Electronic gaming machine with enclosed seating unit

• US 6,530,842 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Griswold, Chauncey W., Wilder, Richard L., Mattice, Harold E., Wells, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/690,412
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1,16-21,36,46,47,48 273/148 B,121 B,148 R 297/217.1-217.7,180.1,180.12,180.13,180.15
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

An electronic gambling unit for allowing a user to play a video gambling game, may generally include a seating unit having an enclosure defining an at least partially enclosed space, the enclosure being sized to at least partially enclose the user when the user is seated in the seating unit and a display unit operatively associated with the seating unit, the display unit being capable of generating color images. The electronic gambling unit may further include an input device that allows the user to make a plurality of input selections when the user is seated in the seating unit, a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing the user to deposit a medium of currency and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the input device.

Claims

1. An electronic gambling unit for allowing a user to play a video gambling game selected from the group of video gambling games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video bingo and video keno, the electronic gambling unit comprising:

a seating unit comprising;

a seat adapted to allow the user to sit thereon;

an enclosure that defines a partially enclosed space, at least a portion of the seat being disposed in the partially enclosed space defined by the enclosure; and

an occupancy sensor capable of generating an occupancy signal in response to the user sitting in the seating unit;

a display unit associated with the seating unit, the display unit being capable of generating color images;

a support mechanism coupled to the seating unit, wherein the support mechanism is capable of supporting the display unit in a plurality of positions including a first position in which the display unit occupies a position that does not impede the user from sitting down in the seat in the enclosure and a second position in which the display unit is disposed substantially in front of the user when the user is sitting on the seat;

an input device that allows the user to make a plurality of input selections when the user is seated on the seat;

a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing the user to deposit a medium of currency; and

a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the input device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor,

the controller being programmed to allow the user to make a wager via the input device after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user;

the controller being programmed to cause a sequence of video images to be generated on the display unit after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user, the sequence of video images representing a video gambling game selected from the group of video gambling games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video keno and video bingo,

at least one of the images comprising an image of at least five playing cards if the video gambling game is video poker,

at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the video gambling game is video slots,

at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if the video gambling game is video blackjack,

at least one of the images comprising an image of a bingo grid if the video gambling game is bingo, and

at least one of the images comprising an image of a keno grid if the video gambling game is keno,

the controller being programmed to determine, after the sequence of images has been displayed, an outcome of the video gambling game represented by the sequence of images and to determine a currency payout associated with the outcome of the video gambling game; and

the controller being programmed to cause the support mechanism to move the display unit from the first position to the second position in response to receiving the occupancy signal generated by the occupancy sensor.

2. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a sound-generating circuit operatively coupled to the controller, the sound-generating circuit capable of generating sound signals representing sounds related to the video gambling game; and

at least one audio speaker positioned to cause sound to be emitted in the enclosure in response to receiving sound signals from the sound-generating circuit.

3. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a sound-damping material to reduce the magnitude of sound that may be transmitted through the enclosure.

4. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a touch-sensitive video display screen and wherein the input device comprises part of the touch-sensitive video display screen.

5. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a remote control unit.

6. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the currency-accepting mechanism comprises a bill reader that is capable of reading a plurality of different denominations of paper money.

7. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the currency-accepting mechanism comprises an electronic reader that is capable of reading an item having data stored thereon.

8. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, wherein the first position of the display unit is substantially a lateral translation of the second position of the display unit.

9. The electronic gambling unit of claim 1, further comprising a motor coupled to the support mechanism to cause the support mechanism to move the display unit between the first and the second positions.