GB2363732A

GB2363732A - Roulette ball launching apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2363732A
Application number: GB0122341A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles John Summers
Original assignee: Coinmaster Gaming Ltd
Current assignee: Coinmaster Gaming Ltd
Priority date: 1999-09-13
Filing date: 2000-04-27
Publication date: 2002-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-27
Also published as: GB0122341D0; GB0122339D0; GB2363731A; GB2363732B; GB2363731B

Abstract

A gaming apparatus comprising a wheel (2) mounted for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane and means for delivering a ball to the surface of the wheel. The ball delivery means comprises a gate (62) which is normally closed to trap the ball (e.g. 56) prior to its delivery and whose opening is synchronised with the operation of a ball propelling device (52,54) to deliver the ball to the wheel (2).

Description

2363732 Gaming Apparatus The present invention relates to a gaming

apparatus and more particularly to a gaming apparatus based on the game of roulette.

The game of roulette has, for many years, provided entertainment in casinos and other gaming establishments.

To play the game of roulette, a horizontally-oriented circular wheel, having a peripheral region divided into a plurality of numbered compartments, is spun in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction about its axis A ball is released onto the surface of the spinning wheel where it is randomly deflected before eventually coming to rest in one or other of the compartments.

Players of the game bet on which compartment or subgroup of compartments the ball is going to fall into by placing tokens or "chips" at appropriate locations on a betting table.

Traditionally, a croupier has been required to manually operate the roulette wheel and to supervise betting However, with the advent of affordable electronic technology, it has now become possible to provide a fully automated roulette wheel based gaming apparatus and a number of such systems are already in use.

In existing automated gaming apparatus, means are provided which convey a ball to a seat, upon which the ball rests until it is propelled onto the surface of the wheel by a solenoid operated striker However, any movement of the apparatus prior to the striker being operated will cause the ball to fall prematurely onto the surface of the wheel, making existing apparatus unsuitable for use on ships, etc.

We have now devised an arrangement which overcomes this limitation.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a gaming apparatus comprising:

a wheel mounted for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane; and means for delivering a ball to the surface of the wheel, the ball delivery means comprising a gate which is normally closed to trap the ball prior to its delivery and whose opening is synchronised with the operation of a ball propelling device to deliver the ball to the wheel.

Preferably the ball delivery means comprises a solenoid operated switch, the solenoid part of which opens and closes the gate and the switch of which operates the ball propelling device when the gate is fully opened.

To increase the degree of randomness provided by the apparatus, the ball propelling device may comprise one of a pair of ball propelling devices arranged to propel the ball in opposite respective directions around the periphery of the wheel, wherein the direction of propulsion varies, in sequence or at random, between successive plays.

Preferably the ball is delivered via one or other of two oppositely-directed tangential channels formed in a circular wall surrounding the wheel.

Alternatively, or to further increase the degree of randomness provided by the apparatus, the or each ball propelling device may comprise:

a solenoid operated striker; and an electrical circuit which varies, in sequence or at random, the magnitude of the driving signal applied to the solenoid.

Preferably the driving signal is provided by discharging a capacitor through the solenoid, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus determining the force with which the ball is struck.

Preferably the capacitor is charged from the output of a digital to analogue converter, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus being determined by the digital value applied to the input of the converter.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automated gaming apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the roulette wheel of the gaming apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section through a sub-assembly of the apparatus; and Figures 4 and 5 are two different perspective views of the ball release sub-assembly of the apparatus.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, an automated roulette-wheel based gaming apparatus is shown comprising a roulette wheel 2 encased beneath a domed canopy 4, a plurality of operating consoles 6, each having a respective touch sensitive screen interface 8, and an elevated screen display 10.

The roulette wheel 2 of the apparatus is shown in detail in Figure 2 and comprises an inclined peripheral region 12 encircling a plurality of compartments 14 The base of each compartment 14 is formed with an aperture 16 having a diameter slightly greater than that of the ball used to play the apparatus.

The wheel 2 is also formed with a reference aperture 18 and a circular arrangement of apertures 20, each corresponding with a respective compartment 14, the apertures 20 being used to determine the number corresponding with an occupied compartment, as will be explained in more detail below.

When the wheel 2 is fitted in place to an upright rotatable shaft 22, as shown in Figure 3, the apertures 16 of the compartments 14 overlie the static surface of an annular track 24 such that a ball, e g 26, coming to rest in one of the compartments will roll along the surface of the track 24 as the wheel 2 is rotated The shaft 22 is rotated by an electric motor 28, which drives the shaft via a gearbox 30.

A portion 32 of the track 24 is pivotally mounted and connected to a solenoid or pneumatically operated plunger 34 such that when the plunger 34 is retracted by the solenoid 36, the pivotally mounted portion 32 is displaced away from the underside of the wheel 2 (as shown) to allow a ball, e g 38, carried in a compartment 14 passing over the pivotally mounted portion 32, to fall through the aperture 16 in the base of that compartment to be recovered.

As shown in Figure 3, a first optical sensor 40 mounted below the wheel 2 is arranged to detect the apertures 20 in the wheel 2 as they pass overhead A second optical sensor 42 mounted adjacent the first sensor 40 is arranged to detect the reference aperture 18 of the wheel as it passes overhead An optical transmitter 44 is arranged to transmit a light beam, through opposed apertures 46,48 formed respectively in the inner and outer walls of each compartment 14, to a third optical sensor 50, such that the beam is broken by a ball sitting (as shown) in a passing compartment 14.

The arrangement of three optical sensors 40,42,50 allows the number corresponding to an occupied compartment to be determined by counting the number of apertures 20 to pass the first sensor 40 in the time interval between the reference aperture 18 being detected by the second sensor 42 and the occupied compartment being detected the third sensor 50.

The arrangement of optical sensors 40,42,50 also allows the apparatus to automatically reconfigure itself when the wheel 10 is replaced with one having a greater or lesser number of compartments 14, by counting the number of apertures 20 detected by the first sensor 40 between successive detections of the reference aperture 18 by the second sensor 42.

A ball is delivered to the roulette wheel 2 by the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5 which is incorporated into a circular wall surrounding the wheel 2.

The ball delivery arrangement comprises a pair of opposed spring-biased solenoid operated strikers 52,54, arranged to fire a ball, e g 56, along one or other of two oppositely-directed tangential delivery channels 58,60 and around the periphery of the wheel 2 The direction in which the ball is fired for each play of the game is either pre- determined sequence or is chosen at random.

The solenoid operated strikers 52,54 are selectively operated by an electrical circuit (not shown) which varies, in sequence or at random, the magnitude of the driving signal applied to the chosen solenoid.

The driving signal is provided by discharging a capacitor through the solenoid, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus determining the force with which the ball is struck.

The capacitor is charged from the output of a digital to analogue converter of the driving circuit, so that the amount of charge stored by the capacitor is determined by the digital value applied to the input of the converter.

A gate 62 is normally raised, to prevent a ball from being prematurely dislodged from its seat, but may be lowered for the ball to be delivered The gate 62 is mounted to the spring-biased plunger 64 of a solenoid 66 for raising and lowering the gate When the gate 62 is fully lowered, a portion 68 of the plunger 64 projecting from the base of the solenoid 66 operates a microswitch 70, thereby causing the ball to be struck by one or other of the solenoid operated plungers 52,54.

The apparatus thus described prevents a ball from falling prematurely onto the surface of a roulette wheel.

Whilst typically the different compartments carry respective numbers to identify them, they may be identified by any other appropriate system of indicia Also, whilst the apparatus has been described in the form of a roulette apparatus, it may be arranged to play any other game requiring a rotary wheel provided with a series of compartments to receive a ball released onto the wheel.

Claims

1) A gaming apparatus comprising:

a wheel mounted for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane; and means for delivering a ball to the surface of the wheel, the ball delivery means comprising a gate which is normally closed to trap the ball prior to its delivery and whose opening is synchronised with the operation of a ball propelling device to deliver the ball to the wheel, wherein the ball propelling device comprises one of a pair of ball propelling devices arranged to propel the ball in opposite respective directions around the periphery of the wheel, wherein the direction of propulsion varies, in sequence or at random, between successive plays.

2) A gaming apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the 9 ball is delivered via one or other of two oppositely-directed tangential channels formed in a circular wall surrounding the wheel.

2) A gaming apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the ball is delivered via one or other of two oppositely-directed tangential channels formed in a circular wall surrounding the wheel.

3) A gaming apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each ball propelling device comprises:

4) A gaming apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the driving signal is provided by discharging a capacitor through the solenoid, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus determining the force with which the ball is struck.

5) A gaming apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the capacitor is charged from the output of a digital to analogue converter, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus being determined by the digital value applied to the input of the converter.

Amended claims have been filed as follows Claims 1) A gaming apparatus comprising:

a wheel mounted for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane; and means for delivering a ball to the surface of the wheel, the ball delivery means comprising a gate which is normally closed to trap the ball prior to its delivery and whose opening is synchronised with the operation of a ball propelling device to deliver the ball to the wheel, wherein the ball propelling device comprises one of a pair of ball propelling devices arranged to propel the ball in opposite respective directions around the periphery of the wheel, wherein the direction of propulsion varies, in sequence or at random, between successive plays, the or each ball propelling device comprising:

a solenoid operated striker; and an electrical circuit which varies, in sequence or at random, the magnitude of the driving signal applied to the solenoid, the driving signal being provided by discharging a capacitor through the solenoid, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus determining the force with which the ball is struck, the capacitor being charged from the output of a digital to analogue converter, the amount of charge stored by the capacitor thus being determined by the digital value applied to the input of the converter.