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1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to devices to provide an assistive listening device for gaming machines. Particularly, electronic slot machines, i.e. video card and wheel machines.
2. Description of the Prior Act
There are a variety of video and slot machines that are used throughout the world for the purpose of entertainment. The current machines use the senses of touch, sound and sight to stimulate the person and provide an interactive gaming experience through visual graphics and various sounds. The current technology does not accommodate a person who is blind or visually impaired, hence not allowing equal access to persons with such disabilities.
This invention will provide equal access to persons who are blind and/or visually Impaired so that they can freely enjoy the gaming experience by modifying the machines software allowing the machine to communicate verbally with the player through the jack.
Accordingly, there is a need and arguably a mandate by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which guarantees equal access to persons with disabilities.
An external jack installed on a gaming machine to accommodate a headset which fits into the jack. The customer purchases the headset.
The gaming machine is already equipped to determine the monetary denomination as well as the amount of credits.
Through the headset, the customer would hear “You have (80) eighty credits. It will also tell they are playing a “quarter machine”, or which ever denomination the customer has selected. It will also tell them whether they have placed (1) one bet, or bet the maximum amount.
If they have a winning hand, or winning spin they will hear this through the headset. It would sound if they were playing the Red, White and Blue, “single bar, double bar”. “You have won (5) five credits;” plus state what the remaining credits are. If there was no win, they would hear “Sorry! No win”, and be given the total of their remaining credits.
With Video Poker, it would tell them (5) cards have been dealt; ten of clubs, ace of diamonds, two of hearts, two of spades and three of clubs. After the customer has held the cards desired, they will hear what cards they have held. After they have re-dealt the discarded cards, they will hear their final hand. If they lost the hand, they would hear their final credits.
If the customer desires to “cash out”, they would hear “You are now cashing out, (425) four hundred twenty-five coins” (nickels, quarters or dollars).
There are many different gaming machines manufactured by many different Companies throughout the world. The first aspect of the intervention is an external jack that can be located at various locations of a particular video slot, video poker, slot machines or any other style of electronic gaming machine in the industry. The external jack will be wired into the MPU or motherboard of the gaming machine and mounted on the face or one of the sides of the machine. The external jack will have an input location for a pair of external headphones to be plugged into. By having the external jack wired into the machines MPU or motherboard will allow a modified software to communicate what is occurring during the playing of the gaming machine by using words. In the adaptation of a video poker game, the machine will communicate with the player who is using the external jack by using audible words through the headphones to tell the user what cards are being displayed on the machine. It will also audibly tell the user what hands he/she has, the amount of credits available and the amount won or lost accordingly. In the adaptation of video slot machine game, the machine will communicate with the player who is using the external jack by using audible words through the headphones to tell the user what items are being displayed on the machine. It will also audibly tell the user what items he/she has, the amount of credits available and the amount won or lost accordingly.