Slim Terminal Gaming System

Abstract

A computer gaming system and method of operation thereof are provided that both drastically reduce the cost of gaming stations and allow contemporaneous access to multiple game programs from a single gaming station. The computer gaming system of the present invention allows for transparent modifications and upgrades to the gaming programs by executing gaming programs on a server/host computer connected to a plurality of client/terminal computers via communication pathways. Each client/terminal computer comprises a client/terminal program that allows input and output streams of the gaming program executed on the server/host computer to be separated and redirected to the client/terminal computers. Since the gaining programs are executed entirely on the server/host computer, with only wagering input and display output operations being executed on the client/terminal computers, the cost of the hardware and software required for each client/terminal computer is greatly reduced. A patron of a client/terminal computer can access any of the gaming programs executed on the server/host computer. Modifications and upgrades of the gaming programs only need to be performed on the server/host computer. By using a stereo head-mounted display together with a joystick input device and wireless communication pathways, the present invention allows a patron to participate in a mobile gaming environment.

1 . A computer gaming system comprising: 
 two or more display devices; and    two or more input devices, each associated to one of the display devices for connecting to a server/host computer via communication pathways;    wherein the server/host computer comprises one or more computer gaming programs; and    wherein multiple gaming threads for at least one of the computer gaming programs are executed on the server/host computer and input and output streams associated with each gaming thread are directed to separate display and input devices.    
   
   
       2 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein server/host computer further executes an operating system program.  
   
   
       3 . The computer gaming system of  claim 2 , wherein server/host computer is a multi-threading operating system program.  
   
   
       4 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , further comprising a client/terminal program executed by at least one of the input devices.  
   
   
       5 . The computer gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein an input command detected during execution of the client/terminal program on one of the input devices is transmitted to the server/host computer executing the computer gaming program over the communication pathways and, in response to the input command, the execution of the computer gaming program on the server/host computer is altered.  
   
   
       6 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer gaming program is a casino gaming program.  
   
   
       7 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one client/terminal computer further comprises a touch screen display device.  
   
   
       8 . The computer gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the input devices further comprises a wager-acceptor device.  
   
   
       9 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein two or more computer gaming programs are executed on the server/host computers and the input and output streams of the computer gaming programs are redirected to one or more of the input devices.  
   
   
       10 . The computer gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the input and output streams of a first computer gaming program executed on one of the server/host computers are redirected to a first plurality of the input devices and the input and output streams of a second computer gaming program executed on one of the server/host computers are redirected to a second plurality of the input devices.  
   
   
       11 . The computer gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the input and output streams of both the first and the second computer gaming programs executed on one of the server/host computers are redirected to a same input device.  
   
   
       12 . The computer gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the input and output streams of the first gaming program are redirected to a window displayed on a screen of one of the display devices and the input and output streams of the second gaming program are redirected to a sub-window of the window displayed on the screen of the display device.  
   
   
       13 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication pathways comprise a local area network or a wide area network.  
   
   
       14 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the input devices further comprises: 
 a head-mounted display device;    a joystick input device; and    wireless communication pathways.    
   
   
       15 . The computer gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication pathways comprise a global network.  
   
   
       16 . The computer gaming system of  claim 15 , wherein the client/terminal program is first downloaded from one of the server/host computers to one of the input devices over the global network.  
   
   
       17 . The computer gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein a patron of one of the input devices requests that the client/terminal program be downloaded from one of the server/host computers by accessing a web page.  
   
   
       18 . A method of operating a computer gaming system comprising two or more display devices and two or more input devices, each associated to one of the display devices for connecting to a server/host computer via communication pathways, the method comprising: 
 executing one or more computer gaming programs on the server/host computer; and    executing multiple gaming threads for at least one of the computer gaming programs on the server/host computer and input and output streams associated with each gaming thread are directed to separate display and input devices.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 transmitting over the communications pathways an input command detected during execution of the client/terminal program on one of the input devices to the server/host computer executing the computer gaming program; and    in response to the input command, altering the execution of the computer gaming program on the server/host computer.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the computer gaming program is a casino gaming program.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the input devices further comprises a touch screen display device.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the input devices further comprises a wager-acceptor device.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 executing two or more computer gaming programs on the server/host computer; and    separating input and output streams of the computer gaming programs executed on the server/host computer and redirecting the input and output streams to the input devices.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 separating input an output streams of a first computer gaming program executed on one of the server/host computers and redirecting the input and output streams of the first computer gaining program to a first plurality of the input devices; and    separating input and output streams of a second computer gaming program executed on one of the server/host computers and redirecting the input and output streams of the second computer gaming program to a second plurality of the input devices.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the input and output streams of both the first and the second computer gaming programs are redirected to one of the input devices.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the input and output streams of the first computer gaming program are redirected to a window displayed on a screen of one of the input devices and the input and output streams of the second computer gaming program are redirected to a sub-window of the window displayed on the screen of the input device.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the communication pathways comprise a local area network or a wide area network.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the communication pathways comprise a global network.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the client/terminal program is first downloaded from one of the server/host computers to one of the input devices over the global network.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 a patron of one of the client/terminal computer requesting that the client/terminal program be downloaded from one of the server/host computers by accessing a web page.