Granted Patent B2

US 9,305,421 · App. 13/790,658 · Granted Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A gaming terminal, comprising:

one or more input devices configured to receive a wager from a player of the gaming terminal;

one or more display devices configured to display a wagering game; and

a power supply configured to power the one or more input devices and the one or more display devices, the power supply including:

an input receiving an input power from an electrical power source,

a plurality of outputs providing a plurality of output powers, wherein at least one of the output powers has an output voltage different from an output voltage of others of the output powers,

a power conversion module coupled to the input and the plurality of outputs, the power conversion module being configured to convert the input power received at the input to the plurality of output powers provided at the plurality of outputs,

a plurality of sensors, wherein a first of the sensors is communicatively coupled to the input and configured to measure an electrical characteristic of the input power and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the input power, and wherein each of second ones of the sensors is communicatively coupled to a respective one of the plurality of outputs and configured to measure an electrical characteristic of a respective one of the output powers and to generate a respective sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the respective one of the output powers,

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the sensors, the one or more processors being configured to determine log data based on the sensor signals, the log data including an indication of each measured electrical characteristic indicated by the sensor signals, and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory being configured to store the log data, the power conversion module being configured such that at least one of the plurality of outputs can be selectively activated and deactivated in response to a control signal generated by at least one of the one or more processors based on the stored log data.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein the log data further includes an indication of a time and a date associated with each of the measured electrical characteristics.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to determine the occurrence of a power event based on the log data determined by the one or more processors and one or more power event criteria stored in the memory.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 3 , wherein the power event includes at least one of an abnormal input power, a power surge, a power dip, an over-voltage, or an over-current.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 3 , further comprising an external system communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors, the one or more power event criteria being based on a signal received via the external system.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 3 , wherein the one or more power event criteria is automatically determined by at least one of the one or more processors based on the log data stored in the memory.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors are further configured to cause at least one of an audio notification or a video notification of the power event to be provided in response to the power event.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrical characteristics of the input power and the output powers comprises at least one of a voltage or a current.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is further configured to generate a control signal, the power conversion module being further configured to change the voltage provided by at least one of the plurality of outputs in response to the control signal.

10. A method of monitoring a power supply of a gaming terminal, comprising:

receiving, at an input of the power supply of the gaming terminal, an input power from an electrical power source;

converting the input power to a plurality of output powers;

providing, at a plurality of outputs of the power supply, the plurality of output powers to components of the gaming terminal, wherein at least one of the output powers has an output voltage different from an output voltage of others of the output powers;

measuring, via an input power sensor communicatively coupled to the input, an electrical characteristic of the input power and generating an input power sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the input power;

measuring, via a plurality of output power sensors each communicatively coupled to respective ones of the outputs, an electrical characteristic of a respective one of the output powers and generating a respective output power sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the respective one of the output powers; and

determining, by one or more processors, log data based on the sensor signals, the log data including an indication of each measured electrical characteristic indicated by the sensor signals;

storing, in a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the log data; and

selectively activating or deactivating at least one of the plurality of outputs in response to a control signal generated by at least one of the one or more processors based on the stored log data.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

analyzing the stored log data; and

providing a report based on the analysis of the stored log data.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, for each measurement of the electrical characteristic of the input power or any of the output powers, storing an associated time and a date in the memory.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the efficiency of the power supply by comparing the measured electrical characteristic of the input power to the sum of the measured electrical characteristic for each of the output powers.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether a power event has occurred based on the measurements of the respective electrical characteristic for the input power and the output powers.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a response to a power event based on one or more power event policies stored in the memory.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the response comprises deactivating at least one of the one or more outputs such that no output power is provided at at least one of the outputs.

17. A gaming terminal, comprising:

one or more input devices configured to receive player-inputs for playing a game;

one or more display devices configured to display the game;

a power supply including an input and a plurality of outputs providing a plurality of output powers, the power supply being configured to convert an input power received from an electrical power source at the input to a plurality of output powers provided at the plurality of outputs, at least one of the output powers having an output voltage different from an output voltage of others of the output powers;

a plurality of sensors, wherein a first of the sensors is communicatively coupled to the input and configured to measure an electrical characteristic of the input power and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the input power, and wherein each of second ones of the sensors is communicatively coupled to a respective one of the plurality of outputs and configured to measure an electrical characteristic of a respective one of the output powers and to generate a respective sensor signal indicative of the measured electrical characteristic of the respective one of the output powers;

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the one or more processors being configured to process the sensor signals received from the plurality of sensors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory being configured to store data based on the measured electrical characteristic indicated by the sensor signals, the data including an indication of the measured electrical characteristic and a time for each of the sensor signals generated by the plurality of sensors, the data being received from the one or more processors, at least one of the one or more processors being configured to analyze the data stored in the memory and generate a report based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more processors being configured to determine the occurrence of a power event based on the data and one or more power event criteria stored in the memory, the power supply being configured such that at least one of the plurality of outputs can be selectively activated and deactivated in response to a control signal generated by at least one of the one or more processors based on the stored data.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is further configured to conduct the game.

Assignments (9)