EP1120758A2 - Améliorations de machines de jeu - Google Patents

Améliorations de machines de jeu Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1120758A2
EP1120758A2 EP01300494A EP01300494A EP1120758A2 EP 1120758 A2 EP1120758 A2 EP 1120758A2 EP 01300494 A EP01300494 A EP 01300494A EP 01300494 A EP01300494 A EP 01300494A EP 1120758 A2 EP1120758 A2 EP 1120758A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
player
prize
machine
points
game
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP01300494A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1120758A3 (fr
Inventor
John Laurence Wain
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kunick PLC
Original Assignee
Kunick PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB0001095A external-priority patent/GB0001095D0/en
Application filed by Kunick PLC filed Critical Kunick PLC
Publication of EP1120758A2 publication Critical patent/EP1120758A2/fr
Publication of EP1120758A3 publication Critical patent/EP1120758A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G07F17/3244—Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
    • G07F17/3253—Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys

Definitions

  • This invention relates to entertainment machines and in particular, but not exclusively to entertainment machines, which are coin, token, credit, etc. freed for play.
  • An advantage of such a machine is that it may be more appealing to a player than a machine that simply awards the player with a cash prize. It is not uncommon for prizes to be given in place of cash as they may be perceived to be of greater value. Indeed, under current legislation it is possible to provide a higher value prize from certain classes of machine if it is paid as a non-monetary prize. As such, players may be more willing to play the machine than other similar machines. Indeed, it is known for machines to pay out tokens, which can be accumulated to exchange for prizes.
  • the player may be awarded qualifying points in relation to only part of his/her game.
  • a game will generally award some form of points so that a player has a measure of his/her level of achievement in that particular game.
  • the game may award a form of points to a player and award qualifying points after a player has exceeded and/or equalled a pre-determined level of achievement.
  • Such an arrangement may be desirable because it means that a player can only obtain non-monetary prizes for levels of performance above a certain, pre-determined, level.
  • the value of the non-monetary prizes may be increased in a player's mind because they have achieved higher levels of performance before obtaining qualifying points and thus the qualifying points are harder to obtain.
  • a storage memory means may be associated with the machine allowing the qualifying points awarded to the player to be recorded.
  • the storage memory means may be within the machine, or may be remote from the machine. Such a storage memory means is advantageous because it allows the awarded qualifying points to accumulate and be stored for use at a later time or date.
  • the storage memory means may be a memory or may be a disc drive, DVD RAM, etc. (It may comprise both a memory and tape drive, disc drive, etc).
  • the game means may include a processing means adapted, in use, to run code associated with the game being played. Indeed, the code running on the processing means may provide, in use, the game itself.
  • the processing means may be part of a computer, which may comprise a computer having the architecture referred to as a PC.
  • a PC the architecture
  • any other architecture is suitable, but the PC architecture may be advantageous because of its standard nature and wide availability.
  • a display means may be provided adapted, in use, to display information in relation to the game. Indeed, the display means may be adapted, in use, to display the game itself, much like games consuls, or arcade games. Code running on the processing means may be adapted, in use, to cause information to be displayed on the display means.
  • a networking means may be provided allowing the machine to be connected to remote devices.
  • the networking means may allow the processing means of the machine to communicate with remote processing means. Further, the networking means may allow the processing means to access storage memory means that are remote from the machine.
  • the machine may further include an identification input means allowing, in use, a player to identify themselves to the machine.
  • the identification input means may provide an input to the processing means.
  • Such an input means is advantageous because it allows the identity of the player to be stored and may allow the qualifying points awarded to the player to be recorded against that players identity.
  • the processing means may be adapted to store the identity of the player in the storage memory means. Further, the processing means may be adapted to store in the storage memory means the number of qualifying points awarded to that particular player.
  • the identification input means may comprise a keyboard (which may be virtual e.g. a display on the display means), a joystick, a card reader, a finger print scanner, a retinal scanner, other buttons, or indeed any other input device that may prove suitable for inputting an identity.
  • the code running on the processing means is adapted, in use, to require a player to input his/her identity via the identification input means before a game can be played.
  • the points awarded in a particular game can be associated with that particular player.
  • the player may be required to enter his/her identity after a game has been played, or perhaps during a game.
  • the code running on the processing means may be adapted to associate each of the available prizes with a predetermined number of qualifying points.
  • the code running on the processing means may be adapted to allow the player to convert qualifying points into a prize of the player's choice. Further, the code running on the processing means may allow qualifying points to be stored against a particular identification to be converted into a prize selected from a selection.
  • the code running on the processing means may be adapted to decrement the qualifying points stored against the particular identification by the value of the selected prize. Such an arrangement is advantageous because it effectively allows the player to save qualifying points in an account so that they can obtain prizes of a greater value, perhaps at a later date.
  • the code may ensure that there are sufficient qualifying points available before allowing a prize to be selected.
  • the prize selection means may comprise an access means to a remote computer.
  • the remote computer may be part of the internet or world wide web.
  • the remote computer may be part of a closed, wide area network WAN (that is a network that has restricted access).
  • the closed WAN may comprise a network of entertainment machines.
  • a credit-input means allowing credit to be input to the machine.
  • credit it is meant at least any of the following: coins, tokens, bank notes, credit from an account, make a payment from a credit card, a voucher, deductions from credits or a prepaid card (which may be a smart card), or from any other form of credit.
  • the machine may be adapted to prevent a game being played on the machine until sufficient credit has been input to the credit input means.
  • the code running on the processing means may be adapted to prevent the processing means from running a game until sufficient credit has been input to the credit input means.
  • the credit input means may be adapted to allow the player to purchase qualifying points for storing against a particular identification.
  • An advantage of such an arrangement is that a player may be able to pay to obtain prizes for which they have not quite accumulated enough qualifying points.
  • the code running on the processing means may allow prizes to be purchased without any requirement to play a game on the machine.
  • the purchase of points may be achieved via credit input via the credit input means or may cause an invoice to be sent.
  • Prior art systems are known in which a player can purchase goods over a network, for instance the World Wide Web.
  • a network for instance the World Wide Web.
  • Such systems generally require the user to enter credit card details, or send payment in advance before a purchase can be made.
  • An advantage of the present system arises due to the fact that the machine on which the user makes a purchase may well have credit input facilities (which may include the ability to enter coins and/or notes into the machine). Allowing the user to use coins or notes may be appealing since there will be no chance of his/her credit card details, or other important information being fraudulently intercepted during, or after, transmission. Such a machine may therefore, be perceived to provide greater security for purchases involving payment, whether in full, or to make up for a shortfall in qualifying points.
  • the prize selection means may further comprise a prize selection input means adapted, in use, to allow the player to make an input and select a prize.
  • the prize selection input means may be the same as the identification input means or may be different from the identification input means.
  • the prize selection means may be adapted, in use, to allow a player a predetermined time in which to select a prize. This is advantageous because as the skilled person will appreciate the machine is provided to make money by allowing players to play games. If the machine is tied up for too long with players selecting prizes the profitability of the machine may be affected.
  • the entertainment machine may be an SWP machine, may be a gaming or amusement machine covered by section 34, or section 52 of the 1968 gaming act.
  • the storage memory means may be provided in a networked location accessed by one or more machines on the network, or each machine may be provided with its own storage memory means. In another embodiment some of the machines may be provided with their own memory and other machines may access a memory at a networked location.
  • each machine has its own storage memory means and also has access to storage memory means in a networked location (networked memory).
  • networked memory a networked location
  • storage memory means is thereby provided for any processing means provided within the machine and data can be stored on the networked memory, which it is desirable for all of the machines on the network to access.
  • the method may cause the prize to be delivered to an address specified by the player. Having the prize delivered in this manner is advantageous because it allows an apparatus to be provided that does not carry any stock. This is itself advantageous because it reduces the value of stock that the supplier of the machine must hold.
  • the prize is ordered from a third party. This may further reduce the value of the stock that the owner of the machine must hold.
  • Players of the game may be provided with a personal account to which qualifying points that they win can be added. This is advantageous because it allows the player to accumulate qualifying points.
  • the players can effectively "save" for prizes of higher value by adding the qualifying points to his/her account.
  • the qualifying points may be thought of as a currency that can be saved, or spent as a player sees fit through management of the points in his/her account.
  • An account may be opened at the machine (e.g. electronically), or may be by the post, or in person at the premises where the machine is situated. A player may require some form of identification to allow them to open an account.
  • Such a machine is advantageous because as described hereinbefore non-monetary prizes can be seen to be more of a reward than monetary prizes because it is often hard to accurately value a monetary prize.
  • machines that produce a non-monetary prize are disadvantageous because they require an amount of stock to be held within the machine thus increasing overheads, etc.
  • a machine according to this aspect of the invention is therefore advantageous because of the reduces stock that must be provided. Further, the machine itself can be made much simpler since there is no need of a mechanism to actually produce a prize.
  • the entertainment machine may be an SWP machine, may be a gaming or amusement machine covered by section 34, or section 52 of the 1968 gaming act.
  • a method of reducing the stock inventory of a prize delivery network comprising providing one or machines according to a first aspect of the invention.
  • the method is advantageous because it allows the party running the network to hold less stock (of prizes) and may therefore allow that party to rent/own less storage space.
  • the computer 10 has a processing means, which is used to provide, in use, the game on the display means 6.
  • the display means 6 is touch sensitive so that a player makes inputs to the processing means when touching the screen thus providing an input means.
  • the display means 6 also allows inputs to be made to the game.
  • the computer 10 has a storage memory means, comprising a permanent memory in the form of a hard disc drive, and a volatile memory, which is used by the processor to run the game.
  • the computer 10 provides a control means, which controls the machine.
  • the qualifying points received by the player may have an equivalent monetary value and the number of qualifying points that a player can win in a single game may be limited allowing the machine to meet certain statutory requirements.
  • the number of qualifying points that a player can win in a single game is limited to 1000 and each qualifying point has a value of 0.008 pence. Therefore, the total prize that a player can win in a single game is limited to £8, which allows the machine to be placed in more locations than if the prize were higher.
  • the player may not be aware of the exact monetary value of a qualifying point.
  • a personal account allows the player to save points so that they can obtain prizes of greater value.
  • a player causes the processing means to enter the prize selection mode wherein the prizes available to the player and their monetary/points equivalent are displayed. Images of the prizes that can be selected are displayed on the display means allowing the player to readily be able to select the prize in which they are interested.
  • the processing means causes a prize delivery means to cause the selected prize to be mailed to the address associated with the personal account from which the qualifying points originated.
  • the player receives his/her prize shortly (a number of days) after they have selected the prize. (An option may be provided to pay extra (or deduct extra qualifying points) for next day delivery, etc.).
  • the networking may be by any known networking technique but in this embodiment is via a telephone connection (which of course may be permanently enabled or the computer 10 may dial a connection as and when required).
  • the central computing means 18 provides a centralised storage memory, or networked memory which can be accessed by all of the machines 10,12,14,16 to which it is connected.
  • the machines 10,12,14,16 transmit details of the players who have won points and also details of the accounts to which the player wishes to add his/her points (assuming he/she wishes to access an account). Because the points details are stored in the networked memory a player can access his/her points from any of the machines 10,12,14,16 on the network.
  • the networked memory also maintains a record of the security measure wish is required to gain access to the particular account e.g. the PIN, etc.).
  • the networked memory may also comprise a prize memory means, which maintains details of the prizes that are available and the worth in qualifying points/money.
  • a player causes a machine 10,12,14,16 on the network to enter the prize selection mode that machine communicates across the network with the prize memory means and displays the information on the display means 6. The player can then select prizes as he/she could if the prize memory means were provided within a particular machine.
  • the prize selection means is also provided within the central computing means 18 and causes a prize to be sent to the address, which it is provided with. As with the address provision on a free standing machine this is associated with an account.
  • the prize selection means may cause a third party (i.e. not the company providing the machine) to provide the prize and deliver it to the player.
  • the third party may be a company such as a catalogue company, etc.
  • the prize selection means may comprise a web site adapted to allow the player to select a prize.
  • the prize selection means is provided by access to the prize memory means (not via the Internet), but it is possible for this to make use of browser technology.
  • the network could also comprise Internet connections, or could of course be a dedicated WAN, or dial up access may make a direct connection.
  • address changes can only be perfected on the central computing means 18 once the address change has been confirmed in writing.
  • the display means displays a screen 30 allowing a player to determine whether they wish to play a game or to spend qualifying points. (This screen may also allow a specific game to be selected).
  • the player is asked whether they wish to spend the points within the account, 40. If the player does not wish to spend the points the display means is caused to display the game/prize selection screen 30.
  • the player wishes to spend his/her qualifying points they are taken to a display showing the prizes held within the prize memory means, 42. This is also the screen the player is taken to if they decide to select a prize rather then play a game (after the player has specified the account from which qualifying points should be taken) 43.
  • the player can manipulate the display to view the different prizes allowing them to select a particular prize, 44. Once the prize is selected it is sent to the address associated with the particular account from which the points were spent, 46.
  • the player After the prize has been selected the player is given the opportunity to spend more points 48 or to return to the game/prize start screen 30.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
  • Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
EP01300494A 2000-01-19 2001-01-19 Améliorations de machines de jeu Withdrawn EP1120758A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0001095A GB0001095D0 (en) 2000-01-19 2000-01-19 Improvements relating to entertainment machines
GB0001095 2000-01-19
GB0025523A GB0025523D0 (en) 2000-01-19 2000-10-18 Improvemnts relating to entertainment machines
GB0025523 2000-10-18

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1120758A2 true EP1120758A2 (fr) 2001-08-01
EP1120758A3 EP1120758A3 (fr) 2002-10-09

Family

ID=26243422

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01300494A Withdrawn EP1120758A3 (fr) 2000-01-19 2001-01-19 Améliorations de machines de jeu

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP1120758A3 (fr)
GB (1) GB2359653B (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2406291A (en) * 2001-09-28 2005-03-30 Acres Gaming Inc Player level gaming device customization method
WO2007073717A2 (fr) * 2005-12-29 2007-07-05 Novomatic Ag Procede pour faire fonctionner un appareil de divertissement fonctionnant avec de l'argent

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5816918A (en) * 1996-04-05 1998-10-06 Rlt Acquistion, Inc. Prize redemption system for games
US5761647A (en) * 1996-05-24 1998-06-02 Harrah's Operating Company, Inc. National customer recognition system and method
US5941772A (en) * 1996-12-02 1999-08-24 Paige; Elena Launzel Apparatus and method for enhancing gambling devices with commercial advertising indicia
US6113098A (en) * 1998-09-22 2000-09-05 Anchor Gaming Gaming device with supplemental ticket dispenser

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
No Search *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2406291A (en) * 2001-09-28 2005-03-30 Acres Gaming Inc Player level gaming device customization method
WO2007073717A2 (fr) * 2005-12-29 2007-07-05 Novomatic Ag Procede pour faire fonctionner un appareil de divertissement fonctionnant avec de l'argent
WO2007073717A3 (fr) * 2005-12-29 2007-09-13 Novomatic Ag Procede pour faire fonctionner un appareil de divertissement fonctionnant avec de l'argent
ES2359559A1 (es) * 2005-12-29 2011-05-24 Novomatic Ag Procedimiento para el funcionamiento de un aparato de entretenimiento accionado con dinero.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0101344D0 (en) 2001-03-07
EP1120758A3 (fr) 2002-10-09
GB2359653B (en) 2004-05-26
GB2359653A (en) 2001-08-29

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