Flex-time scheduling of electronic gaming machines
View Patent ↗An illustrative method controls changes to be made in electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that permit wagering on games. A schedule of conditions to be implemented by one or more EGMs is stored in memory. The schedule includes records containing the identity of an EGM, conditions to be implemented by the identified EGM, dates on which the conditions are to be implemented, and start and end times during which the implementation is to occur. Each record stores a priority parameter. It is determined that at least two records are to be implemented on the same date such that a time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions associated with the first and second records would result. A time sequence of execution of the first and second records is determined based on the respective priority parameters of each of the first and second records. The execution of the first and second records is caused in accord with the determined sequence to avoid the time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions.
1. A method for controlling electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that permit wagering on games comprising the steps of:
storing in memory a schedule of conditions to be implemented by one or more EGMs, the schedule comprising records where each record includes the identity of a first of the one or more EGMs, conditions to be implemented by the first EGM, dates on which the conditions are to be implemented, and start and end times defining an interval during which the implementation is to occur beginning at any time within the interval determined automatically by a controller;
storing with each record a priority parameter that is entered for each record at the time the record is initially stored in memory;
determining that at least first and second records are to be implemented on the same date such that a time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions associated with the first and second records would result;
determining a serial time sequence of execution of conditions associated with the first and second records based on the respective stored priority parameters of each; and
causing the execution of the conditions associated with the one of the first and second records with the highest associated stored priority parameter to begin first in accord with said sequence to avoid said time overlap, where the selection of the one of the first and second records to be first executed is not controlled by the respective start times associated with the first and second records, and where the execution begins at a time within the interval that is different from a time the execution would have begun had the time overlap not occurred.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing with each record an amount of time required to effectuate the condition associated with the record.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority parameter comprises an assigned value associated with a scale of values ranging from a highest priority to a lowest priority.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the priority parameter of the second record comprises a time T by which the condition associated with the second record is to be completed.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein X amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the second record, the sequence determining step specifying the sequence of execution of the first and second records such that the executing of the first record is set to occur outside of the interval between time T−X and time T.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein Y amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the first record, the sequence determining step specifying the sequence of the execution of the first and second records such that the execution of the first record is set to begin prior to time T−X−Y even if the start time stored in the first record specifies a start time that would not satisfy a time prior the T−X−Y time.
7. A server coupled to electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that permit wagering on games where the EGMs and server function in a client/server relationship, the server comprising:
memory that stores a schedule of conditions to be implemented by one or more EGMs, the schedule comprising records where each record includes the identity of an EGM, conditions to be implemented by the identified EGM, dates on which the conditions are to be implemented, and start and end times defining an interval during which the implementation is to occur starting at any time within the interval determined automatically by a microprocessing unit;
each record including a priority parameter that is stored with each record at the time the record is initially stored in memory;
the microprocessing unit determines that at least first and second records are to be implemented on the same date such that a time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions associated with the first and second records would result;
the microprocessing unit further determines a serial sequence of execution of the first and second records based on the respective stored priority parameters of each; and
the microprocessing unit transmitting messages to the respective EGMs associated with the first and second records causing the execution of the conditions associated with the first and second records in accord with said sequence to avoid said time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions, where the selection of the one of the first and second records to be first executed is not controlled by the respective start times associated with the first and second records such that the starting time of the first execution begins at a time that is different from a time the first execution would have started had the time overlap not occurred.
8. The server of claim 7 further comprising the memory storing with each record an amount of time required to effectuate the condition associated with the record.
9. The server of claim 7 wherein the priority parameter comprises an assigned value associated with a scale of values ranging from a highest priority to a lowest priority.
10. The server of claim 8 wherein the priority parameter of the second record comprises a time T by which the condition associated with the second record is to be completed.
11. The server of claim 10 wherein X amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the second record, the microprocessing unit selecting the sequence of execution of the first and second records such that the executing of the first record is set to occur outside of the interval between time T−X and time T.
12. The server of claim 11 wherein Y amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the first record, the microprocessing unit selecting the sequence of the execution of the first and second records such that the execution of the first record is set to begin prior to time T−X−Y even if the start time stored in the first record specifies a start time that would not satisfy a time prior the T−X−Y time.
13. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games comprising:
memory that stores a schedule of conditions to be implemented by the EGM, the schedule comprising records where each record includes conditions to be implemented by the EGM, dates on which the conditions are to be implemented, and start and end times defining an interval during which the implementation is to occur beginning at any time within the interval determined automatically by a microprocessing unit;
each record including a priority parameter that is entered for each record at the time the record is initially stored in memory;
the microprocessing unit determines that at least first and second records are to be implemented on the same date such that a time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions associated with the first and second records would result;
the microprocessing unit further determines a serial sequence of execution of the first and second records based on the respective priority parameters of each;
the microprocessing unit causing the execution of the conditions associated with the first and second records in accord with said sequence to avoid said time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions, where the selection of the one of the first and second records to be first executed is not controlled by the respective start times associated with the first and second records such that the first execution begins at a time that is different from a time the first execution would have begun had the time overlap not occurred.
14. The EGM of claim 13 further comprising the memory storing with each record an amount of time required to effectuate the condition associated with the record.
15. The EGM of claim 13 wherein the priority parameter comprises an assigned value associated with a scale of values ranging from a highest priority to a lowest priority.
16. The EGM of claim 14 wherein the priority parameter of the second record comprises a time T by which the condition associated with the second record is to be completed.
17. The EGM of claim 16 wherein X amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the second record, the microprocessing unit selecting the sequence of execution of the first and second records such that the executing of the first record is set to occur outside of the interval between time T−X and time T.
18. The EGM of claim 17 wherein Y amount of time is specified to effectuate the condition associated with the first record, the microprocessing unit selecting the sequence of the execution of the first and second records such that the execution of the first record is set to begin prior to time T−X−Y even if the start time stored in the first record specifies a start time that would not satisfy a time prior the T−X−Y time.
19. The method of claim 1 performed by a server directed by instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
20. The method of claim 1 performed by an electronic gaming machine directed by instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.