Server for gaming system and control method thereof

Abstract

A gaming terminal and a gaming system server are connected via a network. When the gaming system server receives download request together with player identifying information from the gaming terminal, the server reads game software specified in the download request from a first memory and transmits it to the gaming terminal. Download history information is stored together with the player identifying information into a second memory of the server. When the end of the game being executed by the downloaded game software is notified to the server from the gaming terminal, billing information for the player is generated in the server based on the download history information stored in the second memory together with the player identifying information. The generated billing information is output to a settlement organization or the like outside the server.

1 . A gaming system server comprising:
 a first memory for storing a plurality of types of game software in relation to software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software;   a second memory for storing download history information relating to the history of downloading the game software stored in the first memory by a gaming terminal connected via a network, in relation to player identifying information for identifying a player of the gaming terminal, the player identifying information having been given from an external to the gaming terminal; and   a controller operable to:
 (a) transmit the game software stored in the first memory to the gaming terminal via a network in relation to the software identifying information, based on a download request which has been input from the gaming terminal via the network together with the player identifying information and the software identifying information, 
 (b) store the download history information relating to the transmitted game software into the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which is input via the network together with the download request, and 
 (c) generate billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which has been input together with the download request and output the billing information to an external, when an end-of-game notification is input from the gaming terminal via the network upon completion of the game. 
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system server according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       3 . The gaming system server according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the controller is operable to:
 (a) output the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information, and 
 (b) output settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal in order to present the settlement result to the player on the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server based on the billing information. 
   
   
   
       4 . A gaming system comprising a first server and a second server, 
     wherein the first server comprises:
 a first memory for storing a plurality of types of game software in relation to software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software; and 
 a first controller operable to transmit the game software stored in the first memory via a network to a gaming terminal in relation to the software identifying information, based on a download request which has been input from the gaming terminal via the network together with the software identifying information of the game software requested to be downloaded and the player identifying information for identifying the player given from an external to the gaming terminal; and 
 
     wherein the second server comprises:
 a second memory for storing download history information relating to the history of downloading of the game software stored in the first memory from the first server by the gaming terminal in relation to the player identifying information, the player identifying information having been given from an external to the gaming terminal; and 
 a second controller operable to:
 (a) store the download history information relating to transmitted game software into the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which is input via the net work together with the download request, and 
 (b) generate billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which has been input into the first server together with the download request and output the billing information to an external, when an end-of-game notification which is input from the gaming terminal via the network upon completion of the game. 
 
 
   
   
       5 . The gaming system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       6 . The gaming system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the second controller is operable to:
 (a) output the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information, and 
 (b) output settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal in order to present the settlement result to the player on the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server based on the billing information. 
   
   
   
       7 . A gaming system comprising a server and a gaming terminal, wherein the server comprises:
 a first memory for storing a plurality of types of game software in relation to software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software;   a second memory for storing download history information relating to the history of downloading the game software stored in the first memory by a gaming terminal connected via a network, in relation to player identifying information for identifying the player of the gaming terminal, the player identifying information having been given from an external to the gaming terminal; and   a server controller operable to:
 (a) transmit the game software stored in the first memory to the gaming terminal via a network in relation to the software identifying information, based on a download request which has been input from the gaming terminal via the network together with the player identifying information and the software identifying information, 
 (b) store the download history information relating to the transmitted game software into the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which is input via the network together with the download request, and 
 (c) generate billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which has been input together with the download request and output the billing information to an external, when an end-of-game notification is input from the gaming terminal via the network upon completion of the game, 
   
     wherein the gaming terminal comprises:
 a third memory for storing the player identifying information input from an external for identifying the player; 
 a fourth memory for storing game software downloaded from the server connected via the network; and 
 a terminal controller operable to:
 (a) output the download request stored in the first memory to the server via the network together with the software identifying information of the game software requested to be downloaded and the player identifying information given from an external, 
 (b) store the game software transmitted from the server via the network into the fourth memory based on the download request, 
 (c) execute a game based on the game software stored in the fourth memory, and 
 (d) output the end-of-game notification to the server via the network upon receiving an input of an instruction to stop the execution of the game from an external. 
 
 
   
   
       8 . The gaming system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       9 . The gaming system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the gaming terminal further comprises a display,   the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the server controller is operable to:
 (a) output the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information, and 
 (b) output settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server based on the billing information, and 
   the terminal controller is operable to display the settlement result indicated by the settlement information on the display, the settlement information having been input from the server via the network.   
   
   
       10 . A game control method executed on a gaming system server, comprising:
 transmitting a game software related to software identifying information to a gaming terminal via a network, among a plurality of game software stored in a first memory, based on a download request of the game software which has been input from the gaming terminal, together with player identifying information having been given from an external to the gaming terminal connected via the network and the software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software;   storing download history information relating to the history of downloading the game software into a second memory by the gaming terminal via the network in relation to the player identifying information; and   generating billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which has been input together with the download request and outputting the billing information to an external, when an end-of-game notification which is input from the gaming terminal via the network upon completion of the game.   
   
   
       11 . The game control method executed in a gaming system server according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       12 . The gaming system server according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the gaming system server further comprising:
 outputting the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information, and 
 outputting settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal in order to present the settlement result to the player on the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server based on the billing information. 
   
   
   
       13 . A game control method executed in a gaming system comprising a first server having a first memory and a second server having a second memory, the method comprising:
 transmitting, with the first server, a game software related to software identifying information to a gaming terminal via a network, among a plurality of game software stored in the first memory, based on a download request of the game software which has been input from the gaming terminal, together with player identifying information having been given from an external to the gaming terminal connected via the network and the software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software,   storing, with the second server, download history information relating to the history of downloading the game software from the first server into a second memory by the gaming terminal via the network in relation to the player identifying information which has been input into the first server, and   generating, with the second server, billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information which has been input into the first server together with the download request and outputting the billing information to an external, when an end-of-game notification which is input from the gaming terminal via the network upon completion of the game.   
   
   
       14 . The game control method executed in a gaming system server according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       15 . The game control method executed in a gaming system server according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the method further comprising:
 outputting, with the second server, the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information, and 
 outputting, with the second server, settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal in order to present the settlement result to the player on the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server based on the billing information. 
   
   
   
       16 . A game control method executed in a gaming system comprising a server having a first memory and a second memory, and a gaming terminal having a third memory and a fourth memory, the method comprising:
 storing, with the gaming terminal, player identifying information having been given from an external into the third memory;   outputting, with the gaming terminal, download request of game software to the server together with the player identifying information and software identifying information for identifying the type of the game software,   transmitting, with the server, the game software stored in the first memory to the gaming terminal via a network in relation to the software identifying information,   storing, with the server, download history information relating to the history of downloading the game software into the second memory by the gaming terminal via the network in relation to the player identifying information,   storing, with the gaming terminal, the game software downloaded from the server via the network into the fourth memory,   executing, with the gaming terminal, a game based on the game software stored in the fourth memory,   outputting, with the gaming terminal, the end-of-game notification to the server via the network upon receiving an input of an instruction to stop the execution of the game from an external, and   generating, with the server, billing information for each player based on the download history information stored in the second memory in relation to the player identifying information and outputting the billing information to an external.   
   
   
       17 . The game control method executed in a gaming system according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the player identifying information includes,
 an ID code which has been read from a player-specific card by a contact or a non-contact reader of the gaming terminal, or 
 biometrics information of the player which has been read from the player's body by a scanner of the gaming terminal. 
   
   
   
       18 . The game control method executed in a gaming system according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the gaming terminal further comprises a display,   the player identifying information includes an ID code and card issuance company identifying information which have been read from the player's credit card by the gaming terminal, and   the method further comprising:
 outputting, with the server, the billing information for each player to the settlement processing server of the credit card issuance company indicated by the card issuance company identifying information; 
 outputting, with the server, settlement information via the network to the gaming terminal, the settlement information indicating the settlement result for the billing information and having been input from the settlement processing server; and 
 displaying, with the gaming terminal, the settlement result indicated by the settlement information to the player with the display, the settlement information having been input from the server via the network.