Wireless user interface elements for gaming devices

Abstract

A user interface assembly for a gaming device includes a first-side transceiver subassembly on a first side of a barrier, including a first-side antenna and a first-side transmitter circuit electronically coupled to the first-side antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic power signal through the barrier via the first-side antenna. The user interface assembly also includes a second-side transceiver subassembly on a second side of the barrier opposite the first-side transceiver subassembly, including a second-side antenna disposed opposite the first-side antenna relative to the barrier, and a second-side receiver circuit electronically coupled to the second-side antenna for receiving, via the second-side antenna, the electromagnetic power signal transmitted through the barrier. The second-side transceiver subassembly also includes a second-side user interface circuit including a first user interface element for outputting an indication to a user of the gaming device in response to the second-side receiver circuit receiving the electromagnetic power signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user interface assembly for a gaming device comprising:
 a first-side transceiver subassembly on a first side of a barrier of the gaming device, wherein the barrier is an electrical insulator that is between an internal portion of the gaming device and an area outside of the gaming device, the first-side transceiver subassembly comprising:
 a first-side antenna; 
 a first-side transmitter circuit electronically coupled to the first-side antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic power signal through the barrier via the first-side antenna; and 
 a first-side device interface for electronically coupling the first-side transmitter circuit to a power supply of the gaming device; and 
   a second-side transceiver subassembly on a second side of the barrier opposite the first-side transceiver subassembly, the second-side transceiver subassembly comprising:
 a second-side antenna disposed opposite the first-side antenna relative to the barrier; 
 a second-side receiver circuit electronically coupled to the second-side antenna for receiving, via the second-side antenna, the electromagnetic power signal transmitted through the barrier; and 
 a second-side user interface circuit electronically coupled to the second-side receiver circuit, the second-side user interface circuit comprising a first user interface element for outputting an indication to a user of the gaming device in response to the second-side receiver circuit receiving the electromagnetic power signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The user interface assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second-side user interface circuit comprises a second user interface element for receiving an input from the user,
 wherein the second-side transceiver subassembly further comprises a second-side transmitter circuit electronically coupled to the second-side antenna for transmitting, in response to the second user interface element receiving the input from the user, a first electromagnetic data signal through the barrier via the second-side antenna,   wherein the first-side transceiver subassembly further comprises a first-side receiver circuit electronically coupled to the first-side antenna for receiving, via the first-side antenna, the first electromagnetic data signal transmitted through the barrier, and for providing the first electromagnetic data signal to a processor of the gaming device.   
     
     
         3 . The user interface assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first-side transceiver subassembly comprises a first-side transceiver circuit, and
 wherein the first-side transceiver circuit comprises the first-side transmitter circuit and the first-side receiver circuit.   
     
     
         4 . The user interface assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second-side transceiver subassembly comprises a second-side transceiver circuit, and
 wherein the second-side transceiver circuit comprises the second-side transmitter circuit and the second-side receiver circuit.   
     
     
         5 . The user interface assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first-side antenna comprises:
 a first-side transmitter antenna electronically coupled to the first-side transmitter circuit; and   a first-side receiver antenna electronically coupled to the first-side receiver circuit.   
     
     
         6 . The user interface assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second-side antenna comprises:
 a second-side transmitter antenna electronically coupled to the second-side transmitter circuit; and   a second-side receiver antenna electronically coupled to the second-side receiver circuit.   
     
     
         7 . The user interface assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic power signal comprises a first electromagnetic power signal and a second electromagnetic data signal, and
 wherein receiving the second electromagnetic data signal by the second-side receiver circuit causes the first user interface element to output the indication to the user of the gaming device.   
     
     
         8 . The user interface assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic power signal is a combined electromagnetic power signal comprising the first electromagnetic power signal and the second electromagnetic data signal. 
     
     
         9 . The user interface assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic power signal comprises a first electromagnetic power signal and a second electromagnetic data signal, and
 wherein receiving the second electromagnetic data signal by the second-side receiver circuit causes the first user interface element to output the indication to the user of the gaming device.   
     
     
         10 . The user interface assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the electromagnetic power signal is a combined electromagnetic power signal comprising the first electromagnetic power signal and the second electromagnetic data signal. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a user interface assembly for a gaming device, the method comprising:
 transmitting, by a first-side transmitter circuit on a first side of a barrier of the gaming device, an electromagnetic power signal through the barrier via a first-side antenna on the first side of the barrier, wherein the barrier is an electrical insulator that is between an internal portion of the gaming device and an area outside of the gaming device;   receiving, by a second-side receiver circuit on a second side of the barrier, the electromagnetic power signal through the barrier via a second-side antenna on the second side of the barrier opposite the first-side antenna relative to the barrier; and   in response to the second-side receiver circuit receiving the electromagnetic power signal, outputting an indication to a user of the gaming device via a first user interface element of a second-side user interface circuit.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, at a second user interface element of the second-side user interface circuit, an input from the user;   transmitting, by a second-side transmitter circuit on the second side of the barrier, an electromagnetic data signal through the barrier via the second-side antenna; and   receiving, by a first-side receiver circuit on the first side of the barrier, the electromagnetic data signal through the barrier via a first-side antenna.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first-side antenna comprises a first-side transmitter antenna electronically coupled to the first-side transmitter circuit and a first-side receiver antenna electronically coupled to the first-side receiver circuit,
 wherein transmitting the electromagnetic power signal by the first-side transmitter circuit comprises transmitting the electromagnetic power signal via the first-side transmitter antenna, and   wherein receiving the electromagnetic data signal by the first-side receiver circuit comprises receiving the electromagnetic data signal via the first-side receiver antenna.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetic data signal comprises a first electromagnetic data signal,
 wherein the second-side antenna comprises a second-side transmitter antenna electronically coupled to the second-side transmitter circuit and a second-side receiver antenna electronically coupled to the second-side receiver circuit,   wherein transmitting the electromagnetic data signal by the second-side transmitter circuit comprises transmitting the electromagnetic data signal via the second-side transmitter antenna, and   wherein receiving the electromagnetic power signal by the second-side receiver circuit comprises receiving the electromagnetic power signal via the second-side receiver antenna.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein transmitting the electromagnetic power signal comprises transmitting a first electromagnetic power signal and a second electromagnetic data signal, and
 wherein the method further comprises outputting, by the first user interface element, the indication to the user of the gaming device in response to the second-side receiver circuit receiving the second electromagnetic data signal.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein transmitting the first electromagnetic power signal and the second electromagnetic data signal comprises wirelessly transmitting a combined electromagnetic power signal comprising the first electromagnetic power signal and the second electromagnetic data signal. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming device comprising:
 a housing forming an internal portion, the housing comprising a barrier that is an electrical insulator between the internal portion of the gaming device and an area outside of the gaming device;   a power supply; and   a user interface assembly comprising:
 a first-side transceiver subassembly on a first side of the barrier, the first-side transceiver subassembly comprising:
 a first-side antenna; 
 a first-side transmitter circuit electronically coupled to the first-side antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic power signal through the barrier via the first-side antenna; and 
 a first-side device interface for electronically coupling the first-side transmitter circuit to the power supply; and 
 
   a second-side transceiver subassembly on a second side of the barrier opposite the first-side transceiver subassembly, the second-side transceiver subassembly comprising:
 a second-side antenna disposed opposite the first-side antenna relative to the barrier;
 a second-side receiver circuit electronically coupled to the second-side antenna for receiving, via the second-side antenna, the electromagnetic power signal transmitted through the barrier; and 
 a second-side user interface circuit electronically coupled to the second-side receiver circuit, the second-side user interface circuit comprising a first user interface element for outputting an indication to a user of the gaming device in response to the second-side receiver circuit receiving the electromagnetic power signal. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the second-side user interface circuit comprises a second user interface element for receiving an input from the user,
 wherein the second-side transceiver subassembly further comprises a second-side transmitter circuit electronically coupled to the second-side antenna for transmitting, in response to the second user interface element receiving the input from the user, a first electromagnetic data signal through the barrier via the second-side antenna,   wherein the first-side transceiver subassembly further comprises a first-side receiver circuit electronically coupled to the first-side antenna for receiving, via the first-side antenna, the first electromagnetic data signal transmitted through the barrier, and for providing the first electromagnetic data signal to a processor of the gaming device.   
     
     
         19 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic power signal comprises a first electromagnetic power signal and a second electromagnetic data signal, and
 wherein receiving the second electromagnetic data signal by the second-side receiver circuit causes the first user interface element to output the indication to the user of the gaming device.   
     
     
         20 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the barrier is a glass panel.