Tournament Server Web Service Protocols for Gaming Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Networked gaming systems lack efficient communication protocols for managing and presenting network-based and tournament games across multiple gaming devices, leading to inefficiencies in player tracking, resource management, and game configuration.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system with a tournament server and player interface units that utilize web service protocols to communicate and manage tournament games, enabling players to participate in network-based and tournament games across multiple devices, with features like player tracking, reward systems, and efficient resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional communication protocols are used in networked gaming systems, then device compatibility and ease of implementation are maintained, but system efficiency, player tracking accuracy, and tournament management capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tournament server as an intermediary component that mediates communication between gaming devices and the central system. This server implements standardized communication protocols, allowing gaming devices to communicate efficiently without each device needing complex direct communication capabilities. The tournament server handles player tracking, score management, and coordination, thereby improving overall system productivity while keeping individual device complexity manageable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If player tracking and tournament management features are added to gaming devices, then player engagement and operational efficiency improve, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gaming system into distinct functional components: gaming devices that handle base game play, a tournament server that manages tournament logic and player tracking, and a central system that handles overall coordination. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - gaming devices remain relatively simple while the tournament server provides advanced tracking and management capabilities, thereby increasing overall system adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tournament server is designed as a universal component that can manage multiple tournaments, track multiple players, and interface with various gaming devices through standardized protocols. This multi-functional design allows the system to handle diverse gaming scenarios and player configurations without requiring custom implementations for each case, improving versatility while maintaining manageable complexity through standardization.
3Productivity
If resource management and game configuration capabilities are centralized on the server, then operational efficiency and resource allocation improve, but communication overhead and system latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tournament server performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring tournament parameters, player assignments, and game settings before tournaments begin. Game configurations and resource allocations are established in advance, allowing the system to minimize real-time communication overhead during actual gameplay. This preliminary setup reduces the need for frequent server-device communications during critical gaming moments, thereby improving resource management efficiency while minimizing communication latency during play.
Data Source
AI summary
Networked gaming systems and the communication protocols for presenting a network-based games or network-based tournament games are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, the gaming system includes a plurality of gaming devices in communication with a tournament server. Each gaming device includes a base game and a secondary device having a display and a processor. The secondary device is operatively associated with the gaming device, and the secondary device enables a player to play a tournament game that is presented amongst one or more of the plurality of gaming devices. The secondary device is in communication with the tournament server through web service protocols. The tournament controller sends and receives player-related data and tournament-related data to and from one or more of the secondary devices participating in the tournament game.