GB2120506A

GB2120506A - Improvements relating to video apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2120506A
Application number: GB08308806A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Arthur Watts
Original assignee: * JPM; JPM
Current assignee: * JPM; JPM
Priority date: 1982-04-16
Filing date: 1983-03-30
Publication date: 1983-11-30
Also published as: GB2120506B; GB8308806D0

Abstract

In a video fruit machine, the reels (2) are images that change to simulate rotation. At the top and bottom of each visible section of simulated reel, the video screen is locally darkened to give a progressive shading effect, as of a real reel curving back into the cabinet. Similar effects can be obtained with other displays, the shading being superimposed on the basic display and being derived from a separate source. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to video apparatus This invention relates to video apparatus. It is primarily concerned with gaming or amusementwith-prizes machines and especially, but not exclusively, with those of the kind known as fruit machines in which, instead of actual rotating reels with symbols on them, a video screen displays reel images which in operation change electronically to simulate rotation and finally stop, the combination of various symbols on a line determining whether or not a win has been achieved.

These video fruit machines are becoming increasingly popular, particularly as they offer great scope for features additional to the plain rotation of the reels. However, there is certain customer resistance since the simulated reels tend to look very flat. They are too abviously electronic counterparts, whereas ideally they should give a realistic impression of a cylindrical reel curving back into the cabinet.

One measure to overcome this is to compress the symbol images vertically at the top and bottom of each reel display, this gives some suggestion of perspective, but is still not wholly convincing.

It is the aim of this invention to provide a more realistic simulation on a video screen of the reels of a fruit machine.

According to the present invention there is provided video apparatus in which shading is applied to zones of moving or still images on a video screen, an unadulterated image projection being derived from one source and superimposed shading from another source.

Preferably, said other source is a memory, there being means for accessing this memory in accordance with the line-by-line scan of the screen and in accordance with said zones, and means for locally darkening said zones by factors determined by said memory.

When applied to fruit machines of the kind described, the simulated reels are shaded towards the top and bottom limits of their images. The shading will generally be progressive, darkening towards said limits from a central zone.

It has been found that this can give a very realistic effect, even without any distortion of the symbols, although this would be possible as well.

For a better understanding of the invention one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of the screen of a video fruit machine, and Figure 2 is a diagram of a reel symbol memory.

In this example the screen 1 will display the simulations of three reels 2 in windows 3. The screen may display other things as well but which are of no concern to the present invention. The windows 3 may be actual ones formed in a mask over the screen. However, it will be preferred that they too are projected images in the form of darklined rectangles dividing the reels 2 from the plain background.

Line-by-line information on the symbols of each reel will be stored in a related memory 4 as represented in Figure 2. During a reel spin the symbols will normally maintain a fixed order, as would the symbols on an actual reel. Each memory is accessed in synchronism with the synchronism with the scan of the screen so that for each complete screen scan a group of symbols are extracted and projected on the screen. During the next complete scan, if the reels are rotating, a slightly different group of symbol information is accessed. This is illustrated by the broken line rectangle 5 for the first scan, and the chain-dotted line rectangle 6 for a subsequent scan. The symbol images can be distorted, to compress the upper and lower ones, for example, but they are here illustrated as appearing with a uniform scale.

In practice each group of symbol information 5 or 6 will correspond to the complete vertical extent of the screen, but the information is overriden and suppressed until the scan reaches the windows 3. This allows for the possibility of lengthening or shortening the windows, which is one of the extra features a video fruit machine can provide. However much the windows are stretched, there will be symbol information available to display.

There will also be a memory containing information corresponding to a number of different shades 7. There may be 32 or even more shades. This memory is accessed whenever the scan reaches the windows 3. Assuming it is a 256 line screen, the windows may start at line 26, for example. For the periods when the scan is traversing the windows 3 there is provided from the shade memory store a factor which darkens but does not otherwise change the colour of the image which is projected as a result of the signals from the symbol memory. In line 27, a slightly less dark shade factor is applied and so on until over the central part of the windows the symbols appear at maximum brightness. Below that central zone progressively darker shade factors are applied until the bottom of the windows.

If the windows should be stretched or contracted vertically, as mentioned above, the accessing of the shade memory will be correspondingly modified.

The shading of the top and bottom of each reel could be achieved simply by a shaded glass or plastics screen. However, this does have the disadvantage that parallax would betray the illusion, and it cannot allow for expanding or contracting reels.

Although it was stated that the symbol order in the memory normally remained fixed during a reel spin, it is possible to change that order at any time if the memory is suitably re-programmable. This may, for example, be done as a result of a feature offered to the player after a reel spin.

This technique can be applied to video apparatus other than fruit machines. For example.

the faces of rolling dice, spinning and possibly moving spheres or other three-dimensional objects can be shaded to make a more realistic effect.

Claims

1. Video apparatus in which shading is applied to zones of moving or still images on a video screen, an unadulterated image projection being derived from one source and superimposed shading from another source.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said other source is a memory, there being means for accessing this memory in accordance with the line-by-line scan of the screen and in accordance with said zones, and means for locally darkening said zones by factors determined by said memory.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it is a video fruit machine of the kind described, and the simulated reels are shaded towards the top and bottom limits of their images.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shading is progressive, darkening towards said limits from a central zone of the images.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the reel images can be carried to show selected amounts of simulated reels, the shading being varied correspondingly.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the screen presents the symbols with progressively lesser vertical extent towards the top and bottom limits of the reel images.

7. Video apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.