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This invention relates to player-operable entertainment machines,
particularly coin-operated machines which may be designated amusement
with prizes (AWP) machines or otherwise depending on the country of
origin, such as "fruit" or "poker" machines, of the kind having a main
display device for displaying a selected combination of symbols at a win
zone. As used herein the term coin is intended also to cover tokens,
charge or credit cards or any other means of supplying credit or monetary
value.
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The main display device of a fruit machine may comprise multiple
actual or video-simulated side-by-side reels which are rotatable about a
common horizontal axis within a housing behind a window at the win
zone. Each reel has symbols at equally spaced positions around its
periphery and the reels can be brought to rest with one symbol on each .
reel displayed through the window on a win line.
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If the displayed combination of symbols constitutes a
predetermined winning combination an award may be made available to
the player.
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It is known to provide features such as "nudge" or "hold" controls
which can be used by the player to seek to influence selection of the
displayed combination of symbols.
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It is also known to provide a supplementary display or "feature
game" which can be used to enhance the entertainment value of the
machine and provide additional or alternative opportunities for winning.
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Feature prizes may be made available for selection by the player.
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Furthermore, it is known to provide a gamble feature whereby an
attained award can be gambled with the result that its value is increased
or decreased.
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Particularly on large-jackpot 'club' machines it is also well known to
provide an auto-play feature, a feature often referred to as "G for
George". When a "G for George" button is pressed by the player, the
machine will then proceed to play automatically, making all decisions for
the player, although, the player can interrupt the automatic play by
pressing any of the other game playing buttons.
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This auto-play feature has its attractions but for many players it is
usually undesirable for player involvement to be significantly reduced by
allowing the machine to take all decisions automatically.
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An object of the present invention is to provide an auto-play
mechanism which is of greater acceptability to players.
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According to the present invention therefore there is provided a
player-operable coin-operated entertainment machine with which a game
can be played involving operation of player controls and having an
outcome which if of a winning nature results in an award being made
available to the player, wherein an auto-play device is provided which is
operable to effect play of the game automatically in substitution for said
operation of the player controls, characterised in that the device is
selectively operable in different modes corresponding to different extents
of substitution for said player controls.
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With this arrangement the player is able to customise the machine
by selecting different extents of auto-play suited to his particular playing
requirements. For example, some players may wish the machine to make
only some of the decisions during game play, and may wish to make
other decisions themselves, whilst other players may be happier for the
machine to make all the decisions during game play.
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Accordingly, the machine of the present invention allows for the
preferences or styles of different players to be catered for in one machine.
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The chosen style of auto-play may be maintained throughout a
period of play or number of games for which the machine is actuated for
game play (e.g. for which sufficient game-play credit has been inserted
into the machine). Alternatively a fresh selection may be required for
each game and/or at anytime during play the player has the option to
change the selected auto-play style or disable the auto-play device
entirely.
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In one embodiment, the machine is of the kind having reels or
simulated reels preferably with hold and nudge features, and one or more
selections may give rise to automatic spinning of the reels, and/or all hold
and nudge operations being performed automatically, but other decisions,
preferably all other decisions, being left to the player.
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In another embodiment, the machine has a gamble feature, and one
selection applies to automatic operation of this feature. The gamble
feature may involve progression, backwards or forwards, along a series of
progressively increased award values. By way of example, the award
values may have the following increments: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20,
24, 28, 32, 40, 48, 60, 80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000. When the
player achieves a win, say 16, play transfers to the relevant position on
the gamble feature succession. Following a successful gamble, play may
advance to the next position on the gamble feature succession, in this
case 20, or if the next gamble is unsuccessful play may fall back to the
previous position on the gamble feature succession, in this case 12.
After taking a gamble there may be the possibility of allowing gamble to
continue, or collection of the current award value. The auto-play device
may be selectively operable to control automatically these possibilities.
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The auto-play device may also be selectively operable to make
different levels of gambling available automatically. For example, the
player may be able to gamble up to one or more selectable position on the
gamble feature succession, e.g. 20 or 48 or 200, and collect the award
corresponding to that position if and when reached, or the player may be
able to gamble up to the maximum, in this case 1000, and if this position
is not reached the player loses everything which he has previously
accumulated. These options may be individually selectable for auto-play.
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Instead of relying on predetermined selectable maximums at which
auto-play stops the gamble feature and collects the award value, it may
be possible to select a 'gamble to value and collect' option with the auto-play
device and then operate another control to select the value at which
he wishes the machine to terminate the gamble feature and collect an
award automatically.
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Where positions on the gamble feature succession or in connection
with other features of the machine have as an offered award, or
alternative award, one or a range of selectable prizes, which may be
displayed on the machine, the player may opt to accept the (or one) prize
himself, or there may be the possibility of selecting an auto-play function
whereby the machine would accept a prize automatically.
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In a preferred embodiment of the machine, the player has the
opportunity to step successively through a series of auto-play functions
indicated on a visual display and to select one or more. Such functions
may be as follows:
- 1) Automatically spin reels;
- 2) Perform nudge and hold operations;
- 3) Gamble to a value then collect; and
- 4) Accept offered prize
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The player may select any combination of features 1 to 4 above,
for example, if the player selected features 1,2 and 3 the machine would
automatically spin the reels, perform nudge and hold operations and
gamble to a value specified by the player and collect the award of that
value if it were attained. The machine would not accept an offered prize
and would interrupt the auto-play at this point to allow the player to
decide whether or not to accept the prize. Declining the prize would
return the machine to its auto-play mode.
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The machine of the invention is preferably a fruit machine as
hereinbefore described as applicable in any country's jurisdiction.
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The auto-play device may be manually operable with a press-button
or touch screen or any other suitable device.
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The invention will now be described further by way of example
only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
- Figure 1
- is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a fruit
machine according to the invention; and
- Figure 2
- is a diagrammatic block circuit diagram of the machine of
Figure 1.
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Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a fruit machine having a
floor-standing box shaped housing 1 having a front wall which includes
upper and lower glass panels 2 and 3, a number of operating buttons 4,
5, 6 and 18, a coin slot 7 and a payout opening 8.
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Within the housing 1 there are three axially aligned reels 9 having
say 20 symbols at regularly spaced positions around their peripheries.
The reels 9 are axially rotatable and are drivable connected to respective
stepper motors 10. The reels 9 are arranged behind a window 11 defined
by a printed region of the lower glass panel 3. Each reel 9 can be
arrested by the respective stepper motor 10 in any of a plurality of
stopping positions in which one symbol is in precise registration with a
horizontal win line in the centre of the window 11 and two further
symbols are visible above and below the win line.
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The stepper motors 10 are connected to a microprocessor based
control unit 12. This unit is also connected to a coin-mechanism 13, a
payout mechanism 14, an auto-play mechanism 20 and the buttons 4, 5,
6 and 18.
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In use, the player inserts coins into the coin mechanism 13 through
the slot 7 sufficient to generate credit for one or more games as indicated
on an LED display 16, and the machine is actuated so that a game can
now be played.
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Before commencement of the game the player is given the
opportunity to select an auto-play function from a range of such functions
as displayed on a back illuminated region 21 of the panel 3. This
opportunity may be available at the start of every game or only for some
games on a random or predetermined basis. The choice may be made by
pressing the start button 4 to step through the functions as described
hereafter or may be made by using a designated auto-play button. The
game then commences after the start button 4 has been pressed and the
reels 9 spin and then come to rest so as to select a combination of
symbols displayed on the win line. The displayed symbol combination is
assessed by the control unit 12 and a win indication is given in the event
that the combination is of a predetermined winning nature. A
corresponding award may then be made available to the player and the
value of this may be shown on the LED display 16.
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On occasions when an auto-play function has not been selected the
player is given the opportunity to perform "hold" or "nudge" functions,
with control buttons 5, so that the player can seek to influence the
outcome of the game, in a conventional manner.
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The upper panel 2 is a transparent glass panel and within this there
is a printed display region 15, which can be back illuminated with a bank
of lamps, and which provides a supplementary feature game to which
play may transfer on occasions on a random or predetermined basis.
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This feature game may comprise a wraparound trail and a rotatable
auxiliary feature reel 19 visible through a window in the panel 2.
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The player can attain further awards with the feature game.
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On occasions when an auto play function has not been selected the
player may be given the opportunity of increasing an award attained in a
game with a gamble feature. This may occur on any suitable predictable,
random or pseudo random basis.
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When this opportunity arises, this is signalled to the player by
steady or flashing back illumination of a section 17 of the panel 3 which
bears a ladder consisting of a succession of progressively increased award
values, such as 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 40, 48, 60,
80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000.
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The player can press the usual gamble button 18 to cause an
attained award (highlighted at the appropriate position in the succession
printed on the region 17) to be increased or decreased (e.g. as selected at
random, or on a speed of reaction basis) whereby the next higher or lower
value is highlighted. The player now has the option at any time of
pressing the usual "collect" button 6 instead of the gamble button 18. If
the "collect" button 6 is pressed the current award value is paid out or
credited on the display 16 without further gamble.
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The functions controlled by some or all of the above described
player- operable controls 5, 6, 18 can be substituted by operation of the
auto-play selector control 4.
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The control 4 can be operated to step through options highlighted
on the
panel section 21, namely:
- 1) Automatically spin reels;
- 2) Perform nudge and hold operations;
- 3) Gamble to a value then collect; and
- 4) Accept offered prize
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Repeated operation of the control 4 may select successively:
option 1, option 1 & 2, option 1 & 2 & 3, option 1 & 2 & 3 & 4, although
other arrangements are also possible.
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If option 1 is selected, the machine operates in conventional mode.
That it the reels 9 spin automatically but all other functions are in
response to operation of the player controls.
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If option 2 is selected, hold and nudge functions are now under the
automatic control of the machine, in substitution for player control using
the buttons 5.
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The machine decides automatically, which reels to hold prior to
spinning and which reels to nudge after spinning. This is effected in
accordance with the availability of hold and nudge, and the number of
available nudges, which is determined by the machine in conventional
manner. The decision taken by the machine with regard to
implementation of hold and nudge may be influenced in any suitable
manner by calculation of the optimum action to attain, or try to attain, the
best outcome using any suitable computation, or any other suitable basis.
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If option 3 is selected, the gamble feature, when available, operates
automatically, without requiring the player to press any buttons, until
either the initial award value is increased to a predetermined maximum
value, or is lost. The predetermined maximum value may be automatically
pre-selected on any suitable random or predictable basis, or the player
may have the option of pre-selecting this, at any value up to the highest
(1000) or at any of a selected range of values (say 20, 48, 200). This
pre-election may be effected by the player pressing a control button to
step through a range of values highlighted on the section 17, or section
21 or the LED 16.
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At the end of the automatic procedure, any increased value is
credited to the player and indicated on the display 16.
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If option 4 is selected, on those occasions when the machine
generates an alternative prize, or a range of alternative prizes, instead of
giving the player an opportunity to accept or refuse, or select from a
range of prizes, this is effected automatically by the machine on the basis
that an offered prize is always accepted. Where there is a range of
prizes, one prize may be accepted on a random or predetermined basis.
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In the case where an auto-play selection has been made, the
arrangement may be such that this prevails until game play credit is
consumed, or until a next game is commenced. Alternatively, the player
may have the option at any time to override auto-play by pressing an
appropriate one of the controls 5, 6, 18 which may return the machine to
player-control mode.
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The possibility of selecting the extent of automatic operation of the
machine gives enhanced player interest and entertainment value.
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It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended
to be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are
described by way of example only.