GB2474012A

GB2474012A - Methods and apparatus relating to payment for operation of a machine

Info

Publication number: GB2474012A
Application number: GB0916382A
Authority: GB
Inventors: R C Mountney
Original assignee: SCIENT GAMES WORLDWIDE Ltd
Current assignee: SCIENT GAMES WORLDWIDE Ltd
Priority date: 2009-09-18
Filing date: 2009-09-18
Publication date: 2011-04-06
Also published as: GB0916382D0

Abstract

Apparatus comprises a credit register to maintain a value of credit owing to a user, displayed at 50. A control 52 allows the user to allocate credit for payment for operation of a machine. A second control 54 is used to authorise repeated automatic operations of the machine until the credit is exhausted. The first control 50 can be used repeatedly to allocate further credit in blocks equal to a maximum prescribed amount, but possibly only before the operation of the second control 54. The amount of credit allocated by the operation of the first control 50 may be fixed or can be equal to the credit remaining in the credit register 50. The amount of allocated credit may be displayed. A further control may be used to cancel automatic operation of the apparatus. The apparatus is preferably a gaming machine.

Description

I

Methods and arparatus relating to payment for oJeration of a machine The present invention relates to methods and apparatus relating to payment for operation of a machine.

Many situations exist in which the operation of a machine requires a payment to be made by a user. In some examples, a user may create credit on the machine by making payments by coins or other arrangements, so that the user can then instruct operation of the machine against a payment represented by a reduction in the credit amount. In this way, the machine can be operated repeatedly until insufficient credit remains for further operations. Arrangements may allow a user to instruct automatic repeated operation of the machine until a specified amount of credit has been used.

In accordance with examples of a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus comprising: a credit register operable to maintain a value of credit owing to a user; a first user control operable to allocate credit from the credit register for use as payment for operation of a machine, there being a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single operation of the first user control; a second user control to authorise operations of the machine by decrementing the allocated credit as payment for the operations, and to authorise these operations to be repeated automatically until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations; and wherein the first user control is repeatedly operable to allocate further credit for use as payment, at least until the second user control is operated to authorise automatically repeated operations of the machine.

The first user control may be operable repeatedly only before operation of the second user control, to allocate further credit. Alternatively, or in addition, the first user control may be operable after operation of the second user control, during machine operations, to allocate further credit.

Each operation of the first user control may allocate a fixed amount of credit available in the credit register. The operation of the first user control may allocate the remaining value in the credit register, if less than the fixed amount.

The fixed amount may be equal to the said maximum amount.

The apparatus may further comprise a third user control operable to stop further automatic operations of the machine.

The user controls may each be provided by a dedicated user control or by a multi-purpose user control.

The apparatus may further comprise a display operable to display the value of credit in the credit register and/or the amount of allocated credit remaining. The amount of allocated credit remaining may be expressed as a monetary value and/or a number of machine operations.

The machine may be a game machine.

In accordance with examples of a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising: maintaining a credit register representing a value of credit owing to a user; receiving a first user instruction to allocate credit from the credit register for use as payment for operation of a machine, there being a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single user instruction; receiving a second user instruction to authorise operations of the machine by decrementing the allocated credit as payment for the operations, and to authorise these operations to be repeated automatically until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations; and allowing the first user instruction to be received repeatedly to allocate further credit for use as payment, at least until receiving a second user instruction to authorise automatically repeated operations of the machine.

The first user instruction may be received repeatedly only before receipt of the second user instruction, to allocate further credit. Alternatively, or in addition, the first user instruction may be received after receipt of the second user instruction, during machine operations, to allocate further credit.

Each instance of the first user instruction may allocate a fixed amount of credit available in the credit register. Each instance of the first user instruction may allocate the remaining value in the credit register, if less than the fixed amount.

The fixed amount may be equal to the said maximum amount.

A third user instruction may be received to stop further automatic operations of the machine.

The user instructions may each be received from a dedicated user control or a multi-purpose user control.

The method may further comprise displaying the value of credit in the credit register and/or the amount of allocated credit remaining. The amount of allocated credit remaining may be expressed as a monetary value and/or a number of machine operations.

The machine may be a game machine.

Examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of apparatus programmed in accordance with one example of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the whole and part of the display of the apparatus of Fig. 1;and Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate, in table form, states of the apparatus, during use.

In the example to be described, operation of the apparatus is primarily achieved by hardware operating under the control of appropriate software. Accordingly, it is appropriate first to describe the hardware, before describing the functions achieved when the software is running. It is to be understood that other arrangements are possible and in particular, that various functions could be implemented in other technologies, such as mechanical or electro-mechaniCal mechanisms.

Overview of hardware and software Figure 1 illustrates apparatus 10 which is based around a processor 12. Memory 14 is associated with the processor 12. A bus 16 provides communication between the processor 12 and various input/output systems, including user facilities such as a display 18 and user controls 20 The memory 14 is divided into permanent memory 14 A, and temporary memory 14 B. In use, an operating system 22 is loaded to the memory 14 B to control the operation of the processor 12. An application 24 is also loaded from the memory 14 A to the memory 14 B to be executed within the operating system 22. The application 24 consists of software providing instructions for the processor 12, to cause the processor 12 to execute the operations of the apparatus 10, to be described below. The application 24 contains various modules having different functions, identified in Fig. 1 by an abbreviated description of their function.

The application 24 may be delivered to the apparatus 10 by wireless or wired communication, or by means of a storage medium 26 for communication with the apparatus 10 by means of an input/output system at 28.

In this example, the display 18 is a touch screen device allowing output from the apparatus 10 to be displayed for a user, and also allowing a user to provide instructions or other inputs to the apparatus 10, by touching appropriate locations on the display 18. In other examples, the display 18 may be a purely passive display, with additional input devices being provided elsewhere.

A payment mechanism 30 is provided for receiving payment by coins, banknotes, credit or debit cards, tokens or in other ways.

A Start control is provided in the form of a mechanical switch 32. Alternatively, a corresponding control may be provided by means of the display 18, in the event that the display 18 is a touch screen device.

Turning again to the application 24, this includes a credit module 34, a first control module 36, a second control module 38, a Stop module 40 and an Authorise module 42.

The credit module 34 runs to provide a credit register which is operable to maintain a value of credit owing to a user. The value of credit can be increased by making a payment through the payment mechanism 30. The first control module 36 runs to provide a first user control (in conjunction with the display 18 or mechanical or electro-mechanical inputs provided elsewhere) which is operable to allocate credit from the credit register for use as payment for operation of a machine. The operated machine may be provided by the processor 12 under appropriate software control, such as a game module 44, or may be external to the apparatus 10. The first control module 36 provides a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single operation of the first user control.

The second control module 38 allows the user to authorise operations of the machine by decrementing the allocated credit as payment for the operations, and to authorise these operations to be repeated automatically until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations. The Start control 32 may be used to authorise operations.

The application 24 allows the first user control to be repeatedly operable to allocate further credit for use as payment, at least until the second user control is operated to authorise automatically repeated operations of the machine.

Display and user controls Fig. 2 illustrates, in simplified form, the content of the display 18 during operation of the apparatus 10. A major region 46 is allocated to content arising from operation of the machine, such as a display generated by a game being played by the user, by means of the apparatus 10. A smaller region 48, here shown along the bottom edge of the display 18, is allocated to user controls, display of auxiliary information, and the like. In particular, the region 48 relates to the payments required for playing the game displayed in the region 46.

The region 48 includes three elements, labelled in Fig. 2 as Credit 50, Add 52 and Autoplay Credit 54. The three elements are shown in more detail in Fig. 3.

The Credit element 50 displays the total credit available to the user for playing the game. Each time the player makes a further payment, using the payment mechanism 30, the credit module 34 records the payment and increases the value of credit contained in the credit register maintained by the credit module 34, by an appropriate amount. This revised value of credit owing to the user is displayed in the Credit element 50. Each time a game is played by a user authorising a single game or automatic play (to be described), the value of credit is decremented by the appropriate stake, and the revised value is displayed in the Credit element 50. In the situation illustrated in Fig. 3, the player currently has a total of £1 5 of unused credit in the machine.

The Add element 52 is an interactive and multi-purpose element which allows the credits contained in the credit register of the credit module 34 to be allocated for authorising Autoplay games, in the manner to be described. In the Autoplay Credit element 54, an indication is given of the remaining number of games which have been allocated in this way, authorised to be played by automatic repeated operation (Autoplay). In the situation illustrated in Fig. 3, a further 7 games will be run successively and automatically, unless the user intervenes.

The Autoplay Credit element 54 may either display the number of games, or the value of those games. The Autoplay Credit element 54 is controlled by the second control module 38, which also responds to the Start control 32. The user uses the Start control 32 to authorise Autoplay operation of the machine, by repeating games automatically. Each time the game is repeated, the number of games available for Autoplay (here 7) is decremented by the second control module 38 and the revised total is shown in the Autoplay Credit element 54.

The Add element 52 is an interactive element providing display to the user and allowing the user to instruct the apparatus 10. This operation is controlled by the first control module 36. Using the Add element 52, the user is able to allocate credit from the credit register maintained by the credit module 34, for use as payment for Autoplay operation. The credit module 34 sets a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single operation of the Add element 52. In the example being described, this limit is £10, but other examples could be used. Thus, the user can instruct an amount up to £10 to be allocated for Autoplay operation by touching the Add element 52. The amount of £10 can only be allocated if sufficient credit exists within the credit register, indicated in the Credit element 50. In the event that the existing credit within the credit register is less than £10, operation of the Add element 52 will allocate the remaining value in the credit register. The Add element 52 includes a display of the amount of credit which will be allocated by touching the element 52, whether that amount be the maximum of £10, or a lesser value represented by the remaining value in the credit register.

Once the Add element 52 has been used to allocate credit for Autoplay, the Start control 32 can be used by the user to initiate Autoplay operation, in which successive operations of the apparatus 10 are executed to play successive games. Each operation is authorised by the Authorise module 42 which decrements the allocated credit as payment, until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations.

When the Add element 52 is available, the user can repeatedly use it to allocate further credit for use as payment for autoplay. That is, if the element 52 is used to allocate a maximum amount (1 0) of credit for Autoplay operation, the element 52 can then be used a second time to allocate a further amount of £10 of credit for Autoplay operation. Thus, by repeated use of the element 52, the player can allocate the whole or part of the contents of the credit register for Autoplay operation, but this allocation must take place in blocks of credit which are not greater than the maximum amount (1O in this example). In one example, the element 52 can be used repeatedly but only until Autoplay commences by operation of the Start control 32. In another example, use of the element 52 to allocate additional blocks of credit for Autoplay may continue after the Start control 32 has been operated, while Autoplay operation is taking place.

Accordingly, the credit recorded in the credit register maintained by the credit module 34 can be allocated entirely for Autoplay operation at the request of the user, but the allocation can only be achieved in allocation blocks having a value no greater than the maximum allowed (1O in this example). This prevents the user allocating more than the maximum amount by means of a single action.

Operation The operation described above can be understood more fully with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Each represents, in table form, the information displayed in the elements 50, 52, 54 of the display 18, as operation of the machine continues.

Each line of the table represents a subsequent state reached in the operation.

In Fig. 4, the initial state (line 1 of the table), corresponds with the player having no credit in the machine. Consequently, no credit is available for allocation for Autoplay, and autoplay operations are not possible. Accordingly, the three modules 50, 52, 54 all display zero.

In line 2, the player has deposited payments providing credit of £20 in the credit register maintained by the credit module 34. This credit value (20) is displayed by the element 50. The first control module 36 has responded to the existence of credit in the credit register, by changing the element 52 to indicate that £10 is available for allocation to Autoplay operation, by operation of the element 52. It is to be noted again that only £10 is available for allocation, even though the total credit value is currently £20, because the value of £10 represents the maximum amount which the first control module 36 will allow to be allocated by a single instruction from the user, through the element 52.

If the user uses the element 52, line 3 is reached, in which £10 has been allocated for Autoplay operation, displayed by the element 54 either as a monetary value or as a number of games available for Autoplay operation. By virtue of this allocation, the value remaining in the credit register has not yet been reduced, because no games have yet been played. Since the value of unallocated credit remaining in the credit register is still equal to the maximum (1 0) allowed for allocation by the element 52, the figure of £10 displayed by the element 52 is unchanged. Consequently, a further operation of the element 52 by the user will allocate the remaining £10 from the credit register for Autoplay operation, resulting in line 4, in which the total now available for Autoplay operation is £20 (or the corresponding number of games), with no further unallocated credit being available from the credit register maintained by the credit module 34, and consequently with the value £0 shown by the element 52.

Operation of the Start control 32 now allows Autoplay operation to begin, illustrated from line 5 onwards. If the stake for each game is £1, the value illustrated in the Autoplay element 54 will reduce in £1 steps as each game automatically proceeds, until the bottom line of Fig. is reached, in which the credit has been completely used up and the position corresponds with line 1.

The value displayed by the Credit element 50 is also decremented in £1 steps as each game is played.

If no user intervention is made, Autoplay operation will continue until the bottom line of Fig. 4 is reached. However, it may be desirable to provide an additional control (by means of the Stop module 40) to respond to a user intervention to stop further Autoplay operation. There may be a dedicated Stop control to which the module 40 responds, or one or more areas of the display 18 may be available for the user to touch in order to instruct the cessation of Autoplay operation.

In one example, the Add element 52 changes to a Stop element, once Autoplay has begun, so that a user can readily stop further operations. In this example, further credit cannot be allocated for Autoplay operation, once Autoplay has begun, because the Add element 52 is no longer available to the user. In another example, the Add element 52 and a Stop control may be provided separately, so that additional credit can be allocated, even after Autoplay operation has begun.

Fig. 5 illustrates a second situation in a similar manner to the table of Fig. 4. In this case, it is to be noted that the user reaches line 2 by depositing credit of £15 (rather than £20 as illustrated in Fig. 4). Consequently, at line 2, £10 is available for allocation for Autoplay operation and the user allocates this by operation of the element 52 to move to line 3. Only £5 of credit now remains in the credit register, so that a further operation of the element 52 will only allocate a further £5 for Autoplay operation. Thus, line 4 is reached in which £15 has been allocated for Autoplay operation, with no further credit being available to the user.

Play then begins, with the Autoplay credit value displayed at the element 54 being decremented by £1 each time the game automatically repeats, until the credit is fully exhausted at the bottom line of Fig. 5. Alternatively, a stop facility may be provided for the user, as noted above.

In addition to the Autoplay functions described above, there may be arrangements allowing conventional play in which a user control is used to start each game, and to reduce the value of credit contained in the credit register.

Many variations and modifications to the apparatus described above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, many different hardware and software technologies could be used.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus comprising: a credit register operable to maintain a value of credit owing to a user; a first user control operable to allocate credit from the credit register for use as payment for operation of the machine, there being a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single operation of the first user control; a second user control to authorise operations of the machine by decrementing the allocated credit as payment for the operations, and to authorise these operations to be repeated automatically until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations; and wherein the first user control is repeatedly operable to allocate further credit for use as payment, at least until the second user control is operated to authorise automatically repeated operations of the machine.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first user control is operable repeatedly only before operation of the second user control, to allocate further credit.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first user control is operable after operation of the second user control, during machine operations, to allocate further credit.
4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein each operation of the first user control allocates a fixed amount of credit available in the credit register.
5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein operation of the first user control allocates the remaining value in the credit register, if less than the fixed amount.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the fixed amount is equal to the said maximum amount.
7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a third user control operable to stop further automatic operations of the machine.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the user controls are provided by a dedicated user control or a multi-purpose user control.
9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a display operable to display the value of credit in the credit register and/or the amount of allocated credit remaining.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the amount of allocated credit remaining is expressed as a monetary value and/or a number of machine operations.
11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the machine is a game machine.
12. A method comprising: maintaining a credit register representing a value of credit owing to a user; receiving a first user instruction to allocate credit from the credit register for use as payment for operation of a machine, there being a maximum value which can be allocated from the credit register by a single user instruction; receiving a second user instruction to authorise operations of the machine by decrementing the allocated credit as payment for the operations, and to authorise these operations to be repeated automatically until insufficient allocated credit remains for further operations; and allowing the first user instruction to be received repeatedly to allocate further credit for use as payment, at least until receiving a second user instruction to authorise automatically repeated operations of the machine.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the first user instruction is receivable repeatedly only before receipt of the second user instruction, to allocate further credit.
14. A method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the first user instruction is receivable after receipt of the second user instruction, during machine operations, to allocate further credit.
15. A method according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein each instance of the first user instruction allocates a fixed amount of credit available in the credit register.
16. A method according to claim 15, wherein each instance of the first user instruction allocates the remaining value in the credit register, if less than the fixed amount.
17. A method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the fixed amount is equal to the said maximum amount.
18. A method according to any of claims 12 to 17, wherein a third user instruction is receivable to stop further automatic operations of the machine.
19. A method according to any of claims 12 to 18, wherein the user instructions are receivable from a dedicated user control or a multi-purpose user control.
20. A method according to any of claims 12 to 19, further comprising displaying the value of credit in the credit register and/or the amount of allocated credit remaining.
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the amount of allocated credit remaining is expressed as a monetary value and/or a number of machine operations.
22. A method according to any of claims 12 to 21, wherein the machine is a game machine.
23. Software which, when executed by a processing device, causes the device to operate as a device in accordance with any of claims 1 to 11, or in accordance with the method of any of claims 12 to 22.
24. Apparatus substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
25. A method substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.