Casino game download system and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604138-B2
Application number	US-201615091217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2006
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for multi-tiered gaming data download. The system includes a gaming device for local play of a game. The gaming device includes a communication interface receiving and transmitting data to download a game for play at the gaming device. The system also includes a plurality of download servers communicating with the gaming device to provide game data for download to and play at the gaming device. The system further includes a middle tier server acting as a hub to communicate with the plurality of download servers to provide game data from one or more of the plurality of download servers. The middle tier server allocates download server resources and schedules a download of game data from one or more download servers to the gaming device based on resource constraints at the plurality of download servers and availability for download at the gaming device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for game download, said system comprising:
a gaming terminal for local play of a game, said gaming terminal having a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input in the form of a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, and an identity, said gaming terminal including a communication interface configured to receive and transmit data including transmission of said identity to download a game for play at said gaming terminal;
a download server configured to communicate with said gaming terminal based on said identity to provide game data for download to said gaming terminal for local play at said gaming terminal in accord with the established credit balance;
a middle tier server configured to communicate with said download server, to provide game data to said gaming terminal from said download server; and
a user interface server configured to schedule a download of the game data from said download server to said gaming terminal based on said identity, and to transmit a schedule of the download to the middle tier server.

2. The system of claim 1 , and further comprising a database server configured to store at least one of meter data, security data, user settings, regulatory game playback, and game audit data.

3. The system of claim 1 , and wherein the download of data from said download server to said gaming terminal is scheduled as a function of at least one of available bandwidth, gaming terminal download acceptance criteria and time of download.

4. The system of claim 3 , and wherein said gaming terminal download acceptance criteria comprises availability of said gaming terminal for download based on user activity at said gaming terminal.

5. The system of claim 3 , and wherein said download of data is scheduled as a sum of functions of available bandwidth, gaming terminal download acceptance criteria, and time of download.

6. The system of claim 1 , and wherein the download of data from said download server is multi-cast to a plurality of gaming terminals set in an appropriate receiving mode.

7. The system of claim 1 , and wherein the download of data from said download server is broadcast to the gaming terminal.

8. The system of claim 1 , and wherein the download of data to said gaming terminal is facilitated via a second gaming terminal by said middle tier server.

9. The system of claim 1 , and wherein the gaming terminal is reconfigured in response to the downloaded game data from said download server.

10. The system of claim 1 , and further comprising an access point for review of operation and data of the gaming terminal.

11. The system of claim 10 , and wherein said access point comprises a user interface.

12. The system of claim 10 , and wherein said access point is configured to facilitate verification of the operation and data of said gaming terminal.

13. The system of claim 12 , and wherein said access point is configured to provide auditing and regulatory oversight of the operation and data and the download of said gaming terminal.

14. The system of claim 12 , and wherein said gaming terminal is configured to verify the download of data in conjunction with the middle tier server.

15. The system of claim 14 , and wherein, if an error is detected in the download of data, the gaming terminal is further configured to download a clean copy of the download data.

16. A method for multi-tiered game download for use with a gaming system having a) a gaming device that has 1) a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input in the form of a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, 2) a communication interface and 3) an identity, and plays a local game, b) a download server, c) a middle tier server, and d) a user interface server, said method comprising:
transmitting via the communication interface a request for a game download to the gaming device, including transmission of said identity;
scheduling via the user interface a download of game data based on the request for game download from the download server based on said identity;
communicating via the middle tier server to provide the game data from the download server to the gaming device based on the scheduled download;
allocating, via said middle tier server, one or more download resources from said download server to satisfy the request the scheduled download; and
downloading the requested game to said gaming device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising verifying said game download to said gaming device.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising scheduling the request for game download to said gaming device as a function of at least one of available bandwidth, gaming terminal download acceptance criteria and time of download.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising multi-casting the game download to a plurality of gaming devices configured in a receiving mode.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising downloading said game to said gaming device from a second gaming device facilitated by said middle tier server.

Assignees

• Aristocrat Technologies Au

Inventors

• Topham Jeffrey S
• Lawdensky David
• Salour David
• Himmelright Jeff C
• Frerking Gary

Classifications

• A63F13/12

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• H04L67/1008

  based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload (monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30) · CPC title

• G07F17/323

  wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions · CPC title

• G06Q50/34

  Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting · CPC title

• A63F13/352 Primary

  involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world · CPC title