System and method for combining low-power signals and high-power signals on a single circuit board in a gaming machine

• US 7,637,816 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Loose, Timothy C., Mercado, Victor, Canterbury, Stephen A., Page, Mark V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel; Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US10/117,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,825 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 22, 463 25- 29, 463 40- 48, 463/24, 307 72- 76, 361784-791, 294/011, 294/020.1, 294/020.3, 294/020.8, 298/32, 298/34, 298/36, 710/301, 710/302, 257/691, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.A
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A gaming control board having low-power circuitry and high-power circuitry for controlling the operation of a gaming machine. The low-power circuitry includes logic components including a CPU that executes instructions for randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes in response to wagers inputted by a player. The high-power circuitry includes high-power components such as lamp drivers for interfacing high-power signals between the gaming control board and a game interface board. Two connectors are provided on the gaming control board, one to interface low-power signals and another to interface high-power signals. The high-power circuitry is located near the connector interfacing the high-power signals for optimal EMI suppression.

Claims

1. A gaming control system for use in a wagering-gaming machine, comprising:

a first secure, wagering, gaming control board;

an interface board connected to said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said interface board including connections for connecting high-power devices of said gaming machine to said interface board;

low-power, logic components disposed on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said logic components including a CPU adapted to execute instructions for displaying on said gaming machine a wagering game and randomly selecting a plurality of game outcomes of said wagering game in response to wagers inputted by a player;

high-power components disposed on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said high-power components interfacing said first secure, wagering-gaming control board with said high-power devices;

a first gaming control board connector coupled to at least one of said logic components, said at least one of said logic components providing low-power signals to said first gaming control connector; and

a second gaming control board connector coupled to at least one of said high-power components, said at least one of said high-level components providing high-power signals to said second gaming control connector; and

wherein said interface board includes a first interface board connector coupled to said first gaming control board connector and a second interface board connector coupled to said second gaming control board connector, said first interface board connector and second interface board connector being separated on said interface board; and

wherein said first wagering-gaming control board is replaceable with a second secure, wagering-gaming control board by disengaging said first gaming control board connector and said second gaming control board connector of the first secure, wagering-gaming control board from said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively, and

engaging a first control board connector and a second gaming control board connector of the second secure, wagering-gaming control board to said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first gaming board connector includes substantially more pins than said second connector.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first gaming board connector has a first set of pins, said second gaming board connector has a second set of pins, the ratio of said first set of pins to said second set of pins being at least 3:

1.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said logic components are disposed in a first area of said first secure, wagering-gaming control board and said high-power components are disposed in a second area of said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said first area being different from said second area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said low-power signals include logic signals.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said logic signals include TTL signals.

7. The gaming control system of claim 1, wherein said high-power signals include motor driver signals for driving at least a motor in said gaming machine.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface board is positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said first secure, wagering-gaming control board thereby reducing effects of electromagnetic coupling between said interface board and said first secure, wagering-gaming control board.

9. The gaming control system of claim 1, wherein said high-power components includes a motor driver and said high-power devices include a motor in said gaming machine.

10. The gaming control system of claim 1, wherein said high-power devices include a payoff mechanism.

11. The gaming control system of claim 1, further comprising an EM-shielded housing positioned proximally over said first secure, wagering-gaming control board and having first and second apertures, said first aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said first gaming control board connector through said housing, said second aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said second gaming control board connector through said housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said EM-shielded housing is metal.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface board is positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said first secure, wagering-gaming control board to allow simultaneous connection of said first interface board connector to said first gaming control board connector and said second interface board connector to said second gaming control board connector.

14. A method of isolating low-power signals from high-power signals in a wagering-gaming machine, comprising:

providing a first secure, wagering-gaming control board including a processor and a plurality of electrical traces, the processor being programmed to execute instructions for displaying a wagering game on said gaming machine and for randomly selecting an outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes of said wagering game in response to a wager input, said plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry low-power signals and high-power signals, said high-power signals including a driver signal and a power-supply signal, said power-supply signal being provided by a power supply in said gaming machine, said driver signal providing power to a high power device of said gaming machine;

routing those of said plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry said low-power signals to a first gaming control board connector on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board;

routing those of said plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry said high-power signals to a second gaming control board connector on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board;

connecting an interface board to said first secure, wagering-gaming control board by connecting a first interface board connector to said first gaming control board connector and connecting a second interface board connector to said second gaming control board connector; and

replacing said first secure, wagering-gaming control board with a second secure, wagering-gaming board by disengaging said first gaming control board connector and said second gaming control board connector of the first secure, wagering control board from said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively, removing the first secure, wagering-gaming control board, and engaging a first gaming control board connector and a second gaming control board connector of said second secure, wagering-gaming control board to said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising proximally enclosing said first secure, wagering-gaming control board in a housing adapted to shield said logic circuitry against effects of electromagnetic interference.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising connecting said interface board in a generally coplanar arrangement to said first secure, wagering-gaming control board.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising coupling peripheral devices of said gaming machine to said interface board.

18. A method of assembling a gaming control system for use in a wagering gaming machine, comprising:

disposing digital logic components on a first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said digital logic components including a CPU programmed to display a wagering game on said gaming machine and to execute instructions for randomly selecting an outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes in response to a wager input;

disposing high-power components on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said high-power components controlling the operation of peripheral devices of said gaming machine, at least one of said high-power components switching power to at least one lamp of said gaming machine thereby turning on said at least one lamp, and at least one of said high-power components being a power-supply converter;

coupling a first connector to at least one of said digital logic components on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said at least one of said digital logic components providing low-power signals to said first connector, said lower-power signals including digital signals;

coupling a second connector to at least one of said high-power components on said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said at least one of said high-power components providing high-power analog signals to said second connector, said high-power analog signals including a driver signal and a power supply signal;

connecting an interface board to said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said interface board having a low-power connector connected to said first connector and a high-power connector connecting to said second connector;

coupling said interface board to said peripheral devices of said gaming machine; and

wherein said first wagering-gaming control board is replaceable with a second secure, wagering-gaming control board by disengaging said first gaming control board connector and said second gaming control board connector of the first secure, wagering-gaming control board from said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively, and

engaging a first control board connector and a second gaming control board connector of the second secure, wagering-gaming control board to said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

positioning said interface board in a generally coplanar arrangement with said first secure, wagering-gaming control board; and

coupling said interface board to said peripheral devices of said gaming machine, wherein said coplanar arrangement of said interface board and said first secure, wagering-gaming control board reduces effects of electromagnetic coupling between said interface board and said first secure, wagering-gaming control board.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising proximally enclosing said first secure, wagering-gaming control board in a housing having first and second apertures, said first aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said first connector of said first secure, wagering-gaming control board through said housing, said second aperture being dimensioned to permit access to said second connector of said first secure, wagering-gaming control board through said housing.

21. A gaming control system for use in a wagering-gaming machine, comprising:

a first secure, wagering-gaming control board having a first gaming control board connector and a second gaming control board connector, said first secure, wagering-gaming control board including low-power digital logic components and high-power components, said digital logic components being coupled to said first gaming control board connector via lower-power digital signals, said digital logic components including a processing unit for displaying a wagering game on said gaming machine and for executing instructions for randomly selecting an outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes in response to a wager input, said high-power components being coupled to said second gaming control board connector via high-power analog signals, said high-power analog signals including a driver signal and a power supply signal, at least one of said high-power components supplying power to and controlling a plurality of high-power peripheral devices via said driver signal at least one of said high-power components including a power-supply converter; and

an interface board having a first interface board connector and a second interface board connector, said first interface board connector being adapted for connection to said first gaming control board connector, said second interface board connector being adapted for connection to said second gaming control board connector, said interface board including connections to said peripheral devices of said gaming machine; and

wherein said first wagering-gaming control board is replaceable with a second secure, wagering-gaming control board by disengaging said first gaming control board connector and said second gaming control board connector of the first secure, wagering-gaming control board from said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively, and

engaging a first control board connector and a second gaming control board connector of the second secure, wagering-gaming control board to said first interface board connector and said second interface board connector respectively.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said interface board is positioned in a generally coplanar arrangement with said first secure, wagering-gaming control board.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a housing proximally enclosing said first secure, wagering-gaming control board, said housing shielding said logic components and said high-power components from effects of EMI.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a docking mechanism for releasably interconnecting said first secure, wagering-gaming control board and said interface board.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said peripheral devices include at least one of the group consisting of lamps, a motor, a payoff mechanism, a power supply, a currency detector, a display, and a reel.