Abstract:
A countertop entertainment terminal includes a terminal housing containing components for a pay to play game terminal including a stereo sound system. The sound system includes a pair of tweeter speakers adjacent an upper edge of the terminal housing and a pair of midrange speakers located on opposite sides of a touchscreen supported by the terminal housing. A sub-woofer speaker is provided within the housing and is open to a side of the housing. In a preferred embodiment the stereo sound system uses subassemblies for each of the tweeter speakers, the midrange speakers and the sub-woofer speaker, simplifying securement within or to the housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates to countertop entertainment terminals, and in particular, such terminals for use in commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Countertop entertainment terminals are known, and in particular, these terminals have been used for pay to play game terminals. The original game terminals were designed to withstand significant abuse, and the games played on such terminals were designed to be of a short duration and relatively simple to play. In more recent years, the sophistication of the games has increased and the terminals now may store in excess of 150 games for play. More recently, there has been some initiative to allow these game terminals to include at least payment and ordering capability associated with the pay to play of various music selections typically associated with a digital jukebox. 
         [0003]    Game terminals are generally divided into countertop game terminals designed to be of a smaller size and sit on a counter or bar-type surface, and full-size game terminals which are self supporting structures having a large cabinet or pedestal and supported on a floor. With countertop terminals, the overall size of the terminal is restricted and the sound systems thereof are limited due to space limitations. Such countertop terminals have a relatively small footprint (i.e. occupy a small area on the support surface) and the terminals include both a coin box for collecting coin payments as well as a banknote cassette for storing received banknotes. 
         [0004]    The game terminal of the present application has a number of advantages over existing countertop game terminals with respect to both the sound system provided with the countertop terminal and improved cooling air circulation provided through the terminal. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A countertop entertainment terminal according to the present invention comprises a terminal housing containing therein a power supply, a CPU, a payment acceptor, a host of games stored in memory and accessible for play, and a stereo sound system; said housing supporting a touchscreen monitor to one side of said housing and having a game input control pad in front of and below said monitor. The housing supports two tweeter speakers adjacent an upper edge of the terminal housing and a pair of midrange speakers located on opposite sides of the housing and adjacent said monitor. The terminal further includes a woofer speaker interior to the terminal housing and associated with a speaker grating provided on a side of the terminal housing. 
         [0006]    According to an aspect of the invention, the touchscreen monitor is pivotally secured to the terminal housing adjacent a bottom edge of the touchscreen for pivotal movement between an in-use position with the monitor closing a large service port in a front surface of the terminal housing to a service position opening the large service port to provide access to the interior of the terminal housing. 
         [0007]    In a further aspect of the invention, the tweeter speakers are supported in a tweeter speaker subassembly. The tweeter speaker subassembly has one of the tweeter speakers supported at one end of the subassembly with the other tweeter speaker supported at an opposite end of the subassembly. 
         [0008]    In a preferred aspect of the invention, the tweeter subassembly is mounted to an upper edge of the terminal housing and extends above and is generally parallel to the upper edge of the terminal housing. 
         [0009]    According to an aspect of the invention, the midrange speakers are mounted in a midrange subassembly to position the midrange speakers either side of, and adjacent to, a lower edge of the touchscreen monitor. The midrange subassembly forms part of the terminal housing. 
         [0010]    In a preferred aspect of the invention, the midrange subassembly includes a speaker housing for each midrange speaker with each speaker housing being removable from the subassembly if required for speaker repair or replacement. 
         [0011]    In an aspect of the invention, the sub woofer speaker is secured in a sub woofer subassembly secured within the terminal housing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the game terminal; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  with the touchscreen shown in a surface position allowing access to certain internal components; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  showing additional cover elements provided within the game terminal; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view with both the coin box and banknote cassette removed, showing internal components of the game terminal; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a partial exploded perspective view of the game control input pad; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the game terminal in combination with a number of sub-assembly views showing the sound system components; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the rotatable base provided with the game terminal; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view showing both the coin box and banknote cassette used with the game terminal; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the coin box; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a rear perspective view showing the coin box and banknote cassette installed in the game terminal with a coin acceptor installed in the game terminal; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  showing the coin acceptor about to be installed in the game terminal. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The entertainment terminal  2  includes a high definition touchscreen  4  that is pivotally secured adjacent a bottom edge  5  thereof to the support housing  8 . The touchscreen includes a particular fastener arrangement  7  that is releasable from the rear of the terminal to allow the touchscreen  4  to move to the service position as generally shown in  FIG. 2 . A game control input pad  6  is provided at the base of the entertainment terminal, and allows a player to use both a joystick control generally shown as  6   a  or paddle controls indicated as  6   b  and  6   c  that are typically used for playing of the various games. Some of the games may only require use of the touchscreen  4  or use of the touchscreen in combination with input from the game control input pad  6  or use of the input pad  6  alone. 
         [0025]    The terminal includes a banknote input slot  12  allowing the player to obtain various credits for playing of the game terminal, and includes a coin input slot generally shown as  10  on an upper surface  11  of the terminal  2 . 
         [0026]    The game terminal includes a stereo sound system which in this case includes the tweeter assembly  20 , a mid-range speaker assembly  50  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) as well as the sub-woofer speaker assembly  28 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the tweeter sub-assembly includes tweeter speakers  22  and  24 , and this sub-assembly can be completed and installed on the game terminal as generally shown in  FIG. 6 . Similarly, the mid-range sub-assembly  50  includes mid-range speakers  52  and  54 , which are installed on the base portion  55 . Each of the mid-range speakers  52  and  54  are provided in their own housing, generally indicated as  52   a  and  54   a  with these housings being installed on the base portion  55 . With this arrangement, the individual speaker housings with the speakers enclosed therein can be provided on the base portion, and this simplifies installment of the mid-range speakers in the game terminal. 
         [0027]    The sub-woofer sub-assembly  28  includes the housing  28   a  enclosing the sub-woofer speaker  28   b . The actual housing  28  protects the sub-woofer speaker and again simplifies installment of the sub-woofer in the game terminal. The sub-woofer housing  28   a  includes an outlet port  28   c  for allowing the sound of the sub-woofer to pass out a side of the game terminal and through the grate generally shown as  13  in a side surface of the support housing  8 . 
         [0028]    The main purpose of the housing is to act as an acoustic suspension for the speaker. It has been designed as a tuned port enclosure to facilitate the best possible base frequencies acoustic response, utilizing the minimum available internal cabinet volume. The goal was to minimize the necessary cabinet footprint at the same time providing outstanding base response. 
         [0029]    With the structures generally shown in  FIG. 6 , the sound system for the entertainment terminal  2  includes rich stereo sound associated with a 5 speaker stereo system including two tweeters, two mid-range speakers and a sub-woofer speaker. 
         [0030]    In order to improve the sound associated with the game terminal, the terminal  2  includes an amplifier circuit board indicated as  32  in  FIG. 2 . It provides power amplification of the audio signal that is supplied to the five speaker sound system. With this particular structure, high quality sound is generated, improving both the capabilities of the entertainment terminal with respect to the sound quality associated with games, as well as the ability of the entertainment terminal to provide excellent sound output with respect to the playing of music recordings. This design also allows the terminal to be easily maintained should any of the components require placement. In this case, any of the sub-assemblies may be simply removed from the game terminal and a new sub-assembly installed. 
         [0031]    With the touchscreen monitor  4  in a pivoted forward service position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , certain components within the terminal can be serviced. This view also illustrates that the CPU sub-assembly  36  is accessible as well as the sound system amplifier  32 . In this case, a wiring and I/O cover  56  is in place, and this is covering the I/O board  42  shown in  FIG. 2  and various wiring that may be provided in the terminal. The I/O cover  56  is also a grated cover to allow for air circulation within the game terminal and cooling of the components behind cover  56 . 
         [0032]    With game terminals, there are a number of electrical components which are sensitive to operating temperatures. These components are common to most computer systems, and primarily include the power supply and the CPU. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the CPU sub-assembly  36  includes a cooling fan  37  open on the back surface of the CPU for drawing air provided to the component chamber  70  through the fan of the CPU, with this air being discharged at the exhaust port  39 . The exhaust port  39  is open to the housing  70  and the housing also includes its own exhaust port shown as  46 . Thus, air is drawn in through the air intake  62  provided below the power supply  60 , and this provides cooling air to the component chamber  70 . The fan of the CPU then directs a portion of this air through the CPU for cooling thereof. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , air passes through the power supply  60  with a portion of this air exiting through the first output grate  64  for entry into the component chamber  70 . A further portion of the air that is drawn in to the power supply passes through the power supply and exits through the second output grate shown as  66 . Thus, a portion of the airflow is used to cool the power supply and a further portion of the air is provided to the component chamber. This provides an efficient cooling of the components within the entertainment terminal  2 . The fans are partially enclosed to provide efficient cooling and at the same time reduce propagation of the fan noise. Utilizing oversized fans provides improved airflow at lower rotational speeds. This dramatically reduces the fan noise. 
         [0034]    The exploded perspective view of  FIG. 5  shows the game control input pad  6  having a molded plastic base portion that receives the joystick controller  6   a  and the paddle controllers  6   b  and  6   c . A top cover  7   a  is also shown. 
         [0035]      FIG. 7  shows details of the rotatable base of the game terminal. 
         [0036]    Details of the coin box, the coin acceptor and the banknote cassette are shown in  FIGS. 8 through 11 . The entertainment terminal includes the coin box  80  having a coin slot  82  and an upper surface of the coin box that receives coins inserted through the coin slot  10  after they are accepted by the coin acceptor  100 . Accepted coins are captured within the coin box, and eventually coins within the coin box are collected by removing the coin box and dumping the coins by removing the plug portion  92 . 
         [0037]    The coin box  80  includes a base portion  84  having a support surface  88 . A front edge of the coin box is notched as shown at  86  to allow for air flow through the power supply. This aspect is shown in  FIG. 8 , where the coin box  80  is about to be inserted for support on surface  90  of the power supply. The notched portion overlies the grates of the power supply and thereby allows air to circulate through the power supply. 
         [0038]    The coin acceptor  100  is releasably secured within the game terminal by engagement with the support bracket  102 . The bracket  102  includes bottom support slots  104  and upper slots  106 . The acceptor  100  includes securing pins  110  provided on the sides of the coin acceptor and the bottom pins are first inserted into slots  104 , basically captured in the support bracket, and the coin acceptor is then pivoted forward and located within the slots  106 . This action causes the spring latch  108  to be biased upwardly and then capture and retain one of the pins  110 . This simplifies the securement and release of the coin acceptor within the device. With the coin acceptor properly positioned, coins enter the coin acceptor through slot  112  and pass out the bottom of the coin acceptor for entry in the coin slot  82  of the coin box. Coins are initially provided to the coin acceptor through a coin channel provided within an upper portion of the game terminal  2 . Coins are inserted through coin slot  10  and pass out the discharge slot  114  for entry into the coin acceptor  100 . The tweeter speaker subassembly partially defines a coin slot passage. 
         [0039]    The banknote cassette  120  is inserted into the terminal from the back thereof and cooperates with the banknote input slot  12 . Basically, the banknote input slot  12  includes a validator to confirm the validity of the banknotes, and valid banknotes are then stored in the banknote cassette  120 . If a banknote is not acceptable, it is returned through the banknote input slot  12 . 
         [0040]    It has been found that the entertainment terminal  2  provides the additional capabilities of a high quality stereo sound system that enhances both the play associated with games of the entertainment terminal. The terminal also provides high quality reproduction of sound recordings that may be provided to the entertainment terminal. The countertop design accommodates an effective sub-woofer speaker that has not been previously possible in such countertop terminals. The sub-assembly of the stereo sound system allows for high durability as well as ease of replacement should any of the sub-assemblies require attention. 
         [0041]    The countertop entertainment terminal preferably uses a 22 inch touch screen and can be placed on a countertop in a space approximately 24 inches by 20 inches. 
         [0042]    Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.