GB2046489A

GB2046489A - Coin-freed gaming device

Info

Publication number: GB2046489A
Application number: GB8001454A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NSM Apparatebau GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: NSM Apparatebau GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1979-01-16
Filing date: 1980-01-16
Publication date: 1980-11-12
Also published as: DE2901490C2; DE2901490A1; GB2046489B

Abstract

A coin-freed gaming device including means for indicating and storing gaming results wherein, for certain predetermined results, extra games are awarded. The device has a panel (1) of lamps (I to VIII) which, if three or more successive ones of these are lit, provide an additional game or games. The possible combinations of lamps (I to VIII) are sensed by recognition logic (4) having an evaluation circuit (10) associated therewith and upon recognising a winning combination, via reset lines (6) and combination switches (7), switching relays (5) are operated to cancel those of the lamps (I to VIII) corresponding to the extra game(s) upon playing of said extra games, the remaining lamps not associated with such award remaining lit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A coin-freed gaming device The present invention relates to a coin-freed gaming device promising a win having a device for storage and indication of gaming results, in which with a definite number of specific stored, game results extra games are granted.

A variety of arrangements of such coin-freed gaming devices are known. Generally, the gaming device has three game feature carriers which may be cylindrical or disc-shaped and on their circumferences or surface are marked with the symbols for ascertaining a win. Upon insertion of a coin the gaming feature carriers are rotated and by means of suitable braking devices are successively stopped in dependence upon chance, whereby on coming to rest a symbol combination appears in a window, which is formed by one symbol on each game feature carrier.

Of the possible win combinations, various combinations are identified as win combinations on the apparatus, on the appearance of which in the reading window the apparatus pays the win in accordance with the given win combination.

In order in these known gaming devices to incite the players to use the device and to afford him entertainment during the playing of the game a gaming device is known in German Gebrauchsmuster 6 917 531 comprised of a definite number of elements for storage and indication of the gaming results. All elements have a common cancelling device associated therewith which on response of all elements, i.e. the granting of extra games, becomes automati callyeffective. Such a gaming device, however, has the disadvantage that for triggering such rare extra individual results are also rarely used and hence the change of this indication occurs very slowly.

To substantially remove this adverse feature a coin-freed gaming device is known from German Patent Specification 2 221 980, for storage and indication of game results in which the game results of individual games are stored in elements and the individual elements being so linked that with a predetermined number of stored game results extra games are granted and at the same time the stored game results cancelled, whereby the elements associated with the stored game results are arranged in matrix form, several elements at a time linked and lead to extra games of varying number and with the occurrence of an extra game all elements of the matrix are cancelled. Thus, in this device on attaining an extra game a state arises in which none of the lamps is on, i.e. the player to obtain an extra game has to begin at zero state.

The object of the invention in a gaming device of the kind referred to above is to offer the player a substantially constant increased incitement to play.

According to the present invention there is provided a coin-freed gaming device promising a win and having a device for storage and indication of gaming results, in which for a predetermined number of specific stored gaming results, extra games are granted, the apparatus having a series connected lamp indicating panel, the lamps of which are adapted to be connected dependent upon chance when certain game results occur, via the apparatus, and with the lighting up ofn to 2n - 1 series-connected lamps an extra game may be granted, and upon the playing of such an extra game only the lamps corresponding to this extra game are extinguished.

Preferably, the number of extra games granted during the lighting of successive lamps from n to 2n - 1 is progressive, and for obtaining a simple structure only eight lamps appertain to the lamp indicating panel.

In further configuration of the invention the apparatus incorporates a microprocessor to attain a simple switching circuitry.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the apparatus is made in integrated circuit form whereby the lamp indicator panel has associated therewith, in parallel, recognition logic and storage relays, the recognition logic being connected, via reset leads, with incorporated combination switches to cancel the storage relay giving an extra win and hence the set lamps connected to the storage relay.

Associated with the storage relay is a win recognition circuit for the game results and associated with the recognition logic is a win evaluation circuit of the lamp indicating panel.

The advantage obtained with the invention resides in that, with the occurrence of a definite success combination in the lamp indicating panel, no state occurs in which all lamps of the indicating panel are switched off, but, moreover, only these lamps are switched off which were relevant to the success.

Thus, generally at least one lamp of the indicating panel remains connected, which for subsequent games constitutes a particular inducement to play.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block circuit diagram of the lamp indication panel, in accordance with the invention, in combination with a microprocessor; Fig. 2 is a flow diagram of the block circuit diagram of Fig. -1; Fig. 3 is a block circuit diagram of the lamp indication panel, in accordance with the invention, in combination with components of the integrated circuitry; and Fig. 4 is a circuit of the block circuit diagram of Fig.

3.

A lamp indicating panel 1 incorporated in the facia of a gaming device has eight series connected lamps l-VIII, which via corresponding leads 2 are connected to a microprocessor 3. If at least three seriesconnected lamps 1-VIll (N=3) are connected in chance dependence, then these trip at least one extra game. Likewise, extra games are provided if four or five lamps of the lamp indication panel 1 light-up successively. The lamps tripping one or more extra games are thus cancelled, whilst the other lit-up lamps of the lamp indicating panel 1 are not cancelled.

This provides the following possible N - combinations: N lamps on 1 1,11, 111 2 Il, Ill, IV 3 III,IV,V 4 IV,V,VI 5 V, VI, VII 6 VI, VII, VIII 7 I,ll,lil,lV 8 II, III, lV,V 9 III, IV, V, VI 10 IV, V, Vl, Vll 11 V, Vl, VII, Vlil 12 1, II, Ill, IV,V 13 11,111, IV, V, Vl 14 III, IV, V, Vl, VII 15 IV, V, Vl, VII, Vlil The microprocessor 3 tests these possible combinations in accordance with the flow diagram of Fig.

2.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the lamp indicating panel 1 is connected in parallel with a recognition logic4 and storage relay 5. The recognition logic 4 is connected via reset leads 6 to an eightway combination switch 7 to cancel the storage relay 5, giving the extra win, and hence the set lamps connected to the storage relay 5. The eightway combination switch 7 receives a cancel permission signal 8, whilst the storage relay 5 have a win recognition circuit 9, the recognition logic 4 and the win evaluation circuit 10 associated therewith.

With the occurrence of specific game results the storage relays Sir1, SR2, Sirs, SR and SR8 are set, for example via the inputs 11. Also lit up are the lamps I, II, V, VII, VIII of the lamp indicating panel 1. The combination I, li, V, Vll, VIII do not initiate any signal at the outputs 14, and when the combination switch 7 is closed at the end of a game, nothing further occurs. If the next game gives a win, then the storage relay SR6 is now set via the input 11, the lamp VI lights up, so that now the lamps I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII are lit up. With the combination 5, 6,7,8 four successive lamps are now on and with this combination an extra win, in the form of several extra games, should be given.The lamps Vl, VII, VIII via a gate 15 set an output 14, and since the lamp V of the lamp indication panel 1 is also lit up, the output 16 of another gate 15 is also set. The voltage on lead 14 leads via the diodes 17 to the reset leads 6, numbered 6, 7, 8.

The voltage on lead 15 extends via a diode to the reset lead 6, numbered 5. If the combination switch 7 is closed, then the corresponding storage relays SR8, Sir7, Sirs, SRs are cancelled. An RC circuit, R18 and C17 ensures thatthe storage relays also during the cancellation of the combination are still correctly reset. The lamps l, ll of the indicating panel 1 after this are still on.

It may be generally stated that if the gates 15 have n-inputs, it is necessary on this basis to sense if two juxtaposed n-l lamps are on and have to be sensed in the aforesaid manner.

Claims

1. A coin-freed gaming device promising a win and having a device for storage and indication of gaming results, in which for a predetermined number of specific, stored gaming results, extra games are granted, the apparatus having a series connected lamp indicating panel, the lamps of which are adapted to be connected dependent upon chance when certain game results occur, via the apparatus, and with the lighting up of n to 2n-1 series-connected lamps an extra game may be granted, and upon the playing of such an extra game only the lamps corresponding to this extra game are extinguished.

2. A coin-freed gaming device according to claim 1 in which the number of extra games awarded during the lighting up ofn to 2n-1 of the series connected lamps is progressive.

3. A coin-freed gaming device according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which eight lamps belong to the indicating panel.

4. A coin-freed gaming device according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which the apparatus incorporates a microprocessor.

5. A coin-freed gaming device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the apparatus is executed in integrated circuit form.

6. A coin-freed gaming device according to claims 1 to 3 and 5, in which the lamp indicating panel has a recognition logic and a storage relay, connected in parallel, associated therewith, and the recognition logic, via reset leads, and associated combination switches, are connected to cancel a storage relay giving an extra win and hence the set lamps connected with the storage relay, and the storage relay has the win recognition circuit of the game results associated therewith, and the recognition logic has the win evaluation circuit of the lamp indicating panel associated therewith.

7. A coin-freed gaming device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.