GB2192478A

GB2192478A - Gaming and amusement machines

Info

Publication number: GB2192478A
Application number: GB08716264A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neville Dale Chadwick
Original assignee: Bell Fruit Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Bell Fruit Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1986-07-12
Filing date: 1987-07-10
Publication date: 1988-01-13
Also published as: EP0253584A2; GB8716264D0; DE3783962T2; ES2037716T3; DE3783962D1; GB2192478B; EP0253584A3; GB8617044D0; EP0253584B1

Abstract

In a fruit machine (1) which has rotatable reels (2) separate flat panel graphic display screens (3 and 4) are provided respectively alongside and above the reels (2). The displays on the screens (3 and 4) are controlled by a central control unit (6) which receives its instructions from an 'artwork scene' store (8) containing several different artwork programs thereby enabling different artwork to be displayed on the machine without changing the screens (3 and 4). The artwork may be displayed on the screens by means of one of the following; a cathode ray tube, an electro-luminescent display, a vacuum fluorescent display, a gas discharge display, or a liquid crystal display. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB 2 192 478 A 1 SPECIFICATION whether the reels were mechanical or were

simulated by a Panascope display or on a video Gaming and amusement machines screen, the display panel containing the information, instructions and features, if not sim ply in painted This invention relates to gaming and amusement 70 form (in early machines), has been in the form of a machines of the kind commonly known asfruit. glass panel, with the artwork colour-printed on the machines, in which, following the insertion of a coin back and with lamps behind it. Certain of the ortoken orthe release of a credit, a number of reels changing information, e.g. numbers, has been (usuallythree orfour) carrying symbols on their imparted tothe player bythe use of a limited number peripheries are setspinning and allowed to cometo 75 of alphanumeric or purely numeric characters on a a haltat random. If one of a numberof preselected seven-segment LED display or a 14- or 16-segment combinations of symbols on the different reels is vacuum fluorescent display.

obtained on a pre-determined line or lines (the'win' Such a display involves certain restrictions, not line), a prize is awarded. least on the area which is illuminated, simply Such machines usually have the reels rotating on a 80 because of the thermal load of the numerous lamps.

common axis and the'win'line is visible through a Mechanical constraints on the artwork limitwhat can window in the front of the cabinet machine. be depicted, and the active features may only involve Alongside and/or above the window is a display a small proportion of the total display area at any panel, usually of glass, having screen-printed on it giventime.

the details of what combinations of symbols will 85 The aim of the invention is to overcome these result in wins, and whatthe values of those wins are. restrictions. According to the invention there is Overtheyears n u merous'featu res' have been provided in afruit machine at leastone separate developed,that isto say, further steps which are displayarea (as opposed tothe reels ora reel display optional orare awarded at random oras prizes, area which simulates spinning reels) which is in the following the usual initial game. For example the 90 form of a two- dimensional electronic display screen.

player may be given chances to nudge or to hold Although it could in the the form of the screen of a reels and when he is awarded a win he may be given cathode raytube, i.e. a video display, this would at random the chance to gamble the win, or part of it, involve very substantial bulkwhich could not easily on a'double-or-quits'basis. There may be'trails'or be accommodated and in practice we prefersome 'ladders' leadi n g to further prizes or jackpots. The 95 otherform of electronic display, such as a matrix details and instructions about all these are printed on containing a multitude of individually addressable the glass display panel which, as a consequence, points.

often occupies the entire upper part of the front of This would contain substantially all the the machine above the reels. Behind the display information, features and instructions which panel are numerous lights, not onlyto stimulate 100 hitherto were in the form of fixed artwork on a glass interest byflashing on and off and to indicate options panel in conjunction with numerous lamps and/or available, butalso lighting up in sequence to LEDs. The chief advantage isthatthe maker of the simulate an object travelling, forexample in a machinethen hastotal flexibility in what he puts in cat-and-mouse'feature. There may be thirty, forty or his artwork and can change it atwill, notonly by many more lamps behind the glass panel, all 105 inserting in the machine the appropriate hardware in switching on and off in accordance with the various the form of PROMs, ROMs, discs ortape controlling features. It is known to build machines which are of the scanning of the display area, but even in a given the same basic construction inside but of which the machine several programs can be stored glass display panel is selected from one of a number simultaneously and used at will. Thus even within a of different panels with the artwork designed 110 given game the entire'artwork'can be wiped clean according to the game forwhich the machine is to be and replaced byf resh artwork with a different layout setup. and different features. This has the further advantage It is also known, indeed it was first proposed by us thatthe display of a feature which would normally in an earlier Patent Specification, to replace the occupy only a small area of an'artwork scene' actual mechanical rotating reels with a simulation of 115 showing several features on the display screen can such reels in the form of a two-dimensional display be expanded in a subsequent artwork scene to on a screen, in particular on the screen of a cathode occupy a considerably larger area, possibly to fill the ray tube. The display on the tube can depietthe whole display screen, when, for instance, that symbols in colour individually at selected areas, feature is made available to the player.

changing from onesymbol to anotherwithout 120 Afurther advantage isthe elimination of the moving, but preferably they appear to movefrom thermal load involved in numerous filament lamps.

topto bottom of the screen in lines, in atrue The lights connected with the various features are depiction of a rotating reel. nowsimply part of the matrixdisplay.

Beforethis itwas known to obtain the equivalentof Current commercially available matrixdisplays reels intheform of a so-called'Panascope'display, 125 are of limited size and so itmay be necessaryto inwhich a numberof individual small ground-glass employtwo or more panelsto obtain the required screens are arranged in an array, e.g.three rowsof area, but the technology is improvipg all thetime. If three,and have images of symbolsthrown onto necessary, notall the'artwork'used will be inthe them byoptical projection from behind. form of a matrix display, and there could still be In all those machines however, regardless of 130 some, for example the outer areas, in the form of 2 G13 2 192 478 A 2 conventional fixed painted orscreen-printed glass containing a multitude of individually addressable panels. points.

The display technology could be in one of several 3. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed forms, i.e. a cathode raytube (although generallytoo in claim 1 orclaim 2which includes meansfor bulky), electro-luminescent, vacuum fluorescent, 70 displaying artworkscenes on the separate display gas-discharge, liquid crystal etc, and could be in area comprising one of thefollowing: a cathode ray monochrome orcolour. tube, an electro-luminescent display, avacuum The present invention will now be described, by fluorescent display, a gas-discharge display or a way of example only, with reference to the liquid crystal display.

accompanying drawings in which:- 75 4. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a in anyone of the preceding claims in which the fruit machine embodying the invention; and display on the separate two- dimensional electronic Figures2 and 3 are frontviews of a flat panel display area is controlled by a machine control unit graphic display area of the fruit machine of Figure 1 in accordance with one of a number of different showing two different artwork scenes. 80 artwork programs stored within an artwork scene The fruit machine shown in Figure 1 comprises a store.

housing 1 having three rotatable reels 2, first and 5. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed second separate display areas 3 and 4 respectively in claim 4 in which the machine control unit and the alongside and above the reels 2, and a numberof artwork scene store are both housed within the switch buttons 5, by means of which a player 85 machine.

controls operation of the machine. In contrast to 6. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed previously known fruit machines in which the in claim 4 in which the machine control unit is display areas would normally be in the form of glass housed within the machine and connected to an panels bearing fixed artwork in conjunction with external artwork scene store.

numerous lamps and/or LEDs, the display areas 3 90 7. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed and 4 are in the form of flat panel graphic displays i.e. in anyone of claims4to 6 in whichthedisplayof a two-dimensional electronic display screens. feature in one artwork scene is expanded to occupy a Within the machine housing 1, a central machine greater area of the two- dimensional electronic control unit 6, as well as controlling the reels 2 and display area in a subsequent artworkscene.

their associated buttons 5, also controls the flat panel 95 8. A gaming or amusement machine graphic displays 3 and 4 via a display interface unit 7 substantially as described herein with reference to and receives its instructions from programs stored in the accompanying drawings.

an'artwork scene'store 8. There may, as indicated, also be an external line 9 from the control unit 1 to an external store, allowing new programs to be loaded when desired. Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (UK) Ltd, 11/87, D8991685.

Theflat panel graphic display area 4of Figure 2 Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A I AY, displays an 'artwork scene' including three different from which copies maybe obtained.

features; a'ladder'feature 10, a'gamble'feature 11 and a'nudges'feature 12. During playof the machine each of thefeatures 10, 11 and 12 will, on occasions, be made availableto the player. When one of the features,for instancethe nudgesfeature 12, is made availablethe artworkscene store 8 is programmed to changethe artworkscene on theflat panel graphic displayarea 4 in orderto display thatfeatu re in greaterdetail as shown in Figure3 in which the display of the'nudges'feature 12 is expanded to occupy virtually the whole of theflat panel graphic displayarea4.

Claims

1. A gaming or amusement machine which has either a number of reels carrying symbols on their peripheries and which reels, following insertion of a coin or token or the release of a credit, are set spinning and allowed to cometo a halt at random, or which has a reel display area which simulates such spinning reels, and which has at least one separate display area which is in the form of a two-dimensional electronic screen.

2. A gaming or amusement machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the separate two-dimensional electronic display area comprises a matrix