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Methods and devices for managing gaming networksRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), Credit/debit Monitoring Or Manipulation (e.g., Game Entry, Betting, Prize Level, Etc.)Methods and devices for managing gaming networks description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070026935, Methods and devices for managing gaming networks. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/704,634 entitled "SERVER BASED GAMING" and filed Aug. 1, 2005 by Wolf et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. This application is related to U.S. patent application No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. IGT1P253), entitled "METHODS AND DEVICES FOR AUTHENTICATION AND LICENSING IN A GAMING NETWORK" (the "License Manager Application") by Kinsley et al. and filed concurrently with this application, which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to networks of gaming machines, such as slot machines and video poker machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and devices for managing and provisioning gaming machines and other devices in a gaming network. [0003] The gaming machines under the control of a particular entity may be globally distributed in many different types of establishments. Casinos, convenience stores, supermarkets, bars and boats are a few examples of establishments where gaming machines may be placed. [0004] Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, a gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control input devices, such as bill validators and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from devices, including key pads and button pads, to determine the wager amount and initiate game play. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game. [0005] The operations described above may be carried out on the gaming machine when the gaming machine is operating as a "stand alone" unit or linked in a network of some type to a group of gaming machines. As technology in the gaming industry progresses, more and more gaming services are being provided to gaming machines via communication networks that link groups of gaming machines to a networked computer (which may be a local or a remote computer) that provides one or more gaming services. As an example, gaming services that may be provided by a networked computer to a gaming machine via a communication network of some type include player tracking, accounting, cashless award ticketing, lottery, progressive games and bonus games. [0006] Typically, network gaming services enhance the game playing capabilities of the gaming machine or provide some operational advantage in regards to maintaining the gaming machine. Thus, network gaming services provided to groups of gaming machines linked over a dedicated communication network of some type have become very popular in the gaming industry. In general, the dedicated communication network is not accessible to the public. To justify the costs associated with the infrastructure needed to provide network gaming services on a dedicated communication network, a certain critical number of gaming machines linked in a network of some type must utilize the service. Thus, many of the network gaming services are only provided at larger gaming establishments where a large number of gaming machines are deployed. [0007] One example wherein a group of gaming machines are linked using a dedicated network to provide a network gaming service is a progressive game network. The progressive game services enabled by the progressive game network increase the game playing capabilities of a particular gaming machine by enabling a larger jackpot than would be possible if the gaming machine was operating in a "stand alone" mode. The potential size of the jackpot increases as the number gaming machines connected in the progressive network is increased. The size of the jackpot tends to increase game play on gaming machines offering a progressive jackpot, which justifies the costs associated with installing and maintaining the dedicated progressive game network. [0008] However, there are many aspects of managing and provisioning gaming machines that are still performed manually. For example, in a time consuming process, installing a new game has previously involved manually exchanging an EPROM (e.g. a read-only memory) containing the game on the gaming machine. The software is manually loaded because the gaming software is very highly regulated and in most gaming jurisdictions only approved gaming software may be installed on a gaming machine. Further, the gaming software is manually loaded for security reasons, in order to prevent the source code from being obtained by individuals who might use the source code to try to find ways of cheating the gaming machine. Other attributes of gaming machines, such as the denomination, pay tables, etc., are also manually configured for similar reasons. [0009] It would be desirable to provide methods and devices that overcome at least some of these drawbacks of the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] Some implementations of the invention provide methods and devices for managing gaming establishments and for provisioning and configuring gaming machines. Some such implementations allow a user to configure one or more gaming machines via an easy-to-use GUI displayed on a wired or a wireless device, such as a laptop, a PDA, a work station or other host device. Gaming machine configurations that can be changed according to some implementations of the invention include game denominations, games to enable, disable or download, game payback percentage, deal speed, volume level and enabling or disabling tournament play. [0011] Some preferred implementations of the invention provide an event scheduler that allows a user either to cause events to occur immediately or schedule certain events to occur at a future time. Some implementations of the invention allow a user to generate activity reports highlighting configuration changes, user logins, game set additions, and/or game downloading. Novel methods and devices for authentication are also provided herein. Some implementations of the invention allow a user to manage easily game downloads to a local server and/or to each gaming machine. [0012] Some aspects of the invention provide a method of controlling a gaming network that includes these steps: selecting a first configuration change for a first gaming machine in a gaming network; indicating a first time for attempting to implement the first configuration change; and implementing the first configuration change by automatically sending a signal to the first gaming machine via the gaming network. The signal may be automatically sent to the first gaming machine at the first time when a configuration change condition is satisfied. The implementing step may involve automatically sending a signal from a server to the first gaming machine. [0013] The method may include the step of determining, before the implementing step, whether game play credits of the first gaming machine are zero. The selecting step and/or the indicating step may be performed by interacting with a graphical user interface on a device other than the first gaming machine, the device being configured for communication with the gaming network. The device may be a hand-held device. The device may be a host device configured for wired or wireless communication with the gaming network. [0014] The method may also include these steps: indicating 2.sup.nd through N.sup.th times for implementing each of 2.sup.nd through N.sup.th configuration changes; and implementing the 2.sup.nd through N.sup.th configuration changes by automatically sending 2.sup.nd through N.sup.th signals to the first gaming machine via the gaming network. [0015] The selecting step may involve selecting a first configuration change for each of 1.sup.st through N.sup.th gaming machines in a gaming network. The implementing step may comprise implementing the first configuration change by automatically sending 1.sup.st through N.sup.th signals to the 1.sup.st through N.sup.th gaming machines via the gaming network. The 1.sup.st through N.sup.th gaming machines may comprise a bank of gaming machines. [0016] The method may also include indicating a default configuration for the first gaming machine and applying the default configuration to the first gaming machine after the first configuration change when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition may be a passage of time. A first time duration may be indicated for the first configuration change. The first configuration change may be, for example, a denomination change, a paytable change, a display change, a game change and/or a tournament configuration. [0017] The selecting step may involve selecting game software to be downloaded to the first gaming machine. If so, the implementing step may involve causing the selected game software to be downloaded to the first gaming machine. [0018] The implementing step may be delayed if one or more configuration change conditions are (or are not) met, e.g., when it is determined that game play credits of the first gaming machine are not zero. [0019] Some aspects of the invention provide computer software embodied in a machine-readable medium. The computer software includes instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps: present a depiction of gaming machines in a gaming network; indicate a present configuration of a gaming machine; receive gaming machine configuration commands from a user; and implement the gaming machine configuration commands by sending configuration signals to one or more gaming machines in the gaming network. [0020] The software may include instructions for controlling a display to indicate the present configuration of the gaming machine in response to user input. The software may also include instructions for controlling a display to indicate whether a gaming machine is assigned to a bank, to indicate whether a gaming machine is currently in communication with the gaming network, to indicate whether a gaming machine is currently downloading data from the gaming network and/or to indicate a gaming establishment in which a gaming machine is located. [0021] The software may cause configuration signals to be sent to gaming machines in more than one gaming establishment. The software may include instructions for controlling a device to provide a graphical user interface for receiving gaming machine configuration commands from a user. In some implementations of the invention, the software includes instructions for controlling a device to send configuration signals to a plurality of gaming machines in the gaming network in response to a single set of gaming machine configuration commands received from a user. Continue reading about Methods and devices for managing gaming networks... Full patent description for Methods and devices for managing gaming networks Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Methods and devices for managing gaming networks patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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