US 12,616,894 B2 · Attendant-free game machine

Abstract

An attendant-free midway-style electronic game machine. The game machine includes a predetermined number of projectiles for game play during a user game play session, a lower cabinet or first structural portion, a target cabinet or second structural portion having a target, and at least one detector. The lower cabinet may include a counter section and an elongated ramp section ending proximal to a user play position. The target cabinet may be located on top of the ramp section and spaced a distance from the counter section. At least one detector, which may be in the form of a sensor array, is configured to detect when an interruption occurs in the array indicating a projectile has passed by the detection area. The game machine may be configured to detect when a projectile has been actuated towards the target or has ricocheted off the target and is traveling towards the counter section. An electronic controller in electronic communication with said detector, may be configured to automatically end a game play session once a predetermined number of said game projectiles have been detected as having been actuated by a user toward said target.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A game machine comprising:

a lower cabinet comprising a counter section and an elongated ramp section, with the ramp section extending backwards relative to the counter section;
a target cabinet located on top of the ramp section and spaced a distance from the counter section;
a first sensor array positioned proximate the bottom of the ramp that is configured to:
establish a first detection plane near the rear of the counter section;
and
detect when an interruption occurs in the first detection area;
a second sensor array is attached on a housing with the first sensor array, the second sensor array is configured to:
establish a second detection plane near the rear of the counter section in-between the first detection area and the target cabinet;
and
detect when an interruption occurs in the second detection area;
and
a control unit operatively connected to the first sensor array and the second sensor array, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the direction a projectile is traveling based on the sequence in which the projectile interrupts the first detection plane and the second detection plane.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Attendant-free game machine

Life of this patent

Attendant-free game machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17