Multi-platform gaming architecture

Abstract

A gaming console architecture includes a game platform interface and a game program, the game program including a plurality of functional modules, such as “combinations” and “graphics/audio” which interact via the platform interface. The game program may include a user interface module and a combinations module and communication of combinations to be displayed, are conveyed from the combinations module to the user interface module via the platform interface. The architecture allows the creation of games which run on a variety of platforms of different architectures which may be stored on a generic “game server” which stores games for execution and distribution to various platforms including electronic gaming machines, internet consoles and televisions.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A game system comprising one or more program processing components, the program processing components including a user interface console, and each of the program processing components being an instance of one of a plurality of logically different gaming program processing platforms and a set of game programs having a game program structure wherein the game program structure is capable of running on each of the plurality of different gaming program processing platforms, the program structure comprising: 
 one or more platform specific Gaming Application Programming Interfaces, each configured to run on a different one of the plurality of gaming program processing platforms; and    a plurality of platform independent game component modules comprising at least one game combination program module and at least one user interface program module, wherein each of the platform independent game component modules is capable of running on any one of the game program processing platforms, and communicates with the system and other platform independent game component modules in the plurality of platform independent game component modules only through the Gaming Application Programming Interface of the respective program processing component on which it is running;    wherein a game implementation, when run on the gaming system, comprises a Gaming Application Programming Interface running on each of the one or more program processing components, and a Game Set of platform independent game component modules each running on one of the program processing components, wherein the Game Set of platform independent game component modules cooperate to provide functionality required to play a game on the system, the Game Set of platform independent game component modules including a user interface program module and a game combination program module, the user interface program module running on the user interface console to provide game progress and outcome information to the user in response to information from the combination program module; and    wherein the Gaming Application Programming Interfaces, when running on different program processing components, communicate with one another, whereby communication between the Game Set of platform independent game component modules, whether running on the same or different program processing components, communicate with one another via their respective Gaming Application Programming Interfaces to cooperatively implement the playing of a game on the system.    
     
     
         2 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein communication of game outcomes to be displayed, are conveyed from the game combination program module to the user interface program module via the respective platform specific Gaming Application Programming interface.  
     
     
         3 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface program module comprises a graphics generation program for generating game images on a user display.  
     
     
         4 . The game system of  claim 2 , wherein communication between two or more of the gaming program processing platforms in the system is encrypted.  
     
     
         5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein communication between two or more of the gaming program processing platforms in the system is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         6 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein communication between two or more of platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is encrypted.  
     
     
         7 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein communication between two or more of the platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         8 . The game system of  claim 1 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of files each file containing one instance of one type of platform independent game component module.  
     
     
         9 . The game system of  claim 8 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of user interface program module files each containing one user interface program module, each user interface program module providing a different game appearance or game style.  
     
     
         10 . The game system of  claim 8 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of game combination program module files each containing one game combination program module and each game combination program module providing a different set of game outcome possibilities.  
     
     
         11 . A distributed gaming system incorporating the gaming system of  claim 1 , the distributed gaming system comprising: 
 a first program processing component acting as a server processing unit;    a server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface;    a plurality of second program processing components acting as gaming consoles    a plurality of gaming console specific Gaming Application Programming Interfaces, one console specific Gaming Application Programming Interface running on each gaming console; and    a plurality of games stored on the server processing unit, each game being implemented as a game set of platform independent game component modules, and    wherein the server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface located in the server processing unit functions to transfer at least one of the platform independent game component modules of one game set to a gaming console, the gaming console specific Gaming Application Programming Interface functions to enable execution of the at least one of the platform independent game components transferred to the gaming console, and the server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface functions to enable execution of the platform independent game components not transferred to the gaming console.    
     
     
         12 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein communication of game outcomes to be displayed, are conveyed from the game combination program module to the user interface program module via the respective platform specific Gaming Application Programming interface.  
     
     
         13 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface program module comprises a graphics generation program for generating game images on a user display.  
     
     
         14 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein communication between two or more of the gaming program processing platforms in the system is encrypted.  
     
     
         15 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein communication between two or more of the platforms in the system is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         16 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein communication between two or more of platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is encrypted.  
     
     
         17 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein communication between two or more of the platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         18 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of files each file containing one type of platform independent game component module.  
     
     
         19 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 18 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of user interface program module files each containing one user interface program module, each user interface program module providing a different game appearance or game style.  
     
     
         20 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 18 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of game combination program module files each containing one game combination program module and each game combination program module providing a different set of game outcome possibilities.  
     
     
         21 . The distributed gaming system of  claim 18 , wherein the combinations module runs on the server processing unit to determine a game outcome, and wherein one or more platform independent game component module files including at least one user interface program module file are distributed to one or more of the gaming consoles for execution to display to a player playing a game on the respective gaming console, the game outcome determined on the game combination program module running on the server processing unit.  
     
     
         22 . An electronic gaming machine incorporating the game system of  claim 1 , the electronic gaming machine comprising: 
 a program processing components acting as gaming console; and    a gaming console specific Gaming Application Programming Interface running on the gaming console    a game stored on the gaming console, the game being implemented as a game set of platform independent game component modules, wherein the gaming console specific Gaming Application Programming Interface functions to enable execution of all platform independent game components running on the gaming console.    
     
     
         23 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 22 , wherein communication of game outcomes to be displayed, are conveyed from the game combination program module to the user interface program module via the gaming console platform specific Gaming Application Programming interface.  
     
     
         24 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 22 , wherein the user interface program module comprises a graphics generation program for generating game images on a user.  
     
     
         25 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 22 , wherein communication between two or more of platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is encrypted.  
     
     
         26 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 22 , wherein communication between two or more of the platform independent game component modules in the electronic gaming machine is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         27 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 22 , wherein the game set of platform independent game component modules comprises a plurality of user interface program module files each containing one user interface program module, each user interface program module providing a different game appearance or game style.  
     
     
         28 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 27 , wherein the game set of platform independent game component modules comprises a plurality of game combination program module files each containing one game combination program module and each game combination program module providing a different set of game outcome possibilities.  
     
     
         29 . A server for a distributed gaming system incorporating the game system of  claim 1 , the server comprising: 
 a first program processing component acting as a server processing unit;    a server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface;    a plurality of games stored on the server processing unit, each game being implemented as a game set of platform independent game component modules; and wherein the server communicates with a plurality of second program processing components acting as gaming consoles and running a plurality of gaming console specific Gaming Application Programming Interfaces, one console specific Gaming Application Programming Interface running on each gaming console, and wherein the server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface located in the server processing unit functions to transfer at least one of the platform independent game component modules of one game set to a gaming console when it is run, and the server specific Gaming Application Programming Interface functions to enable execution on the server of the platform independent game components not transferred to the gaming console.    
     
     
         30 . The server of  claim 29 , wherein communication of game outcomes to be displayed, are conveyed from the game combination program module to the user interface program module via the respective platform specific Gaming Application Programming interface.  
     
     
         31 . The server of  claim 29  wherein the user interface program module comprises a graphics generation program for generating game images on a user display.  
     
     
         32 . The server of  claim 29  wherein communication between the server and each gaming console in the system is encrypted.  
     
     
         33 . The server of  claim 29 , wherein communication between the server and each gaming console in the system is secured by means of a digital signature.  
     
     
         34 . The server of  claim 29 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of files each file containing one type of platform independent game component module.  
     
     
         35 . The server of  claim 34 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of user interface program module files each containing one user interface program module, each user interface program module providing a different game appearance or game style.  
     
     
         36 . The server of  claim 34 , wherein each game implementation comprises a plurality of game combination program module files each containing one game combination program module and each game combination program module providing a different set of game outcome possibilities.  
     
     
         37 . The server as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the combinations module runs on the server processing unit to determine a game outcome, and wherein one or more platform independent game component module files including at least one user interface program module file are distributed to one or more of the gaming consoles for execution to display to a player playing a game on the respective gaming console, the game outcome being determined on the game combination program module running on the server processing unit and communicated to the respective gaming console.