Universal game monitoring unit and system

• US 9,235,955 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, James W., McAllister, Lawrence, Hein, Marvin A., White, Warren R., Luciano, Robert A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ROSS A
• Application Number:
  US11/456,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20110230260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,473 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463/16, 463/20, 463 30- 33, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

An embedded user interface incorporated into a gaming device, the gaming device including a gaming presentation of a base game and a gaming processor for controlling the base game. The embedded user interface includes: a player tracking interface and an embedded processor. The player tracking interface includes (or is associated with) a display screen and enables display of a system game to a user, presentation of information to the user, and reception of information from the user. The embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, enables control of the system game, control of player tracking information, and control of non-gaming information. In one embodiment, the embedded user interface enables control of a system game of which at least a portion of the system game is presented physically external to the embedded user interface. In another embodiment, the embedded user interface enables control of a system gaming indicator that is physically external to the embedded user interface. In still another embodiment, communication between a game processor and an embedded user interface is only enabled through the gaming network and is not direct enabled via a direct connection.

Claims

1. A gaming device-enabled gaming system, the system comprising:

a physical network that enables communication between gaming devices in the gaming device-enabled gaming system;

a system gaming server connected to the physical network that provides a system-based game;

each gaming device comprising;

(i) at least one display device;

(ii) a plurality of input devices including;

(a) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;

(iii) at least one gaming device processor; and

(iv) at least one gaming device memory device storing a plurality of gaming device instructions; and

a player tracking server connected to a physical network that communicates gaming data with one or more gaming devices;

an embedded user interface incorporated into each gaming device, each gaming device including a gaming presentation of a base game and a gaming processor for controlling the base game, wherein the gaming processor of the gaming device enables play of the base game without requiring use of the embedded user interface, the embedded user interface comprising;

a player tracking interface including a display screen, wherein the player tracking interface enables display of the system-based game to a user, wherein the player tracking interface enables presentation of information to the user, and wherein the player tracking interface enables reception of information from the user; and

an embedded processor, wherein the embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, wherein the embedded processor controls an outcome of the system-based game of which at least a portion of a system-based game presentation is physically external to the embedded user interface;

wherein the embedded user interface drives visual gaming presentation components of the system-based game of which at least a portion of the visual gaming presentation components are physically external to the display screen.

2. The embedded user interface of claim 1, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

an additional gaming presentation.

3. The embedded user interface of claim 1, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

an additional display screen.

4. The embedded user interface of claim 1, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

a wheel.

5. The embedded user interface of claim 1, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

one or more reels.

6. The embedded user interface of claim 1, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

one or more lights.

7. A gaming device-enabled gaming system, the system comprising:

a physical network that enables communication between gaming devices in the gaming device-enabled gaming system;

a system gaming server connected to the physical network that provides a system-based game;

each gaming device comprising;

(i) at least one display device;

(ii) a plurality of input devices including;

(a) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;

(iii) at least one gaming device processor; and

(iv) at least one gaming device memory device storing a plurality of gaming device instructions; and

a player tracking server connected to a physical network that communicates gaming data with one or more gaming devices;

an embedded user interface system incorporated into a gaming device, the gaming device including a gaming presentation of a base game and a gaming processor for controlling the base game, wherein the gaming processor of the gaming device enables play of the base game without requiring use of the embedded user interface system, the embedded user interface system comprising;

a player tracking interface including a display screen, wherein the player tracking interface enables display of the system-based game to a user, wherein the player tracking interface enables presentation of information to the user, and wherein the player tracking interface enables reception of information from the user; and

an embedded processor, wherein the embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, wherein the embedded processor controls an outcome of the system-based game of which at least a portion of a system-based game presentation is physically external to the embedded user interface system;

wherein the embedded user interface system drives visual gaming presentation components of the system-based game of which at least a portion of the visual gaming presentation components are physically external to the display screen.

8. The embedded user interface system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

an additional gaming presentation.

9. The embedded user interface system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

an additional display screen.

10. The embedded user interface system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

a wheel.

11. The embedded user interface system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

one or more reels.

12. The embedded user interface system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that is physically external to the embedded user interface includes:

one or more lights.

13. An embedded user interface system incorporated into a gaming device, the gaming device including a gaming presentation of a base game and a gaming processor for controlling the base game, wherein the gaming processor of the gaming device enables play of the base game without requiring use of the embedded user interface system, the gaming device further comprising:

(i) at least one display device;

(ii) a plurality of input devices including;

(a) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;

(iii) at least one gaming device processor; and

(iv) at least one gaming device memory device storing a plurality of gaming device instructions, the embedded user interface system comprising;

a player tracking interface including a display screen, wherein the player tracking interface enables display of a system game to a user, wherein the player tracking interface enables presentation of information to the user, and wherein the player tracking interface enables reception of information from the user; and

an embedded processor, wherein the embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, wherein the embedded processor controls an outcome of the system game of which the system game presentation is physically external to the embedded user interface system;

wherein the embedded user interface system drives visual gaming presentation components of the system game of which the visual gaming presentation components are physically external to the display screen.

14. The embedded user interface system of claim 13, wherein the visual gaming presentation components that are physically external to the display screen include:

an additional gaming presentation.

15. The embedded user interface system of claim 13, wherein the portion of the visual gaming presentation components that are physically external to the display screen include:

an additional display screen.

16. The embedded user interface system of claim 13, wherein the visual gaming presentation components that are physically external to the display screen include:

a wheel.

17. The embedded user interface system of claim 13, wherein the visual gaming presentation components that are physically external to the display screen include:

one or more reels.

18. The embedded user interface system of claim 13, wherein the visual gaming presentation components that are physically external to the display screen include:

one or more lights.

19. An embedded user interface system incorporated into a gaming device, the gaming device including a gaming presentation of a base game and a gaming processor for controlling the base game, wherein the gaming processor of the gaming device enables play of the base game without requiring use of the embedded user interface system, the gaming device further comprising:

(i) at least one display device;

(ii) a plurality of input devices including;

(a) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;

(iii) at least one gaming device processor; and

(iv) at least one gaming device memory device storing a plurality of gaming device instructions, the embedded user interface system comprising;

a player tracking interface including a display screen, wherein the player tracking interface enables display of a system game to a user, wherein the player tracking interface enables presentation of information to the user, and wherein the player tracking interface enables reception of information from the user; and

an embedded processor, wherein the embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, wherein the embedded processor controls an outcome of the system game of which at least a portion of the system game presentation is physically external to the embedded user interface system;

wherein the embedded user interface system drives visual gaming presentation components of the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen.

20. The embedded user interface system of claim 19, wherein the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen includes:

an additional gaming presentation.

21. The embedded user interface system of claim 19, wherein the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen includes:

an additional display screen.

22. The embedded user interface system of claim 19, wherein the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen includes:

a wheel.

23. The embedded user interface system of claim 19, wherein the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen includes:

one or more reels.

24. The embedded user interface system of claim 19, wherein the system game presentation that is physically external to the display screen includes:

one or more lights.

25. A gaming system comprising:

a player tracking system server connected to a network, wherein the player tracking system server includes an application program interface;

an accounting and control system server connected to the network, wherein the player tracking system server includes an application program interface through which communication with the accounting and control system server is enabled via the application program interface of the player tracking system server;

one or more gaming devices connected to the network, wherein each gaming device includes a gaming presentation of a base game and a master processing unit for controlling the base game, and wherein the master processing unit enables communication with the accounting and control system server;

each gaming device comprising;

(i) at least one display device;

(ii) a plurality of input devices including;

(a) an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value;

(b) a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance; and

(iii) at least one gaming device memory device storing a plurality of gaming device instructions; and

an embedded user interface incorporated into each gaming device, wherein the embedded user interface enables communication with the player tracking system server, each embedded user interface comprising;

a player tracking interface including a display screen, wherein the player tracking interface enables display of a system game to a user, wherein the player tracking interface enables presentation of information to the user, and wherein the player tracking interface enables reception of information from the user; and

an embedded processor, wherein the embedded processor employs an internal operating system and communicates with the gaming processor, wherein the embedded processor controls an outcome of the system game of which at least a portion of the system game presentation is physically external to the embedded user interface system;

wherein the embedded user interface drives visual gaming presentation components of the system game of which at least a portion of the visual gaming presentation components are physically external to the embedded user interface.