EP1542179A2 - Unterhaltungsautomat - Google Patents

Unterhaltungsautomat Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1542179A2
EP1542179A2 EP04257693A EP04257693A EP1542179A2 EP 1542179 A2 EP1542179 A2 EP 1542179A2 EP 04257693 A EP04257693 A EP 04257693A EP 04257693 A EP04257693 A EP 04257693A EP 1542179 A2 EP1542179 A2 EP 1542179A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
game
machine according
locations
transfer
play
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Withdrawn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
EP04257693A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1542179A3 (de
Inventor
Peter Gerrard
Dov Liam Randall
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.)
Brightstar Lottery UK Solutions Ltd
Original Assignee
IGT UK Ltd
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 GB0328821A external-priority patent/GB0328821D0/en
Priority claimed from GB0402466A external-priority patent/GB0402466D0/en
Application filed by IGT UK Ltd filed Critical IGT UK Ltd
Publication of EP1542179A2 publication Critical patent/EP1542179A2/de
Publication of EP1542179A3 publication Critical patent/EP1542179A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • G07F17/326—Game play aspects of gaming systems
    • G07F17/3267—Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to coin-operated player-operable entertainment machines, which are amusement or gaming machines, of the kind having a main display device operable, when actuated by a stake value, for play of a main game resulting in display of selected symbols at respective display positions at a win zone.
  • coin is intended also to cover tokens, charge or credit cards or any other means of supplying credit or monetary value.
  • the main display device may comprise multiple side-by-side actual or video-simulated reels which are rotatable about a common horizontal axis within a housing behind a window at the win zone.
  • Each reel has symbols equally spaced around its periphery and the reels can be brought to rest with one or more symbols on each reel displayed at the respective display positions in the window.
  • an award may be made available to the player.
  • Such fruit machines may have a supplementary feature game to which play can transfer from the main game.
  • the feature game typically involves progression along a trail, for example by movement around a closed loop from position to position in correspondence with progression steps selected with a number-bearing rotatable feature reel. awards may be made available in the event that play has progressed to a winning trail position.
  • main display device is a video monitor on which five images of playing cards, selected from a pack of cards, are displayed and an award is made available in the event that the combination of displayed images represents a winning poker hand.
  • Entertainment value with poker machines is derived from player attempts at attaining a winning poker hand e.g. by changing selected displayed cards to try to improve an initially dealt hand.
  • An object of the present invention is to overcome or at least reduce this problem by providing a machine which can be of appeal to players familiar with different kinds of machines, particularly poker and fruit machines.
  • a coin-operated player-operable entertainment machine of the kind having a main display device operable, when actuated by a stake value, for play of a main game resulting in display of selected symbols at respective display positions at a win zone, the symbols comprising images of game play elements selected from a predetermined group thereof and an award being made available in the event that the displayed images represents a winning combination of the elements whereby the elements represent playing cards and/or dice faces, characterised by the provision of a supplementary display device operable on transfer from the main game for play of a supplementary feature game involving display of selected locations of a feature zone.
  • the machine can therefore be of appeal both to players who enjoy playing card/dice game machines and to players who enjoy feature game machines.
  • transfer from the main game to the feature game is subject to players control, e.g. by operation of a transfer press button or the like whereby the player has the option of rejecting, or not accepting, transfer.
  • players who are only or primarily interested in the card/dice game can decline the transfer and instead play repeated card/dice games, whereas players who are interested in the feature game can implement the transfer thereby to enjoy playing the feature game whilst at the same time deriving enjoyment from the card/dice game, possibly on a new and interesting playing experience.
  • transfer may occur under control of the machine without giving the player the opportunity to reject or accept transfer.
  • Transfer opportunities may arise after some or all main games. Most preferably the arrangement is such that a transfer opportunity derives directly or indirectly only following predetermined event in, or outcome of, the main game, or following accumulated such events or outcomes for a plurality of such games.
  • a transfer opportunity may arise following attainment of a predetermined winning combination such as a winning card hand, or a winning combination of at least a predetermined value or following attainment of multiple such combinations in subsequent games which collectively give rise to a transfer opportunity.
  • This may give rise to a direct transfer opportunity, or an indirect opportunity in that a successful outcome of a further action is first required, such as a successful gamble action, before transfer can occur.
  • an entry trail made up of successive locations whereby play can progress from the main game to a selected said location depending on the identity or value of an attained winning combination, and one or more said locations may be transfer locations which effect or permit transfer to the supplementary feature game.
  • transfer locations are preferably at higher levels in the entry trail so that high value combinations are required for direct progression thereto.
  • location may be reach from lower locations by progression with a gamble feature or by accumulation of successive progression steps e.g. by attainment of successive lower level winning combinations, or by bonuses or awarded steps or otherwise.
  • the gamble feature may be of any suitable kind and this may involve a selector which when actuated selects a forward or backwards progression, or a win or lose action, or it may involve repeated rapid up and down indication of location with the player having the opportunity of arresting such repeated indications, whereby the player seeks to attain progression at the risk of moving backwards or losing.
  • this may be a poker card game whereby the main display device displays five cards some or all of which may be changed for different cards selected from the pack by operation of a player control or controls, such as press buttons.
  • the main game may be a dice game involving display of a plurality, say five, dice or dice faces selected from a range e.g. from the usual six different faces bearing spots or other numerical indicators having the values 1 to 6.
  • the dice game may be the game Poker Dice, although other dice games are also possible.
  • the main display device preferably comprises a video screen on which the card/dice images are generated electronically.
  • this may be of any suitable kind.
  • the supplementary feature device comprises a sequence of said display locations in the form of a trail, particularly a closed-loop or wrap-around trail, along which play progresses by successive indication of the locations, in correspondence with progression steps selected with a step selector device.
  • the step selector device may comprise an actual or video simulated rotatable number-bearing reel or the like.
  • multiple supplementary feature games may be provided which may be of different kinds and/or which may be of the same or similar kinds differing in one or more parameters such as complexity, range of award values or the like.
  • the arrangement may be such that play can transfer from one to the other e.g. by attaining a transfer outcome with one game.
  • the supplementary display device may comprise a video screen and/or a back-illuminated panel. Where locations are indicated this may be achieved by back illumination of such locations or by video simulation of this or otherwise.
  • the said locations of the feature game may correspond to outcomes selected from winning outcomes such as awards or bonuses, losing outcomes such as reduction in or loss of previously attained awards or bonuses, game play termination and the like.
  • one or more ancillary display devices may be provided for indicating outcomes and/or for use in playing ancillary features.
  • a coin matrix is provided comprising matrix of locations corresponding respectively to award values which when indicated on the consequence of game play, e.g. in the feature game, can make available the corresponding award value which may be the sum of value corresponding to multiple indicated matrix locations.
  • this shows a gaming machine having a housing 1 with upper and lower front panels 2, 3 operating buttons 4-8, a coin slot 9 and a payout opening 10.
  • vdu 11 such as a crt
  • screen 12 which can be seen through a window 13 in the lower front panel 3.
  • the vdu 11 is connected within the housing 1 to a microprocessor-based control 30, as also are a coin mechanism 31, a pay out mechanism 32 and the operating buttons 4-8.
  • the upper panel 2 is also printed with a lower first wrap-around trail 18, and an upper second wrap-around trail 19 each consisting of a closed loop of successive locations 20, 21.
  • the upper trail 19 encloses a matrix 22 of coin location 23 marked with coin values from say £0.10p to £2 in total adding up to say £5.
  • All locations 15, 17, 20, 21 on the entry trail 14, gamble ladder 16, the trails 19, 20 and the matrix 22 can be indicated by back-illumination with bulbs 24 connected to the control unit 30.
  • the upper and lower panels 2, 3 may also be printed with other back-illuminated features, such as an award table, a feature ladder etc.
  • coins are inserted into the coin slot 9 to the value at least of a predetermined game stake value.
  • the credit value is shown on a video-simulated digital display on the video screen 12.
  • a main game is then started on pressing a start button 4 whereupon the video display changes to simulate dealing of five cards 26 which are then shown face up side-by-side on the screen 12.
  • the cards are selected in sequence from a usual 52 card pack, simulated by operation of the control unit 30.
  • the pack is shuffled before selection commences.
  • the resulting combination of displayed cards is assessed and an award is made available if the cards represent a poker hand of a pair of jacks or better.
  • a BOOST award is made available for a pair.
  • a BONUS award for higher hands (three of a kind to Royal Flush) a monetary award from say £ to £25 is made available.
  • For a BOOST award play enters and moves up the entry trail 14 by a number of locations (which may be predetermined or random). For a BONUS award, play can progress more rapidly up the entry trail 14.
  • Play may progress to a position on the gamble ladder 16 either due to an attained monetary award (three of a kind or better) or due to progression from the entry trail 14 by BOOST and BONUS awards, which may be supplemented by additional entry trail steps which may be awarded randomly or predictably in non-winning circumstances.
  • the player then has the option of pressing a collect button to obtain pay-out of the award value, or pressing a gamble button 7 whereby a higher location on the gamble ladder 16 can be attained at the risk of losing or moving down the ladder.
  • Operation of the gamble feature may involve arresting rapid back-illumination of the ladder location 17 up and down the ladder 16, or by arresting an indicator alternating between 'Hi' and 'Lo' or otherwise.
  • the indicator may comprise a rotatable reel or back-illumination locations.
  • Some of the higher ladder locations 17 are accompanied by printed 'transfer' markings. When play has transferred to any such location 17 the player has the option of pressing a transfer button 5 whereupon play then transfers to the lower trail 18.
  • the collect button 6 can be operated whereupon attained award value is paid out to the player and the game terminates.
  • the start button 4 is pressed to cause the feature reel 25 to rotate and then come to rest displaying a number of progression steps. Play advances from location to location 20 around the trail 18 from an entry location 20.
  • one or more locations 20 may correspond to transfer to the upper trail 19, or may award 'icons' which have to be accumulated to reach a predetermined level (say three icons) before play can transfer to the upper trail 19.
  • Locations 21 of the upper trail 19 also include winning and losing outcomes.
  • One or more of the winning outcomes may represent coin awards whereby one or more of the location 23 of the matrix 22 may be back-illuminated to indicate an attained award value corresponding to each such location 23.
  • the player can operate the collect button 6 to collect accumulated award value including any award value from the coin matrix 22.
  • the player can enjoy both types of game, or can focus on only one type.
  • the main game may be a different card game, or a Poker Dice game or another dice game, or there may be the option of selectively playing either, or even both, of a card game and a dice game.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)
  • Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
EP04257693A 2003-12-11 2004-12-10 Unterhaltungsautomat Withdrawn EP1542179A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0328821A GB0328821D0 (en) 2003-12-11 2003-12-11 Entertainment machines
GB0328821 2003-12-11
GB0402466 2004-02-04
GB0402466A GB0402466D0 (en) 2004-02-04 2004-02-04 Entertainment machines

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1542179A2 true EP1542179A2 (de) 2005-06-15
EP1542179A3 EP1542179A3 (de) 2005-09-14

Family

ID=34082104

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04257693A Withdrawn EP1542179A3 (de) 2003-12-11 2004-12-10 Unterhaltungsautomat

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1542179A3 (de)
GB (1) GB2408950A (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2439386A (en) * 2006-06-20 2007-12-27 Igt Uk Ltd Entertainment machine having a reel-based main game and an adjunct trail game

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8611455D0 (en) * 1986-05-10 1986-06-18 Bell Fruit Mfg Co Ltd Gaming & amusement machines
US6173955B1 (en) * 1998-12-22 2001-01-16 Mikohn Gaming Corporation Poker dice casino game method of play
US6416406B1 (en) * 2000-02-01 2002-07-09 Labtronix Concept Method for playing an auxiliary game with prize rewarding system
NO20013067L (no) * 2000-06-21 2001-12-24 Igt Uk Ltd Underholdningsmaskin
GB2374294B (en) * 2001-03-09 2005-05-18 Igt Uk Ltd Entertainment machines
GB0117827D0 (en) * 2001-07-21 2001-09-12 Igt Uk Ltd Entertainment machines
US7892088B2 (en) * 2001-10-18 2011-02-22 Steve Brandstetter Gaming device having a second separate bonusing event
US6939229B2 (en) * 2001-12-19 2005-09-06 Igt Gaming method, device, and system including adventure bonus game
US8747205B2 (en) * 2002-02-15 2014-06-10 Wms Gaming Inc. Gaming machine with block wagering

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2439386A (en) * 2006-06-20 2007-12-27 Igt Uk Ltd Entertainment machine having a reel-based main game and an adjunct trail game

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1542179A3 (de) 2005-09-14
GB2408950A (en) 2005-06-15
GB0427009D0 (en) 2005-01-12

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