CONTROLLER FOR GAMING DEVICES

• US 20150262448A1
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DR Gaming Technology Europe NV
• Original Assignee: DR Gaming Technology Europe NV
• Inventors: Van Dam, Michiel, De Munck, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,858,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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

Abstract

A controller (100) for gaming devices comprises interfaces (109, 110) connectable to various devices of the gaming device, such as a gaming processor (103), at least one screen (101, 02), which is optionally configured as a touch screen, and a loud speaker (113). Each interface (109, 110) comprises a plurality of connectors selected from a video input connector, a video output connector, an audio input connector, an audio output connector, a touch screen signal input connector, a touch screen signal output connector, a command line connector and/or a data connector. The controller routes signals received at an input connector of a first interface (109, 110) to an output connector of a second interface (110, 09) being assigned to said signal. When necessary, the controller translates a communication protocol used by the signals received at the input connector of the first interface to a communication protocol used by the output connector of the second interface.

Claims

1. A controller for gaming devices, wherein the controller comprises interfaces connectable to various devices of the gaming device, such as a gaming processor, at least one screen, which is optionally configured as a touch screen, and a loud speaker, characterized in that each interface comprises a plurality of connectors selected from a video input connector, a video output connector, an audio input connector, an audio output connector, a touch screen signal input connector, a touch screen signal output connector, a command line connector and/or a data connector, wherein the controller routes signals received at an input connector of a first interface to an output connector of a second interface being assigned to said signal, wherein the controller translates a communication protocol used by the signals received at the input connector of the first interface to a communication protocol used by the output connector of the second interface.

2. The controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller is configured to detect which connectors of the interfaces are connected to a device and, if necessary, to translate the signal to the communication protocol used by the detected connectors.

3. The controller according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the interfaces is connectable to an online system.

4. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller is configured to receive commands from the online system and to route video signals received from the gaming processor and the online system via interfaces to screens via interfaces, wherein the controller switches the received video signals to selected screens in accordance with definitions contained in the commands.

5. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller is configured to receive video signals from the gaming processor and the online system via interfaces, to create an overlay of the received video signals and to switch the overlay to at least one screen via an interface.

6. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller is configured to receive commands from the online system and to route audio signals received from the gaming processor and the online system via interfaces to the loudspeaker via an interface in accordance with definitions contained in the commands.

7. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller is configured to receive audio signals from the gaming processor and the online system via interfaces, to create an overlay of the received audio signals and to send the overlay to the loudspeaker via an interface.

8. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller routes touch screen signals received from the screens configured as touch screens to either the gaming processor or the online system depending on which of the gaming processor or the online system sends video signals to the screens or screen parts.

9. The controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the connectors of the interfaces comprise at least one of RS232, RS485, DVI, VGA, HDMI, USB A/B, USB Mini A/B, USB Micro A/B and/or audio connectors.

10. The controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the interfaces are configured as plug-in boards.