GB2267772A

GB2267772A - Gaming machines

Info

Publication number: GB2267772A
Application number: GB9212378A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Dinning; Neil Beverley Coates
Original assignee: P C P MICRO PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: P C P MICRO PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-06-11
Filing date: 1992-06-11
Publication date: 1993-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-11
Also published as: GB2267772B; GB9212378D0

Abstract

A gaming machine such as a fruit machine comprises a cabinet, and a rolling element e.g. in the form of a ball or roller mounted in the cabinet so that the upper portion of the element is accessible to the machine player. Transducer means (not shown) responsive to rolling movement of the element provide a control signal, and control means responsive to the control signal influence, at least at times, the course or result of a game played on the machine. <IMAGE>

Description

GAMING MACHINES This invention relates to gaming machines, particularly but not exclusively, to so-called "fruit machines" in which a plurality of reels (or their optical equivalents) are set in motion and a prize is awarded in dependence upon the positions in which fruit symbols (or other symbols) come to rest.

According to the invention a gaming machine comprises a cabinet, a rolling element mounted on or in the cabinet such that at least part of the rolling element is accessible to the machine player to enable the player to roll the element, transducer means responsive to rolling movement of the rolling element to provide at least one control signal, and control means responsive to the control signal to influence, at least at times, the course or result of a game played on the machine.

The rolling element may be a cylndrical roller mounted to rotate about the axis thereof, but preferably the rolling element is a ball, and the ball is mounted so as to be capable of being rotated in a plurality of directions relative to the cabinet, the transducer means being arranged to be responsive to the direction of the axis of rotation of the ball relative to the cabinet.

Rolling balls have been used for some time in video amusement machines, for example in a golf machine, but we are not aware of their use in gaming machines, particularly in fruit machines.

The control signal can be used in various ways to influence the operation of the gaming machine.

The control signal may be used to influence movement of the reels themselves or to influence the progress or selection of machine features.

The control signal can be arranged to differ according to the speed and/or direction in which the ball is rotated by the machine player. Thus, it can be arranged that the player can select a feature or mode of operation of the machine by selecting the direction in which he or she rotates the ball.

Alternatively, or in addition, it may be arranged that the rate of progress of a progressive feature may be altered by altering the speed of rotation of the ball.

The ball may be located at any convenient position on the external surface of the cabinet. One side of the ball may be arranged to project through a hole in the cabinet.

In a preferred arrangement the hole is provided in a glass panel forming part of the machine cabinet. Such a glass can be printed in well-known manner with instructions, symbols and artwork.

Many machines have two glass panels, an upright one and a more horizontal one, and preferably the ball, or roller, protrudes through a hole in the more horizontal glass panel.

Various examples of machine features or operations which can be controlled or influenced by such a rolling element, in accordance with the invention, will now be briefly discussed.

(i) Examples of progressive features which may be selected or speed-controlled by the use of the ball or roller are gambles and climb features. Thus it can be arranged that the faster the rolling element is spun, the greater the movement of the feature.

(ii) The operation of a high/low gamble reel could be arranged to be set in motion by operation of the rolling element.

(iii) In conjunction with a plasma display, such a shooting arrows at moving targets.

In the accompanying schematic drawings, Figure 1 shows a partial side view of the cabinet of a machine in accordance with the invention and showing a ball-rolling element, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the more horizontal panel of the machine showing selected directions in which the ball can be rolled to achieve different control functions. The arrows can be printed on the panel, which is preferably glass.

A typical ball assembly comprises a housing in which the ball is mounted, a pair of orthogonally-arranged sensor shafts engaging the ball, each shaft carrying a respective sensor star wheel, and respective inductive sensors for detecting movements of the star wheels.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising a cabinet, a rolling element mounted on or in the cabinet such that at least part of the rolling element is accessible to the machine player to enable the player to roll the element, transducer means responsive to rolling movement of the rolling element to provide at least one control signal, and control means responsive to the control signal to influence, at least at times, the course or result of a game played on the machine.

2. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the rolling element comprises a cylindrical roller mounted so as to rotate about the axis thereof.

3. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the rolling element comprises a ball mounted so as to be capable of being rotated in a plurality of directions relative to the cabinet, the transducer means being arranged to be responsive to the direction of the axis of rotation of the ball relative to the cabinet.

4. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the control signal is used to influence movement of the reels (or their optical equivalents) of the machine.

5. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal is arranged to differ according to the speed and/or direction in which the rolling element is rotate by the machine player.

6. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the rate of progress of a progressive feature may be altered by altering the speed of rotation of the rolling element.

7. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the rolling element is located so that a portion thereof projects through a hole in the cabinet.

8. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the hole is provided in a glass panel forming part of the cabinet.

9. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the glass panel bears printing.

10. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein the glass panel is one of two glass panels, one of which is disposed upright and the other is disposed more horizontal, the hole being formed in the more horizontal glass panel.

11. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the progressive feature is a gamble feature.

12. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the progressive feature is a climb feature.

13. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the progressive feature comprises a plasma display.

14. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 13, wherein said transducer means comprise a pair of orthogonallyarranged sensor shafts engaging the rolling element, each shaft comprising a respective sensor star wheel, and respective inductive sensors for detecting movements of the star wheels and thereby movement of the rolling element, and for emitting a control signal corresponding to said movements.

15. A gaming machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 14, wherein the control means comprise microprocessor means operable to control or influence operation of the machine.

16. A gaming machine as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the microprocessor means is controlled by a variable program manually selected by the machine player.

17. A gaming machine substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.