Tower light display for gaming machine

• US 8,091,259 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novomatic AG
• Original Assignee: Novomatic AG
• Inventors: Heather, Mark, Wills, Stuart, Visocnik, Damiano
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbermann, Joanne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Shin
• Application Number:
  US11/920,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 405/53, 405/81, 405/46, 405/58, 405/64, 405/68, 405/69, 405/70, 405/73, 405/76, 405/77, 362/612, 362/613, 362/253, 362/234
• US Class Current: 40/564
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

An innovative approach to displaying gaming machine events and advertising for a gaming console is provided by replacing the commonly-used tower light with an integrated set of game and machine event indicators. The tower light may be used to display the actual game being played or, for example, the price of the game, and can be made of transparent material with separate indicator sections conveying game machine events and related information. The tower light is preferably controlled by a controller unit, with LED lights to light up the indicators.

Claims

1. A tower light for a gaming console, the tower light including a base mount and illumination means, the illumination means being arranged within said base mount to be aligned with at least two indicators of a mountable upper tower light portion so that a specific indicator of said upper tower light portion is illuminated when the illumination means of the base mount is operative,

a mountable upper tower light portion situated above said base mount, constructed of at least partially transparent material, said mountable upper tower light portion comprising:

at least two indicators made from one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material with said indicators being at least partially segregated by one or more enclosed cavity housing being formed within said partially transparent material of said mountable upper tower light portion and penetrating at least partially through said partially transparent material to at least partially separate each said indicator from adjacent indicators and having an opening coincident with at least one face of tower light,

one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material insertable into said opening of said one or more enclosed cavity housings forming a pocket within said cavity housings, said one or more pieces for separating said at least two indicators and preventing light spillage between said at least two indicators,

wherein the insertion or removal of said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material do not change the physical dimension of the tower light,

wherein said at least two indicators and said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material form a replaceable single unit with the one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material being inserted in said one or more enclosed cavity housings,

wherein said replaceable single unit is interchangeably mounted to said base unit indicators with said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material being inserted in said one or more enclosed cavity housings are interchangeably mountable as a unit to said base mount

wherein at least one indicator of the at least two indicators is a game indicator with illumination means associated therewith at least partially controlled by controller means, and

wherein at least one other indicator of the at least two indicators is a machine event indicator, with illumination means associated therewith, at least partially controlled by said gaming console.

2. The tower light of claim 1 wherein said at least partially transparent material is acrylic, poly carbonate, or plastic.

3. The tower light of claim 2 wherein at least one indicator includes etchings or engravings.

4. The tower light of claim 3 wherein said one or more cavities separating said indicators is at least partially filled with an at least partially opaque material.

5. The tower light of claim 4 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

6. The tower light of claim 3 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

7. The tower light of claim 2 wherein said one or more cavities separating said indicators is at least partially filled with an at least partially opaque material.

8. The tower light of claim 7 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

9. The tower light of claim 2 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

10. The tower light of claim 1 wherein at least one indicator includes etchings or engravings.

11. The tower light of claim 10 wherein said one or more cavities separating said indicators is at least partially filled with an at least partially opaque material.

12. The tower light of claim 11 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

13. The tower light of claim 10 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

14. The tower light of claim 1 wherein said one or more cavities separating said indicators is at least partially filled with an at least partially opaque material.

15. The tower light of claim 14 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

16. The tower light of claim 1 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to a base means housing said illumination and controller means.

17. The tower light of claim 16 wherein said tower light indicators are affixed to base means housing said illumination and controller means.

18. The tower light of claim 1 wherein said at least two indicators include a plurality of cavities wherein each of said cavities is filled with a piece of at least partially opaque material.

19. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the base mount together with the illumination means forms a base unit wherein said at least two indicators with said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material being inserted in the one or more cavities of said indicators is mountable and demountable as a unit to and from said base unit with the illumination means being held at said base mount.

20. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the base mount includes two inner compartments, which together with the illumination means forms a base unit wherein said at least two indicators with said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material being inserted in the one or more cavities of said indicators is mountable and demountable as a unit to and from said base unit with the illumination means being held at said base mount.

21. The tower light of claim 1, wherein the base mount comprises two inner compartments, a first compartment for holding a controller means and a second compartment for holding illumination means, an open slot on a top side of the base mount for inserting a mountable upper tower light portion, an inner wall of the open slot including one or more separation devices for preventing direct contact between the illumination means and the mountable upper tower light portion, the illumination means being arranged within said base mount to be aligned with at least two indicators of a mountable upper tower light portion so that a specific indicator of said upper tower light portion is illuminated when the illumination means of the base mount is operative.

22. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the game indicator is constructed from an at least partially transparent material.

23. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the game indicator is configured to display messages to players.

24. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the at least one machine event indicator operatively signals a service attendant via illumination means to attend the gaming console in response to receiving control signals from said gaming console.

25. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the at least one machine event is partially segregated by the game indicator and one or more internal housing cavities inserted into the game indicator.

26. The tower light of claim 1 wherein each internal housing cavity has inserted into said housing cavity, one or more pieces of at least partially opaque reflective material thereby aiding in preventing light spillage between said at least two indicators.

27. The tower light of claim 1 wherein the game indicators are switched off whenever the at least two machine event indicators are operative.

28. A tower light for a gaming console including

at least two indicators made from one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material with said indicators being at least partially segregated prevent light spillage from one indicator to another, said at least two indicators being at least partially segregated by one or more enclosed cavity housings and penetrating at least partially through non-opaque material comprising an upper portion of said tower light to at least partially separate each indicator from an adjacent indicator, said enclosed cavity housing having an opening coincident with at least one face of tower light, one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material insertable into said opening of said one or more enclosed cavity housing forming a pocket within said cavity housing, said one or more pieces of said at least partially opaque material for separating said at least two indicators and preventing light spillage between said at least two indicators, wherein at least one indicator of said at least two

indicators is a game indicator with illumination means at least partially controlled by controller means,

wherein at least one indicator of said at least two indicators is a machine event indicator with illumination means at least partially controlled by said gaming console,

wherein said at least one machine event indicator operatively signals a service attendant to attend the gaming console in response to receiving control signals from said gaming console,

wherein said at least one game indicator operatively informs players of game features of the gaming console,

wherein when said at least one machine event indicator is illuminated for purposes of servicing the game console, said at least one game indicator is reduced in amplitude when in an on state

wherein the insertion or removal of said one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material do not change the physical dimension of the tower light.

29. A gaming console including

a tower light extending from one of a top or side surface of said gaming console,

said tower light including at least two indicators made from one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material with said at least two indicators being at least partially segregated by one or more enclosed cavity housings being formed within an upper portion of said tower light and penetrating at least partially through said at least partially transparent material to at least partially separate each said at least two indicators to prevent light spillage

there-between, said enclosed cavity housings having an opening coincident with at least one face of said tower light, one o“

more pieces of at least partially opaque material insertable into said opening of said one or more enclosed cavity housing forming a pocket within said cavity housings, said one or more pieces for separating said at least two indicators and preventing light spillage between said at least two indicators, wherein at least one indicator of said at least two indicators is a game indicator with associated illumination means at least partially controlled by controller means,

wherein at least one indicator of said at least two indicators is a machine event indicator with associated illumination means at least partially controlled by said gaming console,

wherein said at least one machine event indicator issues operative signals in response to receiving control signals from said gaming console with regard to machine events,

wherein said at least one game indicator operatively informs players of at least one game feature of the gaming console unrelated to machine events

wherein the insertion or removal of said one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material do not change the physical dimension of the tower light.

30. A tower light for a gaming console, the tower light comprising:

a base mount and illumination means, the illumination means being arranged with the base mount; and

an upper tower light portion comprising at least two indicators made from one or more pieces of at least partially transparent material with said indicators being at least partially segregated by one or more enclosed cavity housings being formed within an upper portion of said tower light and penetrating at least partially through said at least partially transparent material to cavities in the transparent material of the upper tower light portion,

there-between, said enclosed cavity housings having an opening coincident with at least one face of said tower light, one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material being inserted into said opening of said one or more enclosed cavity housings thereby adding in the partially separating said at least two indicators and preventing light spillage between said at least two indicators, said one or more pieces of at least partially opaque material forming part of the upper tower light portion and being held by the transparent material of said upper tower light portion,

the upper tower light portion being affixed with the base mount such that each of said two indicators of the upper tower light portion is aligned with at least one illumination means so that only a specific indicator of said upper tower light portion is illuminated when the respective one of the illumination means of the base mount is operative,

wherein at least one indicator of the at least two indicators is a game indicator with the illumination means associated therewith at least partially controlled by controller means, and

wherein at least one other indicator of the at least two indicators is a machine event indicator, with illumination means associated therewith at least partially controlled by said gaming console.