Controlled access layer system and method

Abstract

A controlled access device produces a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment. The device includes a game monitoring system, a plurality of Ethernet ports, an internal switch, and an encoding mechanism. The game monitoring system monitors and manages game accounting data. The plurality of Ethernet ports facilitate data ingress and egress, and are connectable to a distribution switch. The internal switch forwards transmitted data packets from one or more ingress ports to an egress port. The encoding mechanism encodes a first type of data packets with a QoS high packet delivery priority, and encodes a second type of data packets with a QoS lower packet delivery priority.

1 . A controlled access device for producing a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment, the device comprising: 
 a game monitoring device;    a plurality of Ethernet ports for transmitting data packets, wherein the plurality of Ethernet ports are connectable to a distribution switch;    an internal switch, wherein the internal switch forwards transmitted data packets from one or more ingress ports to an egress port; and    an encoding mechanism, wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a first type of data packets with a QoS high packet delivery priority, and wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a second type of data packets with a QoS lower packet delivery priority.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the packet delivery priority is controlled at an ingress level.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the data packets are encoded with packet delivery priority information at the inception of the packets on the network.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the encoded packet delivery priority information enables guaranteed latency levels.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the system utilizes asynchronous transfer mode.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein internal switch is not controlled by port location.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein all of the first type of data packets are forwarded before any of the second type of data packets are forwarded.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of data packets are generated by the controlled access device.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of data packets are received through the ingress ports.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the internal switch enables QoS packet delivery priority information to be filtered and changed, thereby preventing the second type of data packets which arrive through the ingress ports from having an unacceptable QoS high packet delivery priority encoding after passing through the switch.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device utilizes an 802.1x secure authentication procedure.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device enables real time adjustment from a remote location of the packet delivery priority encoded onto different data types by the device.  
   
   
       17 . A controlled access system for producing a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment, the system comprising: 
 a game monitoring system;    a plurality of Ethernet ports for transmitting data packets, wherein the plurality of Ethernet ports include at least one ingress port and at least one egress port;    an internal switch, wherein the internal switch forwards transmitted data packets from at least one ingress port to at least one egress port; and    an encoding system, wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a first type of data packets with a high packet delivery priority, and wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a second type of data packets with a lower packet delivery priority.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the packet delivery priority is controlled at an ingress level.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the data packets are encoded with packet delivery priority information at the inception of the packets on the network.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the encoded packet delivery priority information enables guaranteed latency levels.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the system utilizes asynchronous transfer mode.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein internal switch is not controlled by port location.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein all of the first type of data packets are forwarded before any of the second type of data packets are forwarded.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first type of data packets are generated by the controlled access system.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second type of data packets are received through the ingress ports.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the internal switch enables packet delivery priority information to be filtered and changed, thereby preventing the second type of data packets which arrive through the ingress ports from having an unacceptable high packet delivery priority encoding after passing through the switch.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the system utilizes an 802.1x secure authentication procedure.  
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the system enables real time adjustment from a remote location of the packet delivery priority encoded onto different data types by the system.  
   
   
       33 . A method for producing a controlled access layer in a casino gaming environment using a controlled access device that includes a game monitoring device, a plurality of Ethernet ports, and an internal switch, the method comprising: 
 receiving data packets through at least one ingress port;    identifying game accounting data packets, if present, and identifying non-game accounting data packets, if present;    encoding the game accounting data packets with a high packet delivery priority, and the encoding the non-game accounting data packets with a lower packet delivery priority; and    forwarding the encoded data packets through an egress port.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the game accounting data packets comprise casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the game accounting data packets comprise Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the non-game accounting data packets comprise non-casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the non-game accounting data packets comprise non-Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the packet delivery priority is controlled at an ingress level.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the data packets are encoded with packet delivery priority information at the inception of the packets on the network.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the encoded packet delivery priority information enables guaranteed latency levels.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the method utilizes asynchronous transfer mode.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein internal switch is not controlled by port location.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein all of the game accounting data packets are forwarded before any of the non-game accounting data packets are forwarded.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein game accounting data packets are generated by the controlled access device.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein non-game accounting data packets are received through the ingress ports.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the internal switch enables packet delivery priority information to be filtered and changed, thereby preventing the non-game accounting data packets which arrive through the ingress ports from having a high packet delivery priority encoding after passing through the switch.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising: utilizing an 802.1x secure authentication procedure.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising: enabling real time adjustment from a remote location of the packet delivery priority encoded onto different data types.  
   
   
       49 . A method for producing a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment using a controlled access device that includes a game monitoring device, a plurality of Ethernet ports, and an internal switch, the method comprising: 
 implementing an 802.1x secure authentication procedure in the controlled access device;    receiving data packets through at least one ingress port;    identifying a first type of data packets, if present, and identifying a second type of data packets, if present;    encoding the first type of data packets with a high packet delivery priority, and the encoding the second type of data packets with a lower packet delivery priority; and    forwarding the encoded data packets through an egress port.    
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first type of data packets comprise Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-casino game accounting data packets.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second type of data packets comprise non-Slot Data Systems data packets.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the packet delivery priority is controlled at an ingress level.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the data packets are encoded with packet delivery priority information at the inception of the packets on the network.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the encoded packet delivery priority information enables guaranteed latency levels.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the method utilizes asynchronous transfer mode.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein internal switch is not controlled by port location.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein all of the game accounting data packets are forwarded before any of the non-game accounting data packets are forwarded.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein game accounting data packets are generated by the controlled access device.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein non-game accounting data packets are received through the ingress ports.  
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the internal switch enables packet delivery priority information to be filtered and changed, thereby preventing the non-game accounting data packets which arrive through the ingress ports from having a high packet delivery priority encoding after passing through the switch.  
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising: enabling real time adjustment from a remote location of the packet delivery priority encoded onto different data types.  
   
   
       64 . A controlled access system for producing a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment over a casino gaming network, the system comprising: 
 a game monitoring system, wherein the game monitoring system monitors and manages casino game accounting data, and wherein the game monitoring system connects internal components of a casino game to the casino gaming network via the controlled access system;    a plurality of Ethernet ports, wherein the plurality of Ethernet ports transmits casino game accounting data, and wherein the plurality of Ethernet ports include at least one ingress port and at least one egress port;    an internal switch, wherein the internal switch forwards transmitted data packets from at least one ingress port to at least one egress port; and    an encoding mechanism that generates casino game accounting data packets, encodes a casino game accounting data packets with a high packet delivery priority, and encodes a non-casino game accounting data packets with a lower packet delivery priority.    
   
   
       65 . A controlled access system for producing a controlled access layer in a packet switching environment, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of Ethernet ports for transmitting data packets, wherein the plurality of Ethernet ports include at least one ingress port and at least one egress port, and wherein the system utilizes an 802.1x secure authentication procedure;    an internal switch, wherein the internal switch forwards transmitted data packets from at least one ingress port to at least one egress port; and    an encoding system, wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a first type of data packets with a high packet delivery priority, and wherein the encoding mechanism encodes a second type of data packets with a lower packet delivery priority.