System and method for validating download or configuration assignment for an EGM or EGM collection
View Patent ↗A slot management system including a download and configuration server-based sub-system and method is disclosed for use with game devices, systems, and methods is provided to enable users to monitor, control, and modify different game devices and other related activities. The slot management system includes a validator that validates assignments to modify game devices.
1. An assignment validator for processing an assignment that modifies a gaming machine comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one computer readable storage medium; and
an assignment validation module that is stored in the at least one computer readable storage medium and that is configured, when executed by the at least one processor, to:
receive a first assignment to modify a gaming machine;
determine whether the first assignment would be executed successfully at a scheduled execution time of the first assignment based at least on current state information by the assignment validation module being configured, when executed by the at least one processor, to at least:
determine whether a second assignment to modify the gaming machine is scheduled;
estimate a completion time for when the first assignment and the second assignment, if any, are completed;
determine whether the estimated completion time is no later than a scheduled implementation time of the gaming machine, wherein the gaming machine is scheduled to implement modifications based on the first assignment and the second assignment, if any, by the scheduled implementation time;
determine that the first assignment and the second assignment conflict in response to determining that the estimated completion time is later than the scheduled implementation time;
and
provide a notification indicating that the first assignment would not be executed successfully at the scheduled execution time of the first assignment, at a time that is prior to the scheduled execution time of the first assignment.
2. The assignment validator of claim 1 wherein the assignment validation module is further configured to:
determine that the second assignment conflicts with the first assignment based at least in part on when the second assignment to modify the gaming machine is scheduled.
3. The assignment validator of claim 1 wherein the assignment validation module is further configured to determine whether the second assignment, if any, conflicts with the first assignment by:
estimating a state of the gaming machine at a time when the second assignment is completed; and
determining whether the estimated state of the gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the first assignment.
4. The assignment validator of claim 1 wherein the assignment validation module is further configured to determine whether the second assignment, if any, conflicts with the first assignment by:
estimating a state of the gaming machine at a time when the first assignment is completed; and
determining whether the estimated state of the gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the second assignment.
5. The assignment validator of claim 1 , comprising:
a display device that displays the notification.
6. A computer implemented method of processing an assignment that modifies a gaming machine, the method comprising:
at a time that is prior to an execution time,
receiving, by a computer processor of an assignment processing machine, a first assignment to modify a gaming machine;
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, whether the first assignment would be executed successfully at a scheduled execution time of the first assignment based at least on current state information by at least:
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, whether a second assignment to modify the gaming machine is scheduled;
estimating, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, a completion time for when the first assignment and the second assignment, if any, are completed;
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, whether the estimated completion time is no later than a scheduled implementation time of the gaming machine, wherein the gaming machine is scheduled to implement modifications based on the first assignment and the second assignment, if any, at the scheduled implementation time;
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, that the first assignment and the second assignment conflict in response to determining that the estimated completion time is later than the scheduled implementation time;
and
providing, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, a notification indicating that the first assignment would not be executed successfully at the scheduled execution time of the first assignment.
7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 , comprising:
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, that the second assignment conflicts with the first assignment based at least in part when the second assignment is scheduled.
8. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein the determining whether the second assignment conflicts with the first assignment includes:
estimating, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, a state of the gaming machine at a time when the second assignment is completed; and
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, whether the estimated state of the gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the first assignment.
9. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein the determining whether the second assignment conflicts with the first assignment includes:
estimating, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, a state of the gaming machine at a time when the first assignment is completed; and
determining, by the computer processor of the assignment processing machine, whether the estimated state of the gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the second assignment.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the assignment processing machine is also the gaming machine.
11. An assignment validator to process assignments that modify gaming machines, the assignment validator comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one computer readable storage medium that stores a number of processor-executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
receive a first assignment to modify a first gaming machine;
determine that a second assignment to modify the first gaming machine is scheduled;
estimate a completion time for when the first assignment and the second assignment are completed;
determine whether the estimated completion time is no later than a scheduled implementation time of the first gaming machine, wherein the first gaming machine is scheduled to implement modifications based on the first assignment and the second assignment, if any, by the scheduled implementation time;
determine that the first assignment and the second assignment conflict in response to determining that the estimated completion time is later than the scheduled implementation time;
determine whether the first assignment and the second assignment would be executed successfully; and
provide a notification indicating that the first and the second assignments would not be executed successfully, at a time that is prior to a respective execution time of the first assignment and the second assignment.
12. The assignment validator of claim 11 wherein the assignment validation module is further configured to:
determine that the second assignment conflicts with the first assignment based at least in part on when the second assignment to modify the first gaming machine is scheduled.
13. The assignment validator of claim 11 wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
estimate a state of the first gaming machine at a time when the second assignment is completed; and
determine whether the estimated state of the first gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the first assignment.
14. The assignment validator of claim 11 wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
estimate a state of the first gaming machine at a time when the first assignment is completed; and
determine whether the estimated state of the first gaming machine is a valid state for successful completion of the second assignment.