Download and configuration system for gaming machines

Abstract

The system allows a casino operator to manage groups of electronic gaming machines (EGMs). Managing new or existing collections (i.e., groups) of gaming devices reduces the effort required to download or configure large numbers of EGMs. For example, new software may be downloaded to groups of EGMs from a central location, and the EGMs may be configured from the central location. Accordingly, this operational efficiency reduces maintenance costs and minimizes EGM downtime due to maintenance or EGM set-up.

1 . A system for providing software to one or more gaming machines comprising: 
 a software distribution point for generating a download package and sending the package as a plurality of packets to the one or more gaming machines as part of a multicast;    at each gaming machine receiving the packets and determining if all packets have been received;    requesting dropped packets from the software distribution point: resending all dropped packets in a multicast.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the multicast is done as a background process.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a download control process on a gaming machine communicates with a system management point to control the download of the package.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3  further including a download receiver, download driver, and package installer on the gaming machine.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4  further including validating the package before installation.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  further including checking for software prerequisites before installing the package.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  further including downloading software prerequisites when needed before installing the package.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7  further including checking for hardware prerequisites before installing the package.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  further including dividing memory on a gaming machine into partitions.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the partitions comprise a manifest partition, a games partition and a download partition.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8  further including disabling the game machine when installation conditions have been met.  
   
   
       12 . A system of initializing a gaming machine comprising: 
 a storage media having boot-strap instruction on the gaming machine;    communications means using the boot-strap instructions to initialize communications with a server upon initial start-up of the gaming machine and requesting a software package from the server;    the gaming machine receiving the software package and installing the software package on the gaming machine using the boot-strap instructions.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the boot-strap instructions include a default address of a server for communication.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the server is an SMP network server.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the boot-strap instructions request a default boot-strap package from the server.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the server is an SDP.