Configuring Networked Entertainment Devices

Abstract

Pay to play entertainment machines or devices for gaming, gambling and other entertainment functions used in public spaces such as bars, clubs etc are networked and centrally controlled. A set of schedules is established, each schedule defining a set of attributes for operation of an entertainment device and stored in a database. Each entertainment device in the network is associated with one or more groups of devices, each group having a specified one of said schedules. For each entertainment device in the network, all the schedules that apply to that device are used to determine a subset of attributes that shall prevail in that device and the device is then automatically configured to have that subset of attributes. Event messages generated in each entertainment device are transmitted to a central messaging server on a real-time or batch process basis according to a priority level. The messaging server forwards subsets of the event messages to respective subscriber entities according to a classification and/or attribute of the messages and as determined by a subscription profile of the subscribing entities.

1 . A method of operating a network of entertainment devices each having a payment mechanism for enabling execution of entertainment content, comprising the steps of:
 defining a set of schedules, each schedule defining a set of attributes for operation of an entertainment device and storing said schedules in a database;   (ii) associating each entertainment device with one or more groups of devices, each group having a specified one or more of said schedules;   (iii) for each entertainment device in the network, determining from all the schedules that apply to that device, a subset of attributes that shall prevail in that device; and   (iv) configuring the device to have that subset of attributes.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the attributes include entertainment content items available for execution on that device and step (iv) includes making selected entertainment content items available in a menu for execution on the device. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  in which the attributes include modes of operation of the device and step (iv) includes setting a mode of operation for one or more of the entertainment content items. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  in which step (i) includes, for each attribute in a schedule, defining an importance weighting of that attribute and in which step (iii) includes the step of determining the prevailing attributes by reference to the importance weighting of each attribute in each schedule applicable to the device. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  in which step (iii) further includes the step of determining functionality presently available in that device and modifying the subset of attributes that shall prevail according to available functionality. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  in which the step of determining functionality includes determining hardware available on that device and/or entertainment content items available on that device. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4  in which step (iv) includes determining a layout of menu options according to the importance weighting. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  in which step (iv) includes the step of downloading content to the device over the network from a central server. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  in which at least some schedules include a time period indicating temporal validity of the schedule or an attribute defined in the schedule. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of reconfiguring a device by adding or deleting its association with one or more schedules. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  in which at least one of the attributes determined by a schedule is a negative attribute that prevents an existing item of entertainment content from executing. 
   
   
       12 . An entertainment device comprising:
 a payment mechanism;   a processor module for executing entertainment content;   a memory for receiving a plurality of schedules, each schedule defining a   set of attributes for operation of the entertainment device;   a controller for determining, from the plurality of schedules, a subset of attributes that shall prevail in the device; and   a configuration module adapted to configure the device to have the subset of attributes.   
   
   
       13 . The entertainment device of  claim 12  in which the attributes defined in said schedules include entertainment content items for execution on a device and in which the configuration module further includes means for downloading selected entertainment content items corresponding to said subset of attributes. 
   
   
       14 . The entertainment device of  claim 13  in which the attributes defined in the schedules include modes of operation of the device and in which the configuration module further includes means for setting one or more mode of operation for one or more of the selected entertainment content items. 
   
   
       15 . The entertainment device of  claim 12  in which each schedule includes, for each attribute in that schedule, an importance weighting of that attribute and in which the controller includes means for determining the prevailing attributes by reference to the importance weighting of each attribute in each schedule applicable to the device. 
   
   
       16 . The entertainment device of  claim 15  in which the controller further includes a device monitor for determining functionality presently available in the device and means for modifying the subset of attributes that shall prevail according to available functionality. 
   
   
       17 . The entertainment device of  claim 16  in which the device monitor for determining functionality includes means for detecting hardware available on the device and/or entertainment content items available on the device. 
   
   
       18 . The entertainment device of  claim 15  in which the configuration module includes means for determining a layout of menu options according to the importance weighting of content items in the schedules. 
   
   
       19 . The entertainment device of  claim 12  further including means for periodically downloading new schedules from a server and reconfiguring the device according to the new schedules. 
   
   
       20 . A server for controlling plural entertainment devices over a network comprising:
 a database incorporating a set of schedules, each schedule defining a set of attributes for operation of a group of entertainment devices on the network;   means for associating each entertainment device on the network with one or more groups of devices, each group having a specified one of said schedules;   a control module adapted to determine, for each entertainment device on the network and from all the schedules that apply to that device, a subset of attributes that shall prevail in that device; and   communication means for communicating with each entertainment device to configure the device to have that subset of attributes.   
   
   
       21 . The server of  claim 20  in which the attributes include entertainment content items available for execution on an entertainment device and in which the communication means includes means for transferring selected entertainment content items to the device over the network in accordance with the selected subset of entertainment content items for that device. 
   
   
       22 . The server of  claim 21  in which the attributes include modes of operation of an entertainment device and in which the communication means includes means for transmitting modes of operation for one or more of the entertainment content items for each device. 
   
   
       23 . The server of  claim 20  in which each schedule includes, for each attribute in the schedule, an importance weighting of that attribute and in which the control module is adapted to determine prevailing attributes for each device by reference to the importance weighting of each attribute in each schedule applicable to the device. 
   
   
       24 . The server of  claim 23  in which the control module is further adapted to determine functionality presently available in each entertainment device and modifying the subset of attributes that shall prevail according to available functionality. 
   
   
       25 . The server of  claim 24  in which the control module is adapted to determine functionality of a device according to hardware available on that device and/or entertainment content items available on that device. 
   
   
       26 . The server of  claim 23  in which the control module is further adapted to determine, from the schedules applicable to a device, a layout of menu options for that device according to the importance weighting. 
   
   
       27 . The server of  claim 20  further including a management interface module for modifying association of a selected entertainment device with one or more schedules in the database, to thereby remotely reconfigure the selected device.