Gaming machine with movable display screen

• US 8,454,436 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Klostermann, Gregory E., Wurz, Norman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/490,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463 31- 33, 463/36
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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

Abstract

A method, implemented by an electronic gaming machine (EGM), includes providing an electronic display mounted to the cabinet of the EGM and disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display in the normal operational position having an orientation of one of landscape or portrait. The display is moved from the normal operational position to a maintenance position in order to permit access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the latter is in the normal operational position, the display in the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait, the display in the maintenance position displaying information to the technician.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games, the EGM having a cabinet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic display mounted to the cabinet and disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the normal operational position of the display having an orientation of landscape or portrait; and

moving the display from the normal operational position to a maintenance position thereby permitting access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position, the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait, the display in the maintenance position displaying information to the technician,

wherein a first area defined by the perimeter of the display in the normal operational position does not substantially overlap a second area defined by the perimeter of the display in the maintenance position so that access for servicing components of the EGM located in the first area is provided to the technician.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal from an orientation sensing mechanism supported by the cabinet, where the signal represents whether the display is in the normal operational position having an orientation of one of landscape or portrait or in the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait; and

upon receiving the signal representing that the display is in the maintenance position, generating images on the display so that said images have one of a landscape or portrait format that matches the other of landscape or portrait orientation of the display, thereby permitting the technician to view information presented on the display with a landscape or portrait format that matches the physical orientation of the display.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of generating the signal by a change of state by a mechanical switch from one state to another state, the mechanical switch being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of physically supporting the display by an actuator element of the mechanical switch when the display is in the maintenance position, where the weight of the display upon the actuator element causes the change of state by the mechanical switch from one state to another state.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the mechanical switch is triggered to change state by engagement with the display when the display is placed in the maintenance position.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the mechanical switch is triggered to change state by engagement with an abutment that moves in response to movement of the display to the maintenance position.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of generating another signal by a change of state by another mechanical switch from one state to another state, the another mechanical switch being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display in the normal operational position, the another mechanical switch not being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position in the other of the clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display in the normal operational position, the another signal automatically indicating the one of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the images in order to render text characters in a normal left to right row orientation.

8. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) that supports wagering on games comprising:

a cabinet;

microprocessor based system, disposed in the cabinet, that includes a central processing unit and memory for storing operating instructions and image data; and

an electronic display, mounted to the cabinet, for rendering images on a screen based on the image data, the electronic display disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display in the normal operational position having an orientation of one of landscape or portrait, the display configured to be movable to a maintenance position in order to permit access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position, the display in the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait, the display in the maintenance position displaying information to the technician,

wherein a first area defined by the perimeter of the display at the normal operational position does not substantially overlap a second area defined by the perimeter of the display at the maintenance position so that access for servicing components of the EGM located in the first area is provided to the technician.

9. The EGM of claim 8, further comprising:

an orientation sensing mechanism that generates a signal representative of whether the display is in the normal operational position having one of landscape or portrait physical orientation or in the maintenance position having the other of landscape or portrait physical orientation; and

the microprocessor based system adapted to, upon receiving the signal representing that the display is in the maintenance position, generate image data so that images on the display have one of a landscape or portrait format that matches the other of landscape or portrait physical orientation of the display, thereby permitting the technician to view information presented on the display in the maintenance position with a landscape or portrait format that matches the corresponding landscape or portrait physical orientation.

10. The EGM of claim 9, wherein the orientation sensing mechanism comprises a sensor that generates the signal by a change from one state to another state, the sensor being triggered to change state due to sensing that the display is in the maintenance position.

11. The EGM of claim 9, wherein the sensor physically supports the display by an actuator element of a mechanical switch when the display is in the maintenance position, where the weight of the display upon the actuator element causes the change of state by the mechanical switch from one state to another state.

12. The EGM of claim 9, wherein the orientation sensing mechanism comprises a mechanical switch that is triggered to change state by engagement with an abutment that moves in response to movement of the display to the maintenance position.

13. The EGM of claim 9, wherein the orientation sensing mechanism comprises a mechanical switch and further comprises another mechanical switch generating another signal by a change of state by the another mechanical switch from one state to another state, the another mechanical switch being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display in the normal operational position, the another mechanical switch not being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position by the other of the clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display from the normal operational position, the another signal automatically indicating the one of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the images in order to render text characters in a normal left to right row orientation.

14. An electronic gaming machine (EGM) that supports wagering on games comprising:

a microprocessor means for controlling the operation of a game and performing maintenance actions;

memory means for storing operating instructions and image data;

an electronic display for displaying images on a screen based on the image data; and

means for rendering images on the screen based on the image data, the electronic display disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display in the normal operational position having an orientation of one of landscape or portrait, the display configured to be movable to a maintenance position thereby allowing access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the latter is in the normal operational position, the display in the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait, the display in the maintenance position displaying information to the technician.

15. The EGM of claim 14, further comprising:

means for generating a signal representative of whether the display is in the normal operational position having one of landscape or portrait physical orientation or in the maintenance position having the other of landscape or portrait physical orientation; and

the microprocessor means adapted to, upon receiving the signal representing that the displaying means is in the maintenance position, generate image data so that images on the screen have one of a landscape or portrait format that matches the other of landscape or portrait physical orientation of the display, thereby permitting the technician to view information presented on the screen in the maintenance position with a landscape or portrait format that matches the corresponding landscape or portrait physical orientation.

16. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the signal generating means comprises a mechanical switch that is triggered to change state by engagement with the display when the display is placed in the maintenance position.

17. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the signal generating means comprises a mechanical switch that is triggered to change state by engagement with an abutment that moves in response to movement of the display as the latter is placed in the maintenance position.

18. The EGM of claim 15, wherein the signal generating means comprises a mechanical switch and another mechanical switch where the latter generates another signal by a change of state by the another mechanical switch from one state to another state, the another mechanical switch being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position in one of a clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display in the normal operational position, the another mechanical switch not being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position in the other of the clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degree rotation from display in the normal operational position, the another signal automatically indicating the one of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation that the images should be rotated in order to render text characters in a normal left to right row orientation.

19. A method implemented by an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games, the EGM having a cabinet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic display rotatably mounted to the cabinet and disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display having a screen that is disposed in a first plane in the normal operational position of the display;

rotating the display from the normal operational position to a maintenance position in order to permit access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position, the screen of the display remaining substantially parallel to the first plane throughout the rotation of the display to the maintenance position; and

moving the display away from the cabinet while the screen remains parallel to the first plane with the display being supported by an extendable rod that slides within a sleeve mounted to the cabinet.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the display is supported by a single extendable rod that slides within a sleeve mounted to the cabinet.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the display is rectangular and the single extendable rod is attached to the display at a location closer to a corner of the display than to the center of the display so that the rotation of the display to the maintenance position causes the display to swing substantially away from the space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position.

22. A method implemented by an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games, the EGM having a cabinet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic display rotatably mounted to the cabinet and disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display having a screen that is disposed in a first plane in the normal operational position of the display;

rotating the display from the normal operational position to a maintenance position in order to permit access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position, the screen of the display remaining substantially parallel to the first plane throughout the rotation of the display to the maintenance position;

receiving a signal from an orientation sensing mechanism supported by the cabinet, wherein the signal represents whether the display is in the normal operational position having an orientation of one of landscape or portrait or in the maintenance position having an orientation of the other of landscape or portrait; and

upon receiving the signal representing that the display is in the maintenance position, generating images on the display so that said images have one of a landscape or portrait format that matches the other of landscape or portrait orientation of the display, thereby permitting the technician to view information presented on the display with a landscape or portrait format that matches the physical orientation of the display.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of generating the signal by a change of state by a mechanical switch from one state to another state, the mechanical switch being triggered by the display being placed in the maintenance position.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the mechanical switch is triggered to change state by engagement with an abutment that moves in response to movement of the display as the display is placed in the maintenance position.

25. A method implemented by an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games, the EGM having a cabinet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic display rotatably mounted to the cabinet and disposed in a normal operational position to portray a wagering game to a user, the display having a screen that is disposed in a first plane in the normal operational position of the display; and

rotating the display from the normal operational position to a maintenance position in order to permit access for a technician to components in a space in the cabinet behind the display when the display is in the normal operational position, the screen of the display remaining substantially parallel to the first plane throughout the rotation of the display to the maintenance position,

wherein a first area defined by the perimeter of the display in the normal operational position does not substantially overlap a second area defined by the perimeter of the display in the maintenance position so that access for servicing components of the EGM located in the first area is provided to the technician.