1. A gaming machine comprising:
a master gaming controller designed or configured to control one or more games played on the gaming machine and to communicate with a plurality of USB gaming peripherals using a USB compatible communications; and
the plurality of USB gaming peripherals coupled to the gaming machine and in communication with the master gaming controller, each of the plurality of USB gaming peripherals comprising:
a USB compatible communication connection,
one or more peripheral devices specific to each USB gaming peripheral wherein each peripheral device supports one or more USB features and wherein each USB feature is described using the USB protocol, and
a USB peripheral controller designed or configured i) to control the one or more peripheral devices and ii) to communicate with the master gaming controller and peripheral devices using the USB compatible communications, the USB peripheral controller comprising;
one or more USB compatible interfaces wherein each USB compatible interface is mapped to only a single USB feature in one of the peripheral devices and wherein each USB compatible interface is described using the USB protocal.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:
a USB compatible host controller.
3. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of USB compatible feature drivers wherein each feature driver communicates with a USB feature on one of the peripheral devices associated with the feature driver.
4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to run feature client processes that communicate with one of the USB features using an USB compatible feature driver.
5. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:
a USB compatible gaming peripheral class driver for driving each USB gaming peripheral.
6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the USB compatible gaming peripheral class driver is capable of interrogating the USB compatible interfaces to determine the USB features of the USB gaming peripheral.
7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the USB compatible gaming peripheral class driver is capable of loading USB compatible feature drivers for each determined USB feature.
8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to interrogate the USB gaming peripheral to determine capabilities of the USB gaming peripheral.
9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to load at least one of a USB gaming peripheral class driver, USB compatible feature drivers and combinations thereof for operating the determined capabilities of the USB gaming peripheral.
10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is a mechanical slot machine, a video slot machine, a keno game, a lottery game, or a video poker game.
11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller includes a memory storing one or more USB compatible drivers for at least some of the USB gaming peripherals.
12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller includes a memory storing software for encrypting, decrypting, or encrypting and decrypting the USB compatible communications between the master gaming controller and at least one of the USB gaming peripherals.
13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the USB peripheral controller includes a non-volatile memory arranged to store at least one of a) configuration parameters specific to the individual USB gaming peripheral and b) state history information of the USB game peripheral.
14. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the configuration parameters include a mapping of the USB compatible interfaces to the USB features.
15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more peripheral devices are selected from a group consisting of lights, printers, coin hoppers, bill validators, ticket readers, card readers, key pads, button panels, display screens, speakers, information panels, motors, mass storage devices and solenoids.
16. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the USB gaming peripheral further comprises:
a USB compatible device controller.
17. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the USB gaming peripheral further comprises:
a USB compatible hub.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A process for the production of hydrogen peroxide by the anthraquinone process in a continuously operated production plant, comprising:
(i) in a hydrogenation step, hydrogenating an organic working solution containing one or more anthraquinone derivatives in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, to form a hydrogenated working solution,
(ii) in an oxidation step, oxidizing the hydrogenated working solution to form an oxidized working solution, with the formation of hydrogen peroxide, by introducing an oxygen-containing oxidizing gas, at an excess pressure Pi of at least 1 bar into an oxidation reactor and contacting it with the working solution from step (i), withdrawing oxidation waste gas from the oxidation reactor and optionally purifying it in a waste-gas purification plant, and
(iii) recovering the hydrogen peroxide from the oxidized working solution,
wherein the oxidation waste gas has an excess pressure Pa which is less than Pi but greater than atmospheric pressure P0, and passing the oxidation waste gas as a flow of propellant gas to at least one gas jet and thereby producing a vacuum for auxiliary processes required in the anthraquinone process.
2. The process according to claim 1 further comprising using said vacuum for at least one of the following process steps:
drying extracted working solution from extraction prior to return of said extracted working solution to the hydrogenation step,
for distilling resulting aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution,
for drawing in ventilator gases at emission points of solvent vapours within the production plant.
3. The process according to claim 2 wherein said solvent vapours are from solvent storage tanks.
4. The process according to claim 1, wherein air or oxygen-enriched air as oxidizing gas is introduced into the oxidation reactor at an excess pressure Pi within the range of 2 to 15 bar.
5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing gas leaving the oxidation reactor at an excess pressure Pa within the range of 1 to 10 bar is passed, in the form of a propellant jet, to a gas jet.
6. The process according to claim 4, wherein the oxidizing gas leaving the oxidation reactor at an excess pressure Pa within the range of 1 to 10 bar is passed, in the form of a propellant jet, to a gas jet.
7. The process according to claim 1, further comprising in a dryer for drying extracted working solution, producing a dryer vacuum within the range of 10 to 300 mbar absolute, by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and vapours drawn to a waste-gas purification plant.
8. The process according to claim 4, further comprising in a dryer for drying extracted working solution, producing a dryer vacuum within the range of 10 to 300 mbar absolute, by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and vapours drawn to a waste-gas purification plant.
9. The process according to claim 5, further comprising in a dryer for drying extracted working solution, producing a dryer vacuum within the range of 10 to 300 mbar absolute, by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and vapours drawn to a waste-gas purification plant.
10. The process according to claim 1, further comprising at a head of a distillation device for concentrating aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, forming a distillation vacuum within the range of 20 to 200 mbar absolute by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and of previously at least partially condensed vapours to a waste-gas purification plant.
11. The process according to claim 4, further comprising at a head of a distillation device for concentrating aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, forming a distillation vacuum within the range of 20 to 200 mbar absolute by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and of previously at least partially condensed vapours to a waste-gas purification plant.
12. The process according to claim 5, further comprising at a head of a distillation device for concentrating aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, forming a distillation vacuum within the range of 20 to 200 mbar absolute by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and passing a mixture of propellant gas and of previously at least partially condensed vapours to a waste-gas purification plant.
13. The process according to claim 1, further comprising in order to prevent emissions of solvent from storage tanks containing organic solvents or working solution, drawing off ventilator gases by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and having a suction pressure within the range of less than atmospheric pressure up to 400 mbar absolute and passing a mixture of propellant gas and gases drawn in to a waste-gas purification plant.
14. The process according to claim 4, further comprising in order to prevent emissions of solvent from storage tanks containing organic solvents or working solution, drawing off ventilator gases by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and having a suction pressure within the range of less than atmospheric pressure up to 400 mbar absolute and passing a mixture of propellant gas and gases drawn in to a waste-gas purification plant.
15. The process according to claim 5, further comprising in order to prevent emissions of solvent from storage tanks containing organic solvents or working solution, drawing off ventilator gases by a gas jet operated by oxidation waste gas and having a suction pressure within the range of less than atmospheric pressure up to 400 mbar absolute and passing a mixture of propellant gas and gases drawn in to a waste-gas purification plant.
16. The process according to claim 1, further comprising passing a mixture of propellant gas and withdrawn gases through a bed of an adsorbent material, in an adsorption plant and freeing said mixture from organic constituents.
17. The process according to claim 16 wherein said bed of absorbent material is activated carbon or a zeolite.
18. The process according to claim 1 further comprising passing the oxidation waste gas to a first gas jet for the purpose of drawing off solvent vapours from storage tanks, and passing at least another gas jet to a dryer for producing the vacuum for the drying of the working solution andor to a distillation column to operate a distillation column.