Portable Gaming Machine Emergency Shut Down Circuitry

Abstract

A portable casino gaming device includes a data preservation system and is operable to monitor movement activity relating to the portable gaming device, and generate movement information relating to movements of the portable gaming device. In at least one embodiment, the movement information includes at least one of: data relating to rotation of the portable gaming device, data relating to displacement of the portable gaming device, data relating to velocity of the portable gaming device, data relating to acceleration of the portable gaming device, and/or data relating to an orientation of the portable gaming device. The portable gaming device may also be operable to analyze the movement information with respect to a first set of threshold criteria in order to detect an occurrence of a first critical condition or event at the portable gaming device, and to initiate at least one action in response to detection of the first critical condition or event. In at least one embodiment, the at least one action includes automatically initiating at least one operation to save selected gaming information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected gaming information includes information relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.

1 . A portable gaming device for use in a casino gaming network, comprising:
 a gaming controller;   memory;   a first display;   at least one interface for communicating with at least one other device in the gaming network; and   a data preservation system;   the portable gaming device being operable to:   control a wager-based game played at the portable gaming device;   monitor movement activity relating to the portable gaming device;   generate movement information relating to movements of the portable gaming device, wherein the movement information includes data selected from a group consisting of: data relating to rotation of the portable gaming device, data relating to displacement of the portable gaming device, data relating to velocity of the portable gaming device, data relating to acceleration of the portable gaming device, and data relating to an orientation of the portable gaming device;   analyze the movement information with respect to a first set of threshold criteria in order to detect an occurrence of a first critical condition or event at the portable gaming device;   initiate at least one first action in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, wherein the at least one first action includes automatically initiating at least one first operation to save selected gaming information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected gaming information includes information relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       2 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the non-volatile memory corresponds to local memory of the portable gaming device. 
   
   
       3 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the non-volatile memory corresponds to remote memory located at a remote device different from the portable gaming device. 
   
   
       4 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first action includes:
 automatically initiating at least one second operation to identify and save selected information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected information includes information selected from a group consisting of: portable gaming device movement information associated with the first critical event or condition, historical game data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, game state data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, and wager data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       5 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 identify selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory in response to detection of the first critical condition or event; and   automatically initiate, in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be saved in non-volatile memory.   
   
   
       6 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 identify, in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   automatically initiate, in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be saved in non-volatile memory;   wherein the selected information includes information selected from a group consisting of: portable gaming device movement information associated with the first critical event or condition, historical game data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, game state data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, and wager data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       7 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 identify, in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   automatically initiate, in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be transmitted to an external or remote device.   
   
   
       8 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first action includes:
 identifying selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   initiating at least one second operation to cause the identified information to be transmitted to an external or remote device.   
   
   
       9 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one action further includes automatically initiating at least one second operation selected from a group consisting of:
 updating a sampling interval value relating to a time interval for taking sample measurements of movement activity relating to the portable gaming device;   transmitting selected information to a first external or remote device;   providing instructions for shutting down one or more components of the portable gaming device;   automatically powering-up one or more selected components of the portable gaming device;   recording movement information relating to a maximum velocity of the portable gaming device during a first time interval;   recording movement information relating to a maximum displacement of the portable gaming device during a second time interval; and   recording movement information relating to a maximum acceleration of the portable gaming device during a third time interval.   
   
   
       10 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to perform at least one action selected from a group consisting of:
 recording movement information relating to a maximum velocity of the portable gaming device during a first time interval;   recording movement information relating to a maximum displacement of the portable gaming device during a second time interval; and   recording movement information relating to a maximum acceleration of the portable gaming device during a third time interval.   
   
   
       11 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 determine and record information relating to a maximum velocity of the portable gaming device during a first time interval.   
   
   
       12 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 monitor and record information relating to a total number of times portable gaming device has been dropped.   
   
   
       13 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 monitor and record information relating to each event where the portable gaming device has experienced a free fall which exceeds specified minimum threshold criteria.   
   
   
       14 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 monitor and record information relating to a number of times the portable gaming device has experienced an impact event which exceeds specified minimum threshold criteria.   
   
   
       15 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the first condition or event corresponds to a freefall condition at the portable gaming device which results in an occurrence of an impact event at the portable gaming device, the portable gaming device being further operable to:
 determine and record information relating to a velocity of the portable gaming device at a time of the impact event.   
   
   
       16 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the first condition or event corresponds to a freefall condition at the portable gaming device, the portable gaming device being further operable to:
 determine displacement information relating to a distance which the portable gaming device has fallen during a first time interval.   
   
   
       17 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  wherein the data preservation system includes a three axis accelerometer. 
   
   
       18 . The portable gaming device of  claim 1  being further operable to:
 determine acceleration data relating to an acceleration of the portable gaming device during one or more time intervals; and   record the acceleration data as a function of time.   
   
   
       19 . A method of operating a portable gaming device for use in a casino gaming network, the portable gaming device including memory and a data preservation system, the method comprising:
 controlling a wager-based game played at the portable gaming device;   monitoring movement activity relating to the portable gaming device, wherein at least a portion of the monitoring performed by the data preservation system;   generating movement information relating to movements of the portable gaming device, wherein the movement information includes data selected from a group consisting of: data relating to rotation of the portable gaming device, data relating to displacement of the portable gaming device, data relating to velocity of the portable gaming device, data relating to acceleration of the portable gaming device, and data relating to an orientation of the portable gaming device;   analyzing the movement information with respect to a first set of threshold criteria in order to detecting an occurrence of a first critical condition or event at the portable gaming device, wherein at least a portion of the analyzing is performed by the data preservation system;   initiating at least one first action in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, wherein at least a portion of the initiating is performed by the data preservation system;   wherein the at least one first action includes automatically initiating at least one first operation to save selected gaming information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected gaming information includes information relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the non-volatile memory corresponds to local memory of the portable gaming device. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the non-volatile memory corresponds to remote memory located at a remote device different from the portable gaming device. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the at least one first action includes:
 automatically initiating at least one second operation to identify and save selected information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected information includes information selected from a group consisting of: portable gaming device movement information associated with the first critical event or condition, historical game data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, game state data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, and wager data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 identifying selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory in response to detection of the first critical condition or event; and   automatically initiating, at the portable gaming device and in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be saved in non-volatile memory.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 identifying, at the portable gaming device and in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   automatically initiating, at the portable gaming device and in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be saved in non-volatile memory;   wherein the selected information includes information selected from a group consisting of: portable gaming device movement information associated with the first critical event or condition, historical game data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, game state data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device, and wager data relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 identifying, at the portable gaming device and in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   automatically initiating, at the portable gaming device and in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, at least one second action to cause the identified information to be transmitted to an external or remote device.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the at least one first action includes:
 identifying selected information residing in volatile memory at the portable gaming device which is to be saved in non-volatile memory; and   initiating at least one second operation to cause the identified information to be transmitted to an external or remote device.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the at least one action further includes automatically initiating at least one second operation selected from a group consisting of:
 updating a sampling interval value relating to a time interval for taking sample measurements of movement activity relating to the portable gaming device;   transmitting selected information to a first external or remote device;   providing instructions for shutting down one or more components of the portable gaming device;   automatically powering-up one or more selected components of the portable gaming device;   recording movement information relating to a maximum velocity of the portable gaming device during a first time interval;   recording movement information relating to a maximum displacement of the portable gaming device during a second time interval; and   recording movement information relating to a maximum acceleration of the portable gaming device during a third time interval.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 determining and recording, at the portable gaming device, information relating to a maximum velocity of the portable gaming device during a first time interval.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 monitoring and recording, at the portable gaming device, information relating to each event where the portable gaming device has experienced a free fall which exceeds specified minimum threshold criteria.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 monitoring and recording, at the portable gaming device, information relating to a number of times the portable gaming device has experienced an impact event which exceeds specified minimum threshold criteria.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first condition or event corresponds to a freefall condition at the portable gaming device which results in an occurrence of an impact event at the portable gaming device, the method further comprising:
 determining and recording, at the portable gaming device, information relating to a velocity of the portable gaming device at a time of the impact event.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first condition or event corresponds to a freefall condition at the portable gaming device, the method further comprising:
 determining, at the portable gaming device, displacement information relating to a distance which the portable gaming device has fallen during a first time interval.   
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 determining, at the portable gaming device, acceleration data relating to an acceleration of the portable gaming device during one or more time intervals; and   recording, at the portable gaming device, the acceleration data as a function of time.   
   
   
       34 . A portable gaming device for use in a casino gaming network, comprising:
 a gaming controller;   memory;   a first display;   at least one interface for communicating with at least one other device in the gaming network;   means for controlling a wager-based game played at the portable gaming device;   means for monitoring movement activity relating to the portable gaming device, wherein at least a portion of the monitoring performed by the data preservation system;   means for generating movement information relating to movements of the portable gaming device, wherein the movement information includes data selected from a group consisting of: data relating to rotation of the portable gaming device, data relating to displacement of the portable gaming device, data relating to velocity of the portable gaming device, data relating to acceleration of the portable gaming device, and data relating to an orientation of the portable gaming device;   means for analyzing the movement information with respect to a first set of threshold criteria in order to detecting an occurrence of a first critical condition or event at the portable gaming device, wherein at least a portion of the analyzing is performed by the data preservation system; and   means for initiating at least one first action in response to detection of the first critical condition or event, wherein at least a portion of the initiating is performed by the data preservation system;   wherein the at least one first action includes automatically initiating at least one first operation to save selected gaming information in non-volatile memory, wherein the selected gaming information includes information relating to game play conducted at the portable gaming device.