Slot reel controller as a peripheral device

• US 20020107067A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: International Game Technology
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., McGlone, James T., Carmean, Wesley F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A disclosed slot reel peripheral has a slot reel, a drive mechanism and a peripheral controller. Using a standard communication protocol such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), the peripheral controller is configured to communicate with one or more master gaming controllers or other slot reel peripherals via a peripheral connection. The peripheral controller may drive the slot reel from position to position by operating the drive mechanism and may send operating instructions to other slot reel peripherals with peripheral controllers. Further, the peripheral controller may control one or more specialized “peripheral devices” (e.g., effects lights, back lights, bar code detectors, tampering sensors, position sensors, sound devices, electro-luminescent devices and stepper motors, etc. that perform specific functions of the slot reel peripheral).

Claims

1. A slot reel peripheral comprising:

a drive mechanism;

a single slot reel that is moved from position to position by the drive mechanism;

a peripheral controller that directly controls the drive mechanism; and

a peripheral communications connection for connecting the peripheral controller to a master gaming controller.

2. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism is a stepper motor.

3. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, further comprising one or more peripheral devices also controlled by the peripheral controller.

4. The slot reel peripheral of claim 3, wherein the peripheral device is an effects light, a position sensor, a bar code detector, a back light, a tampering sensor, a stepper motor, a sound device or an electro-luminescent device.

5. The slot reel peripheral of claim 3 further comprising a peripheral interface that directly connects to the one or more peripheral devices.

6. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, further comprising a hub connected to the peripheral communications connection and containing a plurality of peripheral communications connections.

7. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, wherein the peripheral controller includes a control microprocessor that controls communication over the peripheral communications connection.

8. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, wherein the peripheral controller includes a non-volatile memory arranged to store at least one of a) configuration parameters specific to the slot reel peripheral, b) state history information of the slot reel peripheral.

9. The slot reel peripheral of claim 8, wherein the non-volatile memory stores configuration parameters needed to drive the slot reel using the drive mechanism including a moment of inertia of the slot reel, a size of the slot reel and one or more acceleration parameters.

10. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, wherein the peripheral controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of other slot reel peripherals.

11. The slot reel peripheral of claim 5, wherein the peripheral controller includes a memory storing software for a communication protocol that allows communication with the peripheral devices via the peripheral interface.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the gaming machine is a video slot machine.

14. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the master gaming controller includes a memory storing software for a standard device identification protocol for at least some of the slot reel peripherals.

15. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the master gaming controller includes a memory storing one or more device drivers for at least some of the slot reel peripherals.

16. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the master gaming controller includes a memory storing software for a communication protocol that allows communication with the slot reel peripherals via the peripheral communications connection.

17. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the slot reel peripheral includes a memory storing software for a communication protocol that allows communication with the master gaming controller via the peripheral communications connection.

18. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the slot reel peripheral is configured to receive high-level instructions from the master gaming controller that do not specify precise control of the drive mechanism of one of the slot reel peripherals, and wherein the peripheral controller of the one of the slot reel peripherals provides low-level instructions precisely controlling the operation of its drive mechanism and following the high-level instructions.

19. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein one of the plurality of slot reel peripherals is configured to communicate high-level instructions that do not specify precise control of the drive mechanism of a second slot reel peripheral, and wherein the peripheral controller of the second slot reel peripherals receiving high-level instructions from one of the slot reel peripherals provides low-level instructions precisely controlling the operation of its drive mechanism and following the high-level instructions.

28. The slot reel peripheral of claim 1, wherein the slot reel peripheral is modular and can be disconnected from the master gaming controller without disconnecting other slot reel peripherals that act together with the slot reel peripheral to present a primary game play.

29. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein the gaming machine includes at least three slot reel peripherals acting together to present a game play.

12. A gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller that controls one or more games played on the gaming machine; and

at least one slot reel peripheral, each slot reel peripheral comprising;

a drive mechanism;

a single slot reel that is moved from position to position by the drive mechanism;

a peripheral controller that directly controls the drive mechanism; and

a peripheral communications connection connecting the peripheral controller to the master gaming controller.

20. A gaming machine network comprising;

(a) a slot reel peripheral comprising;

one or more drive mechanisms;

one or more slot reels moved from position to position by the one or more drive mechanisms;

a peripheral communications connection; and

a peripheral controller that directly controls the drive mechanism; and

(b) a plurality of gaming machines each gaming machine comprising;

a master gaming controller that controls the slot reel peripheral; and

a peripheral communication connection configured to communicate with the slot reel peripheral.

21. The gaming machine network of claim 20, wherein the slot reel peripheral is configured to receive high-level instructions from the plurality of master gaming controllers that do not specify precise control of the one or more drive mechanisms of the slot reel peripheral, and wherein the peripheral controller of the slot reel peripheral provides low-level instructions precisely controlling the operation of its one or more drive mechanisms and following the high-level instructions.

22. The gaming machine network of claim 20, wherein the gaming machine is a video slot machine.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein one or more of the peripheral devices are selected from the group consisting of an effects light, a position sensor, a bar code detector, a back light, a tampering sensor, a stepper motor, a sound device or an electro-luminescent device.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising

storing state history information in the slot reel peripheral, said state history information specifying a recent operating state of the slot reel peripheral;

transmitting the stored state history information to the first master gaming controller.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving a high level instruction for controlling the slot reel peripheral from a second slot reel peripheral via a standard peripheral connection.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving a high level instruction for controlling the slot reel peripheral from a second master gaming controller via a standard peripheral connection said second master gaming controller different from said first master gaming controller.

23. A method for controlling operation of a slot reel peripheral containing a single slot reel on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving a high level instruction for controlling the slot reel peripheral from a first master gaming controller via a standard peripheral connection to a peripheral controller associated with the slot reel peripheral, wherein the high level instruction does not precisely specify how the slot reel peripheral must perform an operation associated with the high level instruction;

converting the high level instruction to one or more low level operating instructions, at the peripheral controller, for controlling the operation of one or more peripheral devices provided with the slot reel peripheral; and

controlling operation of the one or more peripheral devices with the low level operating instructions.