Poker machine communication system

• US RE37,414 E1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Harlick, Neville G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKETTI, JULIE K
• Application Number:
  US09/506,928
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A system for controlling the operation of electronically linked gaming machines which enables information to be transferred between machines and from each machine to a control unit. In particular, credits on a machine can be transferred to another machine and the credit state of each machine can be interrogated and adjusted from the central control unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing information to gaming machines for individual game machine control of machine operation depending upon credit available, comprising in combination:

a plurality of gaming machines adapted for independent operation with respect to one another;

central means for recording and storing credit information;

a communication means for individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines and for transmitting conformation of credit information between said central means a local means for storing and recording said credit information and said central means;

individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines each having a said local means for recording and storing credit information;

each said local means being capable of storing a plurality of credit balances, and of establishing credit, cancelling credit, and transferring credit information to a selected one of said individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines according to instructions from said central means;

individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines each having a control means for enabling operation of the respective gaming machine;

each said control means having a means for interrogating said local means, said control means selectively enabling operation of said respective gaming machine in response to information received regarding credit;

said respective control means enabling operation of said respective gaming machine when a particular credit balance is at least equal to a predetermined amount;

said individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines each having respective transmitter means and receiver means for communicating with said communication means;

each said respective local means being interrogable and adjustable in response to commands from said central means;

said individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines each having respective game cycles;

each of said individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines being capable of enabling at least a plurality of gaming cycles without communicating with said central means depending upon the particular credit balance recorded by said respective local means;

whereby each of said individual ones of said plurality of gaming machines are operable through a plurality of gaming cycles without interrogating said central means for each gaming cycle;

said local means debiting the particular credit balance for each gaming cycle, the amount of debit being a wager; and

said local means being capable of transmitting particular credit balances to said central means when interrogated by said central means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a multiplexing unit is located between the central means and the plurality of gaming machines.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the gaming machines connected to the multiplexing unit are each connected thereto via to a common three wire bus.