WO2018078191A1

WO2018078191A1 - Video bingo machine

Info

Publication number: WO2018078191A1
Application number: PCT/ES2016/070751
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesús FRANCO MUÑOZ
Original assignee: Recreativos Franco, S.A.
Priority date: 2016-10-24
Filing date: 2016-10-24
Publication date: 2018-05-03
Also published as: EP3543974A1; AR109873A1; PH12019500921A1; MX2019004324A; EP3543974A4; BR112019008051A2

Abstract

The device is based on the conventional structure of video bingo machines, in which the game proceeds at a much greater speed than in machines with physical ball extraction elements, with the advantage that this implies, with the inclusion of a physical ball extraction device (13) that can be used at the most important times of the game, as in the case of the option for buying extra balls, in which large prizes are at stake and where the randomness of the game may be doubted by the players. To this effect, the ball extraction device (13) must contain a number of physical balls (15) equal to the total number of virtual balls played minus the number of virtual balls extracted, such that it is necessary to generate before the physical draw a list (14) with the numbers or graphic representations of the physical balls (15) of the physical ball extraction device (13) and their equivalence with the numbers or graphic representations still to be played, so that a ball that has already been drawn in the virtual game is not extracted during the physical draw.

Description

DESCRIPTION

BINGO VIDEO MACHINE Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a random gaming machine with prizes, such as the so-called "video-bingo", in which the traditional bingo game is carried out from a digital interface, as well as other types of raffles /awards.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine that even based on a digital interface, at the most important moments of the game, that is, when the highest prizes are chosen, such as for example by acquiring extra balls, obtaining said extra balls are made in a completely random way, so that the machine's programming software cannot interfere with the result obtained, since said ball can be obtained, at the player's choice, from a physical extractor device.

The invention therefore aims to avoid suspicion on the part of the players about suspicions of intentional manipulation of the results at the crucial moments of the game.

Background of the invention

Recreational machines are known with prizes in which the game of bingo takes place, so that the means to carry out the draw and extraction of the balls can be carried out both through a digital interface and with a physical interface.

The problem of machines with a physical interface is that the extraction of the balls is a very slow process, which obviously goes against the interests of the machine manufacturer itself, since in this type of games the extraction of 30 balls, in addition to the possible extra balls offered by the machine, depending on the conditions that occur throughout the game, so that a single game takes a very considerable time and is lost in said extraction process Random balls. Trying to avoid this problem, the classic video-bingo machines are known, in those that the physical interface in which the draw is carried out is replaced by a digital interface, so that the process of extracting the balls is very significantly accelerated, reducing the playing time of a game in a very considerable way. In this type of game it is common for the machine to offer the purchase of extra balls for a certain amount, especially if the player is at a single number in one of his cards to obtain a prize after the draw, an acquisition that will involve an amount that is will deduct from the credits available to the player, or the amount of the prizes accumulated up to that moment.

Well, since the draw of said ball or extra balls in this type of machines is carried out through a programming software, the distrust on the part of the players that said software is manipulated is something quite frequent, especially having Keep in mind that it is about accessing great prizes in case the ball drawn is adequate.

Description of the invention

The video bingo machine is recommended to solve in a completely satisfactory way the problem previously exposed, combining the best of these two types of machines, that is, achieving a high game speed, and ensuring the randomness of the draws at the crucial moments of the game , as it is when obtaining an extra ball from the player.

To do this, and more specifically, the machine that is recommended is part of the conventional structuring of a video-bingo machine, in which a digital interface is defined, specifically a touch screen, which interface can be mixed, that is, that some of the game buttons are materialized in physical buttons arranged next to the screen, without affecting the essence of the invention, screen in which the development of the bingo game takes place through a programming software, in which will be arranged a series of cards, bets, etc., taking place the draw of the balls through said software as it is being conventional in this type of video-bingo machines, until the extraction of the number of pre-established game balls , usually 30.

At this point, and as usually happens in video-bingo machines, once all the preset balls have been removed, the machine may offer the player extra balls to be purchased, Although said raffle, which is usually opting for large prizes, may take place through a physical device, in order to ensure total randomness in the raffle. For this purpose, it is provided that, preferably in the upper part of the machine, a physical ball extractor device is arranged, that is to say a device that allows one of said balls to be completely randomly extracted from among a determined number of balls balls, such as a hype or any other conventional mechanism used in physical bingo arcade machines.

The device will have means of identification of the extracted ball, to be able to be interpreted by the programming software, so that said draw is completely transparent to the player, thus avoiding any type of suspicion in the randomness of the draw.

Since the balls contained in the physical device, either a hype or similar element, in the case that they contained numerical elements, could coincide in their extraction with a number that had already been previously extracted in the “digital” draw, it has been provided that a smaller number of balls participate in the hype or physical element in question, specifically the total number of balls played minus the balls that are drawn in the conventional draw, which in practice usually materializes in 30 balls, of the 60 that are played, (although the number of balls could be different) so that the machine, through its programming software before the physical extraction of the ball generates a table of equivalences, that assign the remaining numbers for playing the numbers contained in said ball extractor device.

In this way a much faster machine is achieved in the course of the game and that offers the possibility to the players to ensure the randomness of the draws at the most important moments, as is the case of obtaining extra balls.

Description of the drawings

To complement the description that is going to be made below and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical realization thereof, it is accompanied as an integral part of said description, a set of drawings where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a video-bingo machine made in accordance with the object of the present invention.

Figure 2.- Shows a front elevation view of the machine of the previous figure.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the figures outlined, it can be seen how the video bingo machine that is recommended is constituted, as is conventional in this type of machines from a housing (1), in which an intermediate zone (2) is established ) of a game in which a touch screen (3) is integrated, associated with a digital control electronics, in which programming software participates to offer a digital bingo game through said screen, in which a Cardboard series (4).

In the figures, and merely exemplary, it can be seen how four cards are offered, which in that example are 15 numbers per carton in a 3x5 matrix, so that the numbers in the cardboard are ordered from top to bottom and from left to right, so that the bingo game raffle is made with 60 different numbers, all from digital form, through the commented programming software of the machine.

The player may choose to play one, two, three or any number of cards and may change these a limited number of times. As an example, the numbers of each draw could be 30 extractions to be displayed on the game screen (3).

Optionally, the price of the bet can be chosen by the player, defining a bet button (5) by which the bet by cardboard is selected.

Once the player has enabled the terminal, transferring his credits through the corresponding means of payment (6), he can start playing.

You can choose the number of cards with which you are going to play, acting on the back of the cardboard, if it is deactivated, it will be activated and on the contrary, by pressing on the screen on the flap of deactivate, the corresponding cardboard is deactivated showing its reverse. So you can choose between one, two, three or four cards. Once the chosen cards have been deployed, the player can add more bets to the cards to the limit, or lower the bet for each card with the betting arrows.

It will be possible to change the active cards. When the bets have been decided, the play button (7) can be given to start the game, so that the terminal will be making consecutive plays. At the end of each game, the player may modify the number of cards and bets.

The terminal shows on the screen the numbers (9) that are coming out and marks in the cartons (4) the successes automatically, also the terminal "warns" of the possible prize configurations in the cartons with a special marking (10) on the same and in the payment plan. By holding down and releasing the button (7), the player can regulate the exit of the balls at his convenience. The interface will also offer means to vary the exit speed of the balls.

The prize combinations obtained in the cards played are marked on the win plan on the screen and the total amount goes to the prize counter.

Finally, the payment of the prize is made at the credit meter (11).

When the player decides to withdraw from the Terminal, press the collect button (12) and the operation begins to collect the credits accumulated so far.

The interface will have a help button through which the player goes to view the game instructions, the payment plan and the development of the prize settings. Well, according to the essence of the invention, once the simulated extraction of the 30 game balls whose random control is carried out through the programming software, it is planned that the machine, depending on the state end of the cards, that is to say, in case of having stayed at the gates of obtaining a prize, in the absence of a number, the machine can offer the purchase of one or more extra balls. For the draw of said extra balls, it is provided that the machine has a physical ball extractor device (13), preferably established on the front and top of the machine housing, perfectly visible to the player, so that the The ball's draw process can be seen by the player, ensuring the total randomness of said draw.

This mechanism can be of any known conventional type, be it a drum or other system of random extraction of balls, and may or may not have means of eliminating the balls obtained in the draw so that they are not repeated, in case of offering more of an extra ball, a mechanism that would not be necessary in the case of offering a single extra ball.

Obviously the ball extractor device (13) will have means of identifying the ball obtained in the draw, a signal that will be sent to the control electronics to act accordingly on the digital interface of the machine.

In any case, and as stated above, given that the physical balls (15) contained in the ball extractor device (13) must not match those that have already appeared in the "virtual" draw, it is provided that in this hype, only 30 balls participate, instead of the 60 with which it is played, since previously 30 balls have already been extracted "digitally", so that the programming software of the machine will generate a list prior to the draw ( 14) with the numbers of the balls of the mechanical hype or item in question and its equivalence with the numbers that remain to be played. This list can be displayed directly on the screen, as in the example of the chosen embodiment, or from it, together with the numbers of the cartons that have not appeared in the draw, their equivalence with the numbers included in the physical balls.

The price of the extra ball will be deducted from the credits available to the player at the time. In case of not having enough credits for the purchase, it can be purchased using part of the prize obtained so far. If you do not have enough money with the sum of the credits and the prize obtained so far, you will be given the option of introducing credits through AFT, wallet, etc.

Claims

1.- Video-bingo machine, which being of the type constituted from a housing (1), in which a video game zone or digital interface is established in which a touch screen (3) is integrated , associated with a digital control electronics, in which programming software participates to offer a digital bingo game through said screen, in which a series of game cards (4) are defined, taking place the draw of the virtual balls through said software until the pre-established number of game balls is extracted, the machine being provided to include means for the continuation of the game by using one or more extra balls, characterized in that the machine includes as means for obtaining the extra ball or balls of the game a physical ball extractor device (13), arranged in a visible area of the machine, provided with identification means of the extracted ball for interpretation by r part of the control electronics of the digital interface, it being provided that in said ball extractor device only a number of physical balls participate (15) resulting from the subtraction of the total number of balls that are virtually played with respect to the number of balls that they are virtually extracted, with the particularity that in the digital interface means are defined for the generation prior to the extraction of the extra ball from a list (14) with the numbers or graphic representations of the physical balls (15) of the extractor device of Physical balls (13) and their equivalence with the numbers or graphic representations that remain to be played.