Candle radio

• US 20060287095A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Mattice, Harold E., Wells, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing communications using the candle of a gaming machine are disclosed. A candle radio includes an antenna and transceiver within a housing, as well as one or more light sources and a mounting mechanism configured to mount the candle radio to a respective gaming machine or terminal. The transceiver and antenna are adapted to facilitate radio communications with at least one external transponder/transceiver, which can include wireless system access points and/or additional candle radios associated with other gaming machines. The antenna can be located at the top of the candle radio, while the transceiver can be located within a base at the bottom. An input connector on the transceiver facilitates communications with the gaming machine MGC. The candle radio can be adapted to split radio communications into portions and retransmit one or more portions of a communication, which may be done at differing radio frequencies.

Claims

1. A gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a monetary payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

an exterior chassis having an upper surface and arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components, said master gaming controller being adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game; and

a candle radio in communication with said master gaming controller and disposed atop said upper surface, said candle radio including

a substantially hollow candle housing, said candle housing being at least partially transparent to light,

a first light source disposed within said candle housing and arranged such that light emitting therefrom is visible outside of said candle housing,

an antenna disposed within said candle housing and adapted to facilitate radio communications with a first external transceiver, and

a first candle transceiver disposed within said candle housing and in communication with said antenna, said first candle transceiver adapted to conduct radio communications with said first external transceiver.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said candle radio further includes a mounting mechanism configured to mount said candle radio to said gaming machine.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said antenna is positioned above said first light source.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said candle housing is substantially cylindrical in nature.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said candle radio further includes a base at the bottom of said candle housing.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein said first candle transceiver is disposed within said base at the bottom of said candle housing.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said first candle transceiver includes at least one input connector adapted to facilitate further communications with said master gaming controller.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein said at least one input connector is selected from the group consisting of RS-232, USB and Ethernet connectors.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said first external transceiver comprises a second candle transceiver from a second separate gaming machine.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to conduct radio communications with a second external transceiver, wherein said second external transceiver comprises a wireless system access point.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to receive a first radio communication from said second external transceiver and forward at least a first portion of said first radio communication to said first external transceiver.

12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to forward said at least a first portion of said first radio communication at a frequency that is different from the frequency at which said first radio communication was received by said first candle transceiver.

13. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to split said first radio communication into a plurality of portions prior to forwarding said first portion of said first radio communication.

14. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to conduct radio communications with a second external transceiver, wherein said second external transceiver comprises a third candle transceiver from a third separate gaming machine.

15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to receive a first radio communication from said second external transceiver and forward at least a first portion of said first radio communication to said first external transceiver.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15, wherein said first candle transceiver is further adapted to split said first radio communication into a plurality of portions prior to forwarding said first portion of said first radio communication.

17. A gaming system adapted for accepting wagers, playing games based on the wagers and granting monetary payouts based on the results of the games, comprising:

a plurality of physical terminals including input and output devices adapted to facilitate the acceptance of said wagers, display of said games and granting of said monetary payouts;

at least one master gaming controller in communication with one or more of said plurality of input and output devices, said at least one master gaming controller being adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said games;

a plurality of candle radios associated with said plurality of physical terminals, each candle radio including a substantially hollow candle housing that is at least partially transparent to light, a light source within said candle housing and arranged such that light emitting therefrom is visible outside of said candle housing, an antenna disposed within said candle housing and adapted to facilitate radio communications with an external transceiver, and a candle transceiver disposed within said candle housing and in communication with said antenna, said candle transceiver adapted to conduct radio communications with said external transceiver;

a host computer in communication with said plurality of candle radios, wherein said host computer is arranged to process data from said plurality of candle radios, issue instructions to said plurality of candle radios, or both; and

at least one wireless system access point including a transceiver electrically coupled to said host computer and adapted to conduct radio communications with at least one of said plurality of candle radios.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of physical terminals comprises a gaming machine.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of candle radios further includes a mounting mechanism configured to mount said at least one candle radio to at least one of said plurality of physical terminals.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of candle radios further includes a base at the bottom of said candle housing, and wherein said candle transceiver is disposed within said base at the bottom of said candle housing.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein at least a first of said plurality of candle radios is adapted to conduct radio communications with said at least one wireless access point and also with at least a second of said plurality of candle radios.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein said first candle radio is further adapted to receive a first radio communication from said at least one wireless access point and forward at least a first portion of said first radio communication to said second candle radio.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein said first candle radio is further adapted to forward said at least a first portion of said first radio communication at a frequency that is different from the frequency at which said first radio communication was received by said first candle radio.

24. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein said first candle radio is further adapted to split said first radio communication into a plurality of portions prior to forwarding said first portion of said first radio communication.

25. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein said first candle radio is further adapted to conduct radio communications with a third of said plurality of candle radios.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein said first candle radio is further adapted to receive a first radio communication from said second candle radio and forward at least a portion of said first radio communication to said third candle radio.

27. A candle radio, comprising:

an exterior candle housing, said candle housing being at least partially transparent to light;

a first light source disposed within said candle housing and arranged such that light emitting therefrom is visible outside of said candle housing;

an antenna disposed within said candle housing and adapted to receive a signal from an external transponder; and

a receiver disposed within said candle housing and in communication with said antenna, said receiver adapted to take an appropriate action in response to said signal.

28. The candle radio of claim 27, further comprising:

a mounting mechanism configured to mount said candle radio assembly to an associated machine.

29. The candle radio of claim 27, further comprising:

a base at the bottom of said candle housing, wherein said receiver is disposed within said base at the bottom of said candle housing.

30. The candle radio of claim 27, wherein said external transponder comprises another separate candle radio.

31. The candle radio of claim 27, wherein said receiver comprises a transceiver that is also adapted to provide communications from said candle radio.

32. The candle radio of claim 31, wherein said transceiver is further adapted to conduct radio communications with one or more separate candle radios and one or more wireless system access points.

33. The candle radio of claim 32, wherein said transceiver is further adapted to receive a radio communication from a wireless system access point and forward at least a portion of said radio communication to a separate candle radio.

34. The candle radio of claim 31, wherein said transceiver is further adapted to receive a radio communication and to forward said at least a first portion of said radio communication at a frequency that is different from the frequency at which said radio communication was received by said transceiver.

35. The candle radio of claim 34, wherein said transceiver is further adapted to split said radio communication into a plurality of portions prior to forwarding said first portion of said radio communication.

36. A gaming machine, comprising:

a physical terminal having an outer surface and arranged to contain one or more internal gaming machine components therein;

a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said one or more internal gaming machine components, said master gaming controller being adapted to execute or control one or more aspects of said game; and

a candle radio disposed about said outer surface, said candle radio including

an exterior candle housing, said candle housing being at least partially transparent to light,

a first light source disposed within said candle housing and arranged such that light emitting therefrom is visible outside of said candle housing,

an antenna disposed within said candle housing and adapted to facilitate wireless communications with an external transponder, and

a receiver disposed within said candle housing and in communication with said antenna, said receiver adapted to conduct and act upon wireless communications with said external transponder.

37. A method of conducting wireless communications within a gaming system, comprising:

providing a gaming machine having an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein and an associated candle radio visible from outside said gaming machine, said candle radio including a candle housing that is at least partially transparent to light, a first light source disposed within said candle housing and arranged such that light emitting therefrom is visible outside of said candle housing, an antenna disposed within said candle housing and adapted to facilitate wireless communications with an external transponder, and a candle receiver disposed within said candle housing and in communication with said antenna;

sending a wireless communication from said external transponder to said candle radio;

receiving said communication at said antenna disposed within said candle housing;

transmitting said communication to said candle receiver disposed within said candle housing; and

acting upon said communication at said candle receiver disposed within said candle housing after receiving said communication.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of acting upon said communication includes causing said first light source to become illuminated.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of acting upon said communication includes splitting said communication into a plurality of portions.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said candle receiver comprises a transceiver, and wherein said step of acting upon said communication includes retransmitting said communication from said transceiver to an external receiver.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said external receiver is part of another separate candle radio in another separate gaming machine.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said retransmission from said transceiver is made at a frequency that is different from the frequency at which said original transmission to said transceiver was made.

43. The method of claim 37, further including the step of:

replacing said entire candle radio at said gaming machine with another entire candle radio, wherein said step of replacing does not involve any internal access to said gaming machine.