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Method and apparatus for operating networked gaming devices
| Details |
Inventors: Acres, John F.; Ginsburg, Alec; Wiebenson, David;
Assignee: Acres Gaming, Inc. (Corvallis, OR)
Primary Examiner: Harrison; Jessica
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marger, Johnson, McCollom & Stolowitz
A system for monitoring and configuring gaming devices interconnected over a high-speed network is disclosed. The system can support a file server, one or more floor controllers, one or more pit terminals, and other terminals all interconnected over the network. Each gaming device includes an electronic module which allows the gaming device to communicate with a floor controller over a current loop network. The electronic module includes a player tracking module and a data communication node. The player tracking module includes a card reader for detecting a player tracking card inserted therein which identifies the player. The data communication node communicates with both the floor controller and the gaming device. The data communication node communicates with the gaming device over a serial interface through which the data communication node transmits reconfiguration commands. The gaming device reconfigures its payout schedule responsive to the reconfiguration commands to provide a variety of promotional bonuses such as multiple jackpot bonuses, mystery jackpot bonuses, progressive jackpot bonuses, or player specific bonuses. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is, therefore, an object of the invention to reconfigure gaming devices remotely over a network to provide bonusing.
Another object of the invention is to provide an integrated system usable with a variety of gaming devices made by different manufacturers.
Another object of the invention is to integrate player tracking, data collection, and bonusing over the same network.
A further object of the invention is to provide visual feedback to the user when a player tracking card has been improperly inserted.
A system for operating networked gaming devices is described.
The system according to the invention allows a casino in which the system is installed to run promotions or bonuses on any properly equipped gaming machines while simultaneously gathering player tracking and accounting data from all machines.
The system provides the capability for the casino to select which of the plurality of machines are used in any given promotion.
The system further allows any number of different promotions to operate simultaneously.
The system includes a plurality of gaming devices or machines connected to an associated floor controller over a network.
The system includes one or more of said floor controllers.
The floor controllers are interconnected by a high-speed network, such as an Ethernet network, to a database where accounting and player tracking data is stored.
The system can also include pit terminals and/or fill and jackpot processing terminals.
Each promotion involves sending a reconfiguration command from the floor controller to a gaming device that has been selected to be part of a given promotion over the associated network.
Upon receipt of the reconfiguration command, the gaming device reconfigures its payout schedule in accordance with the received reconfiguration command.
In the preferred embodiment, this reconfiguration includes activating a bonus payout schedule.
A partial list of the promotions according to the invention include, but are not limited to: a multiple jackpot wherein the gaming device reconfigures its payout to be a multiple of its default payout schedule; a bonus jackpot wherein the gaming device reconfigures its payout schedule to payout an additional bonus amount when certain conditions are met; and a progressive jackpot wherein two or more gaming devices are combined in a progressive jackpot having a progressive jackpot payout schedule
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Exercise Devices2 
