Progressive service in a service-oriented gaming network environment

Abstract

A gaming services framework comprises a set of services, protocols, XML schemas, and methods for providing gaming system functionality in a distributed, network based architecture that includes gaming machines and servers. Systems and methods provide a service-oriented framework for gaming and property management based upon internetworking technology and web services concepts. One aspect of the systems and methods includes a progressive service that operates to publish service details, receive registration requests from gaming machines and other clients, and provides progressive gaming services to the gaming machines and other clients.

1 . A method for providing a progressive service to gaming machines in a gaming network, the method comprising: 
 publishing the availability of a progressive service on the gaming network;    receiving a request to register with the progressive service from a gaming machine and    processing one or more service requests between the gaming machine and the progressive service, said service requests conforming to a internetworking protocol.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the progressive service comprises a web service.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL)  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of a progressive configuration update by the gaming machine.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 receiving a progressive configuration change; and    issuing a notification of the progressive configuration update to the gaming machine in response to the progressive configuration change.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming machine to stop notification of an update to the progressive configuration.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a request to download a progressive configuration to the gaming machine.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the service request is initiated by the gaming machine.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the service request is initiated by the progressive service.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a notification of an update to a progressive amount.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises an updated progressive amount.  
   
   
       13 . A method for participating in a progressive game on a gaming machine via a progressive service in a gaming network, the method comprising: 
 issuing a request to discover a service description for the progressive service;    receiving the service description;    registering with the progressive service; and    processing one or more service requests between the gaming machine and the progressive service.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the progressive service comprises a web service.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the service description comprises a web services description language.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of a progressive configuration update.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the service request comprises a notification for a play event on the gaming machine.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the service request comprises a notification of a jackpot won event.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of progressive amount updates.  
   
   
       20 . A gaming network system providing a progressive service, the gaming network system comprising: 
 a progressive service communicably coupled to a gaming network;    a discovery agent communicably coupled to the gaming network; and    at least one gaming machine communicably coupled to the gaming network;    wherein the progressive service is operable to: 
 publish the availability of the progressive service to the discovery agent;  
 receive registration requests from the at least one gaming machine; and  
 process service requests between the gaming machine and the progressive service.  
   
   
   
       21 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the progressive service comprises a web service.  
   
   
       22 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming machine for a progressive configuration update.  
   
   
       23 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the progressive service is further operable to: 
 receive a progressive configuration change; and    issue a notification of the progressive configuration update to the gaming machine in response to the progressive configuration change.    
   
   
       24 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the service request comprises a request to download a progressive configuration to the gaming machine.  
   
   
       25 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the service request comprises a notification for a play event on the gaming machine.  
   
   
       26 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the service request comprises a notification of a jackpot won event.  
   
   
       27 . The gaming network system of  claim 20 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of progressive amount updates.  
   
   
       28 . A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for providing a progressive service to gaming machines in a gaming network, the method comprising: 
 publishing the availability of a progressive service on the gaming network;    receiving a request to register with the progressive service from a gaming machine; and    processing one or more service requests between the gaming machine and the progressive service.    
   
   
       29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the progressive service comprises a web service.  
   
   
       30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.  
   
   
       31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 30 , wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL)  
   
   
       32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of a progressive configuration update by the gaming machine.  
   
   
       33 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 receiving a progressive configuration change; and    issuing a notification of the progressive configuration update to the gaming machine in response to the progressive configuration change.    
   
   
       34 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the service request comprises a request by the gaming machine to stop notification of an update to the progressive configuration.  
   
   
       35 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the service request comprises a request to download a progressive configuration to the gaming machine.  
   
   
       36 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the service request is initiated by the gaming machine.  
   
   
       37 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the service request is initiated by the progressive service.  
   
   
       38 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the service request comprises a notification of an update to a progressive amount.  
   
   
       39 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the service request comprises an updated progressive amount.  
   
   
       40 . A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for participating in a progressive game on a gaming machine via a progressive service in a gaming network, the method comprising: 
 issuing a request to discover a service description for the progressive service;    receiving the service description;    registering with the progressive service; and    processing one or more service requests between the gaming machine and the progressive service.    
   
   
       41 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the progressive service comprises a web service.  
   
   
       42 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the service description comprises a web services description language.  
   
   
       43 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of a progressive configuration update.  
   
   
       44 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the service request comprises a notification for a play event on the gaming machine.  
   
   
       45 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the service request comprises a notification of a jackpot won event.  
   
   
       46 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the service request comprises a request for notification of progressive amount updates.