GB2045990A

GB2045990A - Gaming Machine

Info

Publication number: GB2045990A
Application number: GB8010109A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PANELWIRE CONTROLS Ltd
Current assignee: PANELWIRE CONTROLS Ltd
Priority date: 1979-03-29
Filing date: 1980-03-26
Publication date: 1980-11-05
Also published as: GB2045990B

Abstract

Conventional random stopping arrangements for the reels of a fruit machine include a peripherally toothed disc (12) and a latch engageable in the notches (14). The invention provides an arrangement for continually monitoring the angular positions of the reels using a light emitting diode (20) on one side of each disc (12) and a photo transistor (24) on the other side aligned with one another at the radial position of the notches (14), avoiding the requirement of separate rotatable members for monitoring. The passing of each notch (14) through the path of light provides the photo transistor (24) with an output pulse, and the pulses are processed by a microprocessor circuit which can read all the output pulses to provide information relating to the combination of visible symbols in any stop condition of the reels, obviating the need for an individual counter for the pulses of each reel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and Relating to Reel Mechanisms for Gaming Machines This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to reel mechanisms for gaming machines i.e. machines for playing games of chance. One commonly known type of gaming machine is a fruit machine.

In gaming machines of the type having a plurality of rotatable reels each carrying a series of symbols around its axis of rotation, for example around its outer peripheral edge, the reels are spun and stopped at any randomly selected angular positions. A symbol on each reel is then visible through a window of the machine to the player and the combination of symbols determines whether or not a prize is won. Various arrangements have been proposed for sensing the angular positions of the reels so as to determine, the winning combinations. One proposed arrangement includes a sensing disc fixed for rotation with each reel and having a plurality of holes arranged in an annular fashion.At the radial position of the holes, a source of light is provided at one side of the disc and a photocell at the other side of the disc such that an electrical pulse is generated by the photocell each time a hole travels through the path of light. A counter is provided in association with each reel for counting the number of pulses, thus determining at any one time the angular position of the respective reel.

It is an object of the present invention to simplify the sensing arrangement for a gaming machine whereby no additional rotatable members are required and no individual counters are necessary.

The term "energy" as used hereinafter in the Specification is to be construed as embracing that which can be generated from a source, can be transmitted through the atmosphere, and can charge the condition of a sensor placed in the path of transmission, and the transmission of which can be affected by the positioning of a solid member in said path. For example the term is intended to embrace at least light, sound and magnetic flux.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a reel mechanism for a gaming machine, said reel mechanism comprising a plurality of rotatable members, each having a series of symbols arranged in an equi-spaced fashion around its axis of rotation, means for randomly stopping each of the rotatable members, the stopping means comprising a part which is rotatable with the respective rotatable member and which defines an annular arrangement of cut-outs, each of the latter corresponding to a respective stop position of the rotatable member, and a stop engageable in a randomly selected one of the cut-outs, means for sensing the combination of symbols visible to the player, said sensing means comprising a source of energy as hereinbefore defined located at one side of each rotatable part and means at the other side responsive to said energy, the energy source and the responsive means being aligned with one another at the radial position of the cut-outs in the respective rotatable part, and means for cyclically scanning electrical outputs from the responsive means and updating means for registering the angular position of each of the rotatable members in response to the travel of each cut-out past the associated energy source and responsive means.

Preferably an opening is provided on each rotatable part between an adjacent pair of cutouts to provide an electrical output from the responsive means for resetting the registering means for each of the rotatable members after each revolution.

Alternatively an opening is provided on each rotatable part radially inward of the annular arrangement of cut-outs, an additional source of energy being located at said one side of the rotatable member and an additional energy responsive means at said other side thereof, the additional energy source and the additional responsive means being aligned with one another at the radial position of the opening, the scanning means also scanning the electrical outputs from the additional responsive means to thereby reset the registering means for each of the rotatable members after each revolution, in response to the travel of the opening past the additional energy source and the additional responsive means.

Preferably also the energy source and the additional energy source associated with each rotatable part are mounted on one leg of a U-shaped member, with the responsive means and the additional responsive means mounted on the other leg of the U-shaped member, the rotatable part being arranged such that the arrangement of cut-outs and the opening passes between the legs of the U-shaped member. The latter may be mounted on a printed circuit board.

Each energy source may be a light emitting diode, a magnet arrangement or an ultrasonic transmitter with each responsive being respectively a photo transistor, a Hall effect transducer, or an ultrasonic receiver.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an arrangement for processing information, particularly for determining angular positions of a plurality of rotatable members by processing information in the form of electrical pulses produced in accordance with the travel of each of the angular positions of each rotatable member past respective sensing means, said arrangement comprising means for cyclically reading electrical outputs of the sensing means, and means providing, in each cycle, for storing of a first reading, comparing of a second reading as related to a first of the rotatable members with the first reading as related thereto, updating of means for registering the angular position of said first rotatable member only if the first and second readings do not match and the change indicates the sensing of a leading pulse edge, comparing, in sequence, of the second reading as related to each of the other rotatable members with the first reading as related thereto, and updating of the registering means as necessary, and storing of the second readings and first readings for the following cycle.

Preferably the reading means in each cycle includes, in each reading, electrical outputs from additional sensing means adapted to produce an electrical pulse in accordance with the travel of an indexing position of each rotatable member past the respective additional sensing means.

Preferably also prior to each cycle, the arrangement is adapted to require two preliminary readings to be made with a delay therebetween and the two preliminary readings to match before being stored as the first reading of the cycle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a reel of a gaming machine with associated random stopping means; Fig. 2 is a partial view of the apparatus of Fig.

1, in the direction of arrow A; and Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified reel.

A gaming machine comprises a set of three or four reels 10, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1, and each of which has a plurality of symbols, usually representative of different kinds of fruit, equi-spaced around its peripheral edge. The reels 10 are separately mounted to be rotatable relative to one another in a conventional fashion and each is arranged to stop rotating by random stopping means comprising a peripherally toothed disc 12, mounted for rotation with the reel, and a latch or stop (not shown) engageable in a random one of cut-outs or notches 14 between adjacent teeth of the disc 12. The notches 14 correspond in number to the number of stop positions of the respective reel, each stop position having an associated symbol which is displayed through a window of the gaming machine when the reel stops rotating, to be visible to the player.

The combination of symbols visible through the window determine whether or not the player should receive a prize and sensing means is associated with each reel to determine the angular position of the reel when not rotating.

Each sensing means is mounted on a U-shaped member 16, which in turn is mounted by means of its base on a printed circuit board 1 8. The sensing means comprises a pair of light sources in the form of light emitting diodes (LED's) 20, 22 spaced apart along the length of one of the legs of the member 1 6 and a pair of light sensitive devices, for example in the form of photo transistors 24, 26, positioned on the other leg of the member 1 6 to be in alignment with the respective LED's 20, 22. The printed circuit board 18 and the member 16 are so arranged below the respective reel 10 and disc 12 that the toothed periphery of the latter during rotation passes through the gap defined between the legs of the member 16 with the LED 20 and the photo transistor 24 being located at the radial position of the notches 14.

Each disc 12 also has a single opening or slot 28 positioned radially inwardly of the notches 14, with the LED 22 and the photo transistor 26 being aligned at the radial position of the opening 28.

The LED's 20, 22 and the photo transistors 24, 26 are in electrical circuit with the circuit of the board 18, this circuit connecting to a microprocessor which is adapted to process information obtained from all the photo transistors and thus determine the angular positions of the reels at any one time. When each reel 10 and its disc 12 is rotating the notches 14 periodically allow the passage of light from the respective LED 20 to the respective photo transistor 24 and the latter thus produces a periodic output pulse representative of each change of angular stop position at the window.

Similarly each slot 2.8 enables passages of light from the respective LED 22 to the respective photo transistor 26 but only once per revolution of the respective disc 12. The microprocessor is programmed to cyclically scan the outputs of all the photo transistors and provide a reading which is utilised as hereinafter described.

Prior to the processing of the information in the first or in any new cycle the processor is programmed to take two preliminary scannings or readings. The first preliminary reading is taken and stored and after a delay of approximately 40 microseconds the second preliminary reading is taken and compared with the first. Only if the readings match will the processing of the information then commence as otherwise it may be that the readings have been affected by spurious electrical signals. If the readings do not match they are discarded and a further pair of preliminary readings are taken.

When a pair of preliminary readings are found to match, the reading (Reading 1) is stored and passed to a further store (to become Reading 3).

In accordance with the processing programme Reading 1 should then be compared with a previously stored Reading 2 but if the processor is still in the stage of being set up for a cycle there is no stored Reading 2 and thus, although the programme of processing the information continues for one cycle, the information processed in this cycle will be of no consequence except that at the end of the cycle the Reading 3 is stored in the processor as Reading 2.

Once a pair of matched preliminary readings have been obtained prior to commencement of the following cycle the new Reading 1 is stored again and passed to Reading 3 store and the appropriate bits of information in this Reading 1 relative to the first reel are compared with the corresponding bits of information in the stored Reading 2. If the respective bits of information match, no further action takes place at this time as this is indicative that there has been no change in the output signals from the photo transistors associated with the first reel and therefore that no new angular stop position of the reel has been presented at the window of the first reel.If the respective bits of information do not match the processor is programmed to then determine if Reading 1 is such as has been caused by detection of the leading edge of a pulse from the photo transistor 24 associated with the first reel.

If this is the case then it is indicative of a notch 14 having come into alignment with the respective path of light and thus a new angular stop position having been presented at the window of the machine. In this event the processor is programmed to update the position register for the first reel. If the comparison shows that the change in the reading has been occasioned by the trailing edge of a pulse no further action is taken at this time.

Once comparison has been completed for the first reel, the processor is programmed to then compare the appropriate bits of information in the most. recent Reading 1 and the stored Reading 2 relative to the second reel and this continues until the processing of the information from all the reels has been completed. Once this happens, the originally stored Reading 3, the same as the most recent Reading 1 before the compare operation, is now stored as a new Reading 2 and the programme is ready then to accept another Reading 1, once two matched preliminary readings have been obtained.

To determine which code relates to a given symbol there is provided within the microprocessor a pointer register associated with a memory block. The latter includes banks of symbol information corresponding to the symbols on the reels and the pointer register is controlled in accordance with the registered codes to relate the codes to the symbol information in the memory block. After decoding the resulting symbols are compared with one another to determine if the same symbols are aligned with one another in a "win" arrangement.

When a change between two compared readings s occasioned by change in the output of the photo transistor 26 associated with the respective reel this indicates that the reset slot 28 of the respective disc 12 is aligned with the path of light and that one revolution of the disc 12 and thus the reel 10 has been completed. The processor in this instance is programmed to reset the appropriate position register.

The member 16 and thus the sensing means for each reel is positioned to enable the timing to be such that when the respective disc 12 is stopped rotating the LED's and the photo transistors are aligned with a location on a tooth approximately two thirds of the length of the tooth behind the notch 14 which has most recently passed through the path of light in the normal direction of rotation. In this way any slip back of the disc 12 which may occur on stopping, by the engagement of the latch in the notch, will not align the notch again with the path of light.

Additional cut-outs can be formed in the discs or additional sensing means can be provided if it is desired to be able to determine the direction of rotation of the reels, it being apparent that the sequence in which input signals are received can determine the direction.

The gaming machine of the invention thus utilises for its sensing means the toothed disc which is conventionally associated with each reel as part of the random stopping means and also utilises a compact electronic control arrangement in the form of a microprocessor which, by continuously comparing two readings taken at spaced apart intervals, can provide far greater accuracy than previously proposed arrangements.

In a modification (Fig. 3), each disc 12 has a single opening 28' positioned between a pair of adjacent notches 14 at the same radial position as an alternative to the opening 28. When each reel 10 and its disc 12 is rotating the notches 14 periodically allow the passage of light from the respective LED 20 to the respective photo transistor 24 and the latter thus produces a periodic output pulse representative of each change of angular stop position at the window.

Similarly each opening 28' enables passage of light from the LED 20 to the photo transistor 24 but only once per revolution of the respective disc 12. It will be appreciated that a signal can be emitted in response to the increase of the pulse rate occasioned by the opening 28' for resetting purposes as an alternative to the radially inwardly located opening 28. It will be appreciated that this modification enables the use of only one LED and photo transistor in association with each disc.

Each sensing means is mounted on a printed circuit board. In a further modification (not shown), each sensing means comprises a magnet at one side of the respective disc providing a magnetic field, and a responsive device, for example a Hall effect transducer, positioned at the other side of the disc to be responsive to the magnetic field. A non-ferrous screen or template is affixed to one side of the disc at least across the toothed periphery thereof to be capable of screening the magnetic field. A resetting signal may be produced by the Hall effect transducer responding to a further magnet aligned with the radially inward opening, or the same magnet when the resetting opening is located between a pair of notches.

As an alternative the sensing means may comprise an ultrasonic transmitter may be provided at one side of each disc and an ultrasonic receiver at the other side of the disc aligned with the transmitter at the radial position of the notches in the disc such that the ultrasonic signal is received only when a notch is aligned with the transmitter and the receiver. Therefore the receiver can produce a periodic output signal representative of each change of angular stop position at the window.

Any other suitable arrangement for transmitting and receiving energy can be utilised provided the path of energy is periodically intercepted by the rotation of the toothed disc to produce a periodic output signal.

Claims

1. A reel mechanism for a gaming machine, said reel mechanism comprising a plurality of rotatable members, each having a series of symbols arranged in an equi-spaced fashion around its axis of rotation, means for randomly stopping each of the rotatable members, the stopping means comprising a part which is rotatable with the respective rotatable member and which defines an annular arrangement of cutouts, each of the latter corresponding to a respective stop position of the rotatable member, and a stop engageable in a randomly selected one of the cut-outs, means for sensing the combination of symbols visible to the player, said sensing means comprising a source of energy as hereinbefore defined located at one side of each rotatable part and means at the other side responsive to said energy the energy source and the responsive means being aligned with one another at the radial position of the cut-outs in the respective rotatable part, and means for cyclically scanning electrical outputs from the responsive means and updating means for registering the angular position of each of the rotatable member in response to the travel of each cut-out past the associated energy source and responsive means.

2. A reel mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an opening is provided on each rotatable part between an adjacent pair of cut-outs to provide an electrical output from the responsive means for resetting the registering means for each of the rotatable members after each revolution.

3. A reel mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an opening is provided on each rotatable part radially inward of the annular arrangement of cut-outs, an additional source of energy being located at said one side of the rotatable member and an additional energy responsive means at said other side thereof, the additional energy source and the additional responsive means being aligned with one another at the radial position of the opening, the scanning means also scanning the electrical-outputs from the additional responsive means to thereby reset the registering means for each of the rotatable members after each revolution, in response to the travel of the opening past the additional energy source and the additional responsive means.

4. A reel mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each rotatable part is arranged to rotate with the arrangement of cutouts passing between legs of a substantially Ushaped member, the respective energy source being mounted on one leg thereof and the respective responsive means on the other leg thereof.

5. A reel mechanism according to claim 4, when dependent on claim 3, wherein each additional energy source is mounted on said one leg of the respective substantially U-shaped member and each respective additional responsive means is mounted on said other leg thereof.

6. A reel mechanism according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the substantially U-shaped members are mounted on a printed circuit board.

7. A reel mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each energy source comprises light transmitting means, and each responsive means comprises a light sensitive device.

8. A reel mechanism according to claim 7, wherein each light transmitting means comprises a light emitting diode, and each light sensitive device comprises a photo transistor.

9. A reel mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein each energy source comprises a magnet arrangement, and each responsive means comprises a Hall effect transducer.

1 0. A reel mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein each energy source comprises an ultrasonic transmitter, and each responsive means comprises an ultrasonic receiver.

1 An arrangement for processing information, particularly for determining angular positions of a plurality of rotatable members by processing information in the form of electrical pulses produced in accordance with the travel of each of the angular positions of each rotatable member past respective sensing means, said arrangement comprising means for cyclically reading electrical outputs of the sensing means, and means providing, in each cycle, for storing of a first reading, comparing of a second reading as related to a first of the rotatable members with the first reading as related thereto, updating of means for registering the angular position of said first rotatable member only if the first and second readings do not match and the change indicates the sensing of a leading pulse edge, comparing, in sequence, of the second reading as related to each of the other rotatable members with the first reading as related thereto, and updating of the registering means as necessary, and storing of the second readings as first readings for the following cycle.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the reading means in each cycle includes, in each reading, electrical outputs from additional sensing means adapted to produce an electrical pulse in accordance with the travel of an indexing position of each rotatable member past the respective additional sensing means.

13. An arrangement according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, prior to each cycle, the arrangement is adapted to require two preliminary readings to be made with a delay therebetween and the two preliminary readings to match before being stored as the first reading of the cycle.

14. A reel mechanism for a gaming machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 5. An arrangement for processing information substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 6. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.