GB2078419A

GB2078419A - Gaming or amusement machines

Info

Publication number: GB2078419A
Application number: GB8111660A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-06-20
Filing date: 1981-04-13
Publication date: 1982-01-06
Also published as: GB2078419B

Abstract

A fruit machine comprises rotatable reels 1 to 5 each having a selection of symbols distributed around its periphery. At the end of a game three rows 8 to 10 of symbols are visible in a window 6 having a payline 7. An electrical win evaluator 11 determines whether any of a number of winning combination of symbols selected by a reel combination selector 12 are present in the window 6. The individual cash prize values of any detected winning combinations are supplied to an electrical summing device 13 and the sum total is fed to an electrical dividing and subtracting device 14 which divides the sum total by a predetermined cash limit and feeds the quotient to an electrical prize store 15 having a visible display to indicate the number of stored unit prize. The device 14 also subtracts the cash value of the stored quotient from the sum total and instructs a payout device 16 to pay out the resulting cash remainder as the prize for that game. Stored prizes are paid out in respect of losing games subsequently played on the machine. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to gaming or amusement machines This invention concerns a gaming machine, such as a so-called fruit machine.

A fruit machine has a plurality of rotatable reels each having a selection of symbols distributed around its periphery. The reels are rotated during a game and, at the end of a game, the combination of symbols displayed by predetermined portions of the reel peripheries in an evaluation area (defined for example by a window of the machine) determines, according to predetermined rules, whether or not the player has won a cash prize and, if so, the value of the prize.

Although traditionally fruit machines have had mechanical reels, video fruit machines have been proposed in which simulated reels or reel substitutes are displayed on a cathode ray tube. In the present description and claims the term "reel" is intended to embrace such simulated reels and reel substitutes.

There are occasions when it would be desirable to award a player having a winning game a cash prize greater than a predetermined cash value, but only actually pay out a prize which does not exceed the predetermined cash value, for example because the predetermined cash value is the maximum legal cash payout allowed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine which enables a player to be awarded a cash prize in respect of a winning game which is greater than a ppredetermined cash value, whilst restricting the prize paid out for that game to a value which does not exceed the predetermined cash value.

Accordingly, the invention provides a gaming machine wherein a prize greater than a predetermined cash value may be awarded to a player in respect of a winning game, in which machine the cash prize awarded to the player at the end of each winning game is divided by the predetermined cash value, any quotient of the division is stored for paying out as a prize or prizes during a subsequent game or games, and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that game.

In an embodiment of the invention, the said predetermined cash value is no larger than, and is preferably equal to, a maximum permitted cash prize.

Preferably, any stored prizes are used to pay prizes in respect of losing games subsequently played on the machine. Advantageously, the prize paid out in respect of such a losing game is equal to the predetermined cash limit.

In the simplest form of fruit machine, a single symbol on each reel is displayed in the evaluation area (e.g. window) of the machine and the resulting single row of symbols in the evaluation area is evaluated at the end of a game to determine whether a winning combination of symbols is present.

In more sophisticated machines, several symbols on each reel are displayed in the evaluation area and each of several combinations of symbols, for example lying in rows or along diagonals in the evaluation area is evaluated at the end of a game to determine whether a winning combination of symbols is present. Often, the symbols on the reels are arranged so that only one winning combination of symbols can occur in the evaluation area at the same time, or the machine is arranged to payout only the prize of greatest value if more than one winning combination can appear in the evaluation area at the end of a game.

However, some known machines of this kind allow the player to opt to gamble on one or more of several combinations of symbols during the same game, with the possibility that more than one winning combination may be present at the end of the game. If more than one of a plurality of combinations selected by the player turns out to be a winning combination at the end of the game, the machine pays out a prize equal to the aggregate of the prizes in respect of the individual winning combinations.

For example, one known machine has five reels and an evaluation area in which three rows of symbols on the reels are displayed at the end of the game, the central row being known as the payline. This machine provides for the possibility of gambling, at the player's option, on nine distinct combinations of reel symbols, which combinations are cumulatively selected by the player inserting successive coins before a game is played. Thus, a first coin may select the combination of symbols in the payline on the first three reels, the second coin the combination of symbols in the payline on the second to fourth reels and the third coin the combination of symbols in the payline on the third to fifth reels.The next three coins then select the same combinations of reels in turn but in respect of the rows of symbols above the payline, and a final three coins select the same three combinations of reels but in respect of the symbols in the row below the payline.

Each of the selected combinations of symbols is evaluated at the end of the game and, if several of the combinations selected by the player turn out to be winning combinations, then the cash prize paid out to the player is the sum total of the individual prizes payable in respect of the individual winning combinations of symbols.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine in which individual cash prizes won in respect of individual winning events during the same game are totalled and yet the prize paid out in respect of any one game does not exceed a predetermined cash value.

Accordingly, the invention further provides a gaming machine enabling a player to gamble during the same game on a plurality of chance events with the possibility of being awarded a cash prize in respect of more than one of the events, in which machine the prizes awarded in respect of any individual winning events are totalled at the end of a game, the total cash prize is divided by a predetermined cash value, the quotient of the division is stored for paying out as prizes during subsequent games and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that game.

In the particular case of a fruit machine, the invention provides a fruit machine enabling a player to gamble during the same game on a plurality of different combinations of symbols with the possibility of being awarded a cash prize in respect of more then one combination of symbols, in which machine the prizes awarded in respect of any individual winning combinations of symbols are totalled at the end of a game, the total cash prize is divided by a predetermined cash value, the quotient of the division is stored in a prize store for paying out as prizes during subsequent games and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that game.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single Figure of which schematically illustrates the relevant parts of a fruit machine embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, an exemplary mechanical fruit machine embodying the invention comprises five rotatable reels 1 to 5, each having a selection of symbols distributed around its periphery. After rotation of the reels to play a game, the reels stop and three symbols on each of the stopped reels is visible in an evaluation area defined by a window 6 provided with a payline indicator 7. The central symbols 8 displayed on the reels beneath the payline 7 constitute a payline row of symbols, the symbols 9 above the payline constitute an upper row of symbols and the symbols 10 displayed beneath the payline constitute a lower row of symbols.

Each of the reels 1 to 5 is connected to an electrical win evaluator 11 which is adapted to determine whether each of a number of combination of symbols selected for that game by a reel combination selector 1 2 is a winning combination and to transmit the individual cash prize values of any winning combination to an electrical summing device 1 3.

The values of any individual prizes awarded to the player are totalled by the summing device 1 3 and the sum total is fed to an electrical dividing and subtracting device 14 which is adapted to divide the sum total by a predetermined cash limit and to feed the quotient to an electrical prize store 15, in which each unit of the quotient constitutes a unit prize having the value of the predetermined cash limit. The dividing and subtracting device also subtracts the cash value of the quotient sent to store from the sum total and instructs a payout device 1 6 to pay out the resulting cash remainder as the prize for that game. The store 1 5 includes a visible display for indicating to the player the number of unit prizes in store.

The reel combination selector 1 6 is actuated by the player inserting a desired number of coins at the beginning of the game to cummulatively select combinations of symbols to be evaluated by the win evaluator 11 at the end of that game. In the present example, the first coin inserted by a player selects the combination of symbols displayed on the payline by the first three reels, the second coin selects the combination of symbols displayed on the payline by the second to fourth reels and the third coin selects the combination of symbols displayed on the payline by the third to fifth reels. The next three coins select corresponding combinations of symbols displayed by the reels in the upper row and the last three coins select corresponding combinations of symbols for the lower row.

The win evaluator has a lose output 1 7 connected to the store 1 5 for indicating to the store that none of the selected combinations is a winning combination in the game which has just been played, i.e. a losing game has been played. The store 1 5 itself has an output to the payout device 1 5 for instructing the payout device to payout a prize if a losing game has been played and the store contains a stored prize.

In operation of the described fruit machine, a player first selects the winning combinations on which he wishes to gamble during the game about to be played by inserting a corresponding number of coins into the machine, up to the maximum of nine coins which selects all the combinations available in the described machine. The player then initiates 11 evaluates rotation of the reels in the usual way by pressing a start button. At the end of the game, the win evaluator 11 evaluates those combinations of symbols selected by the player to see whether any winning combinations are present. In the event of winning combinations being evaluated, the win evaluator supplies the summing device 1 3 with the value of the individual prizes and the summing device adds the individual prizes together to form a sum total prize, whose value is fed to the dividing and subtracting device for division by the predetermined cash limit. Any quotient resulting from the division is fed to the store as a stored prize for a future losing game or games and the payout device is instructed to pay out the remainder as the prize for the current game.

In the case of a losing game, the win evaluator informs store 1 5 of the losing game on line 1 7 and, if the store contains any stored prizes, the store instructs the payout device 1 5 to pay out a special prize equal to the unit prize, i.e. equal to the predetermined cash limit. At the same time, a unit prize is deducted from the stored value in the store 15.

By way of example, the predetermined cash limit may be 50p, whereby units of 50p resulting from a winning game are stored in store 1 5 and the cash prize paid out for a winning game is always less than 50p. The special prize paid out for a losing game from any accummulated prizes in the store 14 is 50p.

Whilst the win evaluator, summing device, dividing and subtracting device and the prize store have been illustrated as discrete devices in the drawing for the sake of simplicity in explanation, it will be appreciated that the functions of these devices may be carried out by a suitably carried programmed microprocessor.

Claims

1. A gaming machine wherein a prize greater than a predetermined cash value may be awarded to a player in respect of a winning game, in which machine the cash prize awarded to the player at the end of each winning game is divided by the predetermined cash value, any quotient of the division is stored for paying out as a prize or prizes during a subsequent game or games, and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that- game.

2. A gaming machine according to claim 1, in which the said predetermined cash value is no larger than a maximum permitted cash prize.

3. A gaming machine according to claim 2, in which the said predetermined cash value is equal to the maximum permitted cash prize.

4. A gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which any stored prizes are used to pay prizes in respect of losing games subsequently played on the machine.

5. A gaming machine according to claim 4, in which the prize paid out in respect of a losing game is equal to the predetermined cash limit.

6. A fruit machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. A gaming machine enabling a player to gamble during the same game on a plurality of chance events with the possibility of being awarded a cash prize in respect of more than one of the events, in which machine the prizes awarded in respect of any individual winning events are totalled at the end of a game, the total cash prize is divided by a predetermined cash value, the quotient of the division is stored for paying out as prizes during subsequent games and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that game.

8. A fruit machine enabling a player to gamble during the same game on a plurality of different combinations of symbols with the possibility of being awarded a cash prize in respect of more than one combination of symbols, in which machine the prizes awarded in respect of any individual winning combinations of symbols are totalled at the end of a game, the total cash prize is divided by a predetermined cash value, the quotient of the division is stored in a prize store for paying out as prizes during subsequent games and any remainder of the division is paid out as the prize for that game.

9. A fruit machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features herein disclosed.