Localized remote gaming

• US 9,478,100 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walkingstick, Paul B.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/910,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users

Abstract

A gaming machine, such as a video slot or video poker machine located in a casino or other gaming environment, may be configured to provide simultaneous play by both an in-person player and one or more remote players. Session identifiers may be assigned to the gaming machine that correspond to the game session of the in-person player and the game session of any remote players.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) assigning, by a processor, a gaming machine identifier to a gaming machine located in a gaming environment, said gaming machine including;

(i) an acceptor, wherein if a physical item is received via the acceptor, a credit balance is established based, at least in part, on the monetary value associated with the received physical item, and

(ii) a cashout device wherein if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance is caused to occur;

(b) assigning an in-person player session identifier to the gaming machine, the in-person player session identifier being associated with an in-person player physically operating the gaming machine;

(c) for each of at least one remote player operating the gaming machine via at least one remote client device, assigning a remote player session identifier to the gaming machine;

(d) for the assigned in-person player session identifier, causing the gaming machine to execute an in-person game displayed to the in-person player physically operating the gaming machine; and

(e) simultaneous with the execution of the in-person game, for each assigned remote player session identifier, causing the gaming machine to execute at least one remote game displayable, via the at least one remote client device, to the remote player associated with said assigned remote player session identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are a same game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are different games.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes:

assigning a maximum number of remote player session identifiers to the gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 4, which includes:

receiving a request to play a remote game from a client device;

determining whether the remote game is available from the gaming machine;

determining whether the gaming machine is using the maximum number of remote player session identifiers; and

assigning the client device to a remote player session identifier if the game is available from the gaming machine and the number of remote player session identifiers in use by the gaming machine is less than the assigned maximum number of remote player session identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, which includes assigning the client device to the remote player session identifier based on load balancing among the gaming machine and a plurality of other gaming machines.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are configured to enable the in-person player and the at least one remote player to collaborate to achieve an in-game objective.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes:

providing a user interface configured to display remote game data from the gaming machine to a client device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface includes one of:

a webpage and a web-enabled application.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines located in a gaming environment, each gaming machine including;

a housing,

at least one display device supported by the housing,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device,

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and

(b) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance; and

at least one computing device configured to;

(a) assign a unique machine identifier to each of the gaming machines;

(b) assign an in-person player session identifier to each of the gaming machines, wherein the in-person player session identifier is associated with an in-person player physically operating the gaming machine; and

(c) for each of at least one remote player operating one of the gaming machines via at least one remote client device, assign at least one remote player session identifier to one of the gaming machines;

wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines is configured to

(i) for the assigned in-person player session identifier, execute an in-person game displayed to the in-person player physically operating said gaming machine; and

(ii) simultaneous with the execution of the in-person game, for each assigned remote player session identifier, execute at least one remote game displayable, via the at least one remote client device, to the remote player associated with said assigned remote player session identifier.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are a same game.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are different games.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to assign a maximum number of remote player session identifiers to the gaming machine.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to:

receive a request to play a remote game from one of the remote client devices;

determine whether the remote game is available for execution by the gaming machine;

determine whether the gaming machine is using the maximum number of remote player session identifiers; and

assign the remote client device to a remote player session identifier if the game is available from the gaming machine and the number of remote player session identifiers in use by the gaming machine is less than the assigned maximum number of remote player session identifiers.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the client device is assigned to the remote player session identifier by performing load balancing among the gaming machine and a plurality of other gaming machines.

16. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are configured to enable the in-person player and the at least one remote player to collaborate to achieve an in-game objective.

17. A gaming system comprising:

a remote access service configured to provide a bridge between a network internal to a gaming environment and an external network located outside of the gaming environment; and

a gameplay service configured to provide gaming protocol formatted commands to a gaming machine located in the gaming environment, said commands provided via the internal network of the gaming environment, and said gaming machine including;

a housing,

at least one display device supported by the housing,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device,

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and

(b) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance,

wherein the remote access service is configured to;

(a) receive a gameplay command for the gaming machine from a client device via the external network, and

(b) forward the command to the gameplay service,

wherein the gameplay service is configured to;

(a) convert the command received from the remote access service into a gaming protocol format,

(b) send the converted command to the gaming machine via the internal network of the gaming environment, and

(c) assign a gaming machine identifier, an in-person player session identifier, and at least one remote player session identifier to the gaming machine; and

wherein the gaming machine is configured to;

(a) for the assigned in-person player session identifier, execute an in-person game displayed to an in-person player physically operating the gaming machine; and

(b) simultaneous with the execution of the in-person game, for each assigned remote player session identifier, execute at least one remote game displayable, via the client device, to a remote player.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the gaming protocol is a game to system protocol.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the gameplay service is configured to:

convert the control command received from the remote access service into a simple text oriented messaging protocol message; and

communicate the simple text oriented messaging protocol message to the gaming machine via the internal network.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are a same game.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the in-person game and the at least one remote game are different games.

22. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the gameplay service is configured to assign a maximum number of remote player session identifiers to the gaming machine.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the gameplay service is configured to:

receive a request to play a remote game from a client device;

determine whether the remote game is available from the gaming machine;

determine whether the gaming machine is using the maximum number of remote player session identifiers; and

assign the client device to a remote player session identifier if the game is available from the gaming machine and the number of remote player session identifiers in use by the gaming machine is less than the assigned maximum number of remote player session identifiers.