US 8,556,698 B2Granted

Executing multiple applications and their variations in computing environments

AssigneeIgt

InventorsWarner R. Cockerille, Richard E. Rowe

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Abstract

Techniques for execution of multiple application programs and their variations are disclosed. One or more individual application program components that are determined to be already stored and/or loaded into memory are not loaded into memory again, thereby allowing the associated application program to be executed without unnecessarily reloading the one or more individual application program components into memory. Generally, by keeping track and/or predicting of the application components loaded into memory, it can be determined whether to load or unload a particular application program component. In addition, data that can readily identify the application components that are not already into memory can be provided as differential application data for loading various application programs and their variations to facilitate switching between and/or concurrently running multiple application programs and their variations.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A gaming machine, comprising:

a primary memory of the gaming machine operable to load a first gaming application program and a second gaming application program for execution by one or more processors, the first gaming application program and the gaming second application program being different application programs;
a non-volatile memory of the gaming machine configured to store the first gaming application program including one or more first gaming application program components and the second gaming application program including one or more second gaming application program components;
and
the one or more processors of the gaming machine configured to:
cause one or more first gaming application program components to load into the primary memory from the non-volatile memory so that the first gaming application program can be executed by the one or more processors, wherein each of the one or more first gaming application program components is associated with a different portion of the first gaming application,
identify the second gaming application program that includes one or more second gaming application program components required to be loaded in the primary memory for execution of the second gaming application program by the one or more processors, wherein each of the one or more second gaming application program components is associated with a different portion of the second gaming application,
determine whether each one of the one or more second gaming application program components of the second gaming application program are loaded in the primary memory by comparing the one or more first gaming application program components of the first gaming application program loaded in the primary memory with the one or more second gaming application program components of the second gaming application program so that the second gaming application program can be executed by the one or more processors, and
cause at least one gaming application program component of the one or more second gaming application program components of the second gaming application program not to be loaded into the primary memory from the non-volatile memory when it is determined that the at least one gaming application program component is already loaded into the primary memory and consequently available for execution by the one or more processors.

5 more elements

A method for loading an application program stored in a nonvolatile memory of a gaming machine into a primary memory of the gaming machine for execution by the gaming machine operating in a gaming environment, comprising:

identifying the gaming application program that includes one or more gaming application program components required to be loaded in the primary memory for execution of the gaming application program by one or more processors of the gaming machine, wherein each of the one or more gaming application program components is associated with a different portion of the gaming application program;
determining whether each one of the one or more gaming application program components of the gaming application program are loaded in the primary memory so that the gaming application program can be executed by the one or more processors by comparing the one or more gaming application program components of the gaming application program with one or more another gaming application program components of an another gaming application program that was previously executed by the one or more processors, the gaming application program and the another gaming application program being different application programs;
and
not loading at least one gaming application program component of the one or more gaming application program components of the gaming application program into the primary memory from the non-volatile memory when the determining determines that the at least one gaming application program component is already loaded into the primary memory and consequently available for execution by the one or more processors.

1 more element

A method for executing a gaming application program stored in a non-volatile memory of a gaming machine and loaded into a primary memory of the gaming machine for execution by the gaming machine, comprising:

identifying the gaming application program for execution by the gaming machine, wherein the gaming application program includes a plurality of individual gaming application components, wherein each of the plurality of individual gaming application components is associated with a different portion of the gaming application, and wherein execution of the gaming application program requires that the plurality of individual gaming application components be loaded into the primary memory from the non-volatile memory;
determining, based on another gaming application program that was previously executed, differential application data that identifies one or more of the plurality of individual gaming application components of the gaming application program that are loaded into the primary memory as a result of execution of the another gaming application program, the another gaming application program and the gaming application program being different gaming application programs;
determining based on the differential application data whether at least one of the one or more individual gaming application components is loaded into the primary memory and consequently need not be loaded into the primary memory again in order to execute the gaming application program;
causing at least one individual gaming application component of the gaming application program not to be loaded into the primary memory when the determining determines that the at least one of the one or more individual gaming application component is already loaded into the primary memory;
and
executing the gaming application program without loading the at least one individual gaming application component when the determining determines that the at least one individual gaming application program is loaded into the primary memory.

3 more elements

A gaming machine configured to provide multiple games for one or more players, comprising:

a primary memory operable to load a first gaming program and a second gaming program for execution by one or more processors of the gaming machine;
a non-volatile memory configured to store the first gaming program including one or more first gaming program components and the second gaming program including one or more second gaming program components, wherein each of the one or more first gaming program components is associated with a different portion of the first gaming program, wherein each of the one or more second gaming program components is associated with a different portion of the second gaming program, and wherein the first gaming program and the second gaming program are different gaming programs;
and
the one or more processors configured to:
cause the one or more first gaming program components of the first gaming program to load into the primary memory from the non-volatile memory so that first gaming program can be executed by the one or more processors,
identify the second gaming program for execution by the one or more processors, wherein execution of the second gaming program requires that the one or more second gaming components be stored into the primary memory for execution by the one or more processors,
determine differential data indicating one or more of the first gaming program components that are stored in the primary memory to be used for execution by the one or more processors of the second gaming program,
determine based on the differential data whether at least one of the one or more first gaming components that corresponds to at least one of the one or more second gaming components is loaded into the primary memory and consequently the at least one of the one or more second gaming components does not need to be loaded into the primary memory in order to execute the second gaming program,
cause at least one second gaming program component of the second gaming program not to be loaded into the primary memory when the determining determines that at least one of the one or more first gaming components that corresponds to the at least one of the one or more second gaming program components is already loaded into the primary memory, and
executing the second gaming program without loading the at least one second gaming component when the determining determines that at least one of the one or more first gaming components that corresponds to the at least one second gaming program component is loaded into the primary memory.

7 more elements

A gaming machine implemented method for executing multiple gaming application programs, comprising:

identifying, with one or more processors of the gaming machine, a gaming application program for execution, wherein execution of the gaming application program requires that one or more gaming application program components of the gaming application program be loaded in a primary memory of the gaming machine, wherein each of the one or more gaming application program components is associated with a different portion of the gaming application program;
determining with the one or more processors whether differential application data is available for the gaming application program, wherein the differential application data describes differences between the gaming application program components of the gaming application program and gaming application program components of another gaming application program that are known to be loaded in the primary memory, the gaming application program and the another gaming application program being different gaming application programs;
and
loading, based on the differential application data, the gaming application program into the primary memory when the determining determines that the differential application data is available;
and
executing with the one or more processors the gaming application program after the loading.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/832,138Filed 1 Aug 2007 · continuation in part
Priority: 19 Oct 2000
Published: US 2007/0270212 A122 Nov 2007
Granted: 15 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G07F 17/3225
For games, toys, sports, or amusements: data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
G06F 8/658
Updates: incremental updates; Differential updates
G06F 9/445
Arrangements for executing specific programs: program loading or initiating
G07F
Coin-freed or like apparatus

Family

Application60/242,046Us provisional application · filed 19 Oct 2000
Application09/746,944Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Dec 2000
US 6,645,077 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Nov 2003
Application10/785,526Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Feb 2004
US 2007/0270212 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Nov 2007
Application10/785,526Parent of this continuation
US 2002/0137217 A1Published application
US 2004/0180721 A1Published application
US 8,556,698 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.