Video poker terminal with improved button panel
First Claim
1. A video poker terminal for conducting a poker game, comprising:
- a housing having a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to a floor on which the video poker terminal resides;
a first plurality of mechanical buttons generally located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a first angle α
that is in a range from approximately 10°
to 45°
, each button producing an output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the button, each button including a variable display for displaying a card, the cards forming a poker hand; and
a second plurality of mechanical buttons located below the first plurality of mechanical buttons, each of the second plurality of mechanical buttons is located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a second angle β
that is less than the first angle α
, the second plurality of mechanical buttons including a wager button and a card-dealing button, the second plurality of mechanical buttons for producing at least a wager output signal and a card-dealing output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the wager button and the card-dealing button, respectively.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a video poker terminal comprising a housing, first mechanical buttons, and second mechanical buttons. The housing has a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to a floor. The first mechanical buttons are generally located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a first angle α that is in a range from approximately 10° to 45°. Each of the first buttons produces an output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the button, and includes a variable display for displaying a card. The second mechanical buttons are located below the first mechanical buttons. Each of the second mechanical buttons is located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a second angle β that is less than the first angle α. The first mechanical buttons rotate around a pivotable axis that is located on their ends opposite of the second mechanical buttons.
170 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A video poker terminal for conducting a poker game, comprising:
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a housing having a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to a floor on which the video poker terminal resides; a first plurality of mechanical buttons generally located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a first angle α
that is in a range from approximately 10°
to 45°
, each button producing an output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the button, each button including a variable display for displaying a card, the cards forming a poker hand; anda second plurality of mechanical buttons located below the first plurality of mechanical buttons, each of the second plurality of mechanical buttons is located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a second angle β
that is less than the first angle α
, the second plurality of mechanical buttons including a wager button and a card-dealing button, the second plurality of mechanical buttons for producing at least a wager output signal and a card-dealing output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the wager button and the card-dealing button, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for conducting a draw poker game on a gaming terminal having a first plurality of mechanical buttons and a second plurality of mechanical buttons, the second plurality of buttons being proximal to the player'"'"'s hands and the first plurality of buttons being distal to the player'"'"'s hands, the method comprising:
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actuating one of the second plurality of buttons with a thumb on a first one of the player'"'"'s hands to determine a wager amount for the draw poker game; displaying each card in the initial card hand on an individual variable display located within a respective one of the first plurality of mechanical buttons, each of the first plurality of mechanical buttons having length and width dimensions comparable to the length and width dimensions of physical playing cards; receiving, from the first plurality of mechanical buttons, player inputs for determining the cards to be held and the cards to be discarded from the initial card hand, the first plurality of mechanical buttons being actuated by the player'"'"'s fingers; actuating another one of the second plurality of buttons with a thumb on a second one of the player'"'"'s hands to deal the replacement cards for the discarded cards from the initial card hand, the replacement cards and the held cards defining a final card hand; providing an award if one of a predetermined set of winning poker hands is achieved in the final card hand; and wherein the gaming terminal has a horizontal plane generally parallel to the floor on which the gaming terminal resides, the first plurality of mechanical buttons being located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a first angle α
that is in a range from approximately 10°
to 45°
, each of the second plurality of mechanical buttons is located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a second angle β
that is less than the first angle α
. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 18)
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17. A method for conducting a draw poker game on a gaming terminal having a first plurality of mechanical buttons and a second plurality of mechanical buttons, the second plurality of buttons being proximal to the player'"'"'s hands and the first plurality of buttons being distal to the player'"'"'s hands, the method comprising:
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actuating one of the second plurality of buttons with a thumb on a first one of the player'"'"'s hands to determine a wager amount for the draw poker game; displaying each card in the initial card hand on an individual variable display located within a respective one of the first plurality of mechanical buttons, each of the first plurality of mechanical buttons having length and width dimensions comparable to the length and width dimensions of physical playing cards; receiving, from the first plurality of mechanical buttons, player inputs for determining the cards to be held and the cards to be discarded from the initial card hand, the first plurality of mechanical buttons being actuated by the player'"'"'s fingers; actuating another one of the second plurality of buttons with a thumb on a second one of the player'"'"'s hands to deal the replacement cards for the discarded cards from the initial card hand, the replacement cards and the held cards defining a final card hand; providing an award if one of a predetermined set of winning poker hands is achieved in the final card hand; and wherein each of the first plurality of mechanical buttons has a pivotable axis at a top end that is opposite from the second plurality of mechanical buttons, the player inputs causing the first plurality of mechanical buttons to pivot downwardly around the pivotable axis.
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19. A video gaming terminal for conducting a card game, comprising:
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a housing having a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to a floor on which the video poker terminal resides; a first plurality of mechanical buttons generally located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a first angle α
that is in a range from approximately 10°
to 45°
, each button producing an output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the button, each button including a variable display for displaying a playing card, the cards forming a card hand, each button having length and width dimensions comparable to the length and width dimensions of physical playing cards; anda second plurality of mechanical buttons located below the first plurality of mechanical buttons, each of the second plurality of mechanical buttons is located on a plane that intersects the horizontal plane at a second angle β
that is less than the first angle α
, the second plurality of mechanical buttons including a wager button and a card-dealing button, the second plurality of mechanical buttons for producing at least a wager output signal and a card-dealing output signal in response to a predetermined movement of the wager button and the card-dealing button, respectively.
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Specification