Configurable communication board for a gaming machine
First Claim
1. A gaming machine communication interface for a gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, the gaming machine communication interface comprising:
- (a) a main communication board adapted to communicate in at least a first communications format and having at least one primary power connection adapted to provide a primary power supply to the main communication board, a communication connection configured to facilitate communications between said main communication board and a master gaming controller of the gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, and a plurality of receptor slots, each of which is adapted to secure a daughterboard to said main communication board, wherein at least one of said plurality of receptor slots is adapted to have power supplied therethrough switched off while power is maintained through said at least one primary power connection and while a respective daughterboard remains connected to the main communication board therethrough;
(b) a first daughterboard configured to plug into a first receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said first daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a second communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board; and
(c) a second daughterboard configured to plug into a second receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said second daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a third communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board, wherein each of said first, second and third communications formats are disparate communications formats with respect to each other.
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Abstract
A disclosed communication interface for a gaming machine has a main communication board with one or more standard receptor slots for a plurality of “daughter boards,” each daughter board allowing communication between a master gaming controller and a gaming device or between a master gaming controller and a gaming machine network. The daughter boards may be designed to convert between a number of different communication standards or communication formats. Further, the daughter boards may employ a standard connector that allows the daughter board to be plugged into any of the standard receptor slots on the main communication board. Daughter boards may be removed or installed on the main communication board while the main communication board is receiving power. Further, the main communication board with a plurality of standard receptor slots may accommodate many different types of daughter boards and many different combinations of these types of daughter boards.
72 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A gaming machine communication interface for a gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, the gaming machine communication interface comprising:
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(a) a main communication board adapted to communicate in at least a first communications format and having at least one primary power connection adapted to provide a primary power supply to the main communication board, a communication connection configured to facilitate communications between said main communication board and a master gaming controller of the gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, and a plurality of receptor slots, each of which is adapted to secure a daughterboard to said main communication board, wherein at least one of said plurality of receptor slots is adapted to have power supplied therethrough switched off while power is maintained through said at least one primary power connection and while a respective daughterboard remains connected to the main communication board therethrough;
(b) a first daughterboard configured to plug into a first receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said first daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a second communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board; and
(c) a second daughterboard configured to plug into a second receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said second daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a third communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board, wherein each of said first, second and third communications formats are disparate communications formats with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A daughterboard adapted to convert signals in a first communications format from a master gaming controller of a wager based gaming machine to a second communications format for transmission to one or more other gaming machine components, the daughterboard comprising:
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a standard connector adapted to plug into a standard receptor slot of a main communication board on said gaming machine and for receiving signals in said first communications format from said master gaming controller, said standard connector being identical or similar to other standard connectors employed in a plurality of daughterboards adapted to provide communications conversions between differing communications formats;
conversion circuitry adapted to convert signals from said first communications format to said second communications format, wherein said first and second communications formats are disparate communications formats; and
an output mechanism coupled to said conversion circuitry and adapted to transmit signals in said second communications format. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a wager based gaming machine having a master gaming controller and a main communications board, a method of providing communications via multiple communications formats comprising:
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providing a first daughterboard in a first standard receptor slot of the main communication board, which first daughterboard converts signals in a first communications format from said master gaming controller to signals in a second communications format for transmission; and
replacing said first daughterboard with a second daughterboard in said first standard receptor slot of said main communication board, which second daughterboard converts signals in said first communications format from said master gaming controller to signals in a third communications format for transmission, wherein each of said first, second and third communications formats are disparate communications formats with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification