US20100113163A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20100113163A1
Application number: US12/563,013
Authority: US
Inventors: Arden Yang
Original assignee: Astro Corp
Current assignee: Astro Corp
Priority date: 2008-10-30
Filing date: 2009-09-18
Publication date: 2010-05-06
Also published as: TWI377080B; TW201016271A

Abstract

A gaming apparatus includes an electronic gaming machine and a digital nameplate device. The electronic gaming machine includes a storage medium for storing a game software that has corresponding game information, a game processor operable to execute the game software, a display module controlled by the game processor to generate game images, and a machine housing for housing the storage medium and the game processor and on which the display module is mounted. The digital nameplate device is mounted on the machine housing, and includes a memory unit, a controller coupled to the memory unit and the game processor, and a nameplate display coupled to the controller. The game processor is configured to control the controller to store the game information in the memory unit. The controller is configured to access the game information stored in the memory unit and to control the nameplate display to display the game information.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 097141783, filed on Oct. 30, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gaming apparatus, more particularly to a gaming apparatus including an electronic gaming machine and a digital nameplate device.

2. Description of the Related Art

A nameplate is used for identifying and displaying specification or use of an object, such as a plate hung on a door of a conference room or a bathroom, and a plate attached to a product. A machine or an electronic device is usually provided with a nameplate for identifying the model and the specification thereof. The conventional nameplate is usually made of metal, such as iron, copper and aluminum, or plastics, and is usually printed or engraved with information of the object.

A gaming machine is generally provided with the conventional nameplate for displaying information about a name and a version of game software installed therein. The conventional nameplate is mounted on a housing of the gaming machine for convenience of inspection and management. However, a service life of the gaming machine is usually much longer than a life cycle of the game software installed therein. Thus, the nameplate attached to the gaming machine requires replacing each time the game software is replaced. Moreover, there is a currently available single gaming machine installed with different game software and capable of optionally executing a desired one of the game software. Therefore, the conventional nameplate cannot conform with a current trend, i.e., the game software is updated and replaced frequently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming apparatus including a digital nameplate device that does not require replacement when a game software stored in the gaming apparatus is replaced.

Accordingly, a gaming apparatus of the present invention comprises an electronic gaming machine and a digital nameplate device.

The electronic gaming machine includes a storage medium for storing a game software that has corresponding game information, a game processor coupled to the storage medium and operable to execute the game software, a display module coupled to and controlled by the game processor to generate game images, and a machine housing for housing the storage medium and the game processor and on which the display module is mounted. The digital nameplate device is mounted on the machine housing of the electronic gaming machine, and includes a memory unit, a controller coupled to the memory unit and the game processor, and a nameplate display coupled to the controller.

The game processor is configured to retrieve the game information stored in the storage medium and to control the controller to store the game information retrieved by the game processor in the memory unit. The controller is configured to access the game information stored in the memory unit and to control the nameplate display to display the game information accessed thereby.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a first preferred embodiment of a gaming apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an electronic gaming machine and a digital nameplate device of the gaming apparatus of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart to illustrate operation of the first preferred embodiment for displaying game information; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the electronic gaming machine and the digital nameplate device of the gaming apparatus of a second preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of agaming apparatus100 of the present invention includes anelectronic gaming machine1 and adigital nameplate device2.

Theelectronic gaming machine1 includes agame processor10, astorage medium11, aninput unit12, atransmitting interface13, adisplay module14, asound module15, and amachine housing16. Themachine housing16 is used for housing thegame processor10, and thestorage medium11. Thesound module15, thedisplay module14 and theinput unit12 are mounted on themachine housing16.

In this embodiment, thestorage medium11 is, but not limited to, a memory card for storing agame software110 that hascorresponding game information120. In other embodiments, thestorage medium11 can be a hard drive or a memory device. Thegame processor10 is coupled to thestorage medium11, and is operable to execute thegame software110.

Theinput unit12 is coupled to thegame processor10, and is operable by a user of thegaming apparatus100 to generate control commands for thegame processor10. Thedisplay module14 includes adisplay controller141 coupled to thegame processor10, and agame display142 coupled to thedisplay controller141. Thedisplay controller141 is controlled by thegame processor10 to send image signals to thegame display142 for generating game images. Thesound module15 includes asound processor151 coupled to thegame processor10, and aspeaker152 coupled to thesound processor151. Thesound processor151 and thespeaker152 cooperate to generate audible sound corresponding to the game images generated by thegame display142. Since techniques of thedisplay module14 and thesound module15 are well known to those skilled in the art, and since the feature of this invention does not reside therein, further details thereof will be omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

Thedigital nameplate device2 is mounted on a lateral side of themachine housing16 of theelectronic gaming machine10, and includes amemory unit21, acontroller20 coupled to thememory unit21, and anameplate display22 coupled to thecontroller20. Thecontroller20 is further coupled to thegame processor10 via thetransmitting interface13, such as a Recommended Standard 232 (RS232) or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

Thegame processor10 is configured to retrieve thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11 and to control thecontroller20 to store the game information retrieved by thegame processor10 in thememory unit21. Thecontroller20 is configured to access the game information stored in thememory unit21 and to control thenameplate display22 to display the game information accessed thereby.

Thestorage medium11 includesfirst program instructions111,second program instructions112,third program instructions113,fourth program instructions114, andfifth program instructions115. Operation of the first preferred embodiment for displaying thegame information120 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3.

Instep301, theelectronic gaming machine1 is booted. Instep302, thefirst program instructions111 configure thegame processor10 to detect electrical connection between thegame processor10 and thecontroller20 of thedigital nameplate device2.

When thegame processor10 is coupled to thecontroller20, thesecond program instructions112 configure thegame processor10 to automatically determine whether thememory unit21 of thedigital nameplate device2 stores the game information instep303. The flow goes tostep304 when the determination made instep303 is affirmative, and goes tostep401 when otherwise.

Instep401, thesecond program instructions112 configure thegame processor10 to retrieve thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11. Thesecond program instructions112 further configure thegame processor10 to control thecontroller20 for storing the game information retrieved by thegame processor10 in thememory unit21 instep402, and for controlling thenameplate display22 to display the game information stored in thememory unit21 instep403.

Instep304, thethird program instructions113 configure thegame processor10 to automatically acquire the game information stored in thememory unit21 from thecontroller20. Then, thefourth program instructions114 configure thegame processor10 to automatically compare the game information acquired from thecontroller20 with thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11 instep305. The flow goes tostep403 when the game information acquired from thecontroller20 matches thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11, and goes tostep306 when otherwise.

Instep306, thefifth program instructions115 configure thegame processor10 to control thecontroller20 for updating the game information in thememory unit21 using thegame information120 in thestorage medium11. Then, the flow goes tostep403.

Referring toFIG. 4, a second preferred embodiment of the gaming apparatus of this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the program instructions111-115 are replaced by a program instruction set116 for configuring thegame processor10 to automatically retrieve thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11 and to automatically control thecontroller20 to store the game information retrieved by thegame processor10 in thememory unit21 each time theelectronic gaming machine1 is booted.

In sum, when thegame software110 stored in theelectronic gaming machine1 is replaced or theelectronic gaming machine1 is installed withvarious game software110, thegame processor10 is capable of automatically retrieving thegame information120 stored in thestorage medium11, and controlling the digital nameplate device for storing and displaying the game information. Therefore, replacement of thedigital nameplate device2 is not required when replacing thegame software110.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus comprising:

an electronic gaming machine including

a storage medium for storing a game software, the game software having corresponding game information,

a game processor coupled to said storage medium and operable to execute the game software,

a display module coupled to and controlled by said game processor to generate game images, and

a machine housing for housing said storage medium and said game processor and on which said display module is mounted; and

a digital nameplate device that is mounted on said machine housing of said electronic gaming machine, and that includes a memory unit, a controller coupled to said memory unit and said game processor, and a nameplate display coupled to said controller;

wherein said game processor is configured to retrieve the game information stored in said storage medium and to control said controller to store the game information retrieved by said game processor in said memory unit; and

wherein said controller is configured to access the game information stored in said memory unit and to control said nameplate display to display the game information accessed thereby.

2. The gaming apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said storage medium includes:

first program instructions for configuring said game processor to detect electrical connection between said game processor and said controller; and

second program instructions for configuring said game processor to retrieve the game information stored in said storage medium, and to control said controller for storing the game information retrieved by said game processor in said memory unit.

3. The gaming apparatus as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said storage medium further includes:

third program instructions for configuring said game processor to acquire the game information stored in said memory unit from said controller;

fourth program instructions for configuring said game processor to compare the game information acquired from said controller with the game information stored in said storage medium; and

fifth program instructions for configuring said game processor to control said controller for updating the game information in said memory unit using the game information in said storage medium when the game information acquired from said controller does not match the game information stored in said storage medium.

4. The gaming apparatus as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said third program instructions configure said game processor to automatically acquire the game information stored in said memory unit from said controller, and said fourth program instructions configure said game processor to automatically compare the game information acquired from said controller with the game information stored in said storage medium each time said electronic gaming machine is booted.

5. The gaming apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said game processor is configured to automatically retrieve the game information stored in said storage medium and to automatically control said controller to store the game information retrieved by said game processor in said memory unit each time said electronic gaming machine is booted.

6. The gaming apparatus as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said storage medium includes a program instruction set for configuring said game processor to automatically retrieve the game information stored in said storage medium and to automatically control said controller to store the game information retrieved by said game processor in said memory unit each time said electronic gaming machine is booted.