Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ERGONOMIC GAMING CABINET
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention pertains generally to gaming machine cabinets found in
establishments such as Nevada-style and Amerindian casinos, Amerindian bingo
halls, and
the like. More particularly, the present invention discloses a novel
ergonomically designed
gaming machine.
[0003] 2. The Prior Art
[0004] Gaming machine cabinets have had certain traditional or standard
configurations,
typically categorized as one of uprights, slat tops, or bar tops. These
machines are found in
casinos, Amerindian bingo halls, bars, and the like. Examples of upright
gaming cabinets
with top boxes are seen in U.S. Design Patents D458,971 and D496,407. U.S.
Patent
6,820,875 shows an upright style gaming cabinet which has been divided into a
system
component box and a monitor box. U.S. Patent 5,813,914 shows a typical slant
top gaming
machine combined with a top box. Bar top machines typically have flat, or
slightly upraised,
upper surfaces where the player views the screen looking down through a glass
top or cover.
This allows for the constant cleaning needed in a bar environment, as well as
the need for
waitrons and customers to reach over the gaming machine for drinks, food, etc.
[0005] Upright cabinets have a main display device centered in the upper body
of the
cabinet, below which is a player control area. The control area is attached so
as to slope
down and forward from the display area. The control area is just large enough
for the
controls (usually a button deck), typically being 4"-6" proud of the display.
Some uprights
add a small bolster in front of the control area continuing at a downward
slope to providing
some hand support, but no arm support (see, e.g., U.S. Patent 6,886,896, FIG.
2, or U.S.
Patent D450,094). This configuration requires the player to sit either
straiglzt up or to lean
back, away from the gaming machine (see, e.g., U.S. patent 6,638,166). A
player sits in an
erect position with very little (or no) back support and no arm support, with
their arms and
hands extended toward the control area controls while assuming a "lean-back"
posture.
When this is done for extended periods of time, player discomfort takes over
and a player
may be induced to "take a break" from play in order to stretch or relax. It is
often at this
juncture that a player will assess his current situation and decide to leave a
machine in favor
of another or to leave the casino altogether.
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[0006] Slant top machines typically have a cabinet where the player display
area includes
a video monitor such as a CRT or LCD display that slants up and away from the
player. The
angle between horizontal and the display started out around 15 degrees, and
has been moved
gradually to about 30 degrees. The typical slant top slot machine has a
control area in front
of the slanted display, and often includes a molded single-level armrest that
provides a player
with some wrist support. Players at such a machines sit in a slumped forward
position with
their head and neck facing downward (towards the slanted display), and wrists
on the gaming
machine. When this is done for extended periods of time, player discomfort in
the shoulders
and neck results and a player may be induced to leave.
[0007] Gaming machines are usually positioned less than one foot from adjacent
machines. Some units are often closer together with some installations using
machines that
actually touch one another. Players are often distracted by the sound and
images from nearby
games, which, if attractive enough, sometimes draw them away from the game
they are
playing. These distractions serve to minimize "seat time," the time a player
spends playing a
particular gaming machine without interruption. In some cases, a player who
has left a slot
machine is actually enticed to leave the casino or to participate in another
activity less
profitable for the establishment. In addition, the close proximately of the
existing game
cabinets do not allow any form of security for personal items.
[0008] Efforts to correct the shortcomings of existing gaming machine designs
have been
limited to alternate foot arrangements (e.g., U.S. Patent 6,637,844) and
alternate player input
device placement (e.g., U.S. Patent 6,638,166). There is further need for
improved
ergonomics in gaming machines.
SUMMARY
[0009] Disclosed herein is a gaming machine that has a novel ergonomic cabinet
design.
The new design includes a monitor that is substantially vertical (less than a
30 degree incline
from absolute vertical), combined with a player deck or player area that
extends outward
from the cabinet's front. The player deck includes an area for player input
controls, space for
smaller personal items, and space for a player to comfortably rest their arms,
elbows, or
wrists as the play games. The deck is configured to allow a player to play
games while
leaning into the gaming machine (inclined forward), if they choose. This is
extremely novel
compared to existing cabinets with substantially upright displays, where a
player has to lean
back (away from the machine) in order to shift positions.
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[0010] One embodiment of the player deck will be substantially horizontal, but
that is not
a requirement. There are numerous ways of providing an area that is usable to
place small
person items which is not flat and may not be strictly horizontal when viewed
from the side.
The ergonomic and useful player advantages may be embodied in any design which
provides
a player area where small items can be placed so that they are stable (won't
roll onto the
floor). The stable area may comprise a portion of the player deck instead of
all of it.
[0011] In addition to the player deck having enough depth to properly distance
the
player's eyes from the monitor and to allow comfortable resting of body parts
on the player
deck, side panels are provided that block peripheral vision and some noise.
The side panels
may also be used to channel sound from the gaming machine, further engulfing a
player in
the gaming experience.
[0012] The side panels and player deck also provide security for personal
items not
previously found in gaming machines; it will no longer be possible for a
passerby to casual
take personal items from a player. To take a personal item on the player deck
and between
the side panels, a potential thief is going to have to directly confront the
player. This will
effectively discourage subtle or passive thieving. Additional security is
provided by making
it difficult for casual observers to discern players entering PIN codes and
the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gaming cabinet in accordance with the
present
disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a top view of a gaming cabinet in accordance with the present
disclosure.
[0015] FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate display angle in accordance with the present
disclosure.
[0016] FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate perspective and side views of a further
embodiment of a
gaming cabinet in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates steps in providing a gaming cabinet in accordance
with the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following
description of the
present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other
embodiments of the
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invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the
benefit of this
disclosure.
[0019] Referring to the drawings, for illustrative purposes the present
invention is shown
embodied in FIG. 1 through 5. It will be appreciated that the apparatus may
vary as to
configuration and as to details of the parts without departing from the novel
concepts
disclosed herein. Methods may vary as to details, partitioning, repetition,
step inclusion, and
the order of the acts, without departing from the novel concepts disclosed
herein.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1, the gaming machine cabinet 100 includes player
control
area 102 (shown as a button deck, but can be any player input devices) with
flat area or
player deck 104. Player declc 104 may be used for drinks, ashtrays, food and
any personal
items that would be convenient to place in easy reach such as wallets, money,
gaming chips,
or poclcetbooks. Armrest 106, shown as a stepped armrest, allows resting of
arms, elbows
and/or wrists while maintaining finger access to player input devices 102,
players'
possessions in player deck 104, and any other areas on or near the frontal
area of gaming
machine 100. Armrest 106 may be any configuration intended to enable
comfortable resting
of elbows, forearms, and wrists, etc. Gaming machine 100 enables this novel
layout due to
the space provided between the front of screen 114 to the outer edge of
armrest 106. In one
embodiment this distance measures approximately 24 inches, with almost 17
inches of that
space usable by a player (this includes player input area 102, player deck
104, and armrest
106). In the embodiment shown the areas are substantially flat, but other
embodiments are
fully contemplated such as having arm.rest 106 at varying angles relative to
player deck 104,
button deck 102 at varying angles relative to player deck 104, and player deck
104 in any
configuration that provides the needed space to allow comfortable resting of
arms, elbows, or
wrists on the player deck bolster or armrest while interacting with the game
input devices,
and preferably allowing placement of small person items. The player deck needs
to have
enough depth to allow, and preferably encourage, a slightly forward leaning
position while
using the gaming cabinet.
[0021] Also shown are typical gaming machine peripherals including bill
acceptor 120,
printer 122, card reader 124, and player tracking system and display 126
(preferably Bally
Gaming And Systems' iViewTM product). These devices are placed so that a
player can see
and, in most cases, operate them while resting his/her arms and/or wrists on
anllrest 106 of
cabinet 100. Any set of gaming peripherals maybe used with the gaming machine
disclosed
herein; shown is one exemplar embodiment.
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[0022] Above player deck 104 is large color display 1 14. In one embodiment
the display
will be an DTV flat panel display having an aspect ratio of 16x9, such as 32"
LCD display
mounted in landscape mode (positioned with its longer axis parallel to the
deck areas). The
flat panel display is preferably a high resolution LCD display, although lower
resolutions
may be used. Also illustrated is touch screen 1] 6. Any touch screen
technology may be
used. The preferred embodiment of display 114 uses flat panel display
teclmology (any type
of flat panel technology may be used), as their use allows the gaming machine
to have an
overall depth, front-to-back, similar to gaming machines already in use. This
gives the
ergonomic cabinet described herein a footprint approximately equal to gaming
machines
already on casino floors. Although preferred, it is not required to make use
of the ergonomic
designs disclosed herein.
[0023] A wide display using DTV's aspect ration of 16x9, such as a 28" LCD or
32" LCD
flat panel display, has several advantages. It allows for simultaneous display
of pay tables
with the normally sized game play displays, reducing the need for a player to
switch to help
screens. A wide display can be logically divided into two or more viewing
areas that can be
used for showing different images. One viewing area will always include the
primary game
while the others can include the aforementioned pay tables and/or bonus games,
player
tracking information, special promotions, or just entertaining visual
sequences. A wide
screen also has the desirable trait of consuming significantly more of a
player's peripheral
vision than a standard screen, reducing visual distractions from the sides.
[0024] In one embodiment display 114 is slightly angled from vertical. Looking
now at
FIG. 3A, shown is gaming machine 300 with top box 302 and substantially flat
player deck
area 306. Also shown is angled display 304 (although shown with solid lines,
the display is
behind the end panels of gaming machine 300). Angled display 304 is shown
projected out
of gaming machine 300 with its inclination angle indicated by diamond 308 in
FIG. 3B. In
one embodiment, the inclination angle is set at 4 degrees. It is expected that
the inclination
angle will typically be set from 0 degrees to 10 degrees, with most
embodiments between 4
and 7 degrees. The inclination angle helps with anti-glare, as well as
accommodating players
having differing torso lengths and the occasional player who plays while
standing.
[0025] This allows a player to rest their arms on the player deck area and
look slightly
down at the screen while seated, the inclination of the screen matching a
natural inclination of
the head in a restful position with anus resting on the player deck. This
prevents neck and
eye strain and makes it easy (comfortable) to make use of the screen. The
display is set back
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from the player deck/control deck area at an ergonomically sound visual
distance which
allows a player to lean slightly forward and be both comfortable and
completely immersed in
the game. These factors all help a player to tune-out distractions from any
nearby activity,
such as a passing patrons and waitrons and nearby games.
100261 Returning to FIG. 1, peripheral vision distractions are further reduced
by side
panels or wings 118. Wings 118 help visually enclose the player so they can be
engulfed by
the game experience. In some embodiments wings 118 will be substantially flat,
while in
other embodiments wing 118 will have an internal dimension that encloses audio
projection
devices 120. In some embodiments the speakers are mounted inside the gaming
machine
cabinet 100 and one or more audio channels are used to carry the sound to
openings in the
wings 118. In other embodiments additional audio input devices (not shown) in
the form of
one or more microphones and output devices in the form of speakers or similar
projection
devices may be coupled to the gaming machine for the purposes of actively
canceling out
distracting sounds from the surrounding environment using "cone of silence,"
"beamed"
sound or wave cancellation techniques. For example, samples taken from
microphones
positioned at various places on the cabinet 100 will be analyzed along with
sounds known to
be emanating from the game itself. Appropriate inverted signals will be issued
from the
sound cancellation devices to help prevent auditory player distractions.
[0027] Foot rest 110 is lower and flatter (7 to 10 degrees) than on existing
gaming
machine cabinets, promoting a forward leaning position rather than the typical
backward lean
of traditional upright gaming machines (traditional upright gaming machine
footrests are
angled around 25 degrees). In some embodiments, the foot rest 110 is
illuminated for safety
and security. An illuminated graphic area 112 may also be provided below
armrest 106
providing enhanced security for items the player may position near her/his
feet.
[0028] Continuing on with FIG. 2, shown is a schematic top view of gaming
cabinet 200.
202 is the top of the cabinet, and 206 represents the monitor inside the
cabinet. The player
input deck or input area is area 214, with a first deck or player area
generally indicted by 218,
and a second player deck or player area generally indicated by 220. The entire
deck is
indicated as player deck 210, with cupholder 212 in player area 218. Bolster
or armrest 216
is expected to be a resilient, firm but pliable molding attached to the front
of player deck 210
and being apart of player deck 210. Molding 208 (one on each side, as shown)
is designed to
contain bill acceptors, ticket printers/readers, players card readers, and
similar 1/0 devices.
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Beze1204 is designed to help draw a player's attention to the screen, in one
embodiment
being black and sloped from the outer edge of the cabinet to the edge of
screen.
[0029] The top view of gaming machine cabinet 200 illustrates one aspect of
the novel
layout of the cabinet. Screen 206 is mounted vertically or at a slight angle,
and is set back
from the outer edge of bolster 216 by a substantial distance. In one
embodiment, this
distance is approximately 24", with the player deck (with bolster) being
approximately 17" in
depth. This novel arrangement, including a vertical or near-vertical screen
with a player's
deck having substantial distance between the screen and the edge of the
bolster, provides
significant ergonomic improvements for players.
[0030] FIGS. 4A-4B show another embodiment of a gaming machine in accordance
with
this disclosure. Shown is optional top box 400. Side panels or wings 402 are
shown in a slim
embodiment. These do not enclose sound projection devices, as disclosed in
FIG. 1. Screen
bezel 404 helps draw attention to the screen by being a dark color and being
slanted in
towards the screen from wing 402. Preferably all four sides of the screen will
have similarly
designed bezels.
[0031] Player deck 406 is molded as a single piece, including the upward
extending
portion near the screen enclosing player input devices such as bill acceptors,
ticket
printers/readers, player card readers, and the like. Player deck 406 then
becomes
substantially flat, extended away from the screen to the outer edge of the
molded bolster. The
substantially flat section is preferably 12" or longer.
[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates novel aspects of the cabinet disclosed herein. Box
500
corresponds to the actions necessary to provide a wide screen display in the
upper portion of
a gaming cabinet, operably connected to internal logic devices to allow game
play thereon.
included in the actions is mounting the wide screen with 0 to 10 degrees of
tilt from vertical;
one embodiment has 4-5 degrees of tilt. The screen is preferably an LCD high
resolution
display having an aspect ration of I6x9, from 27"-32". The area around the
screen is
preferably a bezel, dark or black in color or backlit with colored lights
pulsing towards the
center, and slanted in towards the display from the edges of the mount area
(sides, top, and
bottom of the cabinet where the display is mounted).
[0033] Continuing with box 502, the cabinet is to provide, in front of the
mounted
display, an area that is designed to allow placement of small person items. It
is intended that
this area allow a person to place an item or items such as a wallet, chips,
small handbag,
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coins, cards, bills, tickets, players cards, or a drink in front of them on
the gaming machine
cabinet. In one embodiment this will be a mostly flat area between the player
inputs and the
screen bezel area, from 4"-10" deep. However, other configurations are fully
contemplated,
including without limitation providing additional depth, and/or forming a
player deck area
that is tilted towards a center area to guide spilled drinks, has a central
flat area surrounded by
a run-off area, or other configurations as functionally needed or as desired
to create visual
interest.
[0034] Moving into box 504, a gaming machine cabinet according to the present
disclosure will be configured with a bolster or armrest at the outer edge of
the player deck
area. In one embodiment, the bolster will have more than one step or level (be
multitiered),
so that when resting an arm on the player deck, there is more than one contact
point on which
to rest, or, the player input devices are placed higher than the bolster so
that a player's wrist
does not need to twist as much to reach buttons, levers, etc. In another
embodiment, the
player deck area will be essentially flat and the edges of the player deck
will have a resilient
material attached thereon, to make a soft or compliant surface on with to rest
elbows, arms, or
wrists. A preferred embodiment is to further configure the player deck area so
that a player
may sit comfortably in a slightly forward leaning manner.
[0035] Continuing into box 506, also provided are side panels or wings which,
in addition
to purely decorative aspects, may also be configured to provide added privacy
and visual
focus. Visual focus is enabled by cutting off peripheral vision. When the
player is seated in
a slightly forward leaning position, the wings help cut off peripheral vision
by extending
visual cut-off past the ends of the main cabinet to the ends (edges) of the
wings. Coupled
with the overall cabinet design disclosed herein, a player may have most of
their field of
vision, including all their primary vision and most of their peripheral
vision, enclosed by the
cabinet. This enables greater focus on the game, and provides a feeling of
privacy to a
player. It also makes it significantly more difficult for passer-bys to see
what the player is
doing, including entering PINs for cards or similar activities. In addition,
any personal items
place on the player deck will be almost completely protected by the player's
body, coupled
with the wings. It would be difficult for another patron to walk off with any
possession on
the player's deck. In another embodiment, the side panels will fu.rther have
slidable,
extendable panels or curtains. This will enable a player to cut off their
peripheral vision
almost entirely, and will further protect their privacy and personal items
from causal
snatchers.
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[0036] As used herein, "player controls," "input controls," "input devices"
and similar
phrases refer to the controls a player will use while playing a game of chance
(poker, reels,
bingo, keno, etc.). This will typically be a button deck or button area
located on a portion of
the player deck, having one or more buttons used for on-going game play. Any
type of
player input devices are contemplated in combination with the player deck of
the presently
disclosed cabinet. This explicitly includes embodiments where the player
controls may be
touchscreen technologies on the main display, and where it is possible to have
the ergonomic
gaming cabinet disclosed herein having a player deck with no player input
devices.
[0037] Although the description above contains certain specificity, the
described
embodiments should not be construed to indicate the scope of the invention;
the descriptions
given are providing an illustration of certain preferred embodiments of the
invention. The
scope of this invention is determined by the appended claims and their legal
equivalents.
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