Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2001-04-03
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Player-actuated control structure
C463S012000, C463S013000, C463S016000, C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210279
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in electronic machines for playing games, such as poker, blackjack and the like, and more particularly, to an improved apparatus and method for electronically playing a gaming machine.
Electronic gaming machines have been known and used for a number of years. For the most part, such gaming machines are used for playing poker, blackjack, video slots and the like. Typically, these machines have a CRT display device which flashes and presents images of cards or other playable game elements for viewing by a player of the machine.
The player generally operates push-button actuators which include hold/deal buttons and deal/draw buttons if, for instance, the machine is a poker machine. Similar push buttons are provided for playing blackjack and video slots.
The electronic machines of the type mentioned are limited in the number of games that can be played with them; namely, poker, blackjack and video slots. Keno is generally not playable with such electronic gaming machines because keno requires too many push-button actuators for controlling the play of the game. For this reason, conventional electronic gaming machines are limited in use, and this presents a drawback when it is desired to place the machines in large casinos for maximum return. Ideally, video gaming machines should have versatility in the types and number of games that can be played with them. Thus, a need exists for improvement in gaming machines of this type to allow the machines to be able to play additional games, specifically keno, along with multiple versions of the game of poker, blackjack and video slots. The present invention satisfies this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved gaming machine and method wherein a conventional push-button operated machine is modified by including on the outer face of a CRT display device of the machine a touch screen. The touch screen is appropriately wired so that the play of the game can be controlled with it or with the push-button actuators.
The machine is generally of the type well known in the gaming industry as the Players Edge Series, a group of machines each of which includes a CRT display device which presents images of the cards or playable game elements in such a way that the player of the machine can actuate push buttons to change the playable game elements so as to try to obtain an advantage over a reference hand, such as the hand of a dealer. Such machines are commercially available from International Game Technology, or IGT, of Reno, Nev. By adding a touch screen to the video display device of such machines, for example, the player can select either the touch screen or the push-button actuators to change the playable game elements such as discarding and drawing new cards.
The touch screen allows the machine to play not only multiple versions of poker, blackjack and video slots, but also keno. This was not possible with conventional video gaming machines; e.g. the Players Edge Series of IGT, because keno requires a large number of push-button actuators. Moreover, there is not enough room on conventional push-button machines for the many additional push buttons keno requires. In addition, if conventional video machines were fitted with enough push buttons to permit playing keno or similar games, the machine would resemble a computer keyboard, an undesirable feature inasmuch as the typical player has an aversion to keyboards for computers.
The touch screen thus allows a conventional video gaming machine, such as a Players Edge Series machine, to be used for playing games requiring many push buttons; e.g. keno, without increasing the number of push buttons carried by the machine and, thereby, without rendering it functionally or aesthetically less desirable.
With the touch screen, the player has the option of selecting one of several or many different games, and this can be done by way of the touch screen when the initial selection video comes up on the video display of the CRT display device. The push-button actuators and the touch screen are wired so that game selection is possible with one or the other.
Furthermore, by fitting a conventional video machine with a touch screen, one can accomplish what previously required at least two separate machines. There is only an added cost of approximately $500.00 for the touch screen, its functional integration (e.g. wiring) with the remainder of the machine, and the additional game software. In contrast, adding a second machine to permit keno play, for example, costs about $5,000.00 and roughly doubles the casino floor space requirements. Thus, the cost of separate poker and keno machines exceeds the added cost of a combination machine using a touch screen and the conventionally limited number of push-button actuators by a factor of about 10:1. In addition, there is the added, ongoing doubling of the floor space costs one necessarily encounters when using two conventional machines instead of the combination machine of the present invention.
To enhance the versatility of usefulness of the combination touch screen-push button machines of the present invention, they can be fitted with otherwise conventional coin acceptor slots, bill acceptors, debit/credit card reception systems and ticket printers. Ticket printers are especially suitable for the increasingly common lottery systems where machines are installed in public places, such as stores, restaurants or bars, and where the establishment owner pays the winnings on the basis of the tickets being printed by the machine.
A primary object of the present invention therefore is to provide an improved gaming machine and method of playing video gaming machines in which a touch screen is applied to the outer face of a CRT display device, which can be used instead of or in addition to push buttons for playing any one of a number of different games, including all types of poker games and/or keno, to thereby render the machine more versatile and more profitable over a long period of time.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing for an illustration of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4722053 (1988-01-01), Dubno
patent: 4863172 (1989-09-01), Rosenwinkel
patent: 5033774 (1991-07-01), Benardelli
patent: 2559395 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 2236421 (1991-04-01), None
Playmeter Magazine, Jul. 1992 issue, front page, p. 4, and page containing “Golden Touch Electronic Gaming Machine” advertisement of Pars Electronics, Inc.
International Game Technology
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Paradiso John
Townsend and Townsend and Crew
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