Display apparatus for a game machine and a game machine

• US 20030166417A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tsukagoshi, Shinichi, Nagate, Toru, Hosaka, Toshiyuki, Moriyama, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/355,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20030166417A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/02 using falling playing bodies or playing bodies running on an inclined surface, e.g. pinball games bagatelle or similar games A63D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A game machine display device of the invention includes a projector unit (21) for enlarging and projecting an image by rear projection, a screen film (22) for forming thereat the image projected by the projector unit (21), and a Fresnel lens (24) disposed between the projector unit (21) and the screen film (22). According to this structure, by disposing the Fresnel lens (24) between the projector unit (21) and the screen film (22), an image can be uniformly displayed with high illuminance over the-entire game board (11)

Claims

1. A game machine display device comprising:

a projector mechanism for enlarging and projecting an image by rear projection;

an image-forming section for forming thereon the image projected by the projector mechanism; and

a collimator lens disposed between the projector mechanism and the image-forming section.

2. A game machine display device according to claim 1, wherein, as the collimator lens, a Fresnel lens is opposingly disposed at the back side of the image-forming section.

3. A game machine display device according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the image-forming section comprises a screen.

4. A game machine display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display control section for causing the projector mechanism to project and display the image, wherein the projector mechanism comprises a light source which can emit projection light, and wherein, when a person is not detected within a predetermined distance from a predetermined portion of the front side of the game machine display device within a time period equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, the display control section causes the projector mechanism to reduce the quantity of the projection light emitted from the light source.

5. A game machine display device according to claim 4, wherein the light source comprises a lamp in which the luminance of the projection light is variable, and wherein the display control section causes the projector mechanism to reduce the quantity of the projection light by reducing the luminance of the lamp.

6. A game machine display device according to claim 4, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of lamps which can emit the projection light, and wherein the display control section causes the projector mechanism to reduce the quantity of the projection light by turning off at least one of the plurality of lamps.

7. A game machine display device according to claim 4, wherein the light source comprises a first lamp which can emit the projection light, and a second lamp which emits a smaller quantity of the projection light than the first lamp, and wherein the display control section causes the projector mechanism to reduce the quantity of the projection light by turning on the second lamp instead of the first lamp.

8. A game machine display device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein, when the display control section causes the projection mechanism to reduce the quantity of the projection light, the display control section changes the image to a predetermined image and causes the predetermined image to be displayed.

9. A game machine display device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising a person detecting sensor for outputting a sensor signal for detecting any person within the predetermined distance from the predetermined portion of the game machine display device, wherein the display control section detects the person within the predetermined distance based on the sensor signal output from the person detecting sensor.

10. A game machine comprising the game machine display device of any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A game machine according to claim 10, further comprising a game board formed of a light-transmissive material and having a plurality of nails secured to the front surface of the game board, wherein the image-forming section is disposed at the back surface side of the game board and forms the image projected by the projector mechanism thereon.

12. A game machine according to claim 11, wherein the front surface of the game board has a hard coating or is laminated.

13. A game machine according to either claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the game board comprises an accessory protrusion and an accessory recess that are integrally formed at the front surface side.

14. A game machine according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the game board has an integrally formed mask for covering a mechanism in order to prevent light transmission.

15. A game machine according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising one or a plurality of mirrors for reflecting the projection light emitted from the projector mechanism towards the image-forming section, wherein the projector mechanism is disposed at the bottom or top portion inside the game machine, and emits the projection light towards the one or plurality of mirrors.