WO2004055747A1

WO2004055747A1 - Amusement machine

Info

Publication number: WO2004055747A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/005289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barry Marchini
Original assignee: Astra Games Limited
Priority date: 2002-12-14
Filing date: 2003-12-05
Publication date: 2004-07-01
Also published as: GB0229223D0; AU2003288422A1

Abstract

This invention relates to an amusement machine of the pusher type. Separate recirculation systems( 9, 12a, 2a) and (9, 12b and 2b) are provided to allow coin, or other elements or pieces, of different value to be introduced onto the playing surface (1), from whence they are subsequently displaced by the pusher mechanism (5), counted for prize awarding purposes, and sorted so that they are recirculated through the transport path associated with their value.

Description

Amusement Machine

This invention relates to an amusement machine.

Amusement machines often comprise a themed playfield onto which coins or tokens are fed. The playfield may be substantially horizontal and the coins or tokens are fed onto such a playfield by an inclined surface down which the coins or tokens cascade onto the playfield. Alternatively, the playfield itself may be substantially vertical, or at an incline and coins cascade down the playfield onto a substantially horizontal receiving surface or coin bed. Once the coins or tokens have reached a substantially horizontal surface, they are met be a pusher mechanism, which pushes the coins from the playing field or coin bed over an edge of the horizontal surface to a collection chute. The coins or tokens may then be paid out as winnings to a player.

Coin pusher amusement machines are described in GB 2124913 and GB 2272383, which discuss amusement machines, which have a horizontal playfield onto which coins are fed. A pusher periodically sweeps across the playfield and sweeps coins over the edge of the playfield into a win chute. The coins fall randomly into the win chute and if there is a build up of coins on the playfield, coins of several denominations may be fed into the chute. According to the present invention, there is provided an amusement machine including a playing surface having at least one entrance point through which game pieces can be fed to the playing surface, said game pieces being caused to travel over said playing surface towards an edge of said playing surface, the edge of said playing surface being associated with a pusher mechanism which pushes said game pieces either over the edge of the playing surface or over the edge of a game piece bed substantially at right angles to the game playing surface said game piece bed being arranged to receive game pieces from the game playing surface, characterised in that the pusher mechanism pushes said game pieces to a game piece collector which is associated with a game piece validator arranged to identify and optionally separate game pieces according to parameters recorded for game pieces, the validated games pieces then being either fed to a win chute and released from the amusement machine as a prize being or being directed to hoppers so that the game pieces can be recirculated to or stored by the amusement machine. In a first embodiment, preferably, the playing surface is a substantially vertical surface leading to a substantially horizontal game piece bed at substantial right angles over which the pusher mechanism sweeps, the pusher mechanism causing the game pieces to fall over an edge of the game piece bed into the game piece collector. In a second alternative embodiment, it is envisaged that the playing surface is substantially horizontal, with there being a substantially vertical game piece feed surface, by which game pieces may be fed onto the playing surface, the pusher mechanism being caused to sweep over the playing surface so that game pieces fall over an edge of the playing surface into the game piece collector.

In both of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention, it is preferred that the playing surface includes a plurality of alternative paths along which the game pieces may travel before exiting to the surface supporting the pusher mechanism. Further, it is envisaged that the pusher mechanism may comprise a single pusher or a plurality of reciprocating pushers passing over the playing surface or game piece bed. By having a number of paths on the playing surface and more than one pusher mechanism, this increases the randomness of the amusement machine and adds interest for a player. It is envisaged that the game pieces can be fed to the playing surface as a result of a winning line of symbols being displayed on the amusement machine, which again contributes to an increase in payability of the machine.

Preferably, the game pieces are coins or tokens of different denominations or values.

In a preferred arrangement, the coin collector is also associated with a regulator hopper, which controls the flow of game pieces that have been pushed over an edge of a surface by the pusher mechanism to the game piece collector. To control the flow of game pieces, preferably, the regulator hopper includes a rotating or oscillating disc, driven by a motor, said disc being arranged to receive game pieces, with there being apertures in the disc through which said received game pieces may pass when they align with the apertures during rotation oscillation of the disc. Preferably, the regulator hopper includes a jam detection unit to identify any game pieces that have become caught in the regulator hopper. It is envisaged that the game pieces received by the regulator hopper can be detected by an optical sensing unit that may also be used to detect the jamming of game pieces in the regulator hopper. The optical sensing unit preferably uses infrared beam, which is interrupted by game pieces passing through the beam and this interruption can be used to count game pieces. If game pieces are in the disc but there is no interruption of the beam over a given time period, this can be used to indicate that there is a potential jam in the regulator hopper ands a brake mechanism can be activated to halt the disc so that checks for or jams may be cleared.

In a preferred arrangement, the game piece validator comprises a series of chambers arranged to receive game pieces of different sizes. The chambers of the validator may be provided as a manifold, which may be arranged to route different game pieces to chambers, which are arranged to recognise and accept game pieces according to defined characteristics such as size, weight or visual characteristics these characteristics being store in a recess or within the host amusement machine. The game piece validator may be set so that it can accept up to sixteen game pieces, which preferably are in the form of coins/tokens, to avoid adjustment of the device. Game pieces are received at an entry point, preferably the upper surface of the validator, and are caused to roll past a series of opposing sensors. If the readings match those characteristics held in a preprogrammed memory for the validator, then the game piece is recognised to be true and the accept gates operate and the coin passes through the accepted path. Once the game piece passes the sensor that allows the piece to be accepted, a credit signal is generated and sent to a memory unit of the host amusement machine. If a comparison of the coin and those pre-programmed parameters is not deemed to be valid, then the accept gate remains closed and the coin will take the reject path. This is subject to whether a direct or indirect reject path has been included in the machine.

Preferably, the game pieces after being validated are selectively fed to either a win chute for pay out of winnings to a player, to a recirculation hopper so that game pieces may be fed back to the playing surface or to a cash box for retention. In a preferred arrangement, the recirculation hopper is a lift hopper whereby game pieces received from the game piece collector may be elevated to the entry for the playing surface for further gaming. It is also envisaged that the recirculation hopper may also receive game pieces that are fed to the amusement machine directly from a player. It is envisaged that the recirculation hopper may have a level detector whereby once a predefined amount of game pieces are contained within the recirculation hopper, any further game pieces received are diverted to the cash box. The game pieces are stored in the cash box in readiness for emptying.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an amusement machine according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 1 , an amusement machine comprises a substantially vertical playfield, also referred to as a playing surface or playing surface 1 having, an entry point 2, towards the upper part of the playfield. The entry point

2 allows game pieces, in the form of coins or tokens to be fed to the playfield after which they cascade down the playfield towards an exit chute 3. At various points on the playfield, there is a number of pegs which deflect the game pieces as they cascade down the playfield, so providing a number of paths along which the game pieces may travel as a result of being diverted by these pegs 4.

The base of the playfield feeds to a substantially horizontal game piece bed onto which game pieces fall from the playing surface. A pusher mechanism 5 passes over the game piece bed and nudges coins that have fallen on the bed over the edge of the bed to the exit chute. Associated with the exit 3 is a regulator hopper 6, which controls the flow of game pieces from the exit chute 3 as they fall from the game piece bed as a result of movement of the pusher mechanism 5. The regulator hopper 6 is an optional feature of the amusement apparatus. From the regulator hopper 6 a passage leads to a game piece validator 7, which assesses the characteristics of the game pieces that it receives, such as the physical dimensions of the pieces including size and weight, as well as visual characteristics such as markings on the game pieces. In a preferred arrangement, the game piece validator 7 uses optical sensing means to assess the characteristics of the game pieces and compares these characteristics with information held in a memory. The game piece validator 7 is used to count the number of game pieces passing though it as weil as the vaiue of those pieces so that a level of winnings may be awarded to a player. These winnings are paid to a player by a separate dispensing hopper and payout chute (not shown).

The validator 7 can be used to separate game pieces and route via passages 8a, 8b to one or more recirculation hoppers 9. The recirculation hoppers 9 are arranged to receive game pieces not only from the validator 7, but also from feed passages 11 , which receive coins/token game pieces that a player has directly fed to the amusement machine.

The recirculation hopper 9 can either forward the coins/tokens via passage 12 to the entrance 2 to the playfield. There may be one or more passages 12 present. Alternatively, if the collection hopper detects that it has reached a certain fill level or has a certain coinage amount contained in it then coins may be fed to at least one storage device 10 for retention in a secure way. The storage device may be reinforced or may have alarm systems to provide a secure means for storing what may be large amounts of coins/tokens within the amusement machine.

The amusement machine may include a number of other security devices such as circuitry, which controls the payout of winnings and provides a digital signal to indicate that a coin is present at the exit of the validator. It is envisaged that the validator will automatically switch off when the amusement machine is turned off to avoid payout of the machine. Further, there is a current detection circuit, which detects current flow from the regulator hopper and reverses the regulator hopper momentarily in the event of a coin jam being detected and then makes further attempts to continue payout once the jam is detected as having been cleared or released.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description is an embodiment of the invention and is provided by way of example only. Various details of the invention may be modified without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An amusement machine operable over a play cycle having a playing surface having or being associated with an edge, at least a pair of entrances to the playing surface for game elements of respective different values, whereby game elements passing through the entrances travel along the playing surface towards the edge, a pusher mechanism for displacing game elements over the edge, an element counter for counting the elements displaced in a play cycle to produce a prize signal, a game element validator for identifying and sorting the elements by value and respective recirculating transports for each entrance for conveying sorted game elements to the entrance associated with their value.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising inputs, each associated with a specific game element value, for allowing a player to insert a game element to initiate a play cycle of the machine, each input being connected to the respective transport associated with the game element of its associated value.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 further including a payout mechanism responsive to the prize signal.

4. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the game elements are contained within a closed loop.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 further including a reservoir for excess game elements.

6. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 wherein there is a reservoir for each game element value.

7. An amusement machine including a playing surface having at least one entrance point through which game elements can be fed to the playing surface said game elements being coursed to travel over said playing surface towards an edge of said playing surface, the edge of said playing surface being associated with a pusher mechanism which pushes said game elements either over the edge of the playing surface or over the edge of a game element bed substantially at right angles to the game playing surface, said game element bed being arranged to receive game elements from the game playing surface characterised in that the pusher mechanism pushes said game elements to a game element collector which is associated with a game element validator arranged to identify and optionally separate game elements according to parameters recorded for game elements, the validated game elements being then fed either to a windchute and released from the amusement machine as a prize or being directed to hoppers or transport so that the game elements can be recirculated to the entrance point or stored by the amusement machine.