Gambling Machine

• US 20080300036A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herbert Wessling
• Original Assignee: Herbert Wessling
• Inventors: Wessling, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gambling machine comprised of a display unit (1) to display a course of a game and to display game results, and comprised of an operating unit (3) to influence the course of a game, and comprised of an electronic control unit (2) connected to the display unit (1) and to the operating unit (3) to control the course of a game and to determine the game results. To provide such a gambling machine wherein the operating unit (3) is wear-free and vandalism-safe, the present invention proposes that the operating unit (3) be comprised of an operating panel (4) made of a dielectrical shockproof material, the front side of which forms the operating panel of the operating unit (3), with the operating panel (4) being comprised of an operating field (5) or being subdivided into several operating fields (5), and wherein a capacitive sensor element (8) arranged on the rear side of the operating panel (4) is allocated to each operating field (5).

Claims

1. :

A gambling machine comprised of a display unit (1) to display a course of a game and to display the results of a game, and comprised of an operating unit (3) to influence the course of a game, and comprised of an electronic control unit (2) connected to the display unit (1) and to the operating unit (3) to control the course of a game and to determine the game results, wherein the operating unit (3) is comprised of an operating panel (4) made of a dielectrical shockproof material, the front side of which forms the operating surface of the operating unit (3), and wherein said operating panel (4) has an operating field (5) or is subdivided into several operating fields (5), and wherein a capacitive sensor element (8) arranged on the rear side of said operating panel (4) is allocated to each operating field (5).

2. :

A gambling machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the operating panel (4) is at least partly transparent, with a marking foil (13) being arranged between the operating panel (4) and the sensor surfaces (9) of the sensor elements (8), said marking foil being imprinted in conformity with the subdivision of said operating panel (4) into operating fields (5).

3. :

A gambling machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor surfaces (9) of the sensor elements (8) are connected via a digital evaluation electronics (12) to the electronic control unit (2).

4. :

A gambling machine as defined in claim 3, wherein the digital evaluation electronics (12) is arranged spatially away from said operating panel (4).

5. :

A gambling machine as defined in claim 3, wherein the digital evaluation electronics (12) is so configured that it evaluates for each sensor element (8) the variation in time of the capacitance (C₁, C₂, C₃) recorded at the relevant sensor surface (9) and generates a control signal, depending on the result of the evaluation, which is transmitted to the electronic control unit (2).

6. :

A gambling machine as defined in claim 3, comprising a sound producing switching circuit (15) allocated to the operating unit (3) and designed for the electronic generation of operating sounds.