Reduced-size gaming machine with onboard camera and method of use

Abstract

A gaming machine is approximately half the depth of and weighs substantially less than standard gaming machines, thus greatly reducing the floor space needed to house the gaming machine and allowing it to be hung from a wall to increase the versatility of its location and improve the comfort of a game player due to greater leg room beneath the machine. An onboard camera is in communication with onboard video screens, remote video screens and other accessories to provide methods of increased security surveillance, methods of expediting service of the machine when it malfunctions, and methods of promoting the use of the gaming machine and the establishment housing the machine.

1 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 a cabinet having a front surface, a rear surface and a bottom end;    the front surface defining a hole therethrough;    a display mounted within said body and viewable through the hole;    the distance between the front surface and the rear surface being in the range of from 8 to 15 inches.    
     
     
         2 . The gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the rear surface is adapted to be mounted on a wall.  
     
     
         3 . The gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the bottom end is adapted to be spaced from a floor when the cabinet is mounted on a wall, thereby defining a space below the gaming machine.  
     
     
         4 . The gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the gaming machine has a weight in the range of 75 to 150 pounds.  
     
     
         5 . The gaming machine of  claim 4  wherein the rear surface is adapted to be mounted on a wall.  
     
     
         6 . The gaming machine of  claim 5  wherein the bottom end is adapted to be spaced from a floor when the body is mounted on a wall, thereby defining a space below the gaming machine.  
     
     
         7 . In combination, a gaming machine and a gaming establishment having a floor and a wall, the gaming machine comprising: 
 a body having a front surface, a rear surface and a bottom end; the front surface defining a hole therethrough; a display mounted within said body and viewable through the hole; and    the gaming machine being mounted on the wall of the gaming establishment.    
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the bottom end of the gaming machine is spaced from the floor, thereby defining a space below the gaming machine.  
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 8  wherein the distance between the front surface and the rear surface is in the range of from 8 to 15 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 9  wherein the gaming machine has a weight in the range of 75 to 150 pounds.  
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 8  wherein the space is sufficient to accommodate at least one of a portion of a chair seat and a portion of a person's legs seated in a chair when the gaming machine is mounted above the surface.  
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 11  wherein the distance between the bottom and the floor is in a range of 18 to 32 inches.  
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 12  wherein the viewable display is situated generally in front of a game player's face when seated in front of the gaming machine.  
     
     
         14 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 a cabinet having a front surface, a rear surface and a bottom end; the front surface defining a hole therethrough;    an onboard video screen mounted within said body and viewable through the hole; and    an onboard camera in communication with at least one of the onboard video screen and a remote video screen.    
     
     
         15 . The gaming machine of  claim 14  further comprising at least one onboard sensor.  
     
     
         16 . The gaming machine of  claim 15  wherein the at least one onboard sensor is selected from the group consisting of a tilt switch; a door switch; a motion switch; a timer; an excessive-deposit sensor; a counterfeit-money sensor; a multiple-consecutive-jackpot sensor; a multiple-denied-bill-validation sensor; a payout sensor; an optic sensor; a pressure-sensitive sensor; a capacitance sensor; and a resistance sensor.  
     
     
         17 . The gaming machine of  claim 15  wherein the onboard sensor is in operative communication with the camera whereby triggering the sensor will activate the camera to create a photographic image.  
     
     
         18 . The gaming machine of  claim 17  further comprising a CPU operatively associated with the camera to control operation of the camera and determine disposition of the image.  
     
     
         19 . The gaming machine of  claim 18  further comprising a memory unit adapted to store the image for later retrieval.  
     
     
         20 . The gaming machine of  claim 19  wherein the CPU is in operative communication with one of the memory unit, onboard screen and remote screen; the memory unit being adapted to store the image and the screens being adapted to display the image.  
     
     
         21 . The gaming machine of  claim 15  wherein the sensor is a payout sensor in operative communication with the camera whereby upon the sensor detecting a payout, the camera is operated to create a photographic image.  
     
     
         22 . The gaming machine of  claim 21  wherein the camera is in operative communication with one of the onboard screen and the remote screen, and wherein one of the onboard screen and the remote screen is adapted to receive the image from the camera.  
     
     
         23 . The gaming machine of  claim 22  wherein the image is an image of a winner at the machine at the time the payout sensor is activated.  
     
     
         24 . The gaming machine of  claim 14  further comprising a microphone adapted to communicate with a remote speaker.  
     
     
         25 . The gaming machine of  claim 24  further comprising a speaker adapted to communicate with a remote microphone.  
     
     
         26 . The gaming machine of  claim 14  further comprising a second video screen, and wherein the camera is positioned intermediate the onboard screen and the second screen.  
     
     
         27 . The gaming machine of  claim 14  wherein there are communication pathways by which the camera is in communication with the at least one of an onboard video screen and a remote video screen; the communication pathways being at least one of a group of electrical wires, optic fibers, radio frequency transmissions, infrared transmissions, laser-based transmissions and satellite communications.  
     
     
         28 . A method of operating a gaming machine comprising the steps of: 
 providing a camera mounted on a gaming machine for playing a game; and    creating at least one photographic image by photographing with the camera one of a vandal and a winner of a game played on the gaming machine.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the creating step further includes the step of photographing the winner at the time of winning or shortly thereafter.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further including the step of displaying the at least one photographic image on at least one of a first onboard video screen, a second onboard video screen and a remote video screen on the grounds of the establishment housing the gaming machine.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  further including the steps of: 
 displaying the at least one photographic image on a remote reviewer video screen; and  
 reviewing the at least one photographic image to determine whether to display the at least one photographic image on at least one of a first onboard video screen, a second onboard video screen and a remote video screen on the grounds of the establishment housing the gaming machine.  
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  further including the steps of: 
 displaying the at least one photographic image on an onboard video screen for review by the winner; and  
 communicating to the winner an option to determine whether to subsequently display the at least one photographic image on at least one of a first onboard video screen, a second onboard video screen and a remote video screen.  
 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the at least one photographic image is a motion picture and the method further includes the step of playing the motion picture repeatedly on the at least one video screen.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the gaming machine includes a sensor for detecting activities breaching security related to the gaming machine and the creating step of the method further includes photographing the vandal when the sensor is activated.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  further including the step of displaying the photographic image on a remote security video screen.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the photographic image is a motion picture and the displaying step further includes the step of playing the motion picture on the remote security video screen to provide real time surveillance.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34  further including the step of recording the photographic image for potential identification and enforcement purposes.  
     
     
         38 . A method of enhancing game repair comprising the steps of: 
 providing a gaming machine for playing a game, the gaming machine having an onboard camera in communication with a game malfunction sensor and a service technician video screen and having an onboard microphone in communication with a service technician speaker;    sensing a game malfunction with the sensor;    communicating to a player of the game an option to use the onboard microphone to speak to a service technician;    photographing the player of the game to create real time photographic images;    displaying the real time photographic images of the player on the technician video screen; and    establishing an audio connection from the player to the technician via the microphone and speaker whereby the technician can hear the player speak.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32  wherein a remote service technician microphone is in communication with an onboard speaker and the method further includes the step of establishing an audio connection between the technician and the player via the technician microphone and the onboard speaker whereby the player can hear the technician speak.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33  wherein a service technician camera is in communication with an onboard video screen and the method further includes the steps of: 
 photographing the service technician with the service technician camera to create real time photographic images of the service technician; and  
 displaying the real time photographic images on the onboard video screen.  
 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the communicating step further includes using at least one of an onboard speaker and an onboard video screen to communicate to the player the option to use the onboard microphone.