GB2132990A - Coin-released gaming and amusement machines - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to detect an incorrect pay-out of coins by a gaming machine pay-out mechanism (1) a light detector (10) is provided to detect each coin (12) as it is delivered to the machine player. When a win is achieved, a register (18) is first loaded with the amount of the win and then the pay-out mechanism (1) is operated. As each coin is delivered the detector (10) sends a signal on a line (20) to decrement the register (18). In the event of an incorrect pay-out the register (18) will hold the amount of the deficit of coins paid out, and the deficit is then automatically displayed on display (15). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coin-released gaming and amusement machines This invention relates to coin-released gaming or amusement machines, such as fruit machines, of the kind which incorporate a payout mechanism for paying out coins to the machine player when a win is obtained.

The term 'coin' used herein is intended to include a token.

The usual kind of pay-out mechanism comprises a solenoid for reciprocating a slide which displaces coins from the bottom of a stack of coins.

The problem can arise that a fault develops in the pay-out mechanism, and accordingly the machine player complains to the person immediately responsible for the machine, such as the landlord of a public house in which the machine is situated, that the amount paid out is in error. The landlord will usually pay the player the deficit, but he has no way of knowing whether or not the player's claim is genuine, and such claims are not always genuine. A similar situation can arise when the pay-out mechanism has insufficient coins to meet the designated pay out of coins.

Machines in licensed premises are often operated by a central organisation that is responsible for collecting the machine takings.

When the collector visits a public house he is frequently asked by the landlord to pay him an amount which the landlord says he has had to pay to machine players to correct deficits in the amounts paid out by the machine. Unfortunately, not all of these payments are justifiable, although many of them are.

The incorporation of a stabiliser in a machine, as disclosed in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1 454 046 enables the central organisation to check on whether the machine has been operating correctly but the check cannot easily be performed during the collector's visit, and is usually made some days later when the relevant figures are analysed.

According to the invention a coin-released gaming or amusement machine comprises a coin pay-out mechanism which is arranged normally to deliver a coin from a coin supply in response to a pay-out command signal, and a coin delivery checking device comprising detection means to detect the delivery of a coin by the pay-out mechanism and monitoring means responsive to the output of the detection means and to the command signal and which is so arranged as to identify occasions on which a command signal does not result in a coin, or the correct number of coins, being delivered.

The detection means may comprise a switch which is mechanically operated by the coin on delivery, but preferably the detection means does not involve contact with the coin.

Preferably the detection means comprises a light emitter and a light detector, and the output of the detector is connected to the monitoring means.

The light emitter and detector are preferably arranged on opposite side of the delivery path of the coins, so that the detector detects an interruption in the light caused by the coin, but if desired the detector may be arranged to detect light reflected by a coin being delivered.

The monitoring means could simply be arranged to provide a signal indicating a 'malfunction' of the pay-out mechanism, but preferably the monitoring means is arranged to provide quantitative information on the deficit of coins paid out.

The monitoring means preferably comprises a register so arranged as to record the deficit in the number or value of coins that have been delivered.

The register could be arranged to record the cumulative deficit of coins paid out for several 'malfunctions' of the machine. The register would then be read by a service engineer, but preferably the machine is arranged to prevent further play on the machine until the 'fault' has been corrected, by ensuring that play cannot resume until the register has been cleared.

Conveniently, on award of a win the register is intitially loaded with an amount corresponding to the disignated pay-out, and the detector is arranged to send a signal to the register to decrement the register on delivery of each coin, so that the register is stepped back to its normal, zero state. The contents of the register are available for display in the event that the detection means identifies a lack of a pay-out following a pay-out command signal, and the register will then show the proportion of the win that has not bee delivered to the player.

A display means, such as a light emitting diode display, is preferably provided for displaying the contents of the register. Preferably the display means is a display which is normally used, at least in part, for displaying credits to the machine player, corresponding to un-used coins inserted into the machine by the player.

A switch may be provided to control the illumination of the display means. The switch could then be operated by a landlord to display the contents of the register when a player complains that a pay-out error has been made, the switch conveniently being operable by a key.

Preferably, however, on detection of a deficit by the monitoring means the deficit is automatically displayed on the display means.

When the credit display is used for this purpose, and the credit figure is replaced by the deficit figure, some indication is provided that it is no longer the credit figure that is being displayed. In a preferred arrangement the credit display means is flashed when it is displaying a deficit.

The register may be arranged to be reset in any convenient manner, but preferably it is arranged to be reset by the subsequent delivery of coins by the pay-out mechanism when the 'fault' responsible for the incorrect pay-out has been rectified. Often the 'fault' will simply be a lack of coins in the pay-out mechanism.

The register may comprise part of a machine computer which controls all of the machine operations, or it may be an independent unit.

When a machine is provided with more than one pay-out mechanism a separate detection means may be provided for each mechanism, and a separate register may be associated with each detection means, or a common register may be provided.

Means may be provided to compute the number of coins remaining in the coin supply in response to signals from the detection means and to signals from a coin acceptor which detects the insertion by a player of a coin into the machine, and means to indicate that said number is less than a predetermined amount. Thus, a light could be illuminated on the machine to indicate that coins need to be inserted into the coin supply by the person responsible for the machine. This would avoid the need to provide the usual coin level sensors in the coin supply.

A gaming machine in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partial vertical cross-section of a coin pay-out mechanism of the machine provided with an optical coin delivery detection arrangement; and Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the coin control system of the machine.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional coin-payout mechanism 1 which in accordance with the invention has been provided with an optical coin delivery detection arrangement 2. The payout mechanism comprises a vertical tube 3 for housing a stack 4 of coins, a NYLON coin ejector slide 5 for dispensing coins, one by one in this case, from the bottom of the stack 4, and a solenoid 6 having an armature 7 connected to the slide 5 by means of a pin 8.

The return springs for the armature have been omitted from the drawings. As is well known, a pulse applied to the solenoid 6 results in displacement by the slide 5 of one coin from the bottom of the stack 4, and if a pay-out of three coins is required then the solenoid is pulsed three times.

The detection arrangement 2 comprises a light emitter 9 and a light detector 10 positioned on opposite sides of the delivery passage 11 so that the delivery of a coin 12 into the pay-out cup 1 3 is detected by the interruption in light received by detector 10. The detection arrangement 2 is positioned such that there can be not doubt that once a coin has passed through the passage 11 is will reach the cup 1 3 for removal by the machine player.

With reference to Fig. 2, the machine is of the type incorporating a credit register 14 for recording coin credits which are obtained by the player inserting several coins into the machine, although it will be appreciated that the invention is also applicable to non-credit machines in which a coin has to be inserted for each play of the machine. The credit register 14 records the number of credited coins, or games as the case may be, and the content of register 14 is normally displayed to the machine player on an L.E.D. display 1 5 on the front of the machine cabinet. A game programme unit 1 6 in the form of a microprocessor controls the principal machine functions, and in particular controls operation of the payout unit 1, and what is displayed by the display 1 5.

In normal operation of the machine a coin inserted into the machine by a machine player will be detected by coin acceptor 22 and cause the programme unit 1 6 to increment the credit register 14, and each time a game is played on the machine the register 14 will be decremented by the unit 16.When th'e player achieves a win the programme unit 1 6 will send signals on channel 1 7 to load a RAM register 1 8 with the number of coins corresponding to the win, and then it will send a corresponding number of pulses on line 1 9 to the solenoid 6 of the pay-out unit 1 to dispense that number of coins from stack 4 into the cup 1 3. Normally the pay-out mecha nism 1 will be functioning correctly and there will be a sufficient number of coins in the tube 3 to meet the designated amount of the pay-out.As each coin is delivered the light detector 10 triggers a signal on channel 20 to decrement the register 1 8. Thus, if the num ber of coins actually delivered corresponds to the designated number the content of register 1 8 will be stepped back to zero. However, in the event of an insufficient number of coins being delivered, the content of register 18 will accordingly contain the deficit in the number of coins delivered with respect to the number of coins which should have been delivered.

In the event that a pulse on line 1 9 to the payout unit does not result in a coin being detected by detector 10, this is noted by the programme unit 1 6 which also receives the output of detection arrangement 2 on line 21.

The absence of a coin delivery is arranged to halt the pulsing of the payout unit 1, and immediately the programme unit 16 switches display 1 5 so that it displays the content of the register 18, the deficit in coins paid out, and the display 1 5 is flashed to indicate that the figure displayed is not simply a credit figure.

Alternatively, in a modification the content of register 18 is displayed on a different display, or in yet another modification it may be displayed on the left hand side of the display 15, any credit being displayed at the same time on the right hand side.

As soon as a non-payout situation has been detected, the programme unit 1 6 prevents further games being played on the machine until the machine has been attended to by the landlord, or other person immediately supervising the machine.

The landlord must insert his refill key into the machine and load coins, by means of the coin acceptor 22, into the coin tube that is responsible for the shortage of pay-out. He is preferably assisted in this task by a light or lights on the front of the machine showing the denoninations of coins that have failed to pay out.

The coins the landlord reloads are recorded on a meter in a conventional manner, or may be stored in the unit 1 6 for display on the display 1 5 at a later date.

When the landlord has refilled the tube with coins and removed his refill key, one of the following situations will obtain: 1) The machine will now have sufficient coins in the previously deficient coin tube so that it will now be able to complete its pay-out in full. When this occurs the content of register 1 8 will step down to zero as displayed on display 1 5 and stay at zero (no flashing) or, if there is credit on the machine, the display 1 5 will return to its usual function of displaying the number of credits (no flashing) in register 14.

2) If the landlord has not loaded a sufficient number of coins to make good the pay-out in full, the machine will pay out the coins that are available to it, the flashing number displayed on the display 1 5 will reduce accord ingly and the display 1 5 will continue to flash the now smaller number of coins that remain owing. It will then be necessary for the land lord to go through the same procedure again.

The machine will only become operative again when he has loaded sufficient coins to obtain state (1) above.

3) The landlord refills as described in (1) and (2) above but, in spite of this, when he removes his refill key no coins are paid out and the shortage of coins continues to flash on the display 1 5 as before. This denotes some form of malfunction within the machine.

Either the pay-out coil has gone "open cir cuit", the armature has jammed, the link pin 8 has broken, or the coins or coin slides may have become jammed, etc., etc. In any event there is nothing the landlord can do to rectify the problem. He pays the player the number of coins owing as displayed on the flashing display 1 5 and any credit coins which are owing. He then turns the machine off and telephones for a service engineer provided by the central organisation responsible.

When the service engineer arrives and switches the machine on again the deficit in the number of coins paid out by the machine, the content of register 1 8 continues to flash on the display 1 5. After the engineer has repaired the fault these coins will then be paid out by the machine and will be refunded by the engineer to the landlord.

Claims (10)

1. A coin-released gaming or amusement machine comprising a coin pay-out mechanism which is arranged normally to deliver a coin from a coin supply in response to a payout command signal, and a coin delivery checking device comprising detection means to detect the delivery of a coin by the pay-out mechanism and monitoring means responsive to the output of the detection means and to the command signal and which is so arranged as to identify occasions on which a command signal does not result in a coin, or the correct number of coins, being delivered.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the detection means comprises a light emitter and a light detector, and the output of the detector is connected to the monitoring means.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the monitoring means is arranged to provide quantitative information on the deficit of coins paid out.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 in which the monitoring means comprises a register so arranged as to record the deficit in the number or value of coins that has been delivered.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 in which on award of a win the register is initially loaded with an amount corresponding to the designated pay-out, and the detector is arranged to send a signal to the register to decrement the register on delivery of each coin, such that the register is stepped back to its normal state.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 and comprising a display means for displaying the contents of the register.

7. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the monitoring means is arranged such that on detection of a deficit of coins delivered further play on the machine is prevented until the deficit has been made up by a subsequent delivery of a coin or coins by the machine.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 as appended to claim 4 in which further play is prevented until the register has been cleared.

9. A coin-released gaming or amusement machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the coin delivery checking device is sustantially as I described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A coin-released gaming or amusement machine substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.