Gaming apparatus having a display with a conductive coating

• US 7,883,421 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Fiorillo, Paul, Criss-Puszkiewicz, Cynthia, Moore, Steven W., Dulco, Ron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US10/390,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,885 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/30, 463/46, 463/37, 463/42, 427/96.3
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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

A gaming apparatus comprising a housing, a transparent panel with a first and second surface, and a conductive coating disposed proximate to the second surface, wherein the coating has a high visible light transmittance and a low electrical surface resistance. The gaming apparatus also comprises a grounded metallic strip coupled to the coating and located at a perimeter of the coating, a value input device, and a mechanically rotatable reel that is disposed in the housing so that the mechanically rotatable reel is visible to a player of the gaming apparatus through the transparent panel and the coating. Also included is a controller that comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The controller is programmed to allow a person to make a wager and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a game incorporating the mechanically rotatable reel.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a transparent panel associated with said housing, wherein said transparent panel comprises an outside surface and an inside surface;

a transparent film being disposed in said housing comprising a conductive coating;

said coating facing and being disposed proximate to said inside surface and disposed to effectively reduce electromagnetic emissions through said transparent panel while allowing viewing through said transparent panel, film and coating into said gaming apparatus,

said coating comprising a metal oxide selected from the group of metal oxides consisting of tin oxide, indium tin oxide and indium oxide,

said coating having a visible light transmittance of greater than 75% and a surface resistance less than three hundred ohms per square;

a metallic strip coupled to said coating and located at a perimeter of said coating, said metallic strip being electrically grounded;

a value input device;

a mechanically rotatable member disposed in said housing so that said mechanically rotatable member is visible to a player of said gaming apparatus through said transparent panel and said coating;

a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable member and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a game incorporating said mechanically rotatable member.

2. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said mechanically rotatable member is a slot reel.

3. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mechanically rotatable member is a wheel.

4. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 1, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

5. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a transparent panel associated with said housing;

a conductive coating applied to said transparent panel to effectively reduce electromagnetic emissions through said transparent panel while allowing viewing through said transparent panel and coating into said gaming apparatus, said coating having a visible light transmittance of greater than 75% and a surface resistance less than three hundred ohms per square;

a metallic strip coupled to said coating and located at a perimeter of said coating, said metallic strip being electrically grounded;

a value input device;

a mechanically rotatable member disposed in said housing so that said mechanically rotatable member is visible to a player of said gaming apparatus through said transparent panel and said coating;

a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable member and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, and said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a game incorporating said mechanically rotatable member.

6. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said mechanically rotatable member is a slot reel.

7. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said mechanically rotatable member is a wheel.

8. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said coating is a sputtered coating comprising a metal oxide selected from the group of metal oxides consisting of tin oxide, indium tin oxide and indium oxide.

9. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said coating is a sputtered coating comprising a transition metal selected from the group of transition metals consisting of titanium, copper, silver, zirconium and gold.

10. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said coating is a conductive ink selected from the group of conductive inks consisting of transparent conductive ink and opaque transparent ink.

11. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said coating is a metallic tint.

12. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit that is capable of generating video images, said display unit comprising a glass display panel, wherein said glass display panel comprises a first surface and a second surface;

a conductive coating being disposed on a transparent film adjacent to said second surface to effectively reduce electromagnetic emissions through said display panel while allowing viewing of said video images through said glass display panel and coating into said gaming apparatus, said coating having a visible light transmittance of greater than 75% and a surface resistance less than three hundred ohms per square;

a metallic strip coupled to said conductive coating and located proximate to said second surface at a perimeter of said conductive coating, said metallic strip being electrically grounded;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;

video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,

said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,

said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game.

13. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating is a sputtered coating comprising a metal oxide selected from the group of metal oxides consisting of tin oxide, indium tin oxide and indium oxide.

14. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating is a sputtered coating comprising a transition metal selected from the group of transition metals consisting of titanium, copper, silver, zirconium and gold.

15. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating is a conductive ink selected from the group of conductive inks consisting of transparent conductive ink and opaque transparent ink.

16. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating is a metallic tint.

17. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a transparent panel associated with said housing, wherein said transparent panel comprises a first surface and a second surface;

a conductive screen being electrically grounded and disposed proximate to said second surface to effectively reduce electromagnetic emissions through said transparent panel while allowing viewing through said transparent panel and conductive screen into said gaming apparatus, said screen having a visible light transmittance of greater than 75%;

a value input device;

a mechanically rotatable reel disposed in said housing so that said mechanically rotatable reel is visible to a player of said gaming apparatus through said transparent panel and said screen;

a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable reel and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, and

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a game incorporating said mechanically rotatable reel.

18. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 17 comprising a metallic strip coupled to said screen and located at a perimeter of said screen, said metallic strip being electrically grounded.

19. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said metallic strip is located around substantially all of said perimeter.

20. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 17, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.