Methods and systems for electronic virtual races

Abstract

A method of making a new game available to a plurality of geographically distributed gaming terminals includes steps of accessing a central server over a computer network; querying a central database coupled to the central server to ascertain whether any new games for at least one of the plurality the gaming terminals are stored in the central database; receiving over the computer network any stored new games for the plurality of gaming terminals in a local database, the local database being local to the plurality of gaming terminals, and accessing the local database by at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, searching the local database for any available assigned new games and downloading and installing any available assigned new games found as a result of searching the local database.

1 . A method of making a new game available to a plurality of geographically distributed gaming terminals, comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a central server over a computer network;    querying a central database coupled to the central server to ascertain whether any new games for at least one of the plurality the gaming terminals are stored in the central database;    receiving over the computer network any stored new games for the plurality of gaming terminals in a local database, the local database being local to the plurality of gaming terminals;    accessing the local database by at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, searching the local database for any available assigned new games and downloading and installing any available assigned new games found as a result of searching the local database.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the querying step is carried out by a local controller coupled to a grouping of gaming terminals.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the querying step is carried out at one of a predetermined time interval and responsive to a predetermined event.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined event includes a re-booting or resetting of the local controller.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of associating each stored new game with at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updates in the accessing step implement a first theme on at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals located at a first one of the plurality of geographically distributed sites, and wherein the updates implement a second theme that is different from the first theme on at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals located at a second one of the plurality of geographically distributed sites.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further including steps of the central server downloading first updates from the central database to a first local database and downloading second updates that are different from the first updates from the central database to a second local database that is geographically remote from the first local database.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first updates implement a first theme on the gaming terminals coupled to the first local database and wherein the second updates implement a second theme on the gaming terminals coupled to the second local database.  
   
   
       9 . A method of updating a plurality of gaming terminals, comprising: 
 providing a central server;    providing a local controller and coupling the local controller to the central server and to the plurality of gaming terminals;    providing a local database and coupling the local database to the local controller;    providing a central database, coupling the central database to the central server and storing updates assigned to the plurality of gaming terminals in the central database;    storing, in the local database, updates assigned to the plurality of gaming terminals received from the central database via the central server, and    subscribing, by the plurality of gaming terminals, to receive updates from the local database;    publishing, by the local controller, the updates to those gaming terminals having subscribed to receive the updates, and    installing the updates in those gaming terminals having subscribed to receive the updates.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including a step of associating each of the plurality of gaming terminals with a unique identifier and storing, in the central database, the unique identifier of each of the plurality of gaming terminals having subscribed to receive the updates.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the updates include software updates to at least one of the local controller and the plurality of gaming terminals.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the updates include updated content for the at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the updated content includes at least one of a video sequence, animation and graphics.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the updated content includes at least one new game.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the updated content includes a new feature for a currently installed game.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the updated content includes a new theme.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 9 , further including a step of the local controller accessing the central server and the central database at a selectable predetermined time.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 9 , further including a step of the local controller periodically resetting itself and subsequently searching the local database for recently received updates.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the updates implement a central theme on at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals located at a central one of the plurality of geographically distributed sites, and wherein the updates implement a local theme that is different from the central theme on at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals located at a local one of the plurality of geographically distributed sites.