Granted Patent B2

US 10,453,299 · App. 12/976,639 · Granted Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Claims (87)

1. A method for enabling restoration of games, comprising:

receiving, at a first gaming device including a first credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player, the first credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader, a request for subsequent restoration of a game;

storing, in a game state identifier database, a plurality of game state identifiers, each game state identifier associated with one or more game states of the game;

identifying, by a first game controller of the first gaming device, a current game state of the game presented on a display of the first gaming device;

selecting, by the first game controller, a game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers associated with the current game state;

requesting, by the first game controller, a session identifier from a session server through a network, wherein the session identifier is generated based upon a random number and independently of the game state identifier in response to the requesting;

issuing, by the first game controller, at the first gaming device, the game state identifier and the session identifier;

registering, by the first game controller, at least one of the game state identifier and the session identifier with a player account of the player, whereby the player is enabled to restore the game using only the player account if desired by the player;

receiving the game state identifier and the session identifier at a second game controller of a second gaming device, the second gaming device including a second credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from the player, the second credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader;

communicating, by the second game controller, the session identifier from the second gaming device to the session server through the network;

receiving, by the second game controller, a communication that the session identifier is valid from the session server through the network;

identifying, by the second game controller, the current game state of the game using the game state identifier; and

restoring, by the second game controller, the game to the current game state on the second gaming device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising mapping each of the one or more game states to a game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein issuing the game state identifier comprises printing a ticket including the game state identifier.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein issuing the game state identifier comprises transmitting a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message including the game state identifier to a mobile communication device of the player.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the second game controller, a communication that the session identifier is invalid from the session server through the network; and

restoring, by the second game controller and in response to receiving the communication that the session identifier is invalid, the second gaming device to a state of waiting to receive a game state identifier.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the communication that the session identifier is invalid indicates that the session identifier was previously used to restore a game.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

associating, by the session server, the session identifier with an initial count value; and

decrementing, by the session server, the initial count value in response to the restoring the game to the current game state on the second gaming device, whereby the game is capable of being restored from the session identifier a number of times corresponding to the initial count value, and whereby the initial count value is decremented each time the session identifier is used to restore the game until the initial count value is decremented to zero.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, by the second game controller, a decremented count value; and

restoring, by the second game controller and in response to receiving the decremented count value, the game unless the decremented count value is equal to zero.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the first game controller and prior to issuing the the game state identifier and the session identifier, a mobile telephone number from the player; and

transmitting, by the first game controller, a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message including at least one of the game state identifier or the session identifier to a mobile communication device of the player associated with the mobile telephone number.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

associating, by the first game controller, at least one of the game state identifier or the session identifier with at least one of a personal identification number (PIN) or password; and

requesting, by the second game controller, at least one of the PIN or password prior to restoring the game to the current game state on the second gaming device.

11. A game controller for a gaming device, the gaming device including a credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player of the gaming device, the credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader, the game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed, cause the game controller to at least:

receive a request for subsequent restoration of a game;

identify a current game state of the game presented on a display of the gaming device;

select a game state identifier from a plurality of game state identifiers, the game state identifier associated with the current game state, the plurality of game state identifiers associated with respective game states and stored in a game state identifier database;

request a session identifier from a session server through a network, wherein the session identifier is generated based upon a random number and independently of the game state identifier in response to the request;

issue the game state identifier and the session identifier; and

register at least one of the game state identifier and the session identifier with a player account of the player, whereby the player is enabled to restore the game using only the player account if desired by the player.

12. The game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the game controller to map each of the respective game states to a game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers.

13. The game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the game controller to communicate with a ticket printer for printing a ticket including the game state identifier.

14. The game controller as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the game controller to communicate with an identifier transmitter for transmitting a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message including the game state identifier to a mobile communication device of the player.

15. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device comprising:

a first credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player of the first gaming device, the first credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader;

a first display configured to present play of a game to the player; and

a first game controller configured to:

receive a request for subsequent restoration of the game;

store, in a game state identifier database, a plurality of game state identifiers, each game state identifier associated with one or more game states of the game;

identify a current game state of the game presented on the first display;

select a game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers associated with the current game state;

request a session identifier from a session server through a network, wherein the session identifier is generated based upon a random number and independently of the game state identifier in response to the request;

issue the game state identifier and the session identifier; and

register at least one of the game state identifier and the session identifier with a player account of the player, whereby the player is enabled to restore the game using only the player account if desired by the player; and

a second gaming device comprising:

a second credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from the player, the second credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader;

a second display configured to present play of the game to the player; and

a second game controller configured to:

receive the game state identifier and the session identifier;

communicate the session identifier to the session server through the network;

receive a communication that the session identifier is valid from the session server through the network;

identify the current game state of the game using the game state identifier; and

restore the game to the current game state.

16. A gaming machine comprising:

a cabinet;

a display mounted within the cabinet and configured to present play of a game to a player;

a credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from the player, the credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader; and

a game controller in data communication with the credit input mechanism and the display, the game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed, cause the game controller to at least:

receive a request for subsequent restoration of the game;

identify a current game state of the game presented on the display at the gaming machine;

select a game state identifier from a plurality of game state identifiers, the game state identifier associated with the current game state, the plurality of game state identifiers associated with respective game states and stored in a game state identifier database;

request a session identifier from a session server through a network, wherein the session identifier is generated based upon a random number and independently of the game state identifier in response to the request;

issue the game state identifier and the session identifier; and

register at least one of the game state identifier and the session identifier with a player account of the player, whereby the player is enabled to restore the game using only the player account if desired by the player.

17. A game controller for a gaming device, the gaming device including a credit input mechanism configured to receive a credit input from a player of the gaming device, the credit input mechanism comprising at least one of a coin input chute, a bill collector, a card reader, or a ticket reader, the game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed, cause the game controller to at least:

store, in a game state identifier database, a plurality of game state identifiers, each game state identifier associated with one or more game states of a game presented on a display of the gaming device;

receive, in response to a first request for restoration of the game, a first game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers and a first session identifier;

communicate the first session identifier from the gaming device to a session server through a network and receive a communication from the session server that the first session identifier is valid;

identify a previous game state of the game using the first game state identifier;

restore the game to the previous game state on the gaming device;

conduct the game from the previous game state to a current game state;

receive a request for subsequent restoration of the game;

identify the current game state of the game presented on the display of the gaming device;

select a second game state identifier of the plurality of game state identifiers associated with the current game state;

request a second session identifier from the session server through the network, wherein the second session identifier is generated based upon a random number and independently of the second game state identifier in response to the request;

issue the second game state identifier and the second session identifier; and

register at least one of the second game state identifier and the second session identifier with a player account of the player, whereby the player is enabled to restore the game using only the player account if desired by the player.

Assignments (6)