# US 8,571,991 B2 · System and method for connecting gaming devices to a network for remote play > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,991 B2 - Document ID: US8571991B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/102,808 - Filed: 2008-04-14 - Published: 2008-10-16 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2002-10-09 - Assignees: Zynga Inc. - Applicants: Michael W. Saunders; Rolf E. Carlson; William D. Miller - Inventors: Michael W. Saunders; Rolf E. Carlson; William D. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571991B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/3237: {about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players} - G06F 7/58: Random or pseudo-random number generators - G07F 17/32: for games, toys, sports, or amusements - G07F 17/3223: {Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, leader-follower, wireless communication} - G07F 17/3225: {Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users} - G07F 17/323: {wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions} - G07F 17/3241: {Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance (computer security G06F21/00)} - G06F 7/582: {Pseudo-random number generators} - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system and method for connecting remote player devices to regulated host gaming devices in a network to provide remote game play. A host gaming device is configured to provide game information to a plurality of remote player devices to allow remote play of the host game device. Whether each remote player device is permitted to receive gaming data is based upon, at least in part, the geographic location of the remote player device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of resuming an interrupted gaming session, the method comprising: generating gaming state information indicative of a state of a game at one or more points in a gaming session on a first gaming device; encrypting the gaming state information; transmitting the encrypted gaming state information from the first gaming device; receiving the encrypted gaming state information at a receiving gaming device; decrypting the gaming state information at the receiving gaming device; and loading the game state information into the receiving gaming device to resume the gaming session based on the loaded game state information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted gaming state information from the first gaming device is transmitted to a receiving gaming device that is at least one remote player device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted gaming state information from the first gaming device is transmitted to a receiving gaming device that is at least one remote player device that is configured to receive encrypted game state information from the first gaming device over a data network and to send the encrypted game state information to the second gaming device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving gaming device is the first gaming device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving gaming device is configured to receive encrypted gaming state information from a first gaming device over a data network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming state information comprises user payment information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the game state information to comprises gaming machine payout information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an auditable record of gaming transactions on the first gaming device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving gaming device is a second gaming device. ### Claim 10 A system for saving a gaming session, the system comprising: a data network; a processor configured to: execute at least one game; generate gaming state information indicative of a state of the gaming session at one or more points in the gaming session based on execution of at least one game; and encrypt the game state information; and a transmitter configured to transmit the encrypted gaming state information over a data network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming state information includes user payment information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming state information includes gaming machine payout information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprising: a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the first gaming device. ### Claim 14 A system for resuming a game, the system comprising: a receiver configured to receive gaming state information indicative of a state of one or more points in a gaming session of at least one game; and a processor configured to: decrypt the game state information; and load the game state information and resume execution of at least one game based on the game state information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the gaming state information includes user payment information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the game state information includes gaming machine payout information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising: a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the second gaming device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the encrypted gaming state information over a data network. ### Claim 19 A system for saving a gaming session, the system comprising: means for executing at least one game; means for generating game state information indicative of a state of the game at a given point in the gaming session based on execution of at least one game; means for encrypting the gaming state information; and means for transmitting the encrypted gaming state information. ### Claim 20 A system for resuming a game, the system comprising: means for receiving gaming state information indicative of a state of the game at one or more points of a gaming session on a first gaming device; means for decrypting the gaming state information; and means for loading the gaming state information and resuming execution of at least one game based on the gaming state information. ### Claim 21 A method of saving a gaming session, the method comprising: generating game state information indicative of a state of the game at one or more points in the gaming session; encrypting the game state information; and transmitting the gaming state to a second device. ### Claim 22 A method of resuming a gaming session on a first gaming device, the method comprising: receiving encrypted game state information from a host gaming device, the game state information indicative of a state of a game at one or more points in a gaming session; decrypting the game state information; and loading the game state information to resume the gaming session on the first gaming device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising verifying that each of at least one remote player device is within a proximity of the first host gaming device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming state information includes geographic information indicative of geographic location of the gaming machine. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the gaming state information includes geographic information indicative of geographic location of the gaming machine. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the game controller is configured to control the ability of the second gaming device to receive gaming state based on the geographic location of the second gaming device. ### Claim 27 A gaming system comprising: a receiver configured to receive, from a first device, encrypted gaming state information indicative of a state of a game at one or more points in a gaming session; a storage configured to store the encrypted gaming state information; wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from a second device, request information indicative of a request to resume a gaming session; at least one processor configured to verify the second device based, at least in part, on the request information; and a transmitter configured to transmit the encrypted gaming state information to the second device. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the request information includes geographic information indicative of the geographic location of the second device and the processor is configured to verify the second device based, at least in part, on the geographic information.