Video processing and signal routing apparatus for providing picture in a picture capabilities on an electronic gaming machine

• US 10,249,129 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wells, William R., Saffari, Ali, Lundy, Christopher, Paulsen, Craig A, Novotak, Jr., Andrew George, Quick, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Larsen, Carl V
• Application Number:
  US14/608,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A gaming system used in a wager-based electronic gaming machine is described. The gaming system is configured to provide picture in a picture capabilities on the electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, the gaming system can include a first gaming device and a second gaming device where the first gaming device controls the second gaming device. The first gaming device can be configured to receive data and/or communicate with an electronic gaming machine controller, a value input device and value output device. The second gaming device can be configured to receive touchscreen data from a touchscreen display and first video data from the first gaming device and second video data from the EGM controller. Under control of the first gaming device, the first video data and second video data can be output in various sizes and locations on the touchscreen display.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

a housing;

at least one security sensor disposed within the housing, said at least one security sensor configured to measure data which indicates a breach of the housing;

a mounting mechanism, coupled to the housing, and configured to secure the gaming device within an interior of an electronic gaming machine cabinet of a wager-based electronic gaining machine;

a gaming device controller including a processor and a memory device disposed within the housing, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to;

monitor the at least one security sensor to determine whether a breach of the housing has occurred,

receive a command, via a first data connector disposed within the housing, to initially configure the gaming device to operate with a first model of wager-based electronic gaming machine;

receive data, via a second data connector disposed within the housing, associated with a play of a wager-based game from an electronic gaining machine controller disposed within the electronic gaming machine cabinet of the electronic gaining machine;

communicate, via a third data connector disposed within the housing, with a value input device disposed within the electronic gaming machine cabinet and communicatively coupled to the electronic gaming machine controller;

communicate, via a fourth data connector disposed within the housing, with a value input output device disposed within the electronic gaming machine cabinet and communicatively coupled to the electronic gaining machine controller; and

communicate, via a network connector disposed within the housing, with at least one remote device via the network connector;

receive, via one of a fifth data connector disposed within the housing and a sixth data connector disposed within the housing, touch screen data from a touch screen display,

receive, via a seventh data connector disposed within the housing, first video data from the electronic gaming machine controller associated with the play of the wager-based game;

send, via an eighth data connector disposed within the housing, modified touch screen data to the electronic gaming machine controller, wherein the modified touch screen data is based upon the received touch screen data;

generate, based upon the received touch screen data, second video data; and

output, via a ninth data connector disposed within the housing, third video data to the touch screen display, wherein the third video data is based on the received command, and the third video data includes portions of the first video data and the second video data; and

a power connector disposed within the housing, and configured to receive power from a power source within the electronic gaming machine cabinet wherein the processor receives the power via the power connector.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the housing includes a plurality of apertures wherein the first data connector, the second data connector, the third data connector, the fourth data connector, the network connector, the power connector, the fifth data connector, the sixth data connector, the seventh data connector, the eight data connector and the ninth data connector are each accessible via one of the plurality of apertures in the portion of the housing.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the housing is box-shaped and the plurality of apertures of the housing are each located on a first side of the box-shaped housing such that the box-shaped housing is mountable to a surface within the electronic gaining machine cabinet via any one of remaining sides of the box-shaped housing.

4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the housing is box-shaped and the plurality of apertures of the housing are each distributed between a first side of the box-shaped housing and a second side of the box-shaped housing such that the box-shaped housing is mountable, via the mounting mechanism, to a surface within the electronic gaming machine cabinet via any one of remaining sides of the box-shaped housing.

5. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the first data connector, the second data connector, the third data connector, the fourth data connector, the network connector, the power connector, the fifth data connector, the sixth data connector, the seventh data connector, the eight data connector and the ninth data connector each face in a common direction.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to communicate, via a tenth connector, with a card reader.

7. The gaming device of claim 6, wherein tenth connector is coupled to a communication pathway between the card reader and a player tracking controller and the player tracking controller and the gaming device controller are configured to receive and respond to card reader data from the card reader.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to:

generate video data associated with an initial configuration of the gaming device during an installation process of the gaming device, and

output, via a tenth data connector, the video data associated with the initial configuration.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device includes at least one of:

a keyboard connector, a mouse connector and a combination keyboard and mouse connector which is used during at least one of;

installation of the gaming device and maintenance of the gaming device.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first data connector is configured to receive a download of software executable by at least the gaming device controller.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device includes another power connector configured to output power to a second gaming device.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to receive, via a tenth connector, audio data from a microphone.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to send, via a tenth data connector disposed within the housing, first audio data to an audio amplifier disposed within the electronic gaming machine cabinet, wherein the audio amplifier is communicatively coupled to the electronic gaming machine controller and configured to receive second audio data from the electronic gaming machine controller to output.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to receive fourth video data from at least one network device.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the third video data includes at least a portion of the fourth video data.

16. The gaining device of claim 1, wherein the gaining device controller is configured to:

receive the first video data in a native resolution,

scale the received first video data to a second resolution different from the native resolution, and

output the scaled first video data as part of the third video data.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the second resolution is less than the native resolution.

18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to:

determine a location on the touch screen display to output the scaled first video data, and

generate the third video data such that the scaled first video data is output to the determined location.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein:

the scaled first video data is output, as part of the third video data, on a portion of the touch screen display, and

the gaming device controller is configured to;

determine a portion of the received touch screen data which maps to the portion of the touch screen display,

scale the portion of the received touch screen data to the native resolution of the first video data, and

send the scaled portion of the touch screen data as the modified touch screen data.

20. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to:

determine at least one location on the touch screen display to output the second video data, and

generate the third video data such that the second video data is output to the at least one location on the touch screen display.

21. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller operates without modification to software executed by the electronic gaming machine controller prior to a retrofit of the electronic gaming machine.

22. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a power reset device coupled to an electronic gaming machine controller power source, wherein the power reset device is configured to:

receive a command from the gaming device controller, and

in response to the received command, interrupt power from the electronic gaming machine controller power source to the electronic gaming machine controller.

23. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to:

communicate, via a tenth connector disposed within the housing, with a power reset device, and

command the power reset device to interrupt the power from the power source to the electronic gaming machine controller.