Electronic gaming device

Abstract

The present invention provides a gaming device that includes a housing, one or more displays, a controller and one or more control buttons. The housing has an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewall(s) and a height. The one or more displays are disposed, encapsulated or positioned within a bore or opening in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount or an ante amount. The controller is incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays. The one or more control buttons are disposed on the upper surface or the continuous sidewall and connected to the controller.

1 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height;    one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount;    a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays; and    one or more control buttons disposed on the upper surface or the sidewall(s) and connected to the controller.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the one or more control buttons perform one or more functions comprising an on/off function, a start function, a stop function, a reset function, a programming function, a time set function, a pause function, a blind increment function, an ante increment function, an audible notification selection function, a shift function, an increment function, a decrement function, a change language/currency function or a combination thereof;    the housing comprises a circular cylindrical body having a diameter and the sidewall(s) comprise a continuous sidewall; or    the housing is plastic, metal or a combination thereof    
   
   
       3 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more control buttons comprise an on/off button, a start/pause button, a shift button, an increment button and a decrement button.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more displays and the one or more control buttons are integrated into one or more touch screen displays.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a battery incorporated into the housing and connected to the controller and/or the one or more displays, wherein the battery is replaceable or rechargeable.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an input/output interface disposed on the lower surface or the sidewall(s) and connected to the controller;    a wireless interface disposed within the housing and connected to the controller;    a power supply controller disposed within the housing or on the upper surface or on the sidewall(s) and connected to the controller; or    a speaker incorporated into the housing and connected to the controller.    
   
   
       7 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the input/output interface comprises one or more electrical contacts, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a firewire port, a smart card interface; or    the wireless interface comprises an RF transceiver, an optical transceiver, an infrared transceiver, a wireless network transceiver;    the power supply controller regulates the recharging of a battery disposed within the housing using a recharger interface, one or more solar cell(s), a RF antenna, an inertia converter or a combination thereof; or    the speaker generates one or more audible sounds comprising beeps, tones, audible notifications, audible warnings, audible instructions or combinations thereof.    
   
   
       8 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the wireless interface receives one or more control signals from a computer.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the control signals, synchronize the timer, set the timer, set the small blind amount, set the big blind amount, set the ante amount, start the timer, stop the timer or program the controller.  
   
   
       10 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a circular cylindrical body having a diameter, an upper surface, a lower surface, a continuous sidewall and a height;    a display disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount;    an on/off button, a start/pause button, a shift button, an increment button and a decrement button disposed on the upper surface or the continuous sidewall;    a speaker incorporated into the circular cylindrical body;    a controller incorporated into the circular cylindrical body and connected to the display, the buttons and the speaker; and    a battery incorporated into the circular cylindrical body and connected to the controller and/or the display, the buttons or speaker.    
   
   
       11 . A gaming system comprising: 
 one or more gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height, one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount, a wireless interface incorporated into the housing, and a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays and the wireless interface; and    a computer having a communications interface to send one or more control signals to the gaming device controller(s) via the wireless interface(s).    
   
   
       12 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each gaming device further comprises one or more control buttons disposed on the upper surface or the sidewall(s) and connected to the controller.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each gaming device is individually addressable and sends one or more status signals to the computer via the wireless interface.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the control signal(s) comprise a start signal, a restart signal, a stop signal, a disable local control signal, an enable local control signal, a level change signal, an update signal, a synchronization signal, an end game signal, an alert signal or a combination thereof; or    the status signal(s) comprise an identification signal, a status signal, an acknowledgement signal, a response signal to the control signal(s), an error signal, an all-in signal, a help request signal or a combination thereof.    
   
   
       15 . A method for conducting a game comprising the steps of: 
 providing a gaming device comprising a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height, one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount, one or more control buttons disposed on the upper surface or the sidewall(s), and a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays and the one or more control buttons;    setting one or more parameters for the game using the control button(s); and    displaying the timer, the small blind amount, the big blind amount and the ante amount based on the one or more parameters.    
   
   
       16 . A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for conducting a game comprising: 
 a code segment for setting one or more parameters for the game in a gaming device using one or more control button(s), wherein the gaming device comprises a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height, one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount, the one or more control buttons disposed on the upper surface or the sidewall(s), and a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays and the one or more control buttons; and    a code segment for displaying the timer, the small blind amount, the big blind amount and the ante amount based on the one or more parameters.    
   
   
       17 . A method for conducting a game comprising the steps of: 
 providing one or more gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height, one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount, a wireless interface incorporated into the housing, and a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays and the wireless interface;    providing a computer having a communications interface;    sending one or more control signals to the gaming device controller(s) via the communications interface and the wireless interface(s); and    performing one or more functions using the gaming device controller(s) based on the control signal(s).    
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the one or more functions comprise displaying the timer, the small blind amount, the big blind amount and the ante amount based on the one or more parameters.  
   
   
       19 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising the step of selecting one or more parameters for the game.  
   
   
       20 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the step of sending one or more control signals to the gaming device controller(s) via the communications interface and the wireless interface(s) comprises the steps of: 
 sending an initial level information signal;    sending a disable local control signal;    sending a start/restart signal;    sending a level change signal; and    sending a synchronization signal.    
   
   
       21 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising the step of receiving one or more status signals from the gaming device controller(s) via the communications interface and the wireless interface(s).  
   
   
       22 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the control signal(s) comprise a start signal, a restart signal, a stop signal, a disable local control signal, an enable local control signal, a level change signal, an update signal, a synchronization signal, an end game signal, an alert signal or a combination thereof; or    the status signal(s) comprise an identification signal, a status signal, an acknowledgement signal, a response signal to the control signal(s), an error signal, an all-in signal, a help request signal or a combination thereof.    
   
   
       23 . A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for conducting a game comprising: 
 a code segment for selecting one or more parameters for the game; and    a code segment for sending one or more control signals to one or more gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, one or more sidewalls and a height, one or more displays disposed in the upper surface to indicate a timer, a small blind amount, a big blind amount and an ante amount, a wireless interface incorporated into the housing, and a controller incorporated into the housing and connected to the one or more displays and the wireless interface.    
   
   
       24 . The computer program as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising the step of receiving one or more status signals from the gaming device controller(s) via the communications interface and the wireless interface(s).  
   
   
       25 . The computer program as recited in  claim 24 , wherein: 
 the control signal(s) comprise a start signal, a restart signal, a stop signal, a disable local control signal, an enable local control signal, a level change signal, an update signal, a synchronization signal, an end game signal, an alert signal or a combination thereof; or    the status signal(s) comprise an identification signal, a status signal, an acknowledgement signal, a response signal to the control signal(s), an error signal, an all-in signal, a help request signal or a combination thereof.