Patent Application
20140057727
1. Field of the Described Implementations
The present disclosure relates generally to gaming machines, and more particularly to input devices of gaming machines configured to impede the entrance of foreign contaminates into the housing of the input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many of today's gaming casinos and other entertainment locations feature different single and multi-player gaming systems such as slot machines and video poker machines. The gaming machines may include a number of hardware and software components to provide a wide variety of game types and game playing capabilities. Exemplary hardware components may include bill validators, coin acceptors, card readers, keypads, buttons, levers, touch screens, coin hoppers, ticket printers, player tracking units and the like. Software components may include, for example, boot and initialization routines, various game play programs and subroutines, credit and payout routines, image and audio generation programs, various component modules and a random or pseudo-random number generator, among others.
Gaming machines are highly regulated to ensure fairness. In many cases, gaming machines may be operable to dispense monetary awards of a large amount of money. Accordingly, access to gaming machines is often carefully controlled. For example, in some jurisdictions, routine maintenance requires that extra personnel (e.g., gaming control personnel) be notified in advance and be in attendance during such maintenance. Additionally, gaming machines may have hardware and software architectures that differ significantly from those of general-purpose computers (PCs), even though both gaming machines and PCs employ microprocessors to control a variety of devices. For example, gaming machines may have more stringent security requirements and fault tolerance requirements. Additionally, gaming machines generally operate in harsher environments as compared with PCs.
Gaming machines typically have input devices, such as push-buttons, to receive player inputs, e.g., to place a wager. A gaming machine with such devices may be susceptible to foreign contaminates getting into the machine and interfering with the proper operation of the gaming machine. For example, a player may spill liquids containing alcohol, sugar, etc. on the panel of the gaming machine, which may then enter the input device and cause the input device to stop working. An input device on an angled panel may be more susceptible to contamination due to its relative location and/or the accessibility of drinking containers to the player and the input device(s).
The input device of the gaming machine may have a reduced tactile function and/or function. For example, the input device may become inoperable when the foreign contaminate enters the housing or other components of the input device. The inoperability may be caused by the foreign contaminate entering the area between a lens and a bezel of the input device. In such situations, the faulty input device is typically replaced by the casino operator. Modern input devices which include LCD or similar displays can be relatively expensive to replace. Besides the costs incurred by replacing a faulty input device, the casino operator also suffers a decline in income while the gaming machine is inoperable. These and other considerations have led to the evolution of the present invention.
The present invention solves the problem of foreign contaminants interfering with the operation of input devices of a gaming machine in a cost effective manner without hindering the normal operation of those input devices. According to various examples, an electronic gaming machine for playing an electronic wagering game is disclosed. The electronic gaming machine may include a gaming controller. The electronic gaming machine may also include a panel having a first side and a second side. The electronic gaming machine may include an input device mounted on the panel. The input device may include a housing, which may include a first section having a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is engaged against the panel on the first side of the panel. The input device may also include a second section having a top surface, wherein the top surface is engaged against the panel on the second side of a panel. The input device may also include a member moveable with respect to the first and the second sections, wherein the moveable member is configured to be actuated by a player to provide input to the gaming controller. The input device may further include a membrane disposed between the first section and the panel, wherein the membrane impedes the entrance of foreign contaminates into the housing.
According to one example implementation, an input device is disclosed. The input device may include a housing comprising a bottom wall having at least one upwardly extending side and a top surface connected to the at least one upwardly extending side. The input device may also include a lens mechanically coupled to the housing comprising of an upper and a lower lens, where the upper and lower lenses are welded together to create the lens, wherein the upper lens is configured to be actuated by a player to provide input to a gaming controller and the lower lens is configured to move with the upper lens during actuation. The input device may also include a bezel surrounding the upper lens. The input device may further include electrical contacts electrically coupled to the upper lens to receive input. The input device may also include a flexible membrane attached to the upper lens and placed over the bezel, wherein the flexible membrane is provided within a channel between the upper and lower lens and is configured to allow movement with the actuation of the upper lens, to provide feedback to the player during actuation and to impede the entrance of foreign contaminates into the electrical contacts.
According to another implementation, an apparatus for an electronic gaming machine to prevent the entrance of foreign objects is disclosed. The apparatus may include a housing comprising a first section, wherein the first section extends into an interior region of the electronic gaming machine, a second section, wherein the second section extends into an exterior of the electronic gaming machine. The apparatus may also include a member moveable with respect to the first and second sections. The apparatus may further include a membrane in contact with the first and second sections, wherein the membrane surrounds the moveable member to prevent the entrance of foreign objects into the electronic gaming machine.
The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the descriptions, the drawings, and the claims, in which:
Numerous specific details may be set forth below to provide a thorough understanding of concepts underlying the described implementations. It may be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the described implementations may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, some process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the underlying concept.
Referring generally to the figures, a gaming machine, input device and components thereof are shown according to described implementations. Before discussing further details of the gaming device, the input device and/or the components thereof, it should be noted that references to “front,” “back,” “rear,” “upward,” “downward,” “inner,” “outer,” “right,” and “left” in this description are merely used to identify the various elements as they are oriented in the Figures. These terms are not meant to limit the element which they describe, as the various elements may be oriented differently in various applications.
A spill-resistant edge-lit dynamic input device may improve the tactile function of the input device and/or reduce inoperability. The input device, disclosed herein, prevents foreign contaminates from entering the gap between the lens and the bezel of the input device while maintaining the visual effects of the edge-lit dynamic input device and the tactile feel for a player's enjoyment.
Referring to
Gaming machine 102 may include any number of user interface devices that convey sensory information to a user and/or receive input from the user. For example, gaming machine 102 may include a first electronic display 110, a second electronic display 122, speakers 126, and/or a candle device 112 to convey information to the user of gaming machine 102. Gaming machine 102 may also include a panel 124 having one or more input devices 134 (e.g., buttons, track pads, etc.) configured to receive input from a user. Panel 124 may include a first side and a second side. Input device(s) 134 may be mounted to panel 124.
In one implementation, display 110 may also be a touch screen display configured to receive input from a user. A gaming controller (not shown) within gaming machine 102 may run a game, such as a wager-based game, in response to receiving input from a user via input devices 134 or display 110. For example, input devices 134 may be operated to place a wager in the game and to run the game. In response, the gaming controller may cause second electronic display 122, which may include electro-mechanical reels, to spin, such as with a slot game, and/or display 110 to display the results of the game.
Gaming machine 102 may also include devices for conducting a wager-based game. For example, gaming machine 102 may include a coin acceptor 132, a printer 120, a bill acceptor 116, and a coin tray 136. Gaming machine 102 may receive physical money and/or tokens via coin acceptor 132 and bill acceptor 116 and dispense physical money or tokens via coin tray 136. Gaming machine 102 may convert received money or tokens into game credits, which may be used within the gaming establishment in lieu of money. In some cases, gaming machine 102 may also receive and dispense credits. For example, printer 120 may print a ticket for larger payouts that can be redeemed for physical money. In some cases, bill acceptor 116 may be configured to redeem a payout ticket in the form of game credits. Such a configuration may allow a user to transfer credits between gaming machines. According to various implementations, gaming machine 102 may record data regarding its receipt and/or disbursement of money or credit. Gaming machine 102 may provide such accounting data to a remote repository.
The input devices 134 are exemplified by input device 300 shown in
Push button member 303 may provide a lens 302 for an illuminated display. The illuminated display may display an image, a video, etc. The player may play a game as directed by the illuminated display. The illuminated display may include an LCD (liquid crystal display), TFT (thin film transistor), plasma, OLED (organic light emitting diode), or LED display. The illuminated display may include graphics from the game, such as directions. Furthermore, content that may have been displayed elsewhere may be displayed on push button member 303.
As best shown by section 320 in
A first end 304a of the membrane 304 is retained within the lens 302 of the push button member 303 and moves with the push button member 303 when the push button member 303 is depressed. Lens 302 may include an upper and a lower lens that may be welded together to create lens 302. In some implementations, the upper and lower lens may be ultra-sonically welded together. The upper lens may be actuated (e.g., pressed) by a player to provide input to a gaming controller, while the lower lens may be configured to move with the upper lens during actuation.
A first end 304a of the membrane 304 is retained within the lens 302 of the push button member 303 and moves with the push button member 303 when the push button member 303 is depressed.—A second end 304b of the membrane 304 is attached to an underside portion of the bezel 314 and remains stationary. The membrane 304 is flexible and deforms slightly from the shown orientation when the push button member 303 is depressed. The membrane 304 may be constructed and installed such that the membrane 304 biases the push button member 303 in the upper-most position in conjunction with the upward force on the push button member 303 provided by the spring 321.
The first end 304a of the membrane 304 has a cross-sectional L-shape and fits within a corresponding cross-sectional L-shaped recess 332 formed within the lens 302. The lens 302 may be formed from an upper lens 302a and a lower lens 302b, as shown in
Membrane contact areas 336a and 336b on the upper and lower lens 302a and 302b, respectively, may also lightly compress the membrane after the upper and lower lens 302a and 302b have been joined together. This light compression by the contact areas 336a and 336b helps to retain the first end 304a of the membrane within the lens 302 as well as creating an effective seal between the membrane 304 and the lens 302.
The second end 304b of the membrane 304 is attached to the bottom portion of the bezel 314 as shown in
Membrane 304 may be welded or otherwise to upper portion of lens 302 and placed over bezel 314. Membrane 304 may be provided within a channel between the upper portion of lens 302 and a lower portion of lens 302. Membrane 304 may be configured to allow movement with actuation of the upper portion of lens 302. Membrane 304 may be in contact with the first and second section of outer housing 306. Membrane 304 may have a first end 304a that moves with lens 302 during actuation and a second end 304b that remains fixed during actuation, e.g., pressed against the panel of the gaming machine.
Outer housing 306 may include a first section having a bottom wall 309. Bottom wall 309 may define an open space therein for receiving electrical contacts and locking assembly 308. Bottom wall 309 may include at least one upwardly extending side. Bottom wall 309 may also include a top surface connected to the at least one upwardly extending side. Locking assembly 308-may secure electrical contacts via inner housing 307 to outer housing 306. Locking assembly 308 may include one or more locking members, such as spiral ridges, projections, tabs, etc. that couple locking assembly 308 to outer housing 306. The projections may couple input device 300 to the panel. As shown in
In some implementations, outer housing 306 may include a first section having bottom wall 309. Bottom wall 309 may be engaged against a first side of a panel of a gaming machine. Outer housing 306 may include a second section having a top surface (not shown). The top surface may be engaged against a second side of the panel. A sufficient pressure/clamping force may be used to compress the membrane so the face of the panel is in contact to form a contaminate-resistant seal.
The construction and arrangement of the elements of the figures as shown in the exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements. The elements and assemblies may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Additionally, in the subject description, the word “exemplary” is used to mean serving as an example, instance or illustration. Any embodiment or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display), OLED (organic light emitting diode), TFT (thin-film transistor), plasma, other flexible configuration, or any other monitor for displaying information to the user and a keyboard, a pointing device, e.g., a mouse, trackball, etc., or a touch screen, touch pad, etc., by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user; for example, by sending webpages to a web browser on a user's client device in response to requests received from the web browser.
While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
