Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to gaming machines of the type generally referred to as slot machines, fruit machines or poker machines, and in particular, the invention provides a hard meter for use in such machines. Background of the Invention

Gaming or poker machines have been well known in the state of New South Wales for many years, and have more recently gained considerable popularity throughout Australia, with quite substantial amounts wagered on these machines. Such machines have also been popular in various casinos throughout the world for many years. There is a growing tendency for State Governments to legalise the use of gaining machines by licensing operators, with resulting revenue gains through licence fees and taxation of monies invested. The licensed operation of gaining machine is the subject of state legislation and regulation. The regulations almost always dictates a minimum percentage payout for a gaming machine, for example, a minimum of 85% of monies invested must be returned as winnings. A manufacturer of gaming machines must therefore design their machines around these regulatory controls.

To ensure that each gaming machine is operated within the regulations, and to allow auditing of gaming machines, electro-mechanical hard meters are installed in gaming machines. Gaming machines often include up to eight such meters, one meter may record the number of coins put into the machine. Other meters may record the number of coins paid out, the number of games won, the number of games played, the amount of cancelled credits, the total money in, or the total money out. The meters record such data and other data relating to machine functions as required by the relevant regulations of the State or Country in which the gaming machine is installed. Each item of data relating to a machine function which has to be recorded has its own associated meter. That arrangement enables the gaming machine to be audited to check that the machine is being operated under the guidelines of that particular State or Country and that the correct taxes have been paid for that machine. The meters must be "hard" - ie. they must retain their data when the machine is powered down. The meters comprise electro-mechanical counters which, as is well .known,

operate by stepping a series of reels bearing the numbers 0 to 9. To save space, the reels of the electro-mechanical counters commonly used in gaming machines tend to be very small and the size of the figures on the reel can be as small as 1mm. The meters are located inside the housing of the gaining machine, and a torch is usually required to enable an engineer, or the like, to read the meter. The above makes meter reading a time consuming and awkward process, particularly since eight such meters may have to be read.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the above- mentioned disadvantages. Summary of the Invention

Thus according to the present invention there is provided a meter assembly for an electronic gaming machine, including a gaming machine control unit , the meter assembly comprising:- a controller adapted to be operatively connected to the control unit of the gaming machine so as to receive data, including data values related to selected gaming machine functions, from the electronic gaming machine; a non-volatile memory (such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a static random access memory SRAM) coupled to a back-up battery, a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM). a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) or a Flash memory), operatively connected to the controller and adapted to store data supplied by the controller including a data value for selected gaming machine functions and, optionally, an indication of what machine function each stored data value relates to; and a display means operatively connected to the controller for displaying data values stored in the electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

The meter assembly of the present invention may be retro-fitted to existing gaming machine to replace the existing electro-mechanical hard meters used in such machines. The present invention also provides a gaining machine incorporating the meter assembly of the present invention.

The present invention simplifies the manufacture of the gaming machine since only one meter assembly is required. The memory can store data relating to many different functions of the machine.

It is preferred that the non-volatile memory may be socketed.

In a preferred embodiment the display means is an alpha numeric LCD display. It is preferred that a key-switch is used to enable the display thereby restricting access to the metered data.

In a preferred embodiment once displaying of the metered dala has been enabled by turning the key-switch to the on position, data value relating to a first machine function, say the number of coins inserted into the machine, is presented on the LCD. After a period of time, typically 5 to 10 seconds, the display then progresses to the next data value, relating to second machine function and so on. To enable the metered data to be viewed when the electronic game machine is powered down a backup battery is provided to power the LCD and controller during this period.

It is preferred that the system is arranged so that the back light for the LCD display is not powered by the back-up battery during power down conditions. This arrangement prevents excessive drain on the battery's power, since powering a light uses a lot of energy.

Conveniently, the controller may include means for predicting when the back-up battery is low. or about to fail, and displaying a message on the LCD to that effect. Conveniently, a metal enclosure is provided which encloses at least the controller, the enclosure being provided within the body of the electronic gaming machine.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 shows a gaining machine cabinet;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a metering system embodying the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a slot machine control circuit. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is housed in a conventional slot or gaining machine cabinet 2 including a prize display 4, a coin entry slot 6, a payout tray 8, a game display means 9, and internally mounted game control processor circuits, (refer to Figure 3).

Typically, the game display means ϋ comprises a video display screen controlled to display images of the game being played such as cards dealt in a particular hand if the gaming machine is programmed to play a card game such as poker, or simulations of rotating reels if the machine is a "fruit machine" The video screen is preferably of the touch sensitive variety, having an array of touch sensitive areas located on the screen surface. Player controls are implemented by displaying images corresponding to controls on the screen such that when the control images are touched, the associated function is caused to be performed. Turning to figure 2 which illustrates the meter system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a controller 10 is operatively connected to receive data from a serial peripheral interface 11 (SPI interface) of a standard gaining machine control processor 12 of an electronic gaming machine EGM. As is well known, this processor 12 forms part of a gaming machine control unit 30 which drives the display screen 9 and receives touch input signals from the from touch sensors 32 as well as receiving coin input pulses from a coin chute mechanism 33, and driving a coin payout mechanism 34. Alternatively, cash credits may be remotely transferred to and from the gaming machine control unit 30 electronically via an external central credit control unit linked to a number of gaming machines.

Instead of being connected to the SPI interface, the controller may receive pulse based data input 13 from a communication link with the control unit 12 of the electronic gaming machine. The controller is powered by a 5 volt power supply 14 from the electronic gaming machine. A back-up battery 16 is provided which can supply electrical power to the controller if the electronic gaming machine is powered down.

The controller 10 is connected to an alpha numeric LCD display 18 turned on and off via a key-switch 19, and to an electrically erasable programmable read only memory EEPROM 20. In use. information which would normally be stored on a number of electro-mechanical hard meters is transferred from the control unit 12 electronic gaming machine along the SPI interface 12 to the controller 10. The data is then transferred to the EEPROM 20 from the controller and written serially onto the EEPROM 20. The EEPROM 20 does not require power to maintain data once that data has been written to the EEPROM. therefore even if the power supply to the system fails or is switched off, the

information will still be held on the EEPROM 20. The system is therefore as tamper proof as existing electro-mechanical hard meters for gaining machines. The battery 16 is not necessary for maintaining information already written to the EEPROM. An EEPROM has a high, but limited, number of times (approximately

100,000 times) which data can be written to a particular location on the EEPROM. Therefore the controller also includes means for recording how many times the EEPROM has been serially written so that it can be replaced when necessary. In existing electronic gaining machines each time data relating to a metered function of the machine changes eg. a coin is entered into the machine, the reel of the associated dedicated electro-mechanical hard meter must be stepped to record that event. In the present embodiment, data can be held in the controller for a period of time before it is transferred to the EEPROM. So for example if ten coins are inserted into the machine, instead of incrementing a reel of an electro-mechanical meter ten times, once for each insertion of a coin into the machine, the controller stores the information relating to the ten events and then merely increments the data in the EEPROM relating to the insertion of coins by ten, once only. The system is arranged so that if the electronic gaming machine powers down while there is still information in the controller which needs recording in the EEPROM. the controller is powered by the back-up battery or retains enough power from the electronic gaming machine to transfer that information on the EEPROM and does so, as soon as the electronic gaining machine powers down. The batteiy should ensure that the controller 12 shuts down after the EGM, when the EGM is shut down.

The EEPROM also contains a labelling/description of each "meter" as well as the value associated with that meter.

The LCD display includes a key switch which is required to enable the display and which thus restricts access to the metered data to authorised keyholders.

In operation, once the key switch has been turned to the on position to enable displaying of metered data, the information stored relating to the first metered data is presented on the LCD. After a period of time, normally five to ten seconds the display progresses to the next meter's value and so on.

The alpha numeric LCD display will show a label or description, which identifies what metered data is being shown (up to eight characters) and a value of up to ten digits for each meter. Hence a twenty by one or sixteen by two LCD display can be used for displaying the metered data. The controller is arranged so that the sequential display process can be accelerated by operating the key switch to the section on off on within a short period, being approximately two seconds. This immediately steps the display to the next meters value.

The timed cycling or stepping through of all the meter values continues until the key switch is turned to the off position for a period greater than two seconds whereby the display will become blank.

At least the controller 10 is enclosed in a metal enclosure or casing 22. This is necessary to maintain the security of the meter. The system is includes means to detect opening of the metal enclosure by means of a micro switch 24. Opening of the metal enclosure may be detected even when the electronic gaming machine or control unit is powered down. It is preferred that the entire system is housed in a single location this location being the location at which the LCD is to display the metered data. In the embodiment in which the system is located in a single location the cabling to the controller and the display consists of a single unbroken cable extending from the electronic gaining machine logic cage which houses the control unit, into the electronic metering system metal enclosure.

In an alternative embodiment in which the system is not located at a single location, due for example to insufficient space, the controller 10 is housed in a metal enclosure in the body of the electronic gaming machine. A single unbroken cable extends from the electronic gaming machine logic cage into the controller. Another cable extends from the controller to the LCD display 18. The LCD is also housed in a metal container.

The hard meter system of the present invention may be retro-fitted to existing electronic gaining machines. The keyswitch may be retro-fitted to the existing machine or alternatively another pole may be added to an existing key-switch on the machine.

Thus the present invention provides a system which can replace an array of electromechanical meters which does not have to be stepped in the manner of the reels of electro-mechanical meters, which is easy to read and where values which would normally be stored on a number of different meters can all be displayed on the same display serially.

Although the specific embodiment describes a meter assembly including a EEPROM, it will be appreciated that the EEPROM could be replaced by other type of non-volatile memory such as static random access memory (SRAM) coupled to a back-up battery, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), non-volatile random access memory (NNRAM), or Flash memory.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.