Memento dispensing device with simulated gaming features

• US 20070105610A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Anderson
• Original Assignee: Kent Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys

Abstract

A memento dispensing device for dispensing mementos in the form of tokens, medallions, souvenirs, and other articles or objects having commemorative value through the simulated operation of a gaming device commonly referred to and known in the art as a slot machine. Instructive steps set forth in a computer program, as executed and controlled by a main microcontroller, serve to direct and command the memento dispensing device to dispense at least one memento to the consumer or operator upon the consummation of a spin cycle for a set of mechanical reel wheels or simulated reel wheels on a video display. The main microcontroller, operating under the direction of the computer program, further directs the timed playback of video and audio stored on recognizable formats and activates lights at select moments during operation and after every instance the memento is dispensed from the memento dispensing device.

Claims

1. A memento dispensing device comprising:

a plurality of reel wheels;

a plurality of symbols pictorially displayed on each of said reel wheels, said symbols moveable with movement of said reel wheels;

means for rotatably driving each of said reel wheels in a controlled operable manner;

process controller means for coordinating activation and deactivation of said rotatably driving means to commence and consummate a reel spin cycle for each of said reel wheels;

an input interface device communicatively coupled to and substantially suited to prompt said process controller means to activate rotatably driving means and compute a case outcome determinative of a reel wheel'"'"'s stopped position to display accordingly said symbol associated therewith;

a currency acceptor communicatively coupled to said process controller means and having means for validating the form and denomination of currency and means for storing into a memory module a validated amount of currency recognizable as credit reserve to initialize said process controller means to make active said input interface device; and

a hopper assembly having means for storing mementos and means for dispensing at least one memento momentarily after recognition of a completed reel spin cycle for all of said reel wheels.

2. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, wherein rotatably driving means comprises stepper motors numerically corresponding to the number of said reel wheels and a motor driver connectively coupled to said stepper motors and suitably configured to accept and receive operative commands from said process controller means to selectively control operation of said stepper motors.

3. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, wherein rotatably driving means comprises one stepper motor connectively coupled to said reel wheels to simultaneously operate said reel wheels in unison and a motor driver connectively coupled to said stepper motor and suitably configured to accept and receive operative commands from said process controller means to selectively control operation of said stepper motor.

4. A memento dispensing device of claim 2, wherein each of said reel wheels comprises a circumferential periphery for attaching thereto a reel strip bearing said symbols and having a plurality of reel wheel stop positions, each reel wheel stop position coinciding with one case outcome and a predetermined number of pulses deliverable to each of said stepper motors to rotatably move each of said reel wheels beyond a home flagged position to display accordingly said symbol associated with said reel wheel stop position.

5. A memento dispensing device of claim 4, wherein said process controller means comprises a main microcontroller for executing control operations in accord with an instruction set residing in a resident memory module and a random access memory module for temporary storage of input and output data accumulated during operation thereof.

6. A memento dispensing device of claim 5, wherein said main microcontroller communicates with a random number generator operatively associated with a random number generating algorithm and substantially serving to compute a random number based on a numeric seed value retrieved from a real time clock.

7. A memento dispensing device of claim 6, wherein each of said case outcomes is based on a reduced numeric value algorithmically derived from the random number and comparatively evaluated with a pre-select range of reduced numeric values assignable to each of said reel wheel stop positions.

8. A memento dispensing device of claim 2, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with a reel wheel stop position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching symbols representable of a perceived winning combination for display on said reel wheels and a predetermined number of pulses deliverable to each of said stepper motors to rotatably move each of said reel wheels beyond a home flagged position to display accordingly said matching symbols associated with said reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes sequentially occurring in numeric order starting with a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome and restarting with said first case outcome upon completing said last case outcome.

9. A memento dispensing device of claim 2, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with a reel wheel stop position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching symbols representable of a perceived winning combination for display on said reel wheels and a predetermined number of pulses deliverable to each of said stepper motors to rotatably move each of said reel wheels beyond a home flagged position to display accordingly said matching symbols associated with said reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes being randomly selected from within a range extending from a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome.

10. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet having back and front panels selectively joined to a pair of side panels to form an interior compartment having an upper portion configurably arranged therewithin, said front panel having divided display windows numerically corresponding to the number of said reel wheels to permit select observation of said symbols therethrough.

11. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said input interface device comprises at least one illuminated switch communicatively coupled to said process controller means and accessibly mounted to said front panel, below said divided display windows.

12. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said input interface device comprises at least one spin lever communicatively coupled to said process controller means and accessibly mounted to one of said side panels.

13. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said front panel comprises primary upper and lower translucent surfaces each suitably configured for accepting and mounting therebehind printed matter depicting a promotional advertisement and an access door for gaining entry into said interior compartment of said cabinet.

14. A memento dispensing device of claim 13, further comprising a back-light fixture mounted within said interior compartment, behind said primary upper translucent surface, to illuminate said promotional advertisement situated and displayed thereon.

15. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, wherein each of said side panels comprise a secondary translucent surface suitably configured for accepting and mounting therebehind printed matter depicting a promotional advertisement.

16. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said hopper assembly comprises a hopper controller communicatively coupled to said process controller means for regulating operation of said dispensing means, said storing means comprising a hopper bin designated to store in reserve a collective amount of mementos, said dispensing means comprising a hopper trip sensor operably managed by said hopper controller and a chute connected to said hopper bin for passing therethrough said memento as it is selectively released from said hopper bin upon activating said hopper trip sensor and a reservoir connected to said chute and mounted exteriorly of said cabinet, substantially below said divided display windows, for collecting and storing an accumulated amount of mementos.

17. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising a numeric display counter for displaying the validated amount of currency calculably posted as credit reserve and a change-out switch for dispensing the residual amount of credit reserve displayed on said numeric display counter, said numeric display counter and said change-out switch each being mountably located on said front panel, below and adjacent to said divided display windows, and communicatively coupled to said process controller means.

18. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said currency acceptor comprises a numeric display counter for display of the validated amount of currency recognizable as credit reserve, means for accepting paper currency of common denominations for validation by validating means and means for rejecting paper currency deemed invalid or of an improper denomination by validating means through a return slot.

19. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said currency acceptor comprises a numeric display counter for display of the validated amount of currency recognizable as credit reserve and means for accepting currency in the form of coins for validation by validating means.

20. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising a reel wheel bracket supportive of said reel wheels and having an associated encoder and an optic sensor collectively mounted thereto and communicatively coupled to said process controller means, said encoder functioning to assist said process controller means in sensing the rotational position of each of said reel wheels and ensure proper display of said symbol in said divided display window upon completing said reel spin cycle, said optic sensor functioning to reference and communicate with said process controller means a home flagged position of said reel wheel upon optic interruption.

21. A memento dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising means for deactivating process controller means upon recognition of an observable tilt condition caused by internal failure thereof.

22. A memento dispensing device of claim 21, wherein deactivating means comprises means for activating an illuminated candle situated atop said cabinet to visually signify an inoperative condition of said process controller means.

23. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising means for playing stored video footage on a display monitor housed within said upper portion of said interior compartment.

24. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said playing stored video footage means is activated upon commencing a first reel spin cycle for a first reel wheel and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

25. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said playing stored video footage means is activated upon dispensing said memento from said hopper assembly and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

26. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said playing stored video footage means is activated upon recognition of the validated amount of currency calculably posted as credit reserve and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

27. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said video playing means comprises a consumer-based video playback device operably controlled apart from said process controller means and having manually operable switching capabilities for controlled playback of video stored on recognizable formats for a predetermined length of time.

28. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said video playing means further comprises means for remote operation thereof.

29. A memento dispensing device of claim 28, wherein said video playing means comprises a video microcontroller communicatively coupled to said process controller means and having onboard switching capabilities supplementary to said remote operation means, said video microcontroller being connectively coupled to a hard drive for resident storage of video in a recognizable format, a memory card reader for accessing and reading video stored on compact flash media, and means for emitting sound contemporaneously produced and stored with the video.

30. A memento dispensing device of claim 29, wherein said sound emitting means comprises a digital and analog converter for receiving and converting a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal suited for input into an amplifier having outputs connected to speakers.

31. A memento dispensing device of claim 23, wherein said video playing means comprises a video playback card communicatively coupled to said process controller means and having inherently configured storage medium suited for storing video of a recognizable format for processing by said video playback card for output to said display monitor.

32. A memento dispensing device of claim 29, wherein said remote operation means comprises a remote control transmitter for transmitting infrared signals to a receiver connectively coupled to said video microcontroller for activation thereof.

33. A memento dispensing device of claim 29, wherein said remote operation means comprises a motion sensor connectively coupled to said video microcontroller for sensing the presence and movement of a nearby object for which serves to prompt said video microcontroller to playback stored video on said display monitor.

34. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising means for producing digitally enhanced sound, said digitally enhanced sound means being connectively coupled speakers for emitting sound exteriorly of said cabinet.

35. A memento dispensing device of claim 34, wherein producing digitally enhanced sound means comprises a sound generator communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller for activation and control thereby and an audio amplifier connectively coupled to said sound generator for amplifying an analog audio signal emitted therefrom for output to said speakers.

36. A memento dispensing device of claim 34, wherein producing digitally enhanced sound means comprises a programmable sound generator communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller and having an integrated circuit for producing a wide variety of complex sounds under software control and an onboard memory module for storing produced complex sounds, said programmable sound generator comprising a sound microcontroller operably dedicated to produce complex sounds and an audio amplifier for amplifying complex sounds produced therefrom for output to said speakers.

37. A memento dispensing device of claim 34, wherein said producing digitally enhanced sound means is activated upon commencing a first reel spin cycle for a first reel wheel and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

38. A memento dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising an illuminated candle situated and mounted atop said cabinet and means for illuminating said illuminated candle.

39. A memento dispensing device of claim 38, wherein said illuminating means is connectively coupled to said process controller means and is activated upon commencing a first reel spin cycle for a first reel wheel and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

40. A memento dispensing device of claim 38, wherein said illuminating means is connectively coupled to said process controller means and is activated upon dispensing said memento from said hopper assembly and continues to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

41. A memento dispensing device with simulated gaming features, said device comprising:

a plurality of reel wheels;

a plurality of symbols pictorially displayed on each of said reel wheels, each of said symbols moveable with rotatable movement of said reel wheels;

a plurality of reel wheel stop positions, each of said reel wheel stop positions assignable to one of said symbols;

a plurality of stepper motors numerically corresponding to the number of said reel wheels to cause rotatable movement thereof;

a motor driver connectively coupled to said stepper motors and suitably configured to accept and receive operative commands to selectively control operation of said stepper motors;

a main microcontroller for coordinating activation and deactivation of said motor driver to commence and consummate a reel spin cycle for each of said reel wheels;

an input interface device communicatively coupled to and substantially suited to prompt said main microcontroller to activate said motor driver and compute a case outcome determinative of a reel wheel'"'"'s stopped position to display accordingly said symbol associated with said reel wheel stop position;

a cabinet having back and front panels selectively joined to a pair of side panels to form an interior compartment having an upper portion configurably arranged therewithin, one side panel substantially sufficing as a surface for mounting thereon said input interface device, said front panel having divided display windows numerically corresponding to the number of reel wheels to permit select observation of said symbols therethrough and primary upper and lower translucent surfaces each suitably configured for accepting and mounting therebehind printed matter depicting a promotional advertisement;

reel wheel bracket assembly supportive of said reel wheels and having an associated encoder and an optic sensor collectively mounted thereto and communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller, said encoder functioning to assist said main microcontroller in sensing said reel wheel stop positions for said reel wheels and ensure proper display of said symbols associated therewith in said divided display window upon completing said reel spin cycles, said optic sensor functioning to reference and communicate with said main microcontroller a home flagged position for each of said reel wheels upon optic interruption;

means for playing stored video footage on a display monitor housed within said upper portion of said interior compartment;

means for producing digitally enhanced sound, said digitally enhanced sound means being connectively coupled to speakers for emitting sound exteriorly of said cabinet;

a currency acceptor communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller and having means for validating the form and denomination of currency and means for storing into a random access memory module a validated amount of currency recognizable as credit reserve to initialize said main microcontroller to make active said input interface device; and

a hopper assembly having a hopper bin designated to store in reserve a collective amount of mementos and a hopper controller communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller for regulating the release of at least one memento momentarily after recognition of a completed reel spin cycle for all of said reel wheels, said hopper bin having a hopper trip sensor operably associated with and managed by said hopper controller and a chute connected to said hopper bin for passing therethrough said memento as permitted for release by said hopper trip sensor and a reservoir connected to said chute and mounted exteriorly of said cabinet, substantially below said divided display windows, for collecting and storing an accumulated amount of mementos.

42. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said main microcontroller is connectively coupled to a resident memory module for storing a programmable instruction set and a random access memory module for temporary storage of input and output data accumulated during operation thereof, said programmable instruction set being operably associated with a random number generator to compute a random number based on a numeric seed value retrieved from a real time clock and derived from a random number generating algorithm.

43. A memento dispensing device of claim 42, wherein each of said case outcomes is based on a reduced numeric value algorithmically derived from the random number and comparatively evaluated with a pre-select range of reduced numeric values assignable to each of said reel wheel stop positions.

44. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with said reel wheel stop position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching symbols representable of a perceived winning combination for display on said reel wheels and a predetermined number of pulses deliverable to each of said stepper motors to rotatably move each of said reel wheels beyond the home flagged position to display accordingly in said divided display windows said matching symbols associated with said reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes sequentially occurring in numeric order starting with a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome and restarting with said first case outcome upon completing said last case outcome.

45. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with said reel wheel stop position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching symbols representable of a perceived winning combination for display on said reel wheels and a predetermined number of pulses deliverable to each of said stepper motors to rotatably move each of said reel wheels beyond the home flagged position to display accordingly in said divided display windows said matching symbols associated with said reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes being randomly selected from within a range extending from a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome.

46. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said video playing means comprises a video microcontroller communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller and having onboard switching capabilities, said video microcontroller being connectively coupled to a hard drive for resident storage of video in a recognizable format, a memory card reader for accessing and reading video stored on compact flash media, and a digital and analog converter for receiving and converting a digital audio signal contemporaneously produced and stored with the video into an analog audio signal suited for input into an amplifier having outputs connected to said speakers.

47. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said video playing means comprises a consumer-based video playback device operably controlled apart from said main microcontroller and having manually operable switching capabilities for controlled playback of video stored on recognizable formats for a predetermined length of time.

48. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein producing digitally enhanced sound means comprises a sound generator communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller for activation and control thereby and an audio amplifier connectively coupled to said sound generator for amplifying an analog audio signal emitted therefrom for output to said speakers.

49. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein producing digitally enhanced sound means comprises a programmable sound generator communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller and having an integrated circuit for producing a wide variety of complex sounds under software control and an onboard memory module for storing produced complex sounds, said programmable sound generator comprising a sound microcontroller operably dedicated to produce complex sounds and an audio amplifier for amplifying complex sounds produced therefrom for output to said speakers.

50. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said playing stored video footage means and said producing digitally enhanced sound means are simultaneously activated upon commencing a first reel spin cycle for a first reel wheel and continue to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

51. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said playing stored video footage means and said producing digitally enhanced sound means are simultaneously activated upon dispensing said memento from said hopper assembly and continue to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

52. A memento dispensing device of claim 41, wherein said playing stored video footage means and said producing digitally enhanced sound means are simultaneously activated upon recognition of credit reserve and continue to actively operate for a predetermined period of time thereafter.

53. A memento dispensing device comprising:

a plurality of virtual reel wheels;

a plurality of virtual symbols pictorially displayed on each of said virtual reel wheels, each of said virtual symbols moveable with movement of said virtual reel wheel;

a plurality of simulated reel wheel stop positions, each of said simulated reel wheel stop positions assignable to one of said virtual symbols;

means for graphically producing said virtual reel wheels and said virtual symbols;

an electronic display operably associated with said graphically producing means to display said virtual reel wheels and said virtual symbols;

a main microcontroller communicatively coupled to said electronic display and having a resident memory module for storing a programmable instruction set including said graphically producing means;

an input interface device communicatively coupled to and substantially suited to prompt said main microcontroller to activate said graphically producing means to generate and simulate a virtual reel spin cycle for each of said virtual reel wheels and compute a case outcome determinative of a reel wheel'"'"'s stopped position to display accordingly said virtual symbol associated with said simulated reel wheel stop position on said electronic display;

a currency acceptor communicatively coupled to said main microcontroller and having means for validating the form and denomination of currency and means for storing into a random access memory module a validated amount of currency recognizable as credit reserve to initialize said main microcontroller to make active said input interface device; and

a hopper assembly having means for storing mementos and means for dispensing at least one memento momentarily after recognition of a completed reel spin cycle for all of said virtual reel wheels.

54. A memento dispensing device of claim 53, wherein said main microcontroller communicates with a random number generator operatively associated with a random number generating algorithm contained with said programmable instruction set and substantially serving to compute a random number based on a numeric seed value retrieved from a real time clock, each of said case outcomes being based on a reduced numeric value algorithmically derived from the random number and comparatively evaluated with a pre-select range of reduced numeric values assignable to each simulated reel wheel stop position and virtual symbol.

55. A memento dispensing device of claim 53, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with said simulated reel wheel stop position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching virtual symbols reqpresentable of a perceived winning combination for display on said virtual reel wheels and a predetermined number of simulated pulses deliverable to said graphically representing means to symbolically represent rotatable movement of each of said virtual reel wheels beyond a simulated home position to display accordingly said matching virtual symbols associated with said simulated reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes sequentially occurring in numeric order starting with a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome and restarting with said first case outcome upon completing said last case outcome.

56. A memento dispensing device of claim 53, wherein each of said case outcomes is operably associated with said simulated reel wheel position corresponding to a pre-defined set of matching virtual symbols representable of a perceived winning combination for display on said virtual reel wheels and a predetermined number of simulated pulses deliverable to said graphically representing means to symbolically represent rotatable movement of each of said virtual reel wheels beyond a simulated home position to display accordingly said matching virtual symbols associated with said simulated reel wheel stop position, each of said case outcomes being randomly selected from within a range extending from a first case outcome and ending with a last case outcome.