Patent ID: 7670224

Claim:
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a housing; a display unit that is capable of generating video images mounted in the housing; a value input device mounted in the housing, the value input device being one of a coin acceptor, a paper currency acceptor, or a ticket reader/printer; a value output device mounted in the housing; a detection device operable to detect presence of a person and a direction in which the person is moving; a timer circuit; a controller operatively coupled to the display unit, the value input device, the value output device, the detection device and the timer circuit, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the detection device comprising: a motion detector having a first field of vision and a second field of vision, wherein the motion detector is operable to generate a first type of electrical pulse in response to detection of a person in the first field of vision, and further operable to generate a second type of electrical pulse in response to detection of a person in the second field of vision, the controller being programmed to determine, in response to the first type of electrical pulse being generated first, that the person is moving in a first direction, and further programmed to determine, in response to the second type of electrical pulse being generated first, that the person is moving in a second direction, and the controller being programmed to generate a signal indicating detection of a person in response to the first type of electrical pulse or the second type of electrical pulse; the controller being programmed to determine that no person is within a determined distance of the gaming apparatus in response to a failure to detect a person during a first time interval, the controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager via the value input device, the controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on the display unit, the video image representing a game, the controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game represented by the video image and to provide the value payout via the value output device; the controller being programmed to cause the timer circuit to measure a period of time after the detection device determines that no person is within the determined distance of the gaming apparatus; the controller being programmed to compare the period of time to a predetermined time duration; the controller being programmed to cause the gaming apparatus to enter a sleep mode after the period of time equals the predetermined time duration in which power supplied to a plurality of different components of the gaming apparatus is reduced; the controller being programmed to cause the gaming apparatus to terminate the sleep mode when the detection device detects a person, to cause power to the plurality of different components of the gaming apparatus to be increased; and the controller being programmed to vary the predetermined time duration throughout the day.