Patents by Inventor Johann F. Graf

Johann F. Graf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8388444
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine and/or entertainment machine, in particular in the form of slot machines and/or gambling machines operable by coins and/or by monetary equivalents, having a plurality of screens for the presentation of information, in particular of game contents and/or of game information, which are directed toward a machine operating position, and having a control device for the control of the screens and/or for the control of game procedures. It is proposed to arrange a plurality of screens staggered behind one another and overlapping one another so that the viewing window onto at least one screen remains behind the actual screen surface of the screen with respect to format and/or size in order to accommodate a maximum number of screens in a compact arrangement, on the one hand, and in order not to be restricted to the desired field of view with respect to the formats of the screens to be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Novomatic AG
    Inventors: Johann F. Graf, Marek Gawel, Alexander Legat
  • Patent number: 8210949
    Abstract: A gaming, betting and/or entertainment machine, in particular a coin-and/or cash-operable gaming or betting machine, has a housing, a data processing unit accommodated in the housing, at least one display device for displaying game and/or entertainment signals, and an operating device for machine operation, which is disposed on the housing. The housing has a modular structure and a plurality of modules to be attached to each other, which each are preassembled with the electronic components attached thereto. A first housing module, which carries the data processing unit and possibly the operating means, includes a first connection interface, by which a respective second housing module, which carries the respective display device, can selectively be attached to the first housing module. The data processing unit in the first housing module advantageously has a detection device for self-detection of the respectively connected electronic components in or on the respectively attached further housing modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Novomatic AG
    Inventor: Johann F. Graf
  • Patent number: 8100248
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sorting coins and the like having a chute which has at least one inlet and a plurality of outlets. The chute has at least two flat side outlets which are arranged one above the other in the falling direction through the chute with a respective shunt being associated with the flat side outlets. The chute advantageously has two oppositely disposed wide flat sides and two oppositely disposed narrow sides. The wide flat sides are disposed opposite the wide flat sides of a coin. The coins are accordingly channeled away transversely to their flat sides via the flat side outlets. The plurality of flat side outlets arranged above one another have the great advantage in this respect that the coin sorting body can be made in particularly compact form. In addition, the small required switch paths permit very short switch times of the shunts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Novomatic AG
    Inventors: Johann F. Graf, Marek Gawel
  • Publication number: 20100197397
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine and/or entertainment machine, in particular in the form of slot machines and/or gambling machines operable by coins and/or by monetary equivalents, having a plurality of screens for the presentation of information, in particular of game contents and/or of game information, which are directed toward a machine operating position, and having a control device for the control of the screens and/or for the control of game procedures. It is proposed to arrange a plurality of screens staggered behind one another and overlapping one another so that the viewing window onto at least one screen remains behind the actual screen surface of the screen with respect to format and/or size in order to accommodate a maximum number of screens in a compact arrangement, on the one hand, and in order not to be restricted to the desired field of view with respect to the formats of the screens to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: NOVOMATIC AG
    Inventors: Johann F. GRAF, Marek GAWEL, Alexander LEGAT
  • Publication number: 20100048285
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic gaming and/or gambling machine, in particular to a slot machine which is coin operable or is operable by monetary equivalents, comprising a display apparatus for the display of at least one game and optionally additional information, with the display apparatus having at least a first and a second screen on which at least one screen display, preferably a main game, and one second screen display, preferably a bonus game and/or additional information, can be displayed as well as a control panel for the actuation of the gaming and/or gambling machine. In accordance with the invention, the electronic gaming and/or gambling machine is characterized in that a switching device is provided which is actuable by a machine user by an input device for the switching of the first screen representation from the first screen to the second screen and of the second screen representation from the second screen to the first screen or to a further screen and/or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: NOVOMATIC AG
    Inventors: Johann F. Graf, Eduard Svoboda
  • Publication number: 20090209324
    Abstract: A gaming, betting and/or entertainment machine, in particular a coin- and/or cash-operable gaming or betting machine, has a housing, a data processing unit accommodated in the housing, at least one display device for displaying game and/or entertainment signals, and an operating device for machine operation, which is disposed on the housing. The housing has a modular structure and a plurality of modules to be attached to each other, which each are preassembled with the electronic components attached thereto. A first housing module, which carries the data processing unit and possibly the operating means, includes a first connection interface, by which a respective second housing module, which carries the respective display device, can selectively be attached to the first housing module. The data processing unit in the first housing module advantageously has a detection device for self-detection of the respectively connected electronic components in or on the respectively attached further housing modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventor: Johann F. Graf
  • Publication number: 20090139829
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sorting coins, tokens, chips and the like having a chute which has at least one inlet and a plurality of outlets and which possesses a flat, substantially rectangular cross-section, in which a movable shunt is associated with at least one of the outlets, the shunt being movable between a channeling away position engaging into the chute and a passage position. It is proposed to provide the chute with at least three or also more outlets and to arrange them in a special manner in order to achieve a compact construction without any larger height losses despite the increased number of outlets. The chute has at least two flat side outlets which are arranged above one another in the falling direction through the chute and which branch off the chute at a flat side of the chute and which also have a base outlet which substantially branches off the chute in the falling direction, with a respective shunt being associated with the flat side outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Johann F. Graf, Marek Gawel