Patent ID: 6530842
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
An electronic gambling unit for allowing a user to play a video gambling game selected from the group of video gambling games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video bingo and video keno, the electronic gambling unit comprising:a seating unit comprising: a seat adapted to allow the user to sit thereon; an enclosure that defines a partially enclosed space, at least a portion of the seat being disposed in the partially enclosed space defined by the enclosure; and an occupancy sensor capable of generating an occupancy signal in response to the user sitting in the seating unit; a display unit associated with the seating unit, the display unit being capable of generating color images; a support mechanism coupled to the seating unit, wherein the support mechanism is capable of supporting the display unit in a plurality of positions including a first position in which the display unit occupies a position that does not impede the user from sitting down in the seat in the enclosure and a second position in which the display unit is disposed substantially in front of the user when the user is sitting on the seat; an input device that allows the user to make a plurality of input selections when the user is seated on the seat; a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing the user to deposit a medium of currency; and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the input device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the controller being programmed to allow the user to make a wager via the input device after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user; the controller being programmed to cause a sequence of video images to be generated on the display unit after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user, the sequence of video images representing a video gambling game selected from the group of video gambling games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video keno and video bingo, at least one of the images comprising an image of at least five playing cards if the video gambling game is video poker, at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the video gambling game is video slots, at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if the video gambling game is video blackjack, at least one of the images comprising an image of a bingo grid if the video gambling game is bingo, and at least one of the images comprising an image of a keno grid if the video gambling game is keno, the controller being programmed to determine, after the sequence of images has been displayed, an outcome of the video gambling game represented by the sequence of images and to determine a currency payout associated with the outcome of the video gambling game; and the controller being programmed to cause the support mechanism to move the display unit from the first position to the second position in response to receiving the occupancy signal generated by the occupancy sensor.