System and method for combining low-power signals and high-power signals on a single circuit board in a gaming machine

• US 20030190962A1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Page, Mark V., Loose, Timothy C., Mercado, Victor, Canterbury, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,637,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A gaming control board having low-power circuitry and high-power circuitry for controlling the operation of a gaming machine. The low-power circuitry includes logic components including a CPU that executes instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes in response to wagers inputted by a player. The high-power circuitry includes high-power components such as lamp drivers for interfacing high-power signals between the gaming control board and a game interface board. Two connectors are provided on the gaming control board, one to interface low-power signals and another to interface high-power signals. The high-power circuitry is located near the connector interfacing the high-power signals for optimal EMI suppression.

Claims

1. A gaming control system for use in a gaming machine, comprising:

a gaming control board;

low-power, logic components disposed on said gaming control board, said logic components including a CPU adapted to execute instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes in response to wagers inputted by a player; and

high-power components disposed on said gaming control board, said high-power components interfacing said gaming control board with high-power devices of said gaming machine.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first connector coupled to at least one of said logic components, said at least one of said logic components providing low-power signals to said first connector; and

a second connector coupled to at least one of said high-power components, said at least one of said high-level components providing high-power signals to said second connector.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first connector includes substantially more pins than said second connector.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first connector has a first set of pins, said second connector has a second set of pins, the ratio of said first set of pins to said second set of pins being at least 3:

1.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said logic components are disposed in a first area of said gaming control board and said high-power components are disposed in a second area of said gaming control board, said first area being different from said second area.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said low-power signals include logic signals.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said logic signals include TTL signals.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said high-power signals include driver signals for driving said high-power devices.

9. The gaming control system of claim 2, wherein said high-power signals include power-supply signals.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface board positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said gaming control board, said interface board being coupled to peripheral devices of said gaming machine, said coplanar arrangement of said interface board and said gaming control board reducing effects of electromagnetic coupling between said interface board and said gaming control board.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said gaming control board includes a first connector coupled to at least one of said logic components, and a second connector coupled to at least one of said high-level components, said at least one of said logic components providing low-level signals to said first connector, said at least one of said high-level components providing high-level signals to said second connector, and wherein said interface board includes a first interface board connector connected to said first connector and a second interface board connector connected to said second connector.

12. The gaming control system of claim 1, wherein said high-power devices include lamps.

13. The gaming control system of claim 1, wherein said high-power devices include a payoff mechanism.

14. The gaming control system of claim 2 further comprising an EM-shielded housing positioned over said gaming control board and having first and second apertures, said first aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said first connector of said gaming control board through said housing, said second aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said second connector of said gaming control board through said housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said EM-shielded housing is metal.

16. A gaming control system for use in a gaming machine, comprising:

a gaming control board having a first connector and a second connector, said gaming control board including low-power, logic components for coupling low-power signals to said first connector, said logic components including a processing unit adapted to execute instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes, and high-power components for coupling high-power signals to said second connector;

an interface board positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said gaming control board, said interface board having a first interface board connector and a second interface board connector, said first interface board connector being adapted for connection to said first connector, said second interface board connector being adapted for connection to said second connector; and

a housing enclosing said gaming control board, said housing having first and second apertures, said first aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said first connector of said gaming control board through said housing, said second aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said second connector of said gaming control board through said housing, said housing shielding said logic components and said high-power components from effects of EMI.

17. A control system for use in a gaming machine comprising two circuit boards, a first one of said two circuit boards being an interface board and a second one of said two circuit boards being a gaming control board, said interface board being coupled to said gaming control board, said gaming control board including logic components for providing low-power signals to said interface board via a first connector, said logic components including a CPU adapted to execute instructions for randomly generating a plurality of game outcomes, said gaming control board further including high-power components for providing high-power signals to said interface board via a second connector, said high-power signals controlling the operation of peripheral devices of said gaming machine.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said interface board is in a generally coplanar relationship with said gaming control board.

19. The control system of claim 17, wherein said peripheral devices include at least one of the group consisting of lamps, a payoff mechanism, a power supply, a currency detector, a display, and a reel.

20. A gaming machine, comprising:

an input for receiving wager inputs;

a display for displaying a plurality of game outcomes;

a gaming control board having a first connector and a second connector;

logic circuitry mounted on said gaming control board for processing low-power signals, said logic circuitry including a processing unit for randomly selecting one of said plurality of game outcomes in response to said wager input, said logic circuitry being coupled to said first connector; and

high-power circuitry mounted on said gaming control board for processing high-power signals that are used to control high power devices on said game, said high-power circuitry being coupled to said second connector.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20 further comprising:

an interface board mounted within said gaming machine; and

a docking mechanism for releasably interconnecting said gaming control board and said interface board.

22. A method of isolating low-power signals from high-power signals in a gaming machine, comprising:

providing a gaming control board including a processor adapted to execute instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes in response to a wager input from a player of said gaming machine and a plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry low-power signals and high-power signals;

routing those of said plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry low-power signals to a first connector on said gaming control board; and

routing those of said plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry high-power signals to a second connector on said gaming control board.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising enclosing said gaming control board in a housing adapted to shield said logic circuitry against effects of electromagnetic interference.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising connecting an interface board in a generally coplanar arrangement to said gaming control board.

25. The method of claim 24 farther comprising coupling peripheral devices of said gaming machine to said interface board.

26. A method of assembling a gaming control system for use in a gaming machine, comprising:

disposing on a gaming control board logic components, said logic components including a CPU adapted to execute instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes; and

disposing on said gaming control board high-power components, said high-power components controlling the operation of peripheral devices of said gaming machine.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

coupling a first connector to at least one of said logic components on said gaming control board, said at least one of said logic components providing low-power signals to said first connector; and

coupling a second connector to at least one of said high-power components on said gaming control board, said at least one of said high-power components providing high-power signals to said second connector.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

disposing a first interface board connector on said interface board, said first interface board connector being adapted to engage said first connector; and

disposing a second interface board connector on said interface board, said second interface board connector being adapted to engage said second connector.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

positioning an interface board in a generally coplanar arrangement with said gaming control board; and

coupling said interface board to said peripheral devices of said gaming machine, wherein said coplanar arrangement of said interface board and said gaming control board reduces effects of electromagnetic coupling between said interface board and said gaming control board.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising enclosing said gaming control board in a housing having first and second apertures, said first aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said first connector of said gaming control board through said housing, said second aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said second connector of said gaming control board through said housing.

31. A gaming control system for use in a gaming machine, comprising:

a gaming control board having a first connector and a second connector, said gaming control board including low-power, logic components for coupling low-power signals to said first connector, said logic components including a processing unit adapted to execute instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes, and high-power components for coupling high-power signals to said second connector; and

an interface board having a first interface board connector and a second interface board connector, said first interface board connector being adapted for connection to said first connector, said second interface board connector being adapted for connection to said second connector.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said interface board is positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said gaming control board.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising a housing enclosing said gaming control board, said housing shielding said logic components and said high-power components from effects of EMI.