Button panel system for a gaming device
AssigneeWMS Gaming Inc.
InventorsNorman R. Wurz, James M. Rasmussen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming device comprises a cabinet with a hinged door, a gaming unit housed within the cabinet for playing a game, and a button panel system. The button panel system includes a printed circuit board mounted to the door and disposed inside the cabinet; a plurality of switches removably mounted to the printed circuit board; a button panel detachably mounted to the door in proximity to the printed circuit board and exposed to a player; a plurality of buttons mounted to the button panel in a preselected arrangement; and a plurality of actuators coupled to the respective buttons and disposed to actuate a group of the plurality of switches in response to pressing the respective buttons, the group of the plurality of switches cooperating with the game played by the gaming unit.
Claims30
A button panel system for a gaming device including a cabinet with a hinged door, said system comprising:
- a printed circuit board mounted to said door and disposed inside said cabinet;
- a switch mounted to said printed circuit board;
- a button panel detachably mounted to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board and exposed to a player;
- a button mounted to said button panel;
- and
- an actuator coupled to said button and disposed to actuate said switch in response to pressing said button.
A gaming device, comprising:
- a cabinet including a hinged door;
- a gaming unit housed within said cabinet;
- and
- a button panel system including
- a printed circuit board mounted to said door and disposed inside said cabinet;
- a switch mounted to said printed circuit board and electrically coupled to said gaming unit;
- a button panel detachably mounted to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board and exposed to a player;
- a button mounted to said button panel;
- and
- an actuator coupled to said button and disposed to actuate said switch in response to pressing said button.
A method of modifying a button panel system for a gaming device including a cabinet with a hinged door, said button panel system including a printed circuit board mounted to said door and disposed inside said cabinet, a plurality of switches mounted to said printed circuit board, a first button panel detachably mounted to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board and exposed to a player, a plurality of first buttons mounted to said first button panel in a first arrangement, and a plurality of first actuators coupled to said respective first buttons and disposed to actuate a first group of said plurality of switches in response to pressing said respective first buttons, said method comprising:
- detaching said first button panel from said door such that said first button panel, said first buttons, and said first actuators are removed from said gaming device;
- supplying a second button panel, a plurality of second buttons, and a plurality of second actuators, said second buttons being mounted to said second button panel in a second arrangement different from said first arrangement, said second actuators being coupled to said respective second buttons;
- and
- mounting said second button panel to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board such that said second actuators are disposed to actuate a second group of said plurality of switches in response to pressing said respective second buttons.
A method of modifying a gaming device, said gaming device including a cabinet with a hinged door, a gaming unit housed within said cabinet for playing a first game, and a button panel system;
- said button panel system including a printed circuit board mounted to said door and disposed inside said cabinet, a plurality of switches mounted to said printed circuit board, a first button panel detachably mounted to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board and exposed to a player, a plurality of first buttons mounted to said first button panel in a first arrangement, and a plurality of first actuators coupled to said respective first buttons and disposed to actuate a first group of said plurality of switches in response to pressing said respective first buttons, said first group of said plurality of switches cooperating with said first game played by said gaming unit, said method comprising:
- detaching said first button panel from said door such that said first button panel, said first buttons, and said first actuators are removed from said gaming device;
- supplying a second button panel, a plurality of second buttons, and a plurality of second actuators, said second buttons being mounted to said second button panel in a second arrangement different from said first arrangement, said second actuators being coupled to said respective second buttons;
- mounting said second button panel to said door in proximity to said printed circuit board such that said second actuators are disposed to actuate a second group of said plurality of switches in response to pressing said respective second buttons;
- and
- modifying said gaming unit to play a second game cooperating with said second group of said plurality of switches.
A printed circuit board assembly for a gaming device, said gaming device including a button panel, a button, and an actuator, said button being mounted to said button panel, said actuator being coupled to said button and disposed to actuate said switch in response to pressing said button, said assembly comprising:
- a printed circuit board mounted to a housing of said gaming device, said printed circuit board including an aperture;
- and
- a switch assembly removably mounted to said printed circuit board through said aperture and disposed to be actuated by said actuator in response to pressing said button.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.