game transaction module;

receiving a second print job provided by a module of the game transaction module at the printer manager that is part of the game transaction module;

arbitrating print jobs for printing content with the printer device; and

sending at least a portion of one of the first print job and the second print job received at the printer manager of the game transaction module to the printer device via the only one communications port, and wherein the game transaction module is further configured to operate by;

buffering at least a portion of the other one of the first print job and the second print job in a memory of the game transaction module; and

receiving game information indicative of a number of game credits from the game module at the game transaction module, wherein the game transaction module includes a processor, a memory and a system bus distinct and separate from a processor, a memory and a system bus of the game module.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the game transaction module is further configured to operate by providing at least a portion of the game information indicative of the number of game credits to the remote computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the printer manager to operate by;

receiving a first print job provided by the game module at the printer manager, wherein the printer manager is part of the game transaction module;

receiving a second print job provided by a module of the game transaction module at the printer manager that is part of the game transaction module;

arbitrating print jobs for printing content with the printer device; and

send at least a portion of one of the first print job and the second print job received at the printer manager of the game transaction module to the printer device via the only one communications port; and

configuring the game transaction module to operate by;

buffering at least a portion of the other one of the first print job and the second print job in a memory of the game transaction module; and

receiving game information indicative of a number of game credits from the game module at the game transaction module, wherein the game transaction module includes a processor, a memory and a system bus distinct and separate from a processor, a memory and a system bus of the game module.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising configuring the game transaction module to operate by providing at least a portion of the game information indicative of the number of game credits to the remote computing device.

9. A retrofitted gaming machine comprising:

a game module;

a printer device with only one communications port, wherein the game module is configured to provide instances of a game title and implement a slot-accounting-system protocol, the retrofitted gaming machine having been retrofitted by;

having had a game transaction module communicatively coupled to the retrofitted gaming machine via the only one communications port of the printer device, the game transaction module configured to interface with the game module in accordance to the slot-accounting-system protocol and configured to interface with a remote computing device in accordance with a game-to-system protocol to the remote computing device; and

having had a printer manager communicatively coupled to the retrofitted gaming machine, the printer manager configured to arbitrate print jobs for the printer device.

10. The retrofitted gaming machine of claim 9 wherein:

the printer manager is configured to communicate with the printer device;

the printer manager is configured to buffer print jobs for the printer device; and

the printer manager is configured to provide the printer device with a respective print job of one of the buffered print jobs only in response to receiving an indicator of printer device availability indicative of the printer device being available to print content corresponding to the respective print job.

11. The retrofitted gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the printer manager is configured to query the printer device for the indicator of printer device availability.

12. The retrofitted gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the printer manager is configured to provide the printer device with respective ones of the buffered print jobs on a first-in/first-out basis.

13. The retrofitted gaming machine of claim 9 wherein the printer manager is configured to arbitrate the print jobs for the printer device by at least being configured to:

receive a first print job provided by the game module at the printer manager, wherein the printer manager is part of the game transaction module;

receive a second print job provided by a module of the game transaction module at the printer manager that is part of the game transaction module;

arbitrate print jobs for printing content with the printer device; and

send at least a portion of one of the first print job and the second print job received at the printer manager of the game transaction module to the printer device via the only one communications port, and wherein the game transaction module is further configured to;

buffer at least a portion of the other one of the first print job and the second print job in a memory of the game transaction module; and

receive game information indicative of a number of game credits from the game module at the game transaction module, wherein the game transaction module includes a processor, a memory and a system bus distinct and separate from a processor, a memory and a system bus of the game module.

14. The retrofitted gaming machine of claim 13 wherein the game transaction module is further configured to provide at least a portion of the game information indicative of the number of game credits to the remote computing device.