EP1274054A2 - Machine à jeux - Google Patents

Machine à jeux Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1274054A2
EP1274054A2 EP02254642A EP02254642A EP1274054A2 EP 1274054 A2 EP1274054 A2 EP 1274054A2 EP 02254642 A EP02254642 A EP 02254642A EP 02254642 A EP02254642 A EP 02254642A EP 1274054 A2 EP1274054 A2 EP 1274054A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
main
symbols
display device
player
feature
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP02254642A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1274054A3 (fr
Inventor
Dov Liam Randall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Brightstar Lottery UK Solutions Ltd
Original Assignee
IGT UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by IGT UK Ltd filed Critical IGT UK Ltd
Publication of EP1274054A2 publication Critical patent/EP1274054A2/fr
Publication of EP1274054A3 publication Critical patent/EP1274054A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G07F17/3244—Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Definitions

  • This invention relates to player-operable entertainment machines, particularly coin-operated entertainment machines, which may be amusement with prizes (AWP) machines, such as "fruit” or “poker” machines, of the kind having a main display device operable in play of a main game for displaying a selected combination of symbols at a win zone.
  • ADP amusement with prizes
  • coin is intended also to cover tokens, charge or credit cards or any other means of supplying credit or monetary value.
  • the main display device of a fruit machine may comprise multiple side-by-side reels, say three or four reels, which are rotatable about a common horizontal axis within a housing behind a window at the win zone.
  • Each reel has symbols at equally spaced positions around its periphery and the reels can be brought to rest with one symbol on each reel displayed through the window on a win line.
  • a panel having sections which can be selectively illuminated to represent movement from location to location along a trail, particularly along a wraparound trail, which may simulate the playing of a board game.
  • Play is transferred from the main reels to the trail of the feature game on a random or predetermined basis and illumination of the panel sections may then be effected by, or in correspondence with, a rotatable subsidiary feature reel, or otherwise, representing the spin of a reel or roll of a dice or other selection.
  • Awards or award possibilities may be made available to the player in dependence on the location on the trail to which play has progressed.
  • These awards may take the. form of play features or bonuses which can be used by the player, such as holds or nudges.
  • play in order to attain these awards play must first transfer to the feature game which typically happens in only a small number of main games whereby entertainment value to the player may be limited.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide enhanced possibilities for player entertainment associated with the making available of player awards.
  • an entertainment machine having a main display device for use in playing main games involving the selection and display of symbols, and at least one supplementary play feature involving the selection and display of indications at least some of which correspond to awards in the form of player features or bonuses, characterised in that the supplementary play feature is initiated for at least some main games to effect automatic selection and display of at least one said indication.
  • Initiation of the supplementary play feature may occur on all occasions when a main game is available.
  • the play feature may be initiated on only some such occasions as determined on a predictable, random or pseudo random basis, e.g. on every third occasion.
  • Initiation of the play feature is preferably effected by or in correspondence with the occurrence of the associated main game and preferably occurs during the main game, particularly such that the play feature terminates i.e. displays the selected indication, substantially simultaneously with termination of the main game i.e. when the selected symbols are displayed.
  • initiation of the play feature may also occur at a different time relative to the main game e.g. after completion of the main game.
  • initiation of the play feature occurs automatically i.e. under control of the machine, although it may also be possible to provide for operation of a player control to initiate, or accept availability of the feature.
  • these may take any suitable form but preferably consist of one or more of:
  • this preferably is achieved with a supplementary display device which operates to effect progression from position to position along a track having multiple positions therealong which respectively correspond to the said indications.
  • the positions may be provided on a light transmitting panel, said progression being effected by successive back illumination of the positions, and the selection of one said indication being effected by arresting the progression such that only the position corresponding to the said one indication is back-illuminated.
  • the track is in the form of a closed loop so that progression occurs around the loop along a predetermined succession of the said positions.
  • progression may follow a random or pseudo random course from position to position.
  • the track may be of the form of a single elongate path or trail having the said positions end to end whereby progression can occur only along the path.
  • the positions may be arranged with a branching trail, or in a grid or matrix or other arrangement so as to connect, and permit progression, along a range of paths.
  • an entertainment machine having a main display device for use in playing main games involving the selection and display of symbols, and at least one supplementary play feature involving the selection and display of indications at least some of which correspond to awards in the form of player features or bonuses, characterised in that the supplementary play feature is initiated for at least some main games, and a supplementary display device is provided which operates to effect progression from position to position along a track having multiple said positions therealong which respectively correspond to the said indications, said track being in the form of a path extending at least partially around the said main display device.
  • This second aspect of the invention may incorporate any or all of the features of the first aspect of the invention and in particular the track preferably extends wholly, in a closed loop, around the main display device.
  • the entertainment machine is an 'amusement with prizes' (AWP) machine particularly of the fruit machine or poker machine kind using actual (or simulated) rotatable reels as mentioned above.
  • ADP 'amusement with prizes'
  • Figure 1 shows a fruit machine having a floor-standing box shaped housing 1 having a front wall which includes upper and lower glass panels 2, 3, a number of operating buttons 5, 6, 24, 25, a coin slot 7 and a payout opening 8.
  • the housing 1 there are three axially aligned reels 9 having say 20 symbols at regularly spaced positions around their peripheries.
  • the reels 9 are axially rotatable and are drivably connected to respective steppers motors 10.
  • the reels 9 are arranged behind a window 11 defined by a printed region of the lower glass panel 3.
  • Each reel 9 can be arrested by the respective stepper motor 10 in any of 20 stopping positions in which one symbol is in precise registration with a horizontal win line in the centre of the window 11 and two further symbols are visible above and below the win line.
  • the stepper motors 10 are connected to a microprocessor-based control unit 12. This unit is also connected to a coin-mechanism 13, a payout mechanism 14 and the buttons 5, 6, 24, 25.
  • the player inserts coins into the coin mechanism 13 through the slot 7 sufficient to generate credit for one or more games.
  • the amount of credit is shown on an LED or LCD display 22 and the machine is actuated so that a main game can now be played.
  • the main game commences after a start button 5 has been pressed and the reels 9 spin and then come to rest so as to select a combination of symbols displayed on the win line.
  • the displayed symbol combination is assessed by the control unit 12 and a win indication is given in the event that the combination is of a predetermined winning nature.
  • the control buttons 6 can be used to perform 'hold' or 'nudge' functions, when made available to the player, so that the player can seek to influence the outcome of a game, in conventional manner.
  • the upper panel 2 is a transparent glass panel and within this there is a printed display region 15, which can be back-illuminated with a bank of lamps 16, and which provides a conventional supplementary feature game.
  • this feature game comprises a wraparound trail 17 comprising a series of printed sections marked with decoration, information and symbols.
  • the lower panel 3 has a closed-loop track 19 around the window 11 defined by a series of end to end positions 20 (i.e. printed sections) marked with indications as shown in more detail in Figure 3.
  • positions 20 can be selectively back-illuminated with a bank of lamps 16a.
  • the positions can be back-illuminated successively one at a time to effect progression repeatedly around the track, and the progression can be arrested to leave the last-illuminated position selected by constant back-illumination thereof.
  • the bank of lamps 16a is actuated to effect progression around the track 19.
  • This progression may occur during the spinning of the reels 9 and may terminate, to cause one of the positions 20 to be selected, when the reels 9 stop.
  • the progression may start simultaneously with the initiation of reel spinning and may stop simultaneously with the last to stop of the reels 9.
  • the progression may continue for a number of complete circuits around the track. Most preferably the speed of progression is slow enough to enable the player to see individually back-illuminated sections but fast enough to enable a number of circuits to be completed. It is however possible to utilise slower or faster speeds.
  • the back-illumination may be of variable intensity such that a lower intensity, subdued light level is used during progression, and the selected position 20 is then back-illuminated with a constant higher light intensity.
  • the indications on the positions 20 correspond to bonus awards. When one such position has been selected the corresponding bonus award is implemented.
  • bonus awards consist of the following:
  • Bonus awards can be made available in a particularly interesting manner, without requiring transfer to the feature game.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)
  • Display Devices Of Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
  • Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
EP02254642A 2001-07-03 2002-07-02 Machine à jeux Withdrawn EP1274054A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0116239 2001-07-03
GB0116239A GB2379789A (en) 2001-07-03 2001-07-03 Entertainment machine with supplementary feature concurrent with main game

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1274054A2 true EP1274054A2 (fr) 2003-01-08
EP1274054A3 EP1274054A3 (fr) 2004-01-28

Family

ID=9917849

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02254642A Withdrawn EP1274054A3 (fr) 2001-07-03 2002-07-02 Machine à jeux

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1274054A3 (fr)
GB (1) GB2379789A (fr)
NO (1) NO20023211L (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2387949A (en) * 2002-04-13 2003-10-29 Jpm Internat Ltd Gaming machine with skill stop feature
EP1463009A3 (fr) * 2003-03-28 2005-07-27 IGT-UK Limited Machine de divertissement

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2062922B (en) * 1979-10-27 1983-12-07 Jpm Automatic Machines Ltd Coin-operated or coin-feed gaming or amusement machines
GB2090690B (en) * 1981-01-05 1984-04-11 Summit Coin Ltd Coin-freed gaming machine
GB2165385B (en) * 1984-10-04 1987-12-31 Barcrest Ltd Entertainment machines
GB2170937B (en) * 1985-01-24 1987-11-11 Thomas Limited Arthur Edward Gaming machines
GB8612480D0 (en) * 1986-05-22 1986-07-02 Bell Fruit Mfg Co Ltd Gaming & amusement machines
JP3113127B2 (ja) * 1993-07-15 2000-11-27 株式会社エース電研 遊技機の回転ドラム式役物装置
AU3478199A (en) * 1998-04-13 1999-11-01 Game Data, Inc. Casino game with combination display
GB2333880B (en) * 1998-07-09 2001-03-14 Barcrest Ltd Entertainment machines
US6174234B1 (en) * 1998-08-14 2001-01-16 H. Betti Industries, Inc. Player activated matching jackpot device
GB2349494B (en) * 1999-03-02 2003-04-09 Igt Uk Ltd Entertainment machines
GB9928839D0 (en) * 1999-12-06 2000-02-02 Impulse Gaming Limited Game machines
GB2353128B (en) * 2000-09-01 2001-08-01 Mazooma Games Ltd Gaming and amusement machines

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2387949A (en) * 2002-04-13 2003-10-29 Jpm Internat Ltd Gaming machine with skill stop feature
EP1463009A3 (fr) * 2003-03-28 2005-07-27 IGT-UK Limited Machine de divertissement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0116239D0 (en) 2001-08-29
NO20023211L (no) 2003-01-06
EP1274054A3 (fr) 2004-01-28
NO20023211D0 (no) 2002-07-02
GB2379789A (en) 2003-03-19

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