International Game Technology

Logan L Pease

William Keith Bertram

Robert A Luciano

Dwight E Crevelt

Wes F Carmean

Robert A Luciano, Jr

Joseph Randolph Hedrick

Craig A Paulsen

William R Wells

Raymond G Bryan

Eugene T Bond

Peter D Dickinson

Verne F Holmes, Jr

Chris D Reddicks

Boone McReynolds

Ward W Chilton

Peter D Dickinson, Deceased

Delbert Richard

Charles T Schreiber

A touch screen having a high or fine resolution at relatively low cost is provided. In one embodiment, electrodes are placed directly on the surface of a CRT screen without the need for an electrode positioned on the rear surface. The touch screen may include a conductive coating and a protective coating which are preferably provided in a single vacuum chamber step. A high gain system including a high-frequency sampling bandpass filter provide discrimination of the desired signal over noise. A screen calibration technique is used to achieve linearization in order to convert the electric signals obtained from the screen into data indicative of the position of a touch on the screen.

Reduced noise touch screen apparatus and method

Memories in peripherals, coupled to a gaming terminal, are reprogrammed by a method and apparatus which includes transmitting information from an external information source to a gaming terminal. The information is then transmitted from the gaming terminal to the peripheral device, preferably without the need for control by the external information source.

Peripheral device download method and apparatus

An apparatus and method which reduces variation in coin position or velocity as coins are conveyed past an acceptance device is provided. In one embodiment coins are separated prior to conveyance past sensors. In one embodiment separation is achieved by stopping or pinching the following coin until a preceding coin has moved a predetermined distance. In one embodiment separation is achieved by engagement of sequential coins with different turns of a lead screw thread. In one embodiment separation is achieved by engagement of successive coins with rollers rotating at different velocities. Preferably, one or more belts are used to convey coins past an acceptance device at a known or constant velocity.

Coin separator and transport

A progressive gaming system with wide applicability to a potentially large number of players is provided. A three-level hierarchy can be used in which a portion of wagers and individual terminals are earmarked for contribution to a progressive jackpot, each casino is allotted one chance at a prize for each threshold amount of contribution and a win/loss decision is made, for each such chance, by a central computer system.

Progressive gaming system

An illuminated switch assembly employs a piezoelectric film as both a transducer and a circuit substrate. Preferably some or all of the transducer portion of the film is light transmissive in order to facilitate illumination of the activation surface of the switch. Use of a piezoelectric film provides the ability to reduce or eliminate relatively moving parts, resulting in an increase of the useful life of the switch. Providing conductive traces, interconnection and circuitry mounted directly on the piezoelectric film reduces the need for interconnecting a number of different parts during assembly and/or manufacture and thus reduces the cost of the switch.

Illuminated piezoelectric switch

Progressive gaming system and method for wide applicability

A method and apparatus for verifying the contents of a storage device. A number of steps are involved in performing the verification. First, non-sequential data is written into each unused memory location of the storage device. Then, a non-associative technique is performed on contents of each memory location in the storage device starting at a randomly determined address in the storage device. Next, a final value from the non-associative technique is provided to a confirmation device for comparison with a set of predetermined resulting values. Then, the final value is compared to a resulting value, the resulting value being predetermined by applying the non-associative technique to pre-programmed contents of the storage device. Finally, one of two signals is generated. A first signal is generated indicating that the contents of the storage device are corrupted if the final value does not correspond to the resulting value. Alternatively, a second signal is generated indicating the contents of the storage device are uncorrupted if the final value corresponds to the resulting value.

Method and apparatus for verifying the contents of a storage device

A system to generate large (e.g. $1 million) jackpots for live card games such as blackjack is disclosed. Multiple live card tables are placed in one or more gaming establishments. A coin acceptor is assigned to each player position on the tables and includes a sensor for determining the presence of a coin to generate a signal indicating that a jackpot side bet has been placed and to correspondingly increase the available jackpot that is being accumulated from the side bets on all tables. The coin acceptors are mounted directly to the playing tables. The acceptors have a low profile above the table top and include sloping surfaces to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of coins from them. Each coin acceptor communicates with a central computer or processor. The computer keeps track of jackpot accumulations, deducts winnings therefrom, controls strategically positioned displays to inform players and dealers of the size of the available jackpot or jackpots, and the table includes controls adjacent the dealer position to prevent late betting and pay winning players their jackpots. To generate the large jackpots, blackjack is played with six full decks of cards, and winning blackjack hands are selected to have the requisite low probability of occurrence.

System, method and apparatus for generating large jackpots on live game

An automated casino gaming system includes a central game controller to which a number of automated writer stations are connected. In the keno playing embodiment disclosed, the automated writer stations each have a keypad with two colored LEDs mounted under each key. To play a game, patrons first insert a card into the automated writer station to identify their account maintained on the central game controller. The patron then enters a wager on the automated writer station. As the patron picks the desired numbers, LEDs of one color associated with the keys for the numbers will light. The patron presses a PLAY key to transmit an electronic 'ticket' to the central game controller. When the period for entering wagers has ended, the central game controller requests a random draw from a separate, secure random number generator. The central game controller credits the accounts of winning players according to a preconfigured pay table before transmitting the results to the automated writer stations, where the draw is displayed on the keypad one number at a time using a second color of LED. The system can be configured with a cutoff level, with wins above the cutoff level being flagged for handpayment or for the automatic generation of tax forms. Cashier workstations connected to the central game controller implement a total cash management system which tracks all transactions and determines the amount of cash that should be at each cashier station.

Secure automated electronic casino gaming system

A cashless gaming apparatus and method suitable for casinos. A player hands over money and an ID card to a clerk at a validation terminal. The clerk stores the ID number and the amount of money in the memory of the validation terminal. Then the clerk returns the ID card to the player for operating any one of a number of game terminals. The player then selects a game terminal which reads the player's ID card, whereupon the cash amount from the validation terminal is downloaded to the selected game terminal and the game terminal can then be played. If the player wishes to play another game terminal, the player actuates a cashout switch on the current terminal. The player then moves to another game terminal and the player's ID card is read into the second game terminal, whereupon the money remaining as a cash amount is downloaded to the second game terminal. The player can then play the second game terminal. When the player wishes to stop play of the game terminals completely, the player actuates the cashout switch of the last game terminal played. The player presents his ID card to the clerk at the validation terminal and the validation terminal reads the ID card. A ticket showing the card number and the cash amount is printed and the player is paid the cash amount on the spot. The printed ticket is then used for reconciliation.

Cashless gaming apparatus and method

A look ahead state saving device for maintaining an audit trail of a plurality of discrete, sequential operating states in an electronic machine, such as a gaming machine. Each such state include accompanying operational data. A nonvolatile solid state memory maintains the audio trail. Game operation is initially interrupted and, thereafter, current state data is frozen in the memory when power source unreliability is detected and reliable machine operation cannot be maintained. The device retrieves the most recent game states and operational data from the memory upon restoration of power source reliability. Memory nonvolatility is maintained by a back-up battery source that includes a battery low detection circuit for interrupting machine operation in the event of battery failure, and that also includes a battery charging circuit.

Device for maintaining game state audit trail upon instantaneous power

A fibre optic light pen including a hollow elongate cylindrical housing having a tip portion and a base portion, and having an elongate cylindrical actuator positioned for axial movement relative to and within said housing tip portion is described. The actuator is operable between an extended position at which the actuator point portion projects outwardly from the housing tip portion, and a retracted position at which the actuator point portion is pressed within the housing hollow tip portion. An axial bore extends through the actuator and contains therein a light conductive rod which extends axially along said bore from the actuator's point portion to the actuator's base portion. A fibre optic light conductor is secured within the hollow housing base portion in such a manner that the light conductive rod focuses light on the light conductor when the actuator is recessed within the hollow tip portion of the housing. When the actuator extends from the hollow tip housing portion, the light conductive rod is moved by the actuator away from the fibre optic light conductor such that light is not transmitted to the light conductor from the light conductive rod. The invention also includes a switch that produces a switching signal when the actuator is recessed within the hollow housing.

Growing community of inventors

Reno, NV, United States of America

Logan L Pease