Configurable communication board for a gaming machine

Abstract

A disclosed communication interface for a gaming machine has a main communication board with one or more standard receptor slots for a plurality of “daughter boards,” each daughter board allowing communication between a master gaming controller and a gaming device or between a master gaming controller and a gaming machine network. The daughter boards may be designed to convert between a number of different communication standards or communication formats. Further, the daughter boards may employ a standard connector that allows the daughter board to be plugged into any of the standard receptor slots on the main communication board. Daughter boards may be removed or installed on the main communication board while the main communication board is receiving power. Further, the main communication board with a plurality of standard receptor slots may accommodate many different types of daughter boards and many different combinations of these types of daughter boards.

1 . A gaming machine communication interface for a gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, the gaming machine communication interface comprising: 
 (a) a main communication board adapted to communicate in at least a first communications format and having 
 at least one primary power connection adapted to provide a primary power supply to the main communication board,  
 a communication connection configured to facilitate communications between said main communication board and a master gaming controller of the gaming machine adapted to accept a wager, play a game based on the wager, and award a monetary payout based on the result of the game, and  
 a plurality of receptor slots, each of which is adapted to secure a daughterboard to said main communication board, wherein at least one of said plurality of receptor slots is adapted to have power supplied therethrough switched off while power is maintained through said at least one primary power connection and while a respective daughterboard remains connected to the main communication board therethrough;  
   (b) a first daughterboard configured to plug into a first receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said first daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a second communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board; and    (c) a second daughterboard configured to plug into a second receptor slot of said main communication board and receive power therefrom, said second daughterboard adapted to convert communications from a third communications format to said first communications format to facilitate communication with one or more gaming machine components via said main communication board, wherein each of said first, second and third communications formats are disparate communications formats with respect to each other.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 1 , wherein said first daughter board includes a communication converter to facilitate communications between said first communications format and said second communications format, thereby allowing said master gaming controller to communicate with a gaming machine component connected to said first daughter board.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 2 , wherein said gaming machine component is a magnetic card reader, a display screen, a key pad, a network device or a display sign.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 1 , wherein said first daughter board provides communication conversions that allow said master gaming controller to communicate with a gaming machine network.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first, second and third communications format is selected from the group consisting of RS-422/485, Fiber Optic, RS-232, DCS Current Loop, Link Progressive Current Loop and USB.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 1 , wherein said communication connection between said main communication board and said master gaming controller is configured for an RS-232 communications format or a USB communications format.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 6 , wherein said second communications format is DCS Current Loop communication standard.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 7 , wherein said third communications format is a fiber optic communication standard.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming machine communication interface of  claim 1 , wherein said gaming machine is a traditional slot game, a video slot game, a video poker game, a keno game, or a lottery game.  
   
   
       10 . A daughterboard adapted to convert signals in a first communications format from a master gaming controller of a wager based gaming machine to a second communications format for transmission to one or more other gaming machine components, the daughterboard comprising: 
 a standard connector adapted to plug into a standard receptor slot of a main communication board on said gaming machine and for receiving signals in said first communications format from said master gaming controller, said standard connector being identical or similar to other standard connectors employed in a plurality of daughterboards adapted to provide communications conversions between differing communications formats;    conversion circuitry adapted to convert signals from said first communications format to said second communications format, wherein said first and second communications formats are disparate communications formats; and    an output mechanism coupled to said conversion circuitry and adapted to transmit signals in said second communications format.    
   
   
       11 . The daughterboard of  claim 10 , wherein said first communications format is RS-232 or USB.  
   
   
       12 . The daughterboard of  claim 11 , wherein said second communications format is selected from the group consisting of RS-422/485, Fiber Optic, RS-232, DCS Current Loop, Link Progressive Current Loop or USB.  
   
   
       13 . The daughterboard of  claim 10 , wherein said conversion circuitry provides a communication conversion allowing said master gaming controller that utilizes said first communications format to communicate with an associated gaming machine device that utilizes said second communications format.  
   
   
       14 . The daughter board of  claim 13 , wherein said gaming machine device is a magnetic board reader, a display screen, a keypad, a network device or a display sign.  
   
   
       15 . The daughterboard of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 an optocoupler integrated circuit wherein said optocoupler integrated circuit is configured to provide electrical isolation between said gaming machine device and said main communication board.    
   
   
       16 . The daughterboard of  claim 10 , wherein said output mechanism is a fiber optic cable, a ribbon line cable, twisted pair cable or other wire medium.  
   
   
       17 . The daughterboard of  claim 10 , wherein said standard connector is configured to receive power from said main communication board.  
   
   
       18 . The daughterboard of  claim 10 , further comprising an echo disable circuitry configured to receive a signal that disables the transmission of signals from said output mechanism.  
   
   
       19 . In a wager based gaming machine having a master gaming controller and a main communications board, a method of providing communications via multiple communications formats comprising: 
 providing a first daughterboard in a first standard receptor slot of the main communication board, which first daughterboard converts signals in a first communications format from said master gaming controller to signals in a second communications format for transmission; and    replacing said first daughterboard with a second daughterboard in said first standard receptor slot of said main communication board, which second daughterboard converts signals in said first communications format from said master gaming controller to signals in a third communications format for transmission, wherein each of said first, second and third communications formats are disparate communications formats with respect to each other.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a third daughterboard in a second standard receptor slot of said main communication board, which third daughterboard converts signals in said first communications format from said master gaming controller to signals in a third communications format for transmission;    providing communications simultaneously between said main communication board and said first daughterboard and also between said main communication board and said third daughterboard; and    maintaining power from said main communication board to said third daughterboard during said replacing step.