Gaming machine and system with integrated public address

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026094497-A1
Application number	US-202418900815-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2024
Priority date	Sep 29, 2024
Publication date	Apr 2, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gaming machine, public address system, and gaming system are provided with a public address system integrated into the gaming machines to use the gaming machine speakers for public address audio. The public address system includes a microphone amplifier adapted for coupling to a microphone and producing a first audio signal. An audio signal distribution module receives the first audio signal and transmits a version of the audio signal to a plurality of gaming machine audio systems. In each gaming machine audio system, a mixer operable to receive the version of the first audio signal and mix it with a second audio signal produced in the gaming machine and feed a mixed signal to an audio power amplifier circuit driving the gaming machine speakers.

First claim

1 . A public address system for a group of gaming machines comprising:
a microphone amplifier adapted for coupling to a microphone and producing a first audio signal; an audio signal distribution module operable to receive the first audio signal and transmit a version of the first audio signal to a plurality of gaming machine audio systems; and in each gaming machine audio system, a mixer operable to receive the version of the first audio signal and mix it with a second audio signal produced in the gaming machine and feed a mixed signal to an audio power amplifier circuit driving a plurality of audio speakers.

2 . The public address system of claim 1 wherein:
the audio signal distribution module comprises a splitter coupled to the microphone amplifier, and multiple respective cables carrying signals from outputs of the splitter to respective inputs of the mixers of respective ones of the gaming machines.

3 . The public address system of claim 1 further comprising:
an external audio connector presented at an external surface of a respective cabinet of each of the group of gaming machines and coupled to the respective mixer.

4 . The public address system of claim 1 wherein:
the audio signal distribution module comprises an analog-to-digital converter feeding a network interface coupled to a network on which the group of gaming machines is connected; and
each of the group of gaming machines is operable to receive the version of the first audio signal over the network and digitally mix the first and second audio signals and feed a resulting digital signal to a digital-to-analog converter.

5 . The public address system of claim 1 further comprising:
a configurable public address volume level setting for the mixer, wherein the mixer is operable to provide a designated volume level for the first audio signal responsive to value of the public address volume level setting.

6 . The public address system of claim 1 wherein:
the mixer is further operable to mix a third audio signal with the first and second audio signals, the third audio signal received over a network from a tournament server.

7 . A gaming machine system comprising:
a group of gaming machines each including a controller, a display system coupled to the controller, a player interface system coupled to the controller, and an audio system coupled to the controller and including a plurality of audio speakers driven with audio amplifier circuitry coupled to the plurality of audio speakers for playing game audio events; a tournament controller coupled to the plurality of gaming machines over a network; and a group public address system comprising a microphone, a microphone amplifier coupled to the microphone, and an audio signal distribution module operable to receive a first audio signal from the microphone and transmit a version of the first audio signal to a plurality of gaming machine audio systems; and in each gaming machine audio system, a mixer operable to receive the version of the first audio signal and mix it with a second audio signal produced in the gaming machine, and feed a resulting mixed signal to the audio amplifier circuitry.

8 . The gaming machine system of claim 7 wherein:
the audio signal distribution module comprises a splitter coupled to the microphone amplifier, and multiple respective cables carrying signals from outputs of the splitter to respective inputs of the mixers of the gaming machines.

9 . The gaming machine system of claim 7 further comprising:
an external audio connector presented at an external surface of a respective cabinet of each of the group of gaming machines and coupled to the respective mixer.

10 . The gaming machine system of claim 7 wherein:
the audio signal distribution module comprises an analog-to-digital converter feeding a network interface coupled to the network on which the group of gaming machines is connected; and
each of the group of gaming machines is operable to receive the version of the first audio signal over the network, digitally mix the first and second audio signals in the mixer, and feed a resulting digital signal to a digital-to-analog converter.

11 . The gaming machine system of claim 10 wherein:
the audio signal distribution module is configured to perform a network broadcast of the version of the first audio signal over the network to a first configurable set of gaming machines over the network.

12 . The gaming machine system of claim 7 further comprising:
a configurable public address volume level setting for the mixer, wherein the mixer is operable to provide a designated volume level for the first audio signal responsive to value of the public address volume level setting.

13 . The gaming machine system of claim 7 wherein:
the mixer is further operable to mix a third audio signal with the first and second audio signals, the third audio signal received over the network from the tournament controller.

14 . The gaming machine system of claim 13 wherein:
the tournament controller is configured to perform a network broadcast of the third audio signal to a selected sub-group of gaming machines on the network, the selected sub-group of the gaming machines configurable at the tournament server.

Assignees

• Everi Games Inc

Inventors

• Knipp Lawrence J
• Fazio Carolyn Jean
• Macdonald Mark Douglas
• Turner William Gregory

Classifications

• G07F17/3276

  wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G07F17/323 Primary

  wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions · CPC title