Printing and dispensing bonusing system for gaming devices

• US 20050143167A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AIM Management, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Douglas M. Okuniewicz
• Inventors: Okuniewicz, Douglas M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,922,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/08 Raffle games that can be played by a fairly large number of people A63F3/0625, A63F3/065 take precedence; lottery apparatus G07C15/00; lottery gaming stations, online lottery or bingo G07F17/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A printing and dispensing bonusing system for gaming devices has been developed. The system includes a gaming device with a main processor unit containing that generates event signals according to the gaming logic, a signal transmission device that detects the event signals, and a peripheral device processor that receives the event signals from the signal transmission device. The peripheral device processing unit is isolated from the main processor unit and cannot influence the generation of the event signals.

Claims

1. A gaming device, comprising:

a main processor unit containing a gaming logic circuit that generates event signals;

a signal transmission device that detects the event signals; and

a peripheral device processor unit that receives the event signals from the signal transmission device, where the peripheral device processing unit cannot influence the generation of the event signals.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, where the main processor unit is mounted on a separate circuit board from the peripheral device processor.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, where the main processor unit comprises a payout processor.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, where the payout processor determines a payout based on a predetermined payment calculation.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, where the predetermined payment calculation is generated by a paytable.

6. The gaming device of claim 3, where the payout processor is a standard payment mechanism.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, where the signal transmission device and the peripheral device processor unit are located within the main processor unit.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, where the signal transmission device comprises:

a machine interface that receives event signals from the gaming logic circuit; and

an event signal capture register that receives the event signals from the machine interface and transmits the event signals to the peripheral device processor.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, where the event signal capture register is isolated from the machine interface so that no signals can be transmitted from the event signal capture register to the machine register.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, where the event signal capture register is optically isolated from the machine interface.

11. The gaming device of claim 9, where the event signal capture register is electro-magnetically isolated from the machine interface.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, where the peripheral device processor unit controls an output device.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, where the output device is a primary output device of gaming device.

14. The gaming device of claim 12, where the output device is a secondary output device of gaming device.

15. The gaming device of claim 12, where the output device is a printing device.

16. The gaming device of claim 15, where the printing device dispenses bonus payouts.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, where the bonus payouts are separate from payouts generated by the gaming logic circuit.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, where the bonus payouts are supplemental to payouts generated by the gaming logic circuit.

19. The gaming device of claim 1, where the peripheral device processor unit controls a sound device.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, where the sound device comprises a re-programmable sound producing device.

21. The gaming device of claim 19, where the sound device notifies a player of an event occurrence.

22. The gaming device of claim 1, where the peripheral device processor unit controls a display device

23. The gaming device of claim 22, where the display device comprises a re-programmable display device.

24. The gaming device of claim 23, where the display device notifies a player of an event occurrence.

25. The gaming device of claim 1, where the peripheral device processor unit is connected to a network of gaming devices.

26. The gaming device of claim 25, where the network of gaming devices is operated by a central control system.

27. The gaming device of claim 25, where the network of gaming devices generates combined payouts from a plurality of gaming devices.

28. The gaming device of claim 1, where the peripheral device processor unit controls a player tracking system.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, where the player tracking system dispenses bonus payouts.

30. A gaming device, comprising:

means for generating event signals according to a gaming logic circuit within the gaming device; and

means for operating peripheral devices according to the event signals without influencing the generation of the event signals.

31. The gaming device of claim 30, further comprising:

means for connecting the gaming device to a network of gaming devices.