GB2201278A - Amusement or gaming machines - Google Patents

Abstract

One or several of the reels of a fruit machine are arranged to spin to their terminal speed by a relatively long acceleration period during which time the facility is provided for the player to attempt to arrest the reel or reels with a desired symbol on the combination line. The acceleration process by which the full reel speed is achieved could be a smooth acceleration, but a stepping of the reels is advantageous, the timing of the steps being such as to provide an overall acceleration of the relevant reel. Thus, a reel can be stepped through five reel positions before it is rotated at full speed, the durations of periods that the reel is stationary displaying a symbol on the combination line being reduced for successive symbols, whilst the actual duration of the step from one reel position to the next can remain constant.

Description

AMUSEMENT OR GAMING MACHINES This invention relates to amusement or gaming machines of the kind generally known as "fruit machines", in which a series of reels, or their visual equivalents, with symbols (which are not necessarily fruits) are set spinning and a prize is awarded in dependence upon the combination of symbols that is achieved on a combination line or in a combination field when the reels have stopped spinning. Such a machine will hereinafter be referred to as a "machine of the kind set forth".

Conventionally, when a start button of a fruit machine is pressed, or a handle is pulled, the reels of a fruit machine commence spinning seemingly immediately at full speed and are then stopped automatically after two or three seconds usually, but not always, in order, left, centre, right, or on a four reel machine reading from the left 1, 2, 3, and 4.

It is, of course, acknowledged that in such a conventional start-up procedure for the spinning of fruit machine reels, it is necessary with mechanical reels to have an acceleration procedure as it is impossible to move a reel from its stationery or stopped position to full speed in an instant of time.

However, the purpose of such a conventional acceleration routine is to get each reel. rotating at its full speed as quickly as possible so as to give the appearance to the player of the reels attaining their full rotating speed immediately at the commencement of each game when the start button is pressed.

According to the invention a machine of the kind set forth comprises a reel speed control means so arranged that at least one of the reels, in at least one mode of operation of the machine, is arranged to be spun from substantially at rest to a terminal speed by a substantially long acceleration process.

The duration of the acceleration process can, of course, be chosen as required but the acceleration process is preferably not complete until the reel has turned by at least one symbol position.

Preferably the acceleration process is not complete until the reel has turned by a plurality of symbol positions.

For example, the reel may rotate by six symbol positions during the acceleration process, the reel having reached its terminal speed as the sixth symbol passes beneath the combination line.

The acceleration process can take the form of a smooth progressive path or, as in a preferred embodiment, can comprise a series of steps. In this preferred arrangement, each of the reels "steps" by five symbols before it commences spinning continuously at full speed. The movement from one symbol to the next, the step, is performed as quickly a possible, whilst the period of time that each reel remains stationery with a symbol displayed on the combination line is reduced for the successive symbol.- In the preferred embodiment, the time lapse between step zero and step one is greater than that between the steps two and three and so on with the shortest stationery time of each reel being between the final step, number 5, and the commencement of the reels spinning continuously at full speed.

Alternatively, the time each reel remains stationery between each step could be the same, the speed of the stepping being increased for successive steps.

In a further embodiment of this invention, the machine is arranged to give a "staggered start" whereby the reels, instead of all starting together, commence their accelerations one after the other. Both the order in which the reels start and the time delay between each reel starting to move can of course, be varied.

The object of this invention in the various forms described above is to give the player the opportunity of making use of other features embodied within the machine during the course of the time that the reel acceleration, either smooth or stepped, is taking place. Many of the current popular features such as "holds" "Complete the Name" or "Fill the Box" type features may be used in conjunction with this invention. In a preferred embodiment of the machine, the player is given the opportunity from time to time of using any or all of the available features on the occasions when the reels accelerate up to their full speed in the manner described, rather than spinning immediately at full speed as they are arranged to do on other occasions.

The number of occasions on which the reels accelerate to their full speed rather than starting immediately can, of course, be preset as desired and this mode of operation of the machine can be entered at random or by other lawful means and it is not necessarily the case that this facility will be offered on all reels. The arrangement may be such that in certain games just one or two of the reels accelerate whilst the others start immediately at full speed. In the preferred embodiments, no advance warning is given that this "Acceleration feature" is about to be made available to the player but in a further version it is envisaged giving the player advance notice of the feature being available.

It may be arranged that for some games the acceleration feature is made available to the player in return for an extra charge.

The manner by which the player makes use of this acceleration feature is preferably by use of the "hold" buttons but any other convenient system may also be employed - one hold button is associated with each of the reels on the machine.

If, for example, this acceleration feature is made available to the player and at the same time the "hold" buttons are illuminated, the player may make use of the "hold" buttons during the period of acceleration to stop the reels with as many like symbols as possible on the pay-line. The player simply presses the illuminated hold button in respect of each reel when the desired symbol is on the pay-line, the object being to obtain three of a kind (or four on a four reel machine) and receive the appropriate award.

Alternatively, if he succeeds in only obtaining, say, two like symbols by means of judicious use of the hold buttons during the course of the acceleration period, this in itself would increase his chances of winning in that when the remaining reel or reels, which have not been held, commence spinning in the normal way after the acceleration period, he would stand a greater chance of obtaining the desired winning combination.

Similarly, the acceleration- -features could be made available to the player in conjonction with a "Complete the Name" type of feature which is conventionally built up by means of superimposed numbers on the reels. The player would need to press the -- hold buttons during the acceleration period so as to stop each reel with as many high numbers as possible on the pay-line in order to illuminate the maximum -n-umber of letters of the machine name. If he succeed in illuminating all the letters, he is awarded the appropriate prize. At this point, the game could end and the player is paid his prize. Alternatively, the amount won could be stored by the machine and the reels spun in a conventional fashion to give the ..player an opportunity of obtaining yet further winnings which could then, in turn, be added to his previous prize.

Claims (11)

1. A machine of the kind set forth comprising a reel speed control means so arranged that at least one of the reels, in at least one mode of operation of the machine, is arranged to be spun from substantially at rest to a terminal speed by a substantially long acceleration process, and means to enable a machine player to arrest the one reel during the acceleration process.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the acceleration process is not complete until the reel has turned by at least one symbol position.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 2 in which the acceleration process is not complete until the reel has turned by a plurality of symbol positions.

4. A machine as claimed in Claim 2 in which the reel rotates by six symbol positions during the acceleration process, the reel having reached its terminal speed as the sixth symbol passes beneath the combination line.

5. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the acceleration process comprises s series of steps of the reel.

6. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 as appended to Claim 3 in which each movement from one symbol to the next succeeding symbol, the step, is performed quickly, whilst a period of time that each reel remains stationery with a symbol displayed on the combination line is reduced for the successive symbol.

7. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 as appended to Claim 3 in which the arrangement is such that the time each reel remains stationery between each step is substantially the same, the speed of the stepping being increased for successive steps.

8. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the acceleration process is associated with the plurality of the reels and the machine is arranged to give a "staggered start" whereby the reels, instead of all starting together, commence their accelerations one after the other, means being provided to enable the machine player selectively to arrest the reels whilst they are subject to the acceleration process.

9. A machine as claimed in Claim 8 in which the order in which the reels start is arranged to be varied.

10. A machine as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 in which the time delay between said one reel starting and the start of the next reel is arranged to be varied.

11. A machine substantially as described herein with reference to the embodiments and examples.