Host-Independent Subsystem for Remote Gaming Machine Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wagering gaming machines often require manual intervention for maintenance and content updates, which is laborious and costly, and players lose interest due to repetitive gaming content, necessitating frequent updates of game themes and bonus events.
Innovation Solution
A host-independent subsystem within gaming machines allows for remote management, enabling asset tracking, error diagnosis, and repair independently of the host platform's power or operating system state, using a nonvolatile data store and separate processor to store game versions and logs, and facilitating communication with a master game server for automated updates and repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is used for maintenance and content updates, then operators can directly access and repair gaming machines, but labor costs and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The gaming machine performs self-diagnosis and self-reporting of its operational status, asset inventory, and error conditions through the host-independent subsystem. This eliminates the need for operators to manually inspect each machine, allowing the system to serve itself by automatically communicating its state to the game server.
Solution Approach 2:
A host-independent subsystem acts as an intermediary between the gaming machine's host platform and the game server. This subsystem can communicate machine status, asset inventory, and error information remotely without requiring operator presence, thereby reducing travel time and enabling faster response to operational issues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If operators physically visit each gaming machine for content updates, then gaming content can be updated, but labor costs and operational disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The host-independent subsystem automatically manages gaming content updates by receiving updated content from the game server and installing it without operator intervention. This self-service capability allows frequent content updates to maintain player interest without the labor burden of manual updates.
Solution Approach 2:
Updated gaming content is prepared and staged on the game server before being deployed to gaming machines. The host-independent subsystem receives and installs updates during scheduled maintenance windows or low-traffic periods, preparing content in advance to minimize operational disruption.
3Loss of information
If a host-dependent system is used for asset tracking, then inventory information can be accessed, but the system cannot operate when the host platform is down
Solution Approach 1:
The asset tracking functionality is segmented from the host platform into a separate host-independent subsystem. This subsystem maintains its own processor and nonvolatile data store, allowing it to independently track and report asset inventory even when the host platform is powered down or malfunctioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The host-independent subsystem serves as an intermediary that maintains continuous asset inventory tracking and communicates this information to the game server. By being independent of the host platform's power state, it ensures uninterrupted monitoring of gaming machine assets and enables remote awareness of inventory status.
4Loss of information
If manual reporting processes are used for tracking gaming content, then operators can monitor content versions, but the process becomes laborious and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The host-independent subsystem automatically generates and transmits reports regarding gaming content versions, asset inventory, and machine status to the game server. This automated self-service reporting eliminates manual data collection and entry, reducing errors and improving the efficiency of content tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes continuous feedback loops where the host-independent subsystem regularly reports asset and content status to the game server, which can then provide updates or instructions. This automated feedback mechanism ensures accurate, real-time tracking of gaming content versions without manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatus and methods for remote management of a gaming machine are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a host platform having a host processor controlled by a host operating system. The host platform has a host storage and a host power state, wherein the host processor is to execute instructions that includes a wagering game. The apparatus also includes a subsystem that is operable independent of the host operating system and the host power state. The subsystem includes a processor that is separate from the host processor. The subsystem also includes a nonvolatile data store that is separate from the storage of the host platform.