# US 2021/0275910 A1 · Decorative illumination device, control device for decorative illumination device, and game machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0275910 A1 - Document ID: US20210275910A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/174,758 - Filed: 2021-02-12 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: OMRON Corporation - Applicants: OMRON Corporation - Inventors: Hiroyuki ONITSUKA; Junya FUJITA; Takehiro AGATA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210275910A1 ## CPC - A63F 13/28: responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light - A63F 9/24: Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for - A63F 13/90: Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets - F21V 33/008: {Leisure, hobby or sport articles, e.g. toys, games or first-aid kits; Hand tools; Toolboxes} - G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces} - G02B 6/0076: {Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area} - G02B 6/0091: {of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)} - G07F 17/3204: {Player-machine interfaces} - A63F 2009/2451: {using illumination, e.g. with lamps} - F21V 2200/20: of light guides of a generally planar shape - G02B 6/0021: {for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses} - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract A long decorative illumination device which is long in the vertical direction and for being installed in the sides of a game machine may be provided with a plurality of light guide plates that can be individually illuminated. The plurality of light guide plates may be arranged in the vertical direction with gaps therebetween and in a slanted state so that the light emitting surfaces thereof are oriented toward a window part which is open from at least two directions of the front surface and the side surfaces of the decorative illumination device. A controller may control the light emission of the plurality of light guide plates to perform visual effect lighting having an impactful visual effect, while controlling the light emission from the plurality of light guide plates to convey predetermined information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A decorative illumination device that is elongated and configured for installation in an enclosure of a game machine, the decorative illumination device comprising: a plurality of light guide plates configured to reflect light entering from an end surface thereof with reflection surfaces formed in recesses, and causing the light to be emitted from a light emitting surface; a plurality of light sources corresponding to the plurality of light guide plates; a long window part open from at least two directions of a front surface of the decorative illumination device and side surfaces connected to the front surface; and a controller; wherein the plurality of light guide plates is slanted with gaps therebetween, so that in a slanted state the light emitting surfaces are oriented toward the window part; and the controller performs operations comprising: operation as a visual effects function unit configured to control light emission of the plurality of light guide plates by controlling the driving of the plurality of light sources to control light emission from the plurality of light guide plates to perform visual effect lighting; and operation as a notification function unit configured to control light emission from the plurality of light guide plates to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 2 A control device for a decorative illumination device that is elongated and configured for installation in an enclosure of a game machine, wherein the decorative illumination device comprises: a plurality of light guide plates configured to reflect light entering therein from an end surface thereof with reflection surfaces formed in recesses thereon, and causing the light to be emitted from a light emitting surface thereof; a plurality of light sources provided corresponding to the plurality of light guide plates; and a long window part open from at least two directions of a front surface of the decorative illumination device and side surfaces connected to the front surface, the plurality of light guide plates is slanted with gaps therebetween, so that in the slanted state the light emitting surfaces thereof are oriented toward the window part, and the control device performs operations comprising: operation as a visual effects function unit configured to control light emission of the plurality of light guide plates by controlling the driving of the plurality of light sources and control light emission from the plurality of light guide plates to perform visual effect lighting; and operation as a notification function unit configured to control light emission from the plurality of light guide plates to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the decorative illumination device is elongated and long in a vertical direction; and the plurality of light guide plates is arranged in the vertical direction, in a slanted state where a rear part thereof is higher than the front part thereof so that the light emitting surfaces are oriented toward the window part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 3, wherein operation as the notification function unit comprises controlling the light emission of a predetermined plurality of light guide plates located at the top part of the decorative illumination device to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined information comprises information indicating an operation state of the game machine, information indicating the open or closed state of a door to the game machine, information indicating the game machine is experiencing an error, or information for conveying that there is cheating with respect to the game machine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 2, wherein operation as the notification function unit comprises conveying information related to a numerical value with the number of the light guide plates caused to emit light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 3, wherein a pair of the decorative illumination devices is installed with one on each side of the front of the enclosure of the game machine; and operation as the notification function unit comprises conveying information related to numerical values that are mutually related with the number of light guide plates in the respective decorative illumination devices on the left and right caused to emit light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 7, wherein the information related to numerical values that are mutually related comprises information indicating an amount credited in the game machine and an amount paid out from the game machine, information indicating the number of jackpots and small prizes, or information indicating the number of successes and the time of success. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 2, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 3, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 4, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 5 wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 6, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 7, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 8, wherein in response to operation as the notification function unit conveying information among the plurality of light guide plates, operation as the visual effects function unit comprises using the light guide plates that are not being used by the notification function unit to convey information to perform the visual effect lighting. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 2, wherein operation as the notification function unit comprises interrupting the visual effect lighting from operation as the visual effects function unit to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 3, wherein operation as the notification function unit comprises interrupting the visual effect lighting from operation as the visual effects function unit to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The control device for the decorative illumination device according to claim 4, wherein operation as the notification function unit comprises interrupting the visual effect lighting from operation as the visual effects function unit to convey predetermined information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to function as a control device for a decorative illumination device, the program, which when read and executed, causes a computer to perform operations of the visual effects function unit and the notification function according to claim 2. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A game machine comprising: a main game unit; and a decorative illumination device according to claim 1 installed on the enclosure of the main game unit.