Apparatus and method for retrofitting candle devices on a gaming machine

• US 8,317,604 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: LEAP Forward Gaming
• Inventors: Wells, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US13/294,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20120058816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A gaming peripheral for a gaming machine is described. The gaming peripheral can be configured to emulate the functions of a lighting device, such as a candle. The gaming peripheral can be configured to provide enhanced gaming features such as 1) enhanced networking capabilities, 2) enhanced peripheral device monitoring and upgrade capabilities, 3) enhanced player monitoring and security capabilities 4) enhanced gaming function capabilities and 5) enhanced player reward capabilities. The enhanced gaming features can be provided in a non-intrusive manner such that regulated software executed on a gaming machine does not have to be altered.

Claims

1. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device;

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

2. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the video display is configured to receive and display a video presentation of the wager-based game generated under control of the game controller.

3. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the video display is a secondary display separate from a main display on which a presentation of the wager-based game is output.

4. The candle device of claim 3, wherein the main display includes one or more mechanical reels.

5. The candle device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more antennas for sending and receiving wireless communications via the wireless communication interface.

6. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the video display includes a first port for receiving video content generated by the game controller and a second port for receiving the video content generated by the candle controller.

7. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output the video content to a portion of the video display.

8. The candle device of claim 7, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output the video content at different locations on the video display.

9. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the video display includes a touch screen and the candle controller is further configured to receive data from the touch screen.

10. The candle device of claim 1, wherein candle controller is further configured to generate a bonus game presentation and output the bonus game presentation to the video display.

11. The candle device of claim 10, wherein the bonus game presentation is triggered from a play of the wager-based game and shows an award amount.

12. The candle device of claim 10, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive from the game controller a command to generate the bonus game presentation including an award amount to show in the bonus game presentation.

13. The candle device of claim 12, wherein the candle controller is further configured to send a message to the game controller indicating the bonus game presentation is completed.

14. The candle device of claim 10, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive information indicating selections that affect the bonus game presentation.

15. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller includes a video processing board for generating the video content.

16. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output the video content to a secondary display separate from the video display.

17. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to communicate with a bill acceptor communicatively coupled to the game controller, receive from the bill acceptor an image of currency or a ticket voucher input at the bill acceptor and output the image as the video content to the video display.

18. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive player tracking information from the remote device via the wireless communication interface and output the player tracking information in the video content for the video display.

19. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive player tracking information associated with a particular player, generate custom video content for the particular player and output the custom video content to the video display.

20. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output video content for a promotional opportunity to the video display.

21. The candle device of claim 20, wherein the promotional opportunity is provided by a third-party affiliated with a gaming establishment that operates the wager-based gaming machine.

22. The candle device of claim 20, wherein the candle controller is further configured to communicate with a printer configured to receive control commands from the game controller and send commands to the printer to generate a ticket associated with the promotional opportunity.

23. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to control one or more audio devices to output sound associated with the video content.

24. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive video data from the remote device via the wireless interface and output the video data in the video content on the video display.

25. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to establish wireless communications with a hand-held electronic device.

26. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to establish wireless communications with a hand-held electronic device to enable the hand-held electronic device to access a local area network or a wide area network.

27. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to send a casino promotion to a hand-held electronic device.

28. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to receive a request for a casino promotion from a hand-held electronic device.

29. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output video data to a hand-held electronic device.

30. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output a menu of options to a hand-held electronic device and receive a selection of one of the options from the hand-held electronic device.

31. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to remove a value amount from the wager-based gaming machine and electronically transfer the value amount to a hand-held electronic device.

32. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller is further configured to remove a value amount from the wager-based gaming machine and electronically transfer the value amount to a remote account.

33. The candle device of claim 1, wherein the candle controller comprises a plurality of modular boards.

34. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device; and

     4) generate a bonus game presentation and output the bonus game presentation to the video display wherein the bonus game presentation is triggered from a play of the wager-based game and shows an award amount; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

35. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device; and

     4) communicate with a bill acceptor communicatively coupled to the game controller, receive from the bill acceptor an image of currency or a ticket voucher input at the bill acceptor and output the image as the video content to the video display; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

36. The candle device of claim 35, wherein the candle controller is further configured to output the image of the currency or ticket voucher to a hand-held electronic device.

37. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device; and

     4) receive player tracking information from the remote device via the wireless communication interface and output the player tracking information in the video content for the video display; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

38. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device; and

     4) receive player tracking information associated with a particular player, generate custom video content for the particular player and output the custom video content to the video display; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

39. A candle device comprising:

a housing including an attachment interface for mounting the candle device to an external surface of a cabinet of a wager-based gaming machine;

a plurality of lighting elements disposed within an interior portion of the housing that are externally visible through the housing when activated;

a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with a remote device;

a candle controller, including a processor and a memory, configured to;

     1) receive candle control commands from a game controller disposed within the cabinet and in response control the plurality of lighting elements in accordance with the candle control commands,

     2) receive communications from the wager-based gaming machine including transactional data associated with value-input and value output transactions generated on the wager-based gaming machine, encrypt the communications and send the encrypted communications via the wireless communication interface to the remote device,

     3) control output of video content to a video display coupled to the wager-based gaming machine wherein the video display is separate from the candle device;

     4) output video content for a promotional opportunity to the video display; and

     5) communicate with a printer configured to receive control commands from the game controller and send commands to the printer to generate a ticket associated with the promotional opportunity; and

a secure portion of the housing including one or more anti-tampering mechanisms, said candle controller disposed within the secure portion of the housing.

40. The candle device of claim 39, wherein candle controller is further configured to communicate with a bill acceptor and receive promotional ticket information associated with a promotional ticket received at the bill acceptor.