US 12,311,276 B1
Pinball machine with retrofittable accessory
George A. Gomez, Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Assigned to Stern Pinball, Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Filed by STERN PINBALL, INC., Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/364,249.
Application 17/364,249 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/361,311, filed on Jun. 28, 2021, granted, now 12,121,824.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/046,167, filed on Jun. 30, 2020.
Int. Cl. A63F 7/36 (2006.01); A63F 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC A63F 7/027 (2013.01) [A63F 7/36 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pinball machine comprising:
a plurality of game input devices;
a plurality of game output devices;
a processing device operably coupled to the plurality of game input devices and the plurality of game output devices, the processing device configured to control a first gameplay;
a memory coupled to the processing device and storing instructions that are executable by the processing device; and
a game accessory removably coupleable to the processing device, the game accessory containing an identifier that, when received by the processing device, causes the processing device to control a second gameplay different than the first gameplay,
wherein the game accessory comprises a plurality of lights, and wherein the processing device receives an indication of a ball interaction with a first game input device of the plurality of game input devices during the second gameplay and the processing device illuminates at least one of the plurality of lights, and
when all of the plurality of lights are illuminated, the processing device controls a third gameplay.