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US 6,199,861 B1Granted
Method and kit for retrofitting a pinball machine
AssigneeWilliams Electronics Games, Inc.
InventorsBradley A. Hume, Thomas W. Uban
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWilliams Electronics Games, Inc.
InventorsBradley A. Hume, Thomas W. Uban
Estimating the term…
A pinball machine has been designed with several novel mechanical and electrical features such that it is easily updatable, or alternately, retrofittable or convertible between a first pinball game and a second pinball game. The pinball machine includes a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, an electronics system, and a video display. The playfield is mounted in the cabinet with the panel mounted to the cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of the playfield. The video display is mounted generally above the cabinet and is disposed to project video images onto the panel for viewing by the player. The electronics system includes a control unit and a plurality of input/output elements which are mounted to the playfield. The control unit, which includes a controller and memory for storing game instructions and video images, is coupled to the plurality of input/output elements. The controller executes the game instructions to cause the video images to be displayed upon the video display. The memory may include flash memory which can be updated by a flash card. A retrofitting kit for the pinball machine provides a replacement memory that stores second game instructions and second game video images therein for operation in the pinball machine. Thus, the types of video images of displayed by the pinball machine, the times the video images are displayed, and the manner in which they are displayed can be entirely modified. The kit may also include a new playfield to alter the physical environment which the rolling ball of the machine interacts to complement the new video images.
A method of updating a pinball machine, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, an electronics system, and a video display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said panel being mounted to said cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of said playfield, said video display being mounted generally above said cabinet, said electronics system including a control unit and a plurality of input/output elements, said plurality of input/output elements being mounted to said playfield, said control unit being coupled to said plurality of input/output elements, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory storing initial game instructions and at least one ISA slot, said controller executing said game instructions to cause video images to be displayed upon said video display, said video display projecting said video images onto said panel, said method comprising:
A method of retrofitting a pinball machine, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, an electronics system, and a video display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said panel being mounted to said cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of said playfield, said video display being mounted generally above said cabinet, said electronics system including a control unit and a plurality of input/output elements, said plurality of input/output elements being mounted to said playfield, said control unit being coupled to said plurality of input/output elements, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory storing initial game instructions, a non-volatile memory for storing video images, and at least one ISA, slot said controller executing said game instructions to cause said video images to be displayed upon said video display, said video display projecting said video images onto said panel, said method comprising:
A method of retrofitting a pinball machine, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, a control unit, and a video display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said panel being mounted to said cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of said playfield, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory storing initial game instructions, and at least one slot, video images being displayed upon said video display in response to said controller executing said game instructions, said video display being mounted generally above said cabinet and projecting said video images onto said panel, said method comprising:
A kit for retrofitting a pinball machine playing a first game with a second game, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, a control unit, and a video display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said panel being mounted to said cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of said playfield, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory for storing first game instructions and at least one slot;
A method of updating a pinball machine, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, an electronics system, and a display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said display being mounted generally above said cabinet, said electronics system including a control unit, said control unit including a controller and a flash memory for storing game instructions and at least one extra slot, said controller executing said game instructions, said method comprising:
An updatable pinball machine comprising a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, an electronics system, and a display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said display being mounted generally above said cabinet, said electronics system including a control unit, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory for storing game instructions and means for receiving a flash card for updating said flash memory, said controller executing said game instructions.
A method of retrofitting a pinball machine, said pinball machine including a cabinet, a playfield, a panel, an electronics system, and a video display, said playfield being mounted in said cabinet, said panel being mounted to said cabinet and overlaying at least a portion of said playfield, said video display being mounted generally above said cabinet, said electronics system including a control unit and a plurality of input/output elements, said plurality of input/output elements being mounted to said playfield, said control unit being coupled to said plurality of input/output elements, said control unit including a controller, a flash memory storing initial game instructions and video images, and at least one ISA slot, said controller executing said game instructions to cause said video images to be displayed upon said video display, said video display projecting said video images onto said panel, said method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.