Internally illuminated video game cabinet

Abstract

An internally illuminated electronic video game cabinet having a structural enclosure that permits internal illumination to shine out of the cabinet to illuminate nearby objects. The internally illuminated electronic video game cabinet includes a structural enclosure having at least one structural portion thereof that is at least partially transmissive of light, and the enclosure forms an interior electronics compartment. A support structure is provided within the compartment for supporting one or more electronic components; and an illumination source is provided within the compartment and positioned for illuminating at least a portion of the structural portion of the enclosure that is at least partially transmissive of light.

1 : An electronic video game cabinet, comprising:
 a structural enclosure having at least an exterior structural portion thereof being at least partially transmissive of light, and the enclosure forming an interior electronics compartment;   support structure within the compartment for supporting one or more electronic components; and   an illumination source within the compartment and positioned for illuminating at least a portion of the structural portion of the enclosure that is at least partially transmissive of light.   
   
   
       2 : The cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the structural enclosure further comprises a plurality of structural wall panels forming and one or more exterior walls thereof, and at least one of the structural wall panels is at least partially transmissive of light. 
   
   
       3 : The cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the structural enclosure further comprises a plurality of structural wall panels forming one or more exterior walls, and at least one of the structural exterior wall panels is at least partially substantially translucent. 
   
   
       4 : The cabinet of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the structural wall panels of the enclosure further comprises a structural wall panel that is substantially entirely substantially translucent. 
   
   
       5 : The cabinet of  claim 3  wherein the structural enclosure further comprises a substantially transparent viewing screen on a front portion thereof claim  6 : The cabinet of  claim 3  wherein the enclosure further comprises a console structure on a front portion thereof claim  7 : The cabinet of claim  6  wherein the console structure further comprises one or more structural panels, and at least one of the structural panels of the console structure is at least partially transmissive of light. 
   
   
       8 : The cabinet of claim  6  wherein the structural wall panels forming one or more structural exterior walls further comprise one or more substantially translucent structural wall panels forming a front and two adjoining side structural wall portions of the structural enclosure. 
   
   
       9 : The cabinet of  claim 8 , further comprising a control mechanism coupled to the illumination source for controlling the illumination source. 
   
   
       10 : The cabinet of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an electronics control module having an electronic video game resident thereon and having a processor structured for executing the games;   a video monitor coupled to receive video output signal of electronics control module for converting the video output signal to viewable format; and   a control panel having a plurality of manual control elements mounted on the console structure, one or more of the manual control elements being coupled to the electronics control module for controlling one or more elements of the electronic video game.   
   
   
       11 : An electronic video game cabinet, comprising:
 a box-like structure defining a cabinet having an interior electronics compartment, the box-like structure being formed of one or more structural exterior walls, one or more of the structural exterior walls having a portion thereof being transmissive of light;   a substantially transparent viewing screen mounted in a portion of one of the exterior walls;   a light emitting device within the box-like structure emitting light in the visible spectrum; and   means for alternately energizing and de-energizing the light emitting device.   
   
   
       12 : The cabinet of  claim 11  wherein the means for alternately energizing and de-energizing the light emitting device further comprises a programmable control mechanism. 
   
   
       13 : The cabinet of  claim 11  wherein the light emitting device further comprises one or more strands of light bulbs wired together along plastic coated electrical wires. 
   
   
       14 : The cabinet of  claim 13  wherein the light emitting device further comprises a plurality of the strands of light bulbs wired together along plastic coated electrical wires, the light bulbs of one or more of the strands being differently colored from the light bulbs of a different one of the strands. 
   
   
       15 : The cabinet of  claim 14  wherein the means for alternately energizing and de-energizing the light emitting device further comprises a dedicated control mechanism coupled to each of the plurality of strands of light bulbs. 
   
   
       16 : The cabinet of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an electronics control module resident within the interior electronics compartment, the electronics control module having an electronic video game resident thereon and having a processor structured for executing the games;   a video monitor positioned within the interior electronics compartment in a viewing relationship with the viewing screen, the video monitor being coupled to receive video output signal of electronics control module for converting the video output signal to viewable format; and   a control panel having a plurality of manual control elements mounted thereon, one or more of the manual control elements being coupled to the electronics control module for controlling one or more elements of the electronic video game.   
   
   
       17 : A method for illuminating an electronic video game cabinet, the method comprising:
 forming a box-like cabinet structure having one or more exterior structural walls at least partially formed of a material being substantially transmissive of visible light;   defining an interior electronics compartment within the exterior structural walls of the box-like cabinet structure;   mounting a substantially transparent viewing screen in a portion of one of the exterior walls; and   internally illuminating at least a portion of the interior electronics compartment.   
   
   
       18 : The method of  claim 17 , further comprising alternately energizing and de-energizing a light emitting device illuminating at least a portion of the interior electronics compartment. 
   
   
       19 : The method of  claim 17  wherein internally illuminating at least a portion of the interior electronics compartment further comprises distributing a plurality of light emitting devices within the interior electronics compartment and adjacent to an interior surface of at least one of the exterior structural walls in a lighting relationship with a portion of the material being substantially transmissive of visible light. 
   
   
       20 : The method of  claim 19  wherein distributing a plurality of light emitting devices within the interior electronics compartment further comprises distributing a plurality of differently colored light emitting devices; and
 further comprising alternately energizing and de-energizing differently colored ones of the light emitting devices.