Card reader with a light-emitting bezel
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsHajime Oki, Steve J. Lanovich, Lucian Predescu, Junichi Yamamoto
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Abstract
A card reader of the present invention is useful in a dimly lit light condition, such as in a casino. The card reader includes a front member or bezel made of a fluorescent plastic and a UV lamp for irradiating UV light to the front member. When exposed to UV light, the fluorescent plastic absorbs the UV light and emits light in the visible spectrum. The light emitted from the front member aids a card user in inserting a card into the slot of the card reader in a dimly lit light condition.
Claims69
A card reader used in a dimly lit light condition, comprising:
- a card read/write device having a slot through which a card is inserted into the card read/write device;
- and
- a bezel having an elongated window through which the card is inserted into the slot, the bezel being made of a fluorescent plastic and attached to the card read/write device for illuminating the slot.
A card reader used in a dimly lit light condition, comprising:
- a card read/write device having a slot through which a card is inserted into the card read/write device;
- a bezel having an elongated window through which the card is inserted into the slot, the bezel being made of a fluorescent plastic and attached to the card read/write device;
- and
- a light source that irradiates visible light to illuminate the slot through the bezel.
A bezel of a card reader used in a dimly lit light condition, the card reader including a card read/write device with a slot through which a card is inserted into the card read/write device, characterized in that the bezel has an elongated window through which the card is inserted into the slot and is made of a fluorescent plastic that illuminates the slot.
A method of illuminating a slot of a card read/write device in order to aid an insertion of a card into the slot in a dimly lit light condition, comprising the steps of:
- providing a bezel being made of a fluorescent plastic and having an elongated window;
- attaching the bezel to the card read/write device adjacent to the slot so that the card is inserted into the slot through the elongated window of the bezel;
- and
- illuminating the slot through the bezel.
A gaming machine being operated in a dimly lit light condition, comprising:
- a card read/write device installed inside the gaming machine and having a slot through which a card is inserted into the card read/write device;
- and
- a bezel for illuminating the slot, the bezel being made of a fluorescent plastic and attached to the card read/write device for visibility outside the gaming machine, the bezel having an elongated window through which the card is inserted into the slot.
A gaming machine according to claim 57, wherein the card read/write device has a casing made of a transparent plastic through which the bezel is irradiated uniformly by the UV light.
A gaming machine being operated in a dimly lit light condition, comprising:
- a card read/write device installed inside the gaming machine and having a slot through which a card is inserted into the card read/write device;
- a bezel being made of a fluorescent plastic and attached to the card read/write device for visibility outside the gaming machine, the bezel having an elongated window through which the card is inserted into the slot;
- and
- a light source that irradiates visible light to illuminate the slot through the bezel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.