EP0983779A1

EP0983779A1 - Pinball game with crt display

Info

Publication number: EP0983779A1
Application number: EP99402130A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John A. Popadiuk
Original assignee: Williams Electronics Games Inc
Current assignee: Williams Electronics Games Inc
Priority date: 1998-08-31
Filing date: 1999-08-26
Publication date: 2000-03-08

Abstract

An amusement game (10) includes a cabinet housing (12) apparatus for defining pinball play, including a playfield (14) and flippers (18) for propelling a ball (20) on the playfield (14). A display (35) is mounted above the cabinet holds. This display includes a video display screen which occupies a majority of the available display area (28).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to amusement games and more particularly, to a pinball game which incorporates a CRT display.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Amusement games such as pinball games and video games are often found together in arcades and other gaming establishments. The designers of these games strive to constantly provide innovations to continue to attract interest of the public in playing the games, both to attract new players and to retain the interest of present players. In pinball games, new and different playfield designs incorporating various moving or drop-targets, raised portions of the playfield, auxiliary ball propelling devices, and the like have been developed for attracting and retaining players.
Video games have also been generating considerable interest among players. Generally speaking, these video games utilize a video display on a cathode ray tube (CRT) or equivalent device to provide the "playfield" for the game. This in effect replaces the electromechanical playfield and rolling ball of the pinball game. However, many types of game action can be displayed in video games.
In pinball games, generally speaking, the playfield is located in a horizontally disposed cabinet, with the playfield generally tilted or inclined at a slight angle from the horizontal to encourage the return of the ball to the end or bottom area of the playfield, where the skilled player may attempt to propel the ball back into the playfield area. Usually, the display portion of the pinball game consists of an alphanumeric score display which shows the score for one or more players, and it is usually mounted in a backbox which is mounted to the top portion of the cabinet and generally at an end thereof opposite the player position. This display is usually either electromechanical or illumination elements such as gas discharge or neon tubes or LEDs. In some cases, so-called dot-matrix display elements or panels have been used to generate alphanumeric displays, and in some cases, other limited visual displays.
Other graphics or artwork, often referred to as the "back glass" usually forms a front or visible service of the backbox. Additional lighting or other audiovisual effects may also be mounted in or upon the backbox to make the appearance of the pinball game more attractive. Additional artwork related to the play of the game and to further enhance the overall attractiveness of the pinball game is often included on other surfaces of the backbox as well as on the playing surface of the playfield.
As mentioned above, some pinball type amusement games have heretofore provided scoring information in the form of LED or dot matrix type displays. Some of these games have also provided some further limited visual displays on such LED or dot matrix type display panels. However, none of these types of display is capable of as full a range of video display capabilities as with a CRT or compatible display element.
U.S. Patent No. 4,375,286 to Seitz et al. shows a pinball type game having a playfield and a backbox, with a conventional type of display in the backbox. However, the Seitz et al. game also incorporates a CRT screen mounted in the playfield to, in effect, incorporate a video game, into the same cabinet with the pinball game. In the Seitz et al. patent, the pinball game and the video game are described as essentially separate games which were merely incorporated within the same cabinet. However, there is some provision in the Seitz et al. patent for interaction between the games, to the extent that achieving certain conditions during one of the video and pinball games might enable or initiate play in the other of the video and pinball games.
U.S. Patent No. 4,367,876 to Kotoyori is directed to a pinball machine which is provided with a CRT display unit in the backbox for indicating scores. However, use of the CRT is described in the Kotoyori patent as being limited to displaying the scores of each player. This score can be displayed in a larger size for the player who is presently playing the game. The identity of the player, such as the first player, second player, etc., can also be displayed adjacent that player's score.
Some other amusement games have also utilized both pinball play features and a video display. Several games made by Mr. Game of Bologna, Italy, in approximately 1989-1990, including "Dakar", "Motor Show", "Mac Attack" and "World Cup '90" featured pinball games having a relatively small monitor mounted in a backbox and taking up only a relatively small portion of the available display area of the backbox. A 1982 Bally game entitled "Baby Pacman" and a 1983 game called "Granny And The Gators" incorporated both video games and pinball features. These games also had a relatively small monitor mounted in the backbox, taking up only a relatively small portion of the available display area.
The present invention provides a CRT or equivalent video display device which occupies a majority of the available display area for displaying video information in addition to game scores or other scoring or play-related alphanumeric information. This video information may include the visual portions of various audiovisual effects, either those related to the play of the game or those intended to render the game more attractive to players, such as during a so-called "attract mode" which is used to attract players when the game is not currently is use.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an amusement game which incorporates both a pinball type playfield and a video display screen which occupies a majority of the available display area of the amusement game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing discussion, an amusement game in accordance with one aspect of the invention comprises a cabinet, apparatus in said cabinet defining pinball play, including a playfield, flippers for propelling a ball on the playfield, and a display mounted above said playfield including a display screen which occupies a majority of the available display area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an amusement game in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a section in side elevation of the amusement game of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular details disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, an amusement game in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The game 10 includes a cabinet 12 which houses various apparatus for defining pinball play. Generally speaking, this apparatus includes a playfield 14 which incorporates a number of play features 16. In this regard, a pair of flippers 18 is usually provided for propelling a ball 20 relative to the playfield. As best viewed in FIG. 2, the playfield is usually inclined from the horizontal such that the ball 20 tends to eventually roll back down the playfield in the direction of the flippers 18. The play features may include elements such as bumpers or targets as well as various lights or illumination devices which may comprise lamps 22 or other devices. The playfield 14 may be covered by a transparent or glass sheet 25 to permit viewing of the playfield.
The amusement game 10 may include additional or different play features in its playfield 14 without departing from the invention, the foregoing being by way of example only. In addition to the foregoing, the playfield usually includes a plunger element 32 which shoots the ball 20 up an alley 34 onto the playfield 14. Player-activated elements, usually in the form of push-buttons 30 (see FIG. 2) on the sides of the cabinet 12 are usually provided for controlling operation of the flippers 18.
In accordance with conventional practice, the amusement game 10 also includes a display portion 26 which is mounted to overlay a top rear portion of the cabinet 12 and which contains a game display area 28. In one embodiment, the display area 28 includes a video display screen 35 of a video display unit such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) 30 (also see FIG. 2) or equivalent device. This video display screen 35 occupies a majority of a display area 28 available on the display portion 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the video display screen 35 takes up virtually all of the display area available.
The display portion 26 may be included in a backbox 27 which is mounted above the cabinet 12. However, the display portion or display unit 26 may also be located in an upwardly extending portion of the cabinet 12, such that the pinball playfield 14 and play features are housed in a single cabinet or unit with the display 26. Alternatively, both the cabinet 12 containing the playfield 14 and the display portion or display unit 26 may be mounted in generally the relative positions indicated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 by other means such as a common supporting frame or the like, without departing from the invention.
The electronic circuits for controlling both the operation of the playfield and the operation of the CRT or other video display device 30 may be located in the cabinet 12, in the backbox 27, or in both. In FIG. 2, all of the electronic circuits are shown in the cabinet 12, below the playfield 14. These electronic circuits are indicated generally by the reference numeral 40 in FIG. 2, it being understood that they may be housed in a suitable housing 42, for example, in the form of one or more circuit boards (not shown) which may be mounted to a suitable support element or a frame (not shown). In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the electronic circuits 40 are mounted generally in a bottom, rear portion of the cabinet 12 spaced apart from an undersurface 44 of the playfield 14.
Also visible in FIG. 2 on the undersurface 44 of the playfield 14 are a number of playfield devices or elements including one or more solenoids 46, one or more switches 48 and one or more lamps or other illumination elements 50. Suitable connection elements are provided for coupling the electronic circuits 40 to these various elements 46, 48 and 50 of the playfield 14 as well as to the CRT or other display 30, and are illustrated in FIG. 2 in the form of respective cables 52 and 54. These cables 52 and 54 may comprise wiring harnesses carrying a number of individual wires or conductors, as necessary to carry suitable signals from the electronic circuits 40 to the CRT or other display device 30 on the one hand, and to the elements 46, 48, 50 of the playfield 14 on the other hand.
While the drawings illustrate a CRT 30 as the display, other embodiments of the invention may employ other types of displays in addition to the CRT. Such other embodiments of the invention may also use other types of displays, such as alphanumeric displays, electromechanical display elements, electroluminescent elements, gas discharge or neon tubes, LED's, LCD's, dot matrix displays or combinations of two or more of these various types of display elements (in addition to the CRT 30).
Moreover, these other display elements may be located not only on the display area 28 or the backbox 27, but also in other locations, such as inside of the cabinet 12, on or behind the playfield 14, oriented for viewing by the players.
What has been illustrated and described here is a novel and improved amusement game. In one embodiment, the apparatus defining pinball play is provided with a CRT or equivalent display device having a display screen which occupies a majority of the available display space or surface of the amusement game.

Claims

An amusement game comprising:

a cabinet;

apparatus in said cabinet defining pinball play, including a playfield, and one or more play features operatively associated with the playfield;

a backbox mounted above said cabinet; and

a display mounted in said backbox, said display including a video display screen occupying a majority of a display area available on said backbox.
The amusement game of claim 1 wherein said video display screen comprises a screen of a CRT.
An amusement game comprising:

a cabinet;

apparatus in said cabinet defining pinball play, including a playfield and one or more play features operatively associated with the playfield;

a display mounted above said playfield; and

said display including a video display screen occupying a majority of an available display area of said display.
The amusement game of claim 3 wherein said video display screen comprises a screen of a CRT.
A pinball game, comprising:

a cabinet including a pair of opposing side walls and a rear wall extending between said opposing side walls;

an inclined playfield supporting a rolling ball and a plurality of play features thereon, said playfield behing housed within said cabinet such that said playfield is partially encompassed by said side walls and said rear wall of said cabinet; and

a display assembly mounted above said playfield and including a video display screen occupying a majority of an available display area.
The amusement game of claim 5 wherein said video display screen comprises a screen of a CRT.