GB2367412A

GB2367412A - Entertainment machine with trail changing

Info

Publication number: GB2367412A
Application number: GB0023767A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Farrell
Original assignee: Bell Fruit Games Ltd
Current assignee: Bell Fruit Games Ltd
Priority date: 2000-09-28
Filing date: 2000-09-28
Publication date: 2002-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-28
Also published as: GB0023767D0; GB2367412B

Abstract

An entertainment machine having a display means (60) arranged to display a game and a controller arranged to cause a game to be displayed on the display means (60). The display means (60) includes a trail, along which a user progresses during a game, and a trail changing means (62). Upon activation of a trigger means within the game, the trail changing means (62) alters the trail from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration.

Description

AN ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE

This invention relates to an entertainment machine and especially, but not exclusively, to such machines that are coin, token, credit, or credit-card, freed for play.

Entertainment machines are know which have mechanical features that perhaps rotate, or move in other ways to provide a game. Entertainment machines having screens on which a game is viewed are also known.

This invention may be applicable to both entertainment machines having mechanical mechanisms for providing the game and also those having screens.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an entertainment machine having a game display means arranged to display a game to a user, and a trigger means arranged such that it can be triggered by a user of the machine, the trigger means being arranged upon triggering to alter at least a portion of the display means from a first display to a second display.

An advantage of a machine according to the present invention is that it can provide a game that is perhaps more flexible that prior art games, and may also be more appealing to a user.

The display means may comprise a screen. The screen may be a CRT display, an LCD display, a plasma display, or any other such device capable of displaying information.

The display means may include any other form of display such as a panel including transparent regions with illumination means associated therewith.

The display means may include a trail, which a user progresses along as they play a game. Such a trail generally comprises a number of regions, which can become active representing the fact that play has progressed to include that region. As is known in the art regions may remain active once they have become active until they are un-activated by a further event (which may the end of the game, etc. ) or may only remain active whilst play is on that region. A region remaining active whilst play is on that region would be a trail portraying a board game in which the active region represents the location of the player along the trail.

One or more regions of the trail may include a trigger means, arranged to be triggered by activation of a region of the trail. This is a convenient way of providing a trigger means.

Preferably each region of the trail includes an indicia arranged to convey information to a user of the machine (although it is possible for only some of the regions to include an indicia). The trigger means may cause the indicia on one or more of the regions of the trail to alter from a first indicia to a second, different, indicia. The trigger means may cause a plurality of the indicia to change. Indeed, the trigger means may cause all of the indicia of the trail to change. Such an arrangement allows a game to be provided that can perhaps be more challenging than previous games.

The trigger means may cause a region of the display means not provided on the trail to alter from a first display to a second display.

Alternatively, or additionally, the trigger means may cause the arrangement of the trail to alter from a first configuration to a second configuration said first configuration providing a first path and said second configuration providing a second path. Such alteration may provide a user with access to a longer a trail, or may provide access to regions of a trail having regions with a function that could not previously be accessed.

The skilled person will appreciate that the indicia provided on a trail generally provide a function when activated. The function may be the awarding of a prize to the user, or may be allowing access to a feature of the game, etc. Therefore, allowing access to regions of the trail having functions that could not previously be accessed may allow the player to access more desirable functions (i. e. the awarding of prizes having a higher value than were previously available).

Alternatively, or additionally, the display means may comprise one or more mechanical elements arranged to display a game. Common mechanical elements include reels having one or more indicia thereon, die, belts running around tow or more pulleys, or the like.

As will be appreciated by the skilled person, in general, most mechanical elements carry one or more indicia and generally carry a plurality of indicia. For example a reel carries a variety of indicia arranged around its perimeter. When the trigger means is triggered one or more of the indicia provided on the mechanical element may be arranged to change from a first indicia to a second, different, indicia.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an entertainment machine having a game display means arranged to display a game to a user, the game display means including a trail comprising a

plurality of zones, one or more of the zones having an indicia associated therewith, a controller arranged to control the game and cause the display means to display the position of the user on the trail, one or more of said zones comprising a trigger means arranged such that it can be triggered by a user of the machine during play of a game thereon, the trigger means being arranged such that upon triggering the indicia provided in one or more of the zones is altered from a first indicia to a second different indicia.

The controller may be arranged to highlight a zone of the trail to indicate the position of the user on the trail. Highlighting a zone may comprise making the zone flash, or may comprise providing a marker on a zone, may comprise illuminating a zone, may comprise changing the colour of the zone, or may comprise any other mechanism.

The trigger means may be arranged such that it is triggered when a zone of the trail comprising the trigger means is highlighted by the controller.

This provides a convenient way of triggering the trigger means.

In some embodiments all of the indicia associated with a zone are altered, in other embodiments only some of the indicia are altered.

The controller may be arranged to alter an indicia associated with a particular zone through a predetermined sequence. The predetermined sequence may be between a first and second, different, indicia. There may be any number of indicia in a series that are sequentially switched between. There may be 2,3, 4,5, 6,7, 8,9, 10, or more indicia in the series.

Alternatively, or additionally, the controller may alter the indicia within a zone randomly between the possible indicia.

The display means may comprise a screen and may be any one of the following : a CRT display, an LCD screen, a plasma display, etc.

Alternatively, or additionally, the display means may comprise one or more mechanical elements arranged to provide indicia that can be altered.

In other embodiments the display means may comprise a panel with display regions thereon arranged to display a game to a user.

The display regions may comprise transparent regions, or holes, etc. that provide visibility through the panel. Such transparent regions may allow mechanical elements to be viewed through the panel.

Alternatively, the display regions may comprise regions that are illuminated to display a game to a user.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an entertainment machine having a display means arranged to display a game, a controller arranged to cause a game to be displayed on the display means, the display means including a trail along which a user progresses during a game, and further comprising trail changing means arranged to alter the trail from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration.

The change of configuration may comprise a change in the route of the trail.

The trail may be changeable to further configurations. May be the trail is changeable to third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, or more configurations.

As described in relation to other embodiments of the invention the display means may be a screen (for instance a CRT, LCD, etc.) or may include mechanical means, or may be a combination of a screen and mechanical means.

If the display is a screen then the trail changing means may be provided by the controller, which is arranged to alter the display of the trail from the first configuration.

If the display means is provided by mechanical means the trail changing means may comprises a reel, belt, a sheet, or other moveable indicia bearing member. The controller may be arranged to control movement of the moveable member to provide the desired configuration of the trails.

The configuration of the trail may be altered by the scrolling of a portion of the screen.

The configuration to which the trail is changed may be randomly selected by the controller from the possible configurations. Alternatively, or additionally, the configuration of the trail may be selected from a predetermined series.

The triggering of a trigger means may cause alteration of the trail configuration.

The trail may comprise a plurality of zones, which the controller is arranged to activate in order to indicate a users position along the trail. One or more of the zones may comprise a trigger means, which cause the configuration of the trail to change upon activation.

Alternatively, the trigger means may comprise a counter provided by the controller that counts occurrences of a known action and upon the counter reaching a predetermined number triggers the trail to change configuration.

The counter may be arranged to count the number of points that a player has accumulated, or may count the winnings of a player, or may count a number of tokens that have been awarded to the player by the controller, or any other suitable mechanism.

In one particular embodiment as a player moves around the trail, zones of the trail comprises tokens that are awarded to a player when the controller activates that particular zone. In this embodiment when a player has obtained a predetermined number of tokens the trail is altered from a first configuration to a second configuration.

There now follows by way of example a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an entertainment machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a block diagram of components making up the machine; Figures 3 and 4 show regions of display means showing a trail having a number of indicia thereon, both before and after triggering of a trigger means;

Figures 5 and 6 show trails provided on a display means having a first configuration and a second configuration different from the first; Figure 7 shows a portion of a means that allows the trail of Figure 5 to be changed to the trail of Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a schematic cross section through an assembled mechanism incorporating the portion of Figure 7; and Figure 9 shows a further details of the trails provided in Figures 5 and 6.

The entertainment machine 1 of Figure 1 comprises a cabinet 2 having at top region thereof a display means 4 (comprising in this case a CRT screen) arranged to display a game. At a convenient user operable height are a range of manual switches 6, 8,10 providing user operable inputs, which a user can operate to control the action of the machine 1. On a front face 12 of the machine are provided a pay-out slot 14 to return winnings that a user wins. Further, there is a coin input mechanism 16 as is well known in the art, having a coin input slot 18 and coin return button 20.

The entertainment machine further comprises processing circuitry which includes a micro-processor, or controller, 22 together with an associated memory 24 arranged to provide the game, and control the display screen 4 in order to display the game to the user. The manual switches 6,8, 10 provide inputs to the micro-processor 22 allowing the user to control the game being played on the machine 1. The coin payout and receiver 26 is connected to the pay-out slot 14 and the coin input mechanism 16.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4 one embodiment of the invention comprises a trail 28 that comprises a plurality of zones, for example zone 30. The display means 4 is caused to display the trail 28 by the processing circuitry. It will be noted that in Figure 3 the zone 30 displays the indicia of a face, whilst in Figure 4 zone 30 displays the indicia of a lightning bolt.

In use, a player progresses around the trail 28. The display 4 is altered to show the position of a user on the trail 28, may be by illuminating the zone that the player occupies, or may be by providing an icon, may be by making the zone flash, etc. on the zone representing the players position. Each of the indicia provided on the zones provides a user with a predetermined function. For example the heart (in zone 46 of Figure 3 and zone 32 of Figure 4) may provide an extra life to the user when activated. As a further example the arrow of zone 48 on both Figures 3 and 4 may move a user forward a predetermined number of zones when activated.

It will be noted that in this embodiment two of the zones on the trail (zones 32 and 52 in Figure 3 and zones 36 and 52 in Figure 4) have the indicia of an explosion which provides a trigger means. If this zone is activated by a user during a game the indicia displayed on the trail 28 are caused to change by the processor acting as a trail changing means from a the first indicia to a second, different, indicia. Figure 3 shows one possible arrangement of a trail 28 before activation and Figure 4 shows a possible arrangement of a trail 28 after activation, with the indicia thereon having been altered. For example it will be noted that the explosion of zone 32 in Figure 3 has changed to the heart of zone 32 of Figure 4.

Further, it should also be noted that not all of the zones have had the indicia associated therewith altered. For example the indicia of zone 48 is an arrow both before and after triggering of the trigger means.

It is also possible for the configuration of the trail to alter on activation of the trigger means. Such an example is explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. For example should a user land on a zone having the explosion indicia (eg zones 32, or 52 of Figure 3) the trail changes from the configuration shown in Figure 5 to the configuration shown in Figure 6.

The basic trail 56 shown in Figure 5 comprises the zones a to s. Upon activation of a trigger means, which may be an indicia upon one or more of the zones, the trail changes to the trail 58 shown in Figure 6 comprising the zones (a to p followed by t to y, followed by zones r and s). It will be noted that zone q does not appear in the trail of Figure 6. The new zones accessible in Figure 6, (i. e. zones t to y) contain indicia representing functions that are more desirable to a user.

The new zones may for instance offer prizes of higher value, etc.

If the trails shown in Figures 5 and 6 are provided on the CRT display means 4 then it is a simple matter to provide a video display in which the trail of Figure 5 changes to the trail of Figure 6. However, it is also possible to provide a mechanical display means to change the trail 56,58 between those shown in Figures 5 and 6.

To utilise a mechanical display means the machine 1 provides a transparent flat panel 60, in this case made of glass, having the zones a to n and t to y provided thereon as also shown in Figure 9. Figure 9 shows further detail of the flat panel 60 on which a window 62 is provided. The window is of clear glass and has no markings thereon.

Viewable through the window is a belt 63, as shown in plan in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 8 the belt 63 is formed into a loop 64 and is passed around two pulley wheels 66,68. The arrangement provides a flat surface 70 underneath the window 62.

Indicia are provided on the belt 63 that correspond to the shaded zones of Figures 5 and 6. On a left region 72 of the belt as shown in Figure 7 zones corresponding to the shaded zones of Figure 6 are provided (i. e. zones o, p, r, s) and on a right region 74 of the belt zones corresponding to the shaded regions of Figure 5 (i. e. zones o, p, q, r, s).

Therefore, when the left region 72 of the belt 63 is viewable through the window 62 the trail 58 of Figure 6 is formed. When the right region 74 of the belt 63 is viewable through the window 62 the trail 56 of Figure 5 is formed. It is possible to switch between the two trails 56,58 by rotating the pulley wheels 66,68 to bring the correct region of the belt 63 into view through the window 62.

In one embodiment the movement of the pulley wheels 66,68 is triggered by a user triggering a trigger means provided in one of the zones of the trails 56,58. In an alternative embodiment movement of the wheels 66,68 is triggered by an alternative mechanism (perhaps by a user obtaining a predetermined score, after playing the game for a predetermined time, the accumulation of a number of symbols, etc.)

Claims

1. An entertainment machine having a display means arranged to display a game, a controller arranged to cause a game to be displayed on the display means, the display means including a trail along which a user progresses during a game, and further comprising trail changing means arranged to alter the trail from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration upon activation of a trigger means.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to highlight a zone of the trail to indicate the position of the user on the trail.

3. A machine according to claim 2 wherein the trigger means is arranged such that it is triggered when a zone of the trail comprising the trigger means is highlighted by the controller.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more zones of the trail are provided with indicia, and in which the alteration of the trail from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises changing one or more indicia associated with a zone from a first indicia to a second, different, indicia.

5. A machine according to claim 4 wherein all of the indicia on the trail associated with a zone are altered when the trigger means is triggered.

6. A machine according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the controller is arranged to alter an indicia associated with a particular zone through a predetermined sequence.

7. A machine according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the controller is arranged to alter the indicia within a zone randomly between the possible indicia.

8. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the route of the trail is changeable from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration.

9. A machine according to claim 8 in which the route to which the trail is changed is randomly selected.

10. A machine according to claim 8 in which the route of the trail is selected from a predetermined series.

11. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the trail changing means is provided by the controller, which is arranged to alter the display of the trail from the first configuration.

12. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the trail changing means comprises a reel, belt, a sheet, or other moveable indicia bearing member.

13. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the configuration of the trail is altered by the scrolling of a portion of the screen.

14. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the trail comprises a plurality of zones, which the controller is arranged to activate in order to indicate a users position along the trail.

15. A machine according to claim 14 in which one or more of the zones comprise a trigger means, which cause the configuration of the trail to change upon activation.

16. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the trigger means comprises a counter that counts occurrences of a known action and upon the counter reaching a predetermined number triggers the trail to change configuration.

17. A machine according to claim 16 wherein the counter is provided by the controller.

18. An entertainment machine having a game display means arranged to display a game to a user, the game display means including a trail comprising a plurality of zones, one or more of the zones having an indicia associated therewith, a controller arranged to control the game and cause the display means to display the position of the user on the trail, one or more of said zones comprising a trigger means arranged such that it can be triggered by a user of the machine during play of a game, the trigger means being arranged such that upon triggering the indicia provided in one or more of the zones is altered from a first indicia to a second different indicia.

19. An entertainment machine having a game display means arranged to display a game to a user, and a trigger means arranged such that it can be triggered by a user of the machine, the trigger means being arranged upon triggering to alter at least a portion of the display means from a first display to a second display.

20. An entertainment machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the trigger means causes a region of the display means not

provided on a trail to alter from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration.

21. An entertainment machine according to claim 20 wherein the trigger means causes a region of one or more reels, or other mechanical means to alter from a first configuration to a second, different, configuration.

22. An entertainment machine substantially as described and as illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and 5 to 9 of the drawings.

23. An entertainment machine substantially as described and as illustrated with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings.