ELECTRONIC CARD GAME MACHINE

• US 3,735,982 A
• Filed: 03/29/1972
• Issued: 05/29/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jay N. Gerfin
• Original Assignee: Jay N. Gerfin
• Inventors: Gerfin, Jay N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US05/239,057
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1E,138A,139,141A,142,143 340/378
• US Class Current: 463/22
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen

Abstract

A card playing machine for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'poker'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' or the like including electronic circuitry for controlling a display of card transparencies. Initially a flashing card display is provided, the flashing time of which is selectively controlled so that either random selection or skilled selection of a card hand can be made by a player. A hand is normally obtained by the sequential operation of a plurality of manually depressed pushbuttons. The control circuitry, moreover, will terminate operation and display a randomly selected hand if the player does not make his selection within a predetermined playing time. Additionally, electronic control means are also included for allowing the player to reject or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'discard'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' one or more of the cards in the hand initially displayed and reselect or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'draw'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' new cards in another predetermined time period in an effort to improve the card hand. Another embodiment of the invention discloses control circuitry which provides the player an option to play a game other than poker which may be, for example, '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'black-jack'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'twenty-one.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled game apparatus particularly adapted to play card games such as poker, black-jack and the like, comprising in combination:

a plurality of electrically controlled character projection display units, each including a selected number of individual character bearing means adapted to be illuminated by respective electric lamp means which when energized projects a character such as a card face on a display screen located on one face of said display unit;

a housing wherein each of said plurality of display units are mounted such that said plurality of display screens are adapted to be viewed as a group;

an electronic display driver circuit coupled to each of said plurality of display units, said driver circuit being operable to energize said electric lamps one at a time in said display unit to provide both a flashing display of a sequence of different characters as well as a steady state display of a single character;

an electronic clock oscillator coupled to each display driver circuit, said oscillator being selectively rendered operative and inoperative in accordance with the output state of a respective control circuit to generate a pulse output, said driver circuit being responsive to the pulse output of said clock oscillator to control the energization of said electric lamps in the respective display unit;

an electronic binary control circuit coupled to each clock oscillator, being operable to have a first and second output state and including input means responsive to a first and second type input signal to switch to said first and second output state respectively and including output means coupled to said clock oscillator wherein said clock oscillator becomes operative when said control circuit switches to said first output state and thereby generate a pulse train, said input means being further responsive to at least one additional second type input signal whereby said control circuit switches to said second output state to render said clock oscillator inoperative;

first circuit means, including starting means, coupled to said input means of each said control circuits circuits for generating and coupling said first type input signal thereto when said starting means is activated by a player; and

second circuit means coupled to said input means of said control circuit generating and coupling said second type input signal to said control circuit for terminating operation of said game apparatus.

2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said second circuit means includes player operated switch means and a signal source coupled to said switch means, said switch means upon actuation by said player operates to couple said signal source to said input means of said control circuit, whereupon said control circuit switches to said second output state.

3. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said second circuit means comprises player operated means coupled to each control circuit for individuAlly switching said control circuits to said second output state deliberately and instantaneously, and a timer circuit coupled to all of said control circuits for switching said binary control circuits to said second output state after a predetermined period of time without the operation of said player operated means.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 3 wherein said control circuit comprises a flip-flop circuit.

5. The invention as defined by claim 3 wherein said timer circuit is comprised of a time delay pulse generator triggered into operation by said first circuit means.

6. The invention as defined by claim 3 wherein said player operated means comprises manually actuated electrical switch means.

7. The apparatus as defined by claim 3 and additionally including:

at least one AND logic gate having first and second input means and output means;

at least one respective lamp energization circuit means coupled between said output means of said AND gate and a selected display unit of said plurality of display units for operating another lamp in said selected display unit;

at least one other electronic control circuit having an output coupled to said first input means of said AND logic gate and being operable to produce a first and a second output state at said output and including input means responsive to said first and second type input signal to switch to said first and second output state respectively;

said AND logic gate having said second input means coupled to said timer circuit, said AND gate being responsive to the voltage output level of said timer circuit after said predetermined time period and said first output state of said one other electronic control after said predetermined time period to energize said another lamp and thereby provide an indication that the respective player operator means had not been activated during said predetermined time period.

8. The apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein said at least one other electronic control circuit comprises a flip-flop circuit.

9. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said starting means includes switch means and said first circuit means additionally includes a one-shot pulse generator generating a start of play pulse upon actuation of said starting switch means, said start of play pulse comprising said first type input signal coupled to said control circuit.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said one shot pulse generator comprises a flip-flop circuit and a transistor multivibrator having its operation enabled and inhibited by the output state of said flip-flop circuit, and additionally including semiconductor diode means coupling said flip-flop circuit to said multivibrator whereby the output state of said flip-flop enables said multivibrator to generate a pulse after a predetermined delay when said starting means is activated and circuit means coupling said multivibrator pulse back to said flip-flop causing said flip-flop to switch states whereupon the opposite output state of said flip-flop inhibits further operation of said multivibrator.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said second circuit means additionally includes an electronic timing circuit coupled to said one shot pulse generator and being responsive to said start of play pulse generated thereby to produce an output signal after a second predetermined time delay comprising another second type input signal, said input signal being applied to all said control circuits for rendering said respective clock oscillators inoperative after a predetermined time interval in the event said respective player operated switch means have not been actuated.

12. The apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein said timing circuit comprises a flip-flop circuit and a transistor multivibrator having its operation enabled and inhibited by the output state of said flip-flop circuit and additionally including feedback means coupled from said multivibrator back to the input of saiD flip-flop circuit, said flip-flop circuit additionally including input circuit means coupled to said one shot pulse generator being responsive to the start of play pulse generated thereby to become set to a first output state and enabling said multivibrator which after said second predetermined time interval generates an output pulse signal which is fed back to the input of said multivibrator, causing said flip-flop to switch to the opposite output state and inhibiting further operation of said multivibrator.

13. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein said variable frequency oscillator comprises a unijunction transistor oscillator having frequency adjusting circuit means coupled thereto.

14. The apparatus defined by claim 11 wherein each said electronic clock oscillator comprises a variable frequency oscillator.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein each said control circuit comprises a flip-flop circuit.

16. The apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein each said display driver circuit comprises an electronic ring counter including a plurality of electronically controlled switches respectively connected to a selected lamp in said display unit, said controlled switches being operable to sequentially become conductive in response to the pulsed output of said clock oscillator to energize said lamps in said display units.

17. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 and additionally including circuit means initially setting said control circuit to said first output state, a timer circuit coupled to said control circuits for individually switching said control circuits to said second output state after a predetermined time period without the operation of a player;

first player operated circuit means coupled to each said control circuit for switching the respective control circuit to said first output state after said predetermined time period; and

second player operated circuit means coupled to each said control circuit for switching the respective control circuit to said second output state after said respective first player operated circuit means is activated.

18. The apparatus as defined by claim 17 and additionally including a second timer for individually switching said binary control circuits to said first output state after a second predetermined time period without the operation of said first and second player operated means.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 and additionally including third circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means and each driver circuit means for establishing an initial operating state of said circuits when power is first applied.