WO2003083798A1 - Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil - Google Patents

Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2003083798A1
WO2003083798A1 PCT/US2002/009967 US0209967W WO03083798A1 WO 2003083798 A1 WO2003083798 A1 WO 2003083798A1 US 0209967 W US0209967 W US 0209967W WO 03083798 A1 WO03083798 A1 WO 03083798A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
gaming
optical communication
controller
transceiver
gaming unit
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2002/009967
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Craig A. Paulsen
Original Assignee
Igt
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Igt filed Critical Igt
Priority to EP02807149A priority Critical patent/EP1488392A1/fr
Priority to RU2004131663/09A priority patent/RU2288504C2/ru
Priority to PCT/US2002/009967 priority patent/WO2003083798A1/fr
Priority to AU2002306998A priority patent/AU2002306998A1/en
Publication of WO2003083798A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003083798A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G07F17/3202—Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
    • G07F17/3223—Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Definitions

  • This patent is directed to gaming apparatus, which could be either an individual gaming unit or a casino gaming network having multiple gaming units, that is capable of wireless data transmission and receipt.
  • a gaming unit has been provided with a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a coin or bill acceptor, and a controller with a memory and a processor that controls the overall operation of the gaming unit.
  • the controller was programmed to allow a person to make a wager, to cause video images to be generated on the display unit, to determine an outcome of the video gambling game, and to determine a value payout associated with the outcome of the game.
  • the conventional gaming unit also was programmed to display video images representing a game, which included a number of user-selectable video gambling games including video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, video pachinko games, video card games, video games of chance; and combinations thereof.
  • each segment of the copper wire cable and the fiber optic cable used in the gaming network required physical coupling to essentially fixed- position system connections such as a fixed-position connector, a floor or wall mounted receptacle, etc,, and sometimes required running through ceiling panels, along baseboards, under floor panels, and throughout other areas of the casino.
  • Casinos reconfigure their gaming machines to accomplish various changes including, for example, the addition of new gaming machines, customer preferences, optimizing game play time, traffic patterns, etc.
  • the invention is directed to a casino gaming unit that may include a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a value input device, a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device, an optical communication transceiver capable of wireless data transmission and reception, and an optical communication controller coupled to the optical communication transceiver and the gaming unit controller.
  • the gaming unit controller may comprise a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor of the gaming unit controller and may allow a person to make a wager, to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on the display unit, to determine an outcome of the game and a value payout associated with the outcome of the game.
  • the video image may represent a video game selected from the group of video games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, vieo pachinko, and video bingo, in which case the video image may comprise an image of at least five playing cards if the video gambling game comprises video poker; the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the video gambling game comprises video slots; the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of playing cards if the video gambling game comprises video blackjack; the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the video gambling game comprises video keno; the video image may comprise an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles, and the video image may comprise an image of a bingo grid if the video gambling game comprises video bingo.
  • the optical communication controller may comprise a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor of the optical communication controller and may allow wireless data communication with an optical communication transceiver of another device at a location remote from the gaming apparatus.
  • the optical communication transceiver may comprise a photoemissive device capable of generating infrared light and a photoreceptor device capable of receiving infrared light.
  • the photoemissive device may comprise a laser diode or a light emitting diode and may be capable of point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication.
  • the invention is directed to a gaming system comprising a first gaming unit, a second gaming unit, and a routing device.
  • Each of the gaming units may include a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a value input device, a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device, an optical communication transceiver capable of wireless data transmission and reception, and an optical communication controller coupled to the optical communication transceiver and the gaming unit controller.
  • the gaming unit controller may comprise a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor of the gaming unit controller and may allow a person to make a wager, to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on the display unit, to determine said outcome of the and a value payout associated with the outcome of the game.
  • the optical communication controller may comprise a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor of the optical communication controller and may allow wireless data commumcatiori with an optical communication transceiver of another device at a location remote from the gaming apparatus.
  • the routing device may comprise an optical communication transceiver capable of wireless data transmission and reception, and a routing device controller.
  • the routing device controller my comprise a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor of the routing device controller and may allow communication with the optical communication transceivers of the first and second gaming units.
  • FIG. 1 A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. IB is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a gaming system in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming units shown schematically in Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit
  • Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gaming unit of
  • Fig. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaining units;
  • Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;
  • Fig. 6 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video poker routine of Fig. 8;
  • Fig. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of Fig. 9;
  • Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;
  • Fig. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;
  • Fig. 10 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the slots routine of Fig. 12;
  • Fig. 11 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video keno routine of Fig. 13;
  • Fig. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;
  • Fig. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;
  • Fig. 14 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of Fig. 15;
  • Fig. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units.
  • Fig. IA illustrates one possible embodiment of a casino gaming system 10 in accordance with the invention.
  • the casino gaming system 10 may include a first group or network 12 of casino gaming units 20.
  • Each of the gaming units may be operatively coupled to another gaming unit 20 via an optical wireless link 22 capable of two-way digital data exchange.
  • a common optical communication transceiver 13 may be operatively coupled to one of the gaming units 20 via the optical wireless link 22.
  • the common optical communication transceiver 13 may include an optical communication transceiver controller configured to facilitate wireless data transmission and reception to and from the first network 12.
  • the common optical communication transceiver 13 may be operatively coupled to a router 11.
  • the router 11 may include a router controller configured to facilitate data routing between the first network 12 and a network 40. The router 11 may route data traffic, based on a number of well known routing considerations, between the first network 12 and the network 40 via one of the of the gaming units 20.
  • a network computer may be operatively coupled to each of the gaming units 20 via a network data link or bus which may also be configured as an optical wireless link.
  • a network data link or bus which may also be configured as an optical wireless link.
  • the common optical communication transceiver 13 and the router 11 are shown as two separate elements, each having their own controller, it should be understood that the common optical communication transceiver 13 and the router 11 and their respective controllers may be combined into one element. Accordingly, the configuration of the casino gaming system 10 including the use of optical wireless links, may allow the gaming unit(s) 20, the common optical communication transceiver 13, and the router 11 to be easily relocated.
  • the casino gaming system 10 may also include a second group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34 which may be an optical wireless link.
  • the first and second gaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via the network 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via a first network link 42 and a second network link 44.
  • the first network link 42 and the second network link 44 may comprise a copper wire cable, a fiber optical cable, an optical wireless link, or any other suitable link capable of transmitting and receiving data.
  • the first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino.
  • the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states.
  • the network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communication protocol.
  • the network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 30. For example, the network computer 32 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 30 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 30, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 30 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming umts 30, etc.
  • the network computer operatively coupled to the gaming units 20 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 20 as the network computer 32 described above.
  • Fig. IB illustrates another possible embodiment of a casino gaming system 45 in accordance with the invention.
  • the casino gaming system 45 may include a first group or network 46 of casino gaming unit(s) 20.
  • Each of the gaming units 20 may include an optical transceiver that may be operatively coupled to a common optical communication transceiver 14 via an optical wireless link 22 capable of two-way digital data exchange.
  • the common optical communication transceiver 14 may include an optical communication transceiver controller configured to facilitate wireless data reception and transmission capability to and from the gaming units 20.
  • the optical communication transceiver 14 may be operatively coupled to a central router 47.
  • the central router 47 may include a central router controller configured to facilitate data routing between the common optical transceiver 14 and a network 40 via a first network link 42.
  • the central router 47 may route data traffic between the first network 46 and the network 40 based on a number of well known routing considerations.
  • a network computer(not shown) may be operatively coupled to each the gaming units 20 via a network data link or bus that may also be configured as an optical wireless link.
  • the optical communication transceiver 14 and the central router 47 are shown as two separate elements, each having their own controller, it should be understood that the optical communication transceiver 14 and the central router 47 and their respective controllers may be combined into one element.
  • the casino gaming system 45 may allow the gaming unit(s) 20, the common optical communication transceiver 14, and the router 45 to be easily relocated.
  • the casino gaming system 10 may also include a second group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34 which may be an optical wireless link.
  • the first and second gaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via the network 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via a first network link 42 and a second network link 44.
  • the first network link 42 and the second network link 44 may comprise a copper wire cable, a fiber optical cable, an optical wireless link, or any other suitable link capable of transmitting and receiving data.
  • the first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino.
  • the network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communication protocol.
  • the network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 30. For example, the network computer 32 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 30 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 30, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 30 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming units 30, etc.
  • the network computer operatively coupled to the gaming units 20 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 20 as the network computer 32 described above.
  • each network 12, 26 is shown to include four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized.
  • the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may be interconnected via wireless data links such as an optical data link.
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or more of the gaming units 20.
  • the gaming units 30 may have the same design as the gaming units 20 described below. It should be understood that the design of one or more of the gaming units 20 may be different than the design of other gaming units 20, and that the design of one or more of the gaming umts 30 may be different than the design of other gaming units 30.
  • Each gaming unit 20 may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various different structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of the gaming umts 20 are described below, but it should be understood that numerous other designs may be utilized.
  • the casino gaming unit 20 may include a housing or cabinet 50 and one or more value input devices, which may include a coin slot or acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket reader /printer 56 and a card reader 58, which may be used to input value to the gaming unit 20.
  • a value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer.
  • the term "value" may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, smart cards and any other object representative of value.
  • the gaming unit 20 may also include an indicator, herein referred to as a candle
  • the candle 69 may be constructed as a clear tube containing a variety of color inserts, which when illuminated in predetermined patterns, indicate a quick visual status of the gaming machine 20.
  • a yellow illumination may signify to a player that the gaming machine 20 requires 25 cent denominations.
  • a flashing pattern of multiple colors may indicate that the gaming machine is in an attract mode or a player mode, or that a player has won a jackpot, or that the gaming unit 20 is malfunctioning.
  • the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60.
  • the ticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable.
  • Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc.
  • the ticket vouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded.
  • the ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket printers 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could then be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket readers 56.
  • the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.
  • the gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a color video display unit 70 for displaying images relating to the game or games provided by the gaming unit 20.
  • the audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game.
  • the input control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.
  • the gaming unit 20 may also include one or more built-in optical interface port(s), or infrared (IR) transceiver(s) 71.
  • the IR transceiver(s) 71 may be configured to optically transmit data to, and receive data from, other infrared-equipped gaming units or devices.
  • the IR transceiver(s) 71 may transmit data, encrypted and/or unencrypted, between gaming unit(s) 20 or to other infrared-equipped remote devices.
  • the data may include, for example, player tracking card data such as player names, points accumulated, etc., progressive jackpot machine data, software download data, game bonusing data, etc.
  • the IR transceiver(s) 71 may receive data, encrypted and/or unencrypted, from gaming unit(s) 20 or other remote devices such as router 11 and central router 46.
  • the IR transceiver 71 may be configured in any number of configurations to enable bidirectional optical transmission of data.
  • the IR transceiver 71 may include a photoemissive device such as an array of infrared light emitting diodes (LED) for producing a transmitted optical signal, and a photoreceptor device such as an array of infrared sensitive photodiodes for receiving and converting a received optical signal to a reception signal.
  • the IR transceiver 71 may include a photoemissive device such as an array of low-power laser diodes conforming to Class
  • the IR transceiver 71 may be installed in any suitable area of the gaming unit 20 , for example in the candle 69, in order to carry high speed data over light waves to other infrared-equipped gaming units or peripheral devices at transmission rates of up to 1 Gbps.
  • the IR transceiver 71 may be configured to carry data in a either point-to-point or point-to-multipoint application. For example, it may be desirable to utilize a point-to-multipoint application in order to facilitate a software download from a network server to a number of gaming units 20 via optical links.
  • IR transceiver 71 placement of the IR transceiver 71 in the candle 69 or similar location, may provide enhanced security for optically transmitted data when compared with data transmitted via a wire or fiber optic link.
  • IR transceiver 71 is depicted in Fig. 2 as being a radially disposed in the candle 69, it should be understood that the IR transceiver 71 may be mounted in any location that increases or maximizes line-of-sight with other infrared-equipped gaming units or remote devices.
  • Fig. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the control panel 66, which may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or "virtual" reels. Referring to Fig.
  • the control panel 66 may include a "See Pays" button 72 that, when activated, causes the display unit 70 to generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information for the game or games provided by the gaming unit 20.
  • the term "button” is intended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make an input selection or a display area that a player may simply touch.
  • the control panel 66 may include a "Cash Out” button 74 that may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on the gaming unit 20, in which case the gaming unit 20 may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the player via the payout tray 64.
  • the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76 , each of which allows the player to select a different number of pay lines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.
  • the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 20 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the "5" button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the "3" button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be
  • the control panel 66 may include a "Max Bet" button 80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25.
  • the control panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
  • buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 are shown around the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82. It should be understood that rectangle simply designates, for ease of reference, an area in which the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 may be located. Consequently, the term
  • control panel should not be construed to imply that a panel or plate separate from the housing 50 of the gaming unit 20 is required, and the term “control panel” may encompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable buttons.
  • buttons could be utilized in the control panel 66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on the gaming unit 20.
  • the control panel 66 is shown to be separate from the display unit 70, it should be understood that the control panel 66 could be generated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the control panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the display unit 70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with the display unit 70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.
  • the gaming unit 20 may include a gaming unit controller 100 that may comprise a program memory 102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory (RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus 110.
  • a gaming unit controller 100 may comprise a program memory 102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory (RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus 110.
  • MP microcontroller or microprocessor
  • RAM random-access memory
  • I/O input/output circuit 108
  • the I/O circuit 108 is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 108 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits.
  • the RAM(s) 104 and program memories 102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.
  • the program memory 102 is shown in Fig. 3 as a read-only memory (ROM) 102
  • the program memory of the gaming unit controller 100 may be a read/ write or alterable memory, such as a hard disk.
  • the address/data bus 110 shown schematically in Fig. 3 may comprise multiple address/data buses, which may be of different types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposed between the address/data buses.
  • the gaming unit controller 100 may be operatively coupled to an IR controller 90.
  • the IR controller 90 may comprise a program memory 90, a microcontroller or microprocessor 92, and an input/output device 95 interconnected via an address/data bus (not shown).
  • the IR controller 90 may be electrically coupled to the transceiver 71 via a data signal line 94
  • the IR controller 90 may be any suitable controller capable of providing control for the IR transceiver 71.
  • the IR controller 90 and the gaming unit controller 100 are shown as separate blocks , it should be understood that IR controller 90 and the gaming unit controller 100 may be depicted as a single block.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates that the control panel 66, the coin acceptor 52, the bill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and the ticket reader/printer 56 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108, each of those components being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used.
  • the speaker(s) 62 may be operatively coupled to a sound circuit 112, that may comprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit.
  • the sound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108.
  • the components 52, 54, 56, 58, 66, 112 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line or conductor.
  • Different connection schemes could be used.
  • one or more of the components shown in Fig. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components.
  • some of the components may be directly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing through the I/O circuit 108.
  • optical transfer of data between devices may be accomplished via the use of one or more optical transceivers, in each device, electrically coupled to an optical communication controller.
  • optical transceivers in each device, electrically coupled to an optical communication controller.
  • the optical wireless link 22 interconnecting the gaming unit(s) 20, and/or interconnecting one or more gaming unit(s) 20 with remote devices such as the central router 47 enables the optical transfer of data via the use of the IR transceiver 71 and the IR controller 90.
  • the IR transceiver 71 which may be, for example, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) infrared data transceiver, a Fast Infrared (FIR) transceiver, a Serial Infrared (SIR) transceiver, etc. , may provide optical transfer capability for gaming apparatus data and player data between the gaming unit(s) 20.
  • IrDA Infrared Data Association
  • FIR Fast Infrared
  • SIR Serial Infrared
  • the optical transfer of data may include both transmission and receipt of gaming apparatus data and player data.
  • the IR transceiver 71 generally implemented either in hardware and software or hardware alone, may perform shaping and other characteristics of infrared signals including encoding the data bits, framing data with begin and end of frame flags and cyclical redundancy checks.
  • other, short range, low power wireless technologies may be used to enable the optical transfer of data between devices.
  • One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored.
  • the computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C + , C+ + or the like or any low- level, assembly or machine language.
  • various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.
  • Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a main operating routine 200 that may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the main routine 200 may begin operation at block 202 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit 20.
  • the attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62.
  • the attraction sequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or video images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.
  • the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit 20.
  • the gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 in various ways. For example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses any button on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
  • the game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208, the gaming unit controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played.
  • the game routines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjack routine 220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, and a video bingo routine 250.
  • block 208 if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block 202.
  • block 260 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash Out" button, the gaming unit controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 202.
  • routine may return to block 208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game. It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in Fig. 4, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of a different number of games .
  • the gaming unit 20 may also be programmed to allow play of different games .
  • Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative main operating routine 300 that may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the main routine 300 may be utilized for gaming units 20 that are designed to allow play of only a single game or single type of game.
  • the main routine 300 may begin operation at block 302 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit 20.
  • the attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments , such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62.
  • the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 306.
  • the game display generated at block 306 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20.
  • the gaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed at block 310.
  • Block 312 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case a game routine 320 may be performed.
  • the game routine 320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, or another game routine.
  • block 322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash Out" button, the gaming unit controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 302. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 322, the operation may return to block 308.
  • Fig. 6 is an exemplary display 350 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the display 350 may include video images 352 of a plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards.
  • a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed.
  • the buttons may include a "Hold” button 354 disposed directly below each of the playing card images 352, a "Cash Out” button 356, a "See Pays” button 358, a "Bet One Credit” button 360, a "Bet Max Credits” button 362, and a "Deal/Draw” button 364.
  • the display 350 may also include an area 366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 354, 356, 358, 360, 362, 364 may form part of the video display 350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
  • Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in Fig.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 358, in which case at block 372 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the "Bet One Credit” button 360, in which case at block 376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the "Bet Max Credits" button 362, in which case at block 380 bet data corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the "Deal/Draw" button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384 a video poker hand may be "dealt” by causing the display unit 70 to generate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386 the routine may determine if any of the "Hold" buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of the playing card images 352 are to be "held” may be stored in the gaming unit controller 100 at block 388.
  • each of the playing card images 352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.
  • the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396.
  • the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396.
  • the cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (Fig. 6).
  • the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands , with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.
  • Fig. 7 is an exemplary display 400 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the display 400 may include video images 402 of a pair of playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other card being shown face down, and video images 404 of a pair of playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up.
  • the "dealer" may be the gaming unit 20.
  • buttons may be displayed.
  • the buttons may include a "Cash Out” button 406, a "See Pays” button 408, a "Stay” button 410, a “Hit” button 412, a "Bet
  • the display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of the video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
  • Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the video blackjack routine 220 may begin at block 420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the "Bet One Credit” button 414 or the "Bet Max Credits” button 416.
  • bet data corresponding to the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be "dealt" by making the playing card images 402, 404 appear on the display unit 70.
  • the player may be allowed to be "hit, " in which case at block 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing card image
  • block 430 may determine if the player has "bust, " or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
  • the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.
  • the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440.
  • the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418 (Fig. 7).
  • Slots Fig. 10 is an exemplary display 450 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the display 450 may include video images 452 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols 454 associated therewith.
  • the display 450 shows five reel images 452, each of which may have three reel symbols 454 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.
  • buttons may be displayed.
  • the buttons may include a "Cash Out” button 456, a "See Pays” button 458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to "spinning" the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a "Spin” button 464, and a "Max Bet” button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
  • Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in Fig. 10.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 458, in which case at block 472 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons 460, in which case at block 476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming umt controller 100.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection buttons 462, in which case at block 480 data corresponding to the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the "Max Bet" button 466, in which case at block 484 bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the routine may cause the slot machine reel images 452 to begin "spinning" so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels.
  • the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning.
  • the routine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
  • the routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at block 494 , the routine may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played.
  • the bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided.
  • a bonus value may be determined at block 498.
  • a payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500.
  • the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block 500.
  • Fig. 11 is an exemplary display 520 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the display 520 may include a video image 522 of a plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game and a video image 524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno game.
  • the randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.
  • buttons may be displayed.
  • the buttons may include a "Cash Out” button
  • the display 520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch- sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
  • Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a keno game, or the keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the gaming unit controller 100 in each gaming unit or by one of the network computer 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are operatively connected.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 528, in which case at block 552 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One Credit” button 530 or the "Bet Max Credits” button 532, in which case at block 556 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the player may select a keno ticket, and at block 560 the ticket may be displayed on the display 520.
  • the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100 at block 564 and may be included in the image 522 on the display 520 at block 566. After a certain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players (where a number of players are playing a single keno game using multiple gambling units 20). If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by the gaming unit controller 100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of other gaming umts 20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block
  • the gaming unit controller 100 may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.
  • the gaming unit controller 100 may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block 578 the gaming unit controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.
  • a payout may be determined at block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game.
  • the payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570.
  • the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined at block 580.
  • the cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (Fig. 11).
  • Fig. 14 is an exemplary display 600 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the display 600 may include one or more video images 602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game.
  • the bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern.
  • buttons may include a "Cash Out” button 604, a "See Pays” button 606, a "Bet One Credit” button 608, a “Bet Max Credits” button 610, a “Select Card” button 612, and a "Play” button 614.
  • the display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons- may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
  • Fig. 15 is a flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
  • the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a bingo game, or the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the gaming unit controller 100 in each gaming unit 20 or by one of the network computers 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are operatively connected.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button
  • the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70.
  • the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One Credit” button 608 or the "Bet Max Credits” button 610, in which case at block 626 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller 100.
  • the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select.
  • a bingo number may be randomly generated by the gaming unit controller 100 or a central computer such as one of the network computers 22, 32.
  • the bingo number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of any other gaming units 20 involved in the bingo game.
  • the gaming unit controller 100 may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, at block 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block 644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (Fig. 14).

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un appareil de jeux de casino comprenant un module d'affichage capable de générer des images vidéo, un dispositif d'entrée de valeurs, un contrôleur d'appareil de jeux couplé de manière fonctionnelle au module d'affichage et au dispositif d'entrée de valeurs, un récepteur de communications optiques capable d'émettre et de transmettre sans fil des données et un contrôleur de communications optiques couplé à l'émetteur-récepteur et au contrôleur de l'appareil de jeux. Ce contrôleur d'appareil de jeux peut comprendre un processeur et une mémoire, et peut autoriser une personne à faire des paris de façon à générer une image vidéo représentant un jeu devant être affiché sur le module d'affichage, et déterminer un revenu de jeu et une rétribution de valeur associée au revenu du jeu. Le contrôleur de communications optiques peut faciliter les communications de données sans fil avec des émetteurs-récepteurs de communications optiques d'un ou plusieurs dispositifs distants de l'appareil de jeux.
PCT/US2002/009967 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil WO2003083798A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP02807149A EP1488392A1 (fr) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil
RU2004131663/09A RU2288504C2 (ru) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Игровое устройство с системой оптической беспроводной связи
PCT/US2002/009967 WO2003083798A1 (fr) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil
AU2002306998A AU2002306998A1 (en) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Gaming apparatus with an optical wireless system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2002/009967 WO2003083798A1 (fr) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003083798A1 true WO2003083798A1 (fr) 2003-10-09

Family

ID=28673391

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2002/009967 WO2003083798A1 (fr) 2002-03-28 2002-03-28 Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1488392A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2002306998A1 (fr)
RU (1) RU2288504C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2003083798A1 (fr)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7867092B2 (en) 2002-04-08 2011-01-11 Igt Gaming apparatus with an optical wireless system
WO2011049421A1 (fr) * 2009-10-22 2011-04-28 Vladimirs Bondarenko Dispositif de jeu (système de jeu), dans lequel un processeur détermine un prix pour le paiement d'un ou plusieurs jackpots ou d'un ou plusieurs bonus, si un prix dû à un joueur est déterminé en fonction d'un résultat de jeu
US8182330B2 (en) 2007-12-21 2012-05-22 Aristocrat Technologies Austrailia PTY Limited Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller
US8964830B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-02-24 Ol2, Inc. System and method for multi-stream video compression using multiple encoding formats
US9077991B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-07-07 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for utilizing forward error correction with video compression
US9138644B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-09-22 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for accelerated machine switching
US9192859B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-11-24 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for compressing video based on latency measurements and other feedback
US9314691B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2016-04-19 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for compressing video frames or portions thereof based on feedback information from a client device

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9061207B2 (en) * 2002-12-10 2015-06-23 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc Temporary decoder apparatus and method
RU2652972C2 (ru) * 2013-01-02 2018-05-03 Триангл Стрэтеджи Груп, Ллс Способы, системы и машиночитаемые носители для отслеживания взаимодействия потребителей с товарами посредством электромагнитных лучевых датчиков

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19855117A1 (de) * 1998-11-30 2000-05-31 Bally Wulff Automaten Gmbh Jackpotsystem für mittels Münzen, Token oder ähnlichen Zahlungsmitteln betätigbare Spielautomaten
US6296101B1 (en) * 2000-02-01 2001-10-02 Unirec Co., Ltd. Token management system for amusement arcade
US6312332B1 (en) * 1998-03-31 2001-11-06 Walker Digital, Llc Method and apparatus for team play of slot machines

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6312332B1 (en) * 1998-03-31 2001-11-06 Walker Digital, Llc Method and apparatus for team play of slot machines
DE19855117A1 (de) * 1998-11-30 2000-05-31 Bally Wulff Automaten Gmbh Jackpotsystem für mittels Münzen, Token oder ähnlichen Zahlungsmitteln betätigbare Spielautomaten
US6296101B1 (en) * 2000-02-01 2001-10-02 Unirec Co., Ltd. Token management system for amusement arcade

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7867092B2 (en) 2002-04-08 2011-01-11 Igt Gaming apparatus with an optical wireless system
US8964830B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-02-24 Ol2, Inc. System and method for multi-stream video compression using multiple encoding formats
US9077991B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-07-07 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for utilizing forward error correction with video compression
US9138644B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-09-22 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for accelerated machine switching
US9192859B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2015-11-24 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for compressing video based on latency measurements and other feedback
US9314691B2 (en) 2002-12-10 2016-04-19 Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc System and method for compressing video frames or portions thereof based on feedback information from a client device
US8182330B2 (en) 2007-12-21 2012-05-22 Aristocrat Technologies Austrailia PTY Limited Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller
US8715075B2 (en) 2007-12-21 2014-05-06 Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller
WO2011049421A1 (fr) * 2009-10-22 2011-04-28 Vladimirs Bondarenko Dispositif de jeu (système de jeu), dans lequel un processeur détermine un prix pour le paiement d'un ou plusieurs jackpots ou d'un ou plusieurs bonus, si un prix dû à un joueur est déterminé en fonction d'un résultat de jeu

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RU2004131663A (ru) 2005-04-10
RU2288504C2 (ru) 2006-11-27
EP1488392A1 (fr) 2004-12-22
AU2002306998A1 (en) 2003-10-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7867092B2 (en) Gaming apparatus with an optical wireless system
AU785462B2 (en) Gaming apparatus having touch pad input
US7169047B2 (en) Providing an indication of a hidden bonus on a casino gaming apparatus
US8460096B2 (en) Apparatus and method for copying gaming machine configuration settings
US6890260B2 (en) Illuminated player tracking card for a gaming apparatus
US20040166917A1 (en) USB light controller for controlling a display on a light device in a gaming unit
US20040166932A1 (en) Method and apparatus for controlling a display on a light device in a gaming unit
US20050026674A1 (en) Method and apparatus for rewarding multiple game players for a single win
US20040224748A1 (en) Multiplier per selected indicia
EP1488392A1 (fr) Appareil de jeux de hasard a systeme optique sans fil
AU2002367823B2 (en) Method and apparatus for rewarding multiple game players for single win
AU2007237259B2 (en) Apparatus and method for copying gaming machine configuration settings
AU2007234482A1 (en) Gaming apparatus with an optical wireless system
AU2002306999B2 (en) Casino gaming apparatus with a bonus
AU785255B2 (en) Gaming machine with promotional item dispenser

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 10239976

Country of ref document: US

AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ OM PH PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VN YU ZA ZM ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2002306998

Country of ref document: AU

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2002807149

Country of ref document: EP

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: 2004131663

Country of ref document: RU

Kind code of ref document: A

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 2002807149

Country of ref document: EP

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: JP

WWW Wipo information: withdrawn in national office

Country of ref document: JP