AU2004218642A1

AU2004218642A1 - Gaming machine

Info

Publication number: AU2004218642A1
Application number: AU2004218642A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Yukinori Inamura
Original assignee: Aruze Corp
Current assignee: Universal Entertainment Corp
Priority date: 2003-10-10
Filing date: 2004-10-06
Publication date: 2005-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-06
Also published as: EP1522975A1; ZA200408157B; CN100427165C; JP2005111136A; AU2004218642B2; CN1605372A; US20050079913A1

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S):: Aruze Corp.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia INVENTION TITLE: Gaming machine The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5102 Sla

O

O BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I, 1. Field of the Invention 0 The present invention relates to a gaming machine in which a game is Cconducted by betting game media stored therein.

I, 2. Description of Related Art 00 Conventionally, as such kind of the gaming machine, it is, for example, S well-known a slot machine disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent N 10 Publication No. 2001-120716. On a switch panel of the slot machine shown in the above reference, there are provided bet buttons through which a player determines a bet number to bet game media stored in the slot machine. The bet buttons are constructed from a 1-BET button that one bet number is added by every one operation thereof and a MAX-bet button that game media can be betted at the MAX bet number by operation thereof. The bet number is determined by operation of these bet buttons and thereafter a game is started by operating a start lever.

However, in the slot machine shown in the Japanese reference, game media can only be betted by the bet number which is allotted beforehand for each of the bet buttons, therefore the bet number cannot be voluntarily set.

Thus, in a case that the bet number is large, the player has to press the 1-BET button many times. As a result, it takes a relatively long time for a BET operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been done to dissolve the above problems and has an object to provide a gaming machine through which a player can voluntarily and quickly set a bet number, thereby operability to determine the bet number can be raised.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is provided a gaming machine comprising a game medium storing device for storing game media, Swherein a game is conducted by betting at least one of the game media, _the gaming machine further comprising: O an input device for inputting a numerical value; and a recognition device for recognizing the numerical value input from the input device as a bet number of the game media.

According to the above gaming machine, the numerical value input from Ithe input device is recognized as the bet number by the recognition device.

00 And the game media corresponding to the bet number are betted and a game 0 is conducted. Therefore, the player can voluntarily set the bet number 0 N 10 without being limited to a bet number allotted to each of bet buttons as in the prior art. Therefore, even if the bet number is large, the player can quickly set the bet number without pressing the bet button in many times.

Here, the game media include various game media such as coins, tokens, medals, coupons, tickets, memory media (cards and the like).

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purpose of illustration only and not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the objects, advantages and principles of the invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of a reel display window portion formed in the slot machine according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the reel display window portion of the slot machine according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the reel display window portion O shown in Fig. 3, IFig. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuitry construction of a control circuit in the slot machine according to the embodiment, and N Fig. 6 is an explanatory view of the reel display window portion on which a numerical keypad is provided to determine a bet number, according to 00 the embodiment.

N 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of the present invention will described hereinafter. Here, in the embodiment, although various game media such as coins, tokens, medals, coupons, tickets, memory media (cards and the like) can be utilized, it will be hereinafter explained the embodiment in which coins are utilized as an example.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine 1 in one embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention. In a cabinet constructing a central main body of the slot machine 1, three reels comprising a first reel 2, a second reel 3 and a third reel 4 are rotatably arranged. On an outer periphery of each of the reels 2 to 4, a symbol row constructing from a plural kinds of symbols (abbreviated as "the symbol" hereinafter) is described. In front of each of the reels 2 to 4, a reel display window portion is arranged. And in the reel display window portion 5, three display windows 6, 7 and 8 are formed, and three symbols of the symbol row described on the outer periphery of each of the reels 2 to 4 are displayed through each of the display windows 6 to 8, respectively. When a player inserts coins as the game media into the slot machine and operates a start lever 9 arranged at a side of the cabinet, variable display of the symbols is conducted. And on the reel display window portion 5, it is formed a pay line L according to which a symbol combination is defined and a winning combination is determined based on a symbol combination stopped and displayed along the pay line L through each of the display windows 6 to 8.

_On a control panel 10 positioned at a lower position of the reel display O window portion 5, a coin insertion slot 11 in which the player inserts coins and I a bill insertion portion 12 to insert a bill are provided. And also on the

C

control panel 10, it is provided a spin switch 13 to start rotation of the reels 2 N to 4 by press operation thereof, independently from the start lever 9 and further a change switch 14, a cashout switch 15, a 1-BET switch 16 and a 00 MAX-BET switch 17 are arranged.

The change switch 14 is a switch used when the player calls an c- 10 attendant of a game arcade, and when the change switch 14 is operated, a tower light arranged on an upper part of the slot machine 1 is turned on.

The cashout switch 15 is a switch to pay out money betted and credited to a coin tray 19 as coins when pressed. The 1-BET switch 16 is a switch to bet only a predetermined unit sum among the money betted and credited by one press operation, and the MAX BET switch 17 is a switch to bet a sum corresponding to the max bet number (1000 coins in the embodiment) among the money betted and credited by one press operation.

And on a top glass 20 arranged at an upper position of the reel display window portion 5, it is displayed a payout table indicating a relation that each of the winning combinations and payout thereof is corresponded. And on a bottom glass 21 positioned at a lower position of the reel display window portion 5, characters relating to the slot machine are described.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view showing the reel display window portion of the slot machine 1. Here, in Fig. 2, the same elements, parts as in Fig. 1 are indicated by the same numbers as in Fig. 1 and explanation thereof will be omitted. The reel display window portion 5 constitutes a display device to display game image. On a surface of the reel display window portion 5, it is arranged a touch panel 5k to accept input operation by the player. The touch panel 5k is made transparent so as to display therethrough the symbols described on the reels 2 to 4 and information such as game effect images displayed on a liquid crystal display panel 5d. Here, as well-known in the art, the touch panel 5k is constructed from a pair of transparent sheets on each of which a plurality of transparent electrodes such as ITO are formed and O transparent dot spacers formed between the transparent sheets. Concretely, Sthe transparent dot spacers are formed on one of the transparent sheets or both of the transparent sheets so as not to superimpose with each other. And N two transparent sheets are superimposed with each other so that the transparent electrodes on each sheet are separated by a distance 00 corresponding to the height of the dot spacers. When the touch panel 5k is touched by a finger of the player, the transparent electrodes of the sheets are contacted at a touch position, thereby such touch position on the touch panel is detected based on a contact position where the transparent electrodes are contacted with each other. On the other hand, as mentioned later, a numerical keypad image (not shown in Fig. 2) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d arranged behind the touch panel 5k. And a numerical keypad device 30 (not shown in Fig. 2) is constructed from the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d and a predetermined area of the touch panel 5k corresponding to the numerical keypad image. The numerical keypad device 30 constructs a numerical value input device to input the bet number by a numerical value, in stead of the 1-BET switch 16 and the MAX BET switch 17.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the slot machine showing an inner construction of the reel display window portion 5. As shown in Fig. 3, the reel display window portion 5 is arranged in front of the reels 2 to 4 and is constructed so as to have the liquid crystal display panel 5d. And Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the reel display window portion 5 shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 4 the reel display window portion 5 is constructed from the touch panel 5k, a transparent acrylic plate 5a, a reel glass base 5b, a bezel metallic frame 5c, the liquid crystal display panel 5d, a liquid crystal holder 5e, a diffusion sheet 5f, a light guiding plate 5g, a rear holder 5h and an antistatic sheet 5i, these members being arranged from a front plane side of the device according to this order. The touch panel 5k is S arranged at a front side of the transparent acrylic plate 5a, the front side thereof being faced to the player. And in the diffusion sheet 5f, the light o guiding plate 5g and the rear holder 5h, three openings 6a, 6b, 6c forming the ID display window 6, three openings 7a, 7b, 7c forming the display window 7 and three openings 8a, 8b, 8c forming the display window 8, are formed.

C And attachment of the reel display window portion 5 to a front panel of the device is, as shown in Fig. 3, is done by fixing brackets 5ba formed in the 00oO glass base 5b so as to project toward up and down directions to a rear side of the front panel of the device through screws cl 0 At both an upper end and a lower end of the light guiding plate 5g, a pair of cold cathode ray tubes 30a are arranged as light sources of the liquid crystal display panel 5d. And at an upper and a lower positions of display window parts on a rear side of the rear holder 5h, a pair of cold cathode ray tubes 30b to illuminate the symbols described on the outer periphery of each of the reels 2 to 4 are arranged.

The liquid crystal display panel 5d is a transparent electric display panel which is disposed at the front side of the reels 2 to 4 and the reels 2 to 4 are seen and recognized through the liquid crystal display panel 5d. A rear side around the display part of the liquid crystal display panel 5d is held by the liquid crystal holder 5e. The light guiding plate 5g is formed from a light transmitting resin panel and lens cuts are formed to guide light emitted from the cold cathode ray tubes 30b disposed at sides thereof toward the rear side of the liquid crystal display panel 5d. The diffusion sheet 5f is formed light transmitting resin sheet and constructs diffusion member to diffuse light guided by the light guiding plate 5g and levels light illuminated to the liquid crystal display panel 5d. The liquid crystal holder 5e holding the liquid crystal display panel 5d, the diffusion sheet 5f and the light guiding plate are formed into one-construction and the circumference thereof is inserted in the bezel metallic frame 5c. By this insertion, the front side of the circumference of the display part in the liquid crystal display panel 5d is held by the bezel metallic frame The liquid crystal holder 5e, the diffusion sheet 5f and the light guiding S panel 5g, which are inserted in the bezel metallic frame 5c and formed into O one-construction, are further inserted in the reel glass base 5b at the ID circumference thereof, thereby are supported by the reel glass base 5b in a state that the front side of the display part in the liquid crystal display panel N 5d is opened. The transparent acrylic plate 5a, on the front surface of which the touch panel 5k is arranged, is attached to the front plane of the device by oO 00 Sfixing the reel glass base 5b on the front panel of the device through the screws 5j, thereby the transparent acrylic plate 5a is pressed and attached to the front plane of the reel glass base 5b with the touch panel 5k. Thus, the transparent acrylic plate 5a closes the above opening positioned on the front plane of the display part in the liquid crystal display panel The rear holder 5h is formed from a white resin plate and retains the bezel metallic frame 5c, the liquid crystal holder 5e supporting the liquid crystal display panel 5d, the diffusion sheet 5f and the light guiding plate all of which are supported to the reel glass base 5b, to the reel glass base from the rear side thereof. The rear holder 5h functions as a reflecting plate to reflect light emitted to the light guiding plate 5g from the cold cathode ray tubes 30a toward the liquid crystal display panel 5. The antistatic sheet 5 is made transparent and is adhered to the rear plane of the rear holder 5h by a double-sided tape, thereby the antistatic sheet 5i covers the openings formed in the rear holder Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuitry construction of a control circuit 40 for controlling game operation process in the slot machine 1 of the embodiment.

The control circuit 40 is mainly constructed from a microcomputer 41 and the microcomputer 41 is constructed from a main CPU 42 (Central Processing Unit) for conducting control operation according to a program preset beforehand, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 43 as a storing device and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 44. In the ROM 43, control procedures for wholly controlling the gamin machine are stored as a sequence program and 0 the RAM 44 is utilized as a temporary memory work area and the like when such program is executed.

O To the main CPU 42, a clock pulse generator 45 for generating standard Nclock pulses and a frequency divider 46, a random number generator 47 for generating random numbers within a predetermined range and a sampling 1 circuit 48 for sampling one random number generated by the random number generator 47, are connected. Further, an I/O port 49 to receive and output 00 various signals between peripheral devices (actuators) mentioned later, is Sconnected to the main CPU 42. And the ROM 43 has also memory areas to N 10 store a winning combination table which is referred when the winning combination is determined based on a symbol combination, other than the sequence program.

Here, the microcomputer 41, the random number generator 47 and the sampling circuit 48 constructs a lottery device to determine the winning combination by a lottery and selects the symbols which are stopped and displayed on the display windows 6 to 8 or the liquid crystal display panel by a lottery and determines the winning combination based on the selected symbol combination. And the microcomputer 41 constructs a game medium storing device for storing the betted money inserted from the coin insertion slot 11 and the bill insertion portion 12 as data in the RAM 44.

As the main actuator the operation of which is controlled by a control signal from the microcomputer 41, there exist stepping motors 50 for rotating and driving the reels 2 to 4, various lamps 51, a LED display part 52, a hopper 53 for storing coins, the liquid crystal display panel 5d and a speaker These are driven and controlled by a motor drive circuit 56,a lamp drive circuit 57, a LED drive circuit 58, a hopper drive circuit 59, an image control circuit 60 and a sound control circuit 61, respectively, These drive circuits 56 to 59 and the control circuits 60, 61 are connected to the main CPU 42 through the I/O port 49.

And as the main input signal generation device for generating input signals necessary for the main CPU 42 to produce control signals, there exist a start switch 9S for detecting operation of the start lever 9, the spin switch 13, the change switch 14, the cashout switch 15, the 1-BET switch 16, the IVIAX O BET switch 17 and a coin sensor 11S to detect coins inserted in the coin Iinsertion slot 11. Further, a reel position detection circuit 62 for detecting the rotation position of the reels 2 to 4 is provided.

And as the input signal generation device, there exist a coin detection part 53S for counting the number of coins paid out from the hopper 53, a 00 payout completion signal generation circuit 63, the numerical keypad device 0 30 constructed from the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid 0 N 10 crystal display panel 5d and the predetermined area of the touch panel corresponding to the numerical keypad image and a numerical keypad device detection circuit 64. The payout completion signal generation circuit 63 generates a signal to detect a coin payout completion when the coin count value corresponded to the coin number actually paid out and input from the coin detection part 53S reaches to the payout coin number data. And the numerical keypad device detection circuit 64 detects operation of the numerical keypad device 30, such operation being done by touching the touch panel 5k corresponding to numerical keys of the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d and outputs the detected operation signal to the main CPU 42. The above payout completion signal generation circuit 63 and the numerical keypad device detection circuit 64 are also connected to the main CPU 42 through the I/O port 49. Here, the main CPU 42 constructs a bet number recognition device to recognize the numerical value input from the numerical keypad device 30 as the bet number of the money betted.

In the above construction, before the game is conducted in the slot machine 1, the player at first inserts coins in the coin insertion slot 11 or inserts a bill in the bill insertion slot 12, thereby the betted money is stored in the slot machine 1. Next, the sum betted for the game is directed by the player among the betted money which is stored. This direction is done by conventional operation of the 1-BET switch 16 or the IVIAX-BET switch 17, or Sby operation of the numerical keypad device 30 constructed from the liquid crystal display panel 5d and the touch panel O On a game image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d of the Ireel display window portion 5, as shown in Fig. 6, a character image 31, a bet number (BET) display part 32 and a payout (WIN) display part 33 are 1 displayed. When the touch panel 5k corresponding to a periphery of the bet number display part 32 is touched, the numerical keypad image is displayed 00 on the liquid crystal display panel 5d, thereby numerical value input operation Sis activated through the numerical keypad device 30 constructed from the N 10 numerical keypad image on the liquid crystal display panel 5d and the touch panel 5k. The numerical keypad device 30 is provided with numerical keys of and "00" and a clear key (CLEAR). Here, the numerical keys and the clear key are constructed from the numerical and clear key images included in the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d and the touch panel 5k. And the numerical value input by touching the touch panel 5k corresponding to the numerical key images is displayed in an input numerical value area 34 formed at an upper position of the numerical keypad image in the numerical keypad device 30. For example, the touch panel 5k corresponding to three numerical key images of are pressed in this order, the number "395" is displayed in the input numerical value area 34. Thereafter, the numerical keypad image disappears at the timing that the player operates the start lever 9 or the spin switch 13 or the MAX. BET switch 17 and the bet number is recognized as the numerical value "395" by the main CPU 42, thereby this bet number is displayed in the bet number display part 32. In the embodiment, the bet number from 1 to 1000 can be directed through the numerical keypad device 30. And in a case that the bet number is input by the numerical keys, if a false numerical value is input, such value can be corrected by pressing the touch panel corresponding to the clear key image and again inputting the correct numerical value by touching the touch panel 5k corresponding to the numerical key images.

When the bet number is recognized, the main CPU 42 sets the sum calculated by multiplying the bet number with the unit sum corresponding to O one bet as the betted money. And based on the operation of the start lever 9 Ior the spin switch 13 or the MAX BET switch 17 by the player, rotation process of the reels 2 to 4 is done and the slot machine game is started. And N in a case that the symbol combination of the winning combination with payout is stopped and displayed along the pay line L, the payout corresponding to the 00 betted money which is set by the main CPU 42 is given to the player.

Thereby, the credit number is increased or coins are paid out to the coin tray 19.

According to the slot machine 1 of the embodiment, as mentioned, when the numerical value is input through the numerical keypad device constructed from the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d and the touch panel 5k, such numerical value is recognized as the betted number by the main CPU 42 and the slot machine game is conducted after the betted money corresponding the recognized bet number is set. Thus, the player can voluntarily set the bet number without being limited to the bet number allotted to the 1-BET switch 16 and the bet number "1000" allotted to the MAX BET switch 17, as in the conventional slot machine. Therefore, even in a case that the bet number is large, the player can quickly set the bet number without troublesome operation, for example, without pressing the 1-BET switch 16 395 times in order to conduct the game with 395 bets.

And in the embodiment, the numerical keypad image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d in the reel display window portion 5 which displays the game image of the slot machine 1, and the player can input the bet number by touching the touch panel 5k corresponding to each of the numerical key images constructing the numerical keypad device 30 in cooperation with the touch panel 5k. Therefore, the player can operate the numerical keypad device 30 while seeing the reel display window portion and operability to determine the bet number can be raised.

Here, in the embodiment, although the bet number is determined by the numerical keypad device 30 every the unit game, the present invention is not o limited to this. For example, it may be constructed so that the bet number I input through the numerical keypad device 30 is used as the bet number over 0 a plural times of games and such bet number is used for setting the betted N money. That is to say, the bet number input in the present game by the 1player may be stored as the data in the RAM 44 and the like and it may be 00 provided a repeat bet switch to determine the stored data in the RAM 44 as the bet number in the next games. In this case, in the next games, so long as the bet number is determined by the repeat bet switch without again inputting the bet number through the numerical keypad device 30, the stored data in the RAM 44 is continued to be used as the bet number. And when the bet number is again input through the numerical keypad device 30, the data stored in the RAM 44 may be displayed in the bet number display part 32.

According to the above construction, in a case that the constant bet number is used over a plural times of games, the player can omit the input operation of the bet number through the numerical keypad device 30 every the unit game, thereby operation in the game can be reduced. As a result, even if the player conducts games for a long time, the player can concentrate in games without feeling fatigue and improvement of motivation for games can be expected.

And it may be determined corresponding to a gaming state whether or not the bet number input through the numerical keypad device 30 by the player is used for setting the betted money. For example, it is supposed two gaming states, in which the expectation values of the payout paid out to the player in the unit game are different with each other, and it is supposed that the gaming state with lower expectation value is the first gaming state and the gaming state with high expectation value is the second gaming state. At that time, in one of the first gaming state and the second gaming state, the bet number input through the numerical keypad device 30 by the player is used Sand in the other gaming state thereof the bet number fixedly stored in the ROM 43 is used.

O According to the above construction, there may be a case that the rate Ifor getting coins in the specific gaming state may be controlled.

And according to the gaming state, it may be conceivable that a range of 1 the bet number which the player can input through the numerical keypad device 30 is changed. For example, in the above first gaming state, the bet 00 number may be selected within the range up to a predetermined first upper Slimit value (for example, the bet number is 1000) and in the above second c 10 gaming state, the bet number may be selected within the range up to a predetermined second upper limit value (for example, the bet number is 100) lower than the above first upper limit value. Further, the second upper limit value may be set higher than the first upper limit value. And a lower limit value of the bet number which the player can input may be changed according to the gaming state.

According to the above construction, there may be a case that the rate for getting coins in the specific gaming state may be controlled.

And in the above embodiment, although it is explained the case that operation of the numerical keypad device 30 is detected by the numerical keypad device detection circuit 64 and the detected value is input to the main CPU 42, thereby the bet number is determined, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be conceivable that the function of the numerical keypad device detection circuit 64 is provided with the touch panel and the value input through the numerical keypad device 30 is directly given to the main CPU 42 from the touch panel 5k. According to this construction, in the cabinet to which the touch panel 5k is installed as the standard, the slot machine having the same function as the above embodiment may be realized by only changing software thereof, without adding a new parts such as the numerical keypad device detection circuit 64.

Further, in the above embodiment, although dollar and cent 0 are utilized as the currency denomination displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d in the numerical keypad device 30 for inputting the bet number, the N currency denomination is not limited to this. For example, the currency O denomination displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d in the numerical Nkeypad 30 may be pound and penny and the like, thereby the currency denomination may be changed and displayed corresponding to the area where N the slot machine 1 is used.

And in the above embodiment, although the bet number is determined O0 by directly inputting the numerical value through the numerical keypad device 30, determination method of the bet number is not limited to this. For N 10 example, a bet number selection panel may be displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d in the reel display window portion 5 in stead of the numerical keypad device 30, the bet number selection panel having a plurality of bet number selection parts in each of which the bet number is set beforehand by stages, and the bet number may be determined to the bet number in the bet number selection part to which the player touches.

In each of the above mentioned modifications, the effect similar to the above mentioned embodiment may be obtained.

In the above mentioned embodiment, although it is explained a case that the gaming machine of the present invention is applied to the slot machine, the present invention can be applied to the gaming machine in which game media are betted, similar to the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a Japanese Pachi-slot gaming machine that rotation of the reels is stopped by operating the stop buttons, a poker gaming machine, a trump gaming machine, a mah-jong gaming machine and the like. Further, the present invention can be applied to a game program by which a home gaming machine can suspectedly execute the same operation as in each of the above gaming machines. In this case, as the recording medium to record the game program, various recording media such as CD-ROM, FD (Flexible Disk), flash memory card and the like can be utilized. If the present invention is applied to any of the above gaming machines, the same effect as that of the embodiment can be obtained.

Further, the numerical keypad image may be displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 5d every one game is terminated and when the player o wants to change the bet number.

IAnd the numerical keypad image may disappear when the touch panel 5k corresponding to the periphery of the bet number display part 32 is N touched.

1Further, in a case that the numerical keypad image includes an enter 00 key image instead of the clear key image shown in Fig. 6, the numerical keypad image may disappear at the timing that the player touches the touch N [0 panel 5k corresponding to the enter key image.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a cabinet; a liquid crystal display panel for displaying at least a numerical keypad image, the liquid crystal display panel being arranged at a front side of the cabinet; and a transparent touch panel arranged in front of the liquid crystal panel; wherein the input device is constructed from the numerical keypad image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel and a predetermined area of the touch panel corresponding to the numerical keypad image.
3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein a gaming image plane including a bet number display part is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, and wherein the numerical keypad image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel when the touch panel corresponding to a periphery of the bet number display part is touched.
4. The gaming machine according to claim 3, wherein the numerical keypad image includes a plurality of numerical keys and a numerical value display part, and wherein a numerical value input by touching the touch panel corresponding to the numerical keys is displayed in the numerical value display part. O IND 5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, further comprising: a calculation device for calculating a betted money; C wherein the calculation device calculates the betted money by Smultiplying a unit sum corresponding to one bet with the bet number. 00oO 18 A gaming machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples. The steps, features, compositions and compounds disclosed herein or referred to or indicated in the specification and/or claims of this application, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features. DATED this SIXTH day of OCTOBER 2004 Aruze Corp. by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s) 5108