NL1023944C2 - Device for playing a game. - Google Patents

Description

1

Short indication: Device for playing a game.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a device for playing a game, at least comprising player credit storage means for storing the player's credit, starting means for starting a game each time, determining means for determining the characteristics of playing the game prizes to be won, display means for displaying, after playing the game, the quality of the prize won as determined by the determining means, and payment means for possibly paying the won prize to the player.

Such a generally known gaming device is described, for example, in Dutch patent application No. 1015125. Such a gaming device is, for example, designed in the form of a fruit machine with fruit rolls with a control unit which is provided with a random number generator. On the basis of a number generated by the random number generator, stepper motors are driven which cause the fruit rolls to rotate and to bring them back to a standstill.

The determining means then comprise the random number generator and the display means the fruit rolls in combination with a win plan. The known game device further comprises starting means provided with a start button to start playing the game once, whereafter the determining means determine the number of properties (points) to be won by playing this game once and the display means after this one time play the game the amount of qualities (points) determined by the determining means of the prize won this time, whether or not in the form of a combination of fruits on the 30 fruit rolls. By pressing the start button again by the player, the above is repeated, etc.

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The known gaming device can further be provided with player credit storage means for storing the player credit in, for example, the total of qualities (points) of an I player, which can be increased by the insertion of money and by the Playing the game once can be lowered or increased.

When the player credit reaches the value zero, money must first be thrown in before the game can be played again one or more times.

In addition, the known gaming device is provided with payment means which are arranged to transfer the player credit stored by the player credit storage means in the form of a prize related to this player credit (for example in the form of coins or money). player.

The known game devices are set or adjusted in terms of game behavior such that the prize to be paid by the device is always a percentage of the amount of money thrown in by the players. This percentage is also called the payout factor and is always less than 1 and can often be 0.7 to 0.99. Furthermore, this payout factor has a fixed value for a certain game device, so that the game or payout behavior of the game device is also fixed for all players.

The present invention has for its object to improve the versatility of the known game device and to make playing by and for the player more attractive.

To this end, according to the invention, the gaming device is included in a system consisting of two or more gaming devices connected to each other, the determining means being adapted to determine the characteristics of the prizes to be won in dependence on the number in operation being game devices.

Due to this aspect of the invention, the game device will no longer exhibit a fixed game or payout behavior, but

I 1 Π O Q Π A A I

3 show changing game behavior depending on the number of game devices active in the system. Thus, the player has access to a game device which, depending on the number of game devices active in the system, exhibits a variable game behavior and associated payout behavior.

In a special embodiment, depending on the number of game devices in operation, the determining means are arranged to increase or decrease the height of the capacities.

The player can thus be confronted with a game device with a game behavior with a corresponding payout behavior of higher or lower prizes.

More specifically, in a further embodiment of the game device according to the invention, in which the game behavior and therefore the payout behavior is changeable or adjustable, the determining means determine the characteristics of prizes to be won for playing the game partly on the basis of a payout factor , the value of which is the percentage of the amount of prizes to be paid out to the players in proportion to the players' credit thrown in by the players, and wherein the determining means are adapted to determine the value of the payout factor in dependence on the number of game devices in operation increase or decrease.

In a highly functional embodiment, all game devices are connected to each other by means of telecommunication connections.

In order to be able to easily determine which game devices included in the system and connected to each other are actively played, the system comprises determining means which are adapted to determine the number of active game devices included in the system.

The determining means 1 can herein be arranged for 02-3944

I 4 I

Determining the activity of a gaming device based on the I

I Amount of player credit and / or (the frequency of) the number of times I

I activate the starting means by the player. I

In another embodiment according to the invention

5, the determining means are arranged to be based on the number I

I active game devices the determining means of each active game device

I establish an establishment with regard to determining qualities I

Prizes to be won before playing the game. I

More in particular the determining means arranged I

10 are, among other things, the determination I on the basis of the number of active game devices

I set up means of each active game device with regard to I

I increasing or decreasing the value of the payment factor. I

In another embodiment, the determination I

I means are included in a game device. I

In another special embodiment, according to I

In accordance with the invention, each game device is further adapted to the player I

I indicate the value or the change of the payment factor, I

I for example by means of light and / or sound. I

The display means may optionally be arranged for I

Showing the value to the player or the change in the I

I payout factor. I

The invention further relates to a system I

consisting of two or more interconnected game I

I devices according to the invention. I

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing

be explained, which drawing successively shows in: I

Figure 1 shows a game device according to the position of the I

I technology; I

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the invention, I

I 30 composed of a system of several game devices according to I

invention. I

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Figure 1 shows a concrete example of a known gaming device according to the prior art as a gaming machine. The hardware is controlled by means of a control unit. This unit also processes the inputs of, for example, start button 20. The control software runs on this unit, including the buffer means (not shown). The gambling machine shown in Fig. 1 comprises a cash-in 6, a pay-out button 7, a start button 20 and display means 4a, 4d for displaying the prize won after each time a game is played. In this case the prize won is indicated by the combination of fruits located on the payline 4a4 on the three fruit rolls 4a1, 4a2 and 4a3.

The known gaming device further comprises player credit storage means 5 for storing the player credit T in the form of a total of money or points from a player. This player credit is displayed to the player and continuously updated, the player credit decreasing on the one hand when the player starts a game by energizing the start button 20 and on the other increases when the game started yields a prize> 0, which prize, at least the associated qualities are added to the player credit. The moment the player credit becomes zero, the game device can no longer be played. By raising the player's credit again via the money entry 6 with the aid of money, the player (or another player) can again play the game device.

Pressing the start button 20 starts playing the game once. The player credit decreases. The fruit rolls 4a1-4a3 of the display means 4a start rotating. On the basis of the capacities determined by the determining means, the rollers 4a1-4a3 stop and show on the payline 4a4 a combination of fruits, which combination can be a loss combination or a win combination. The prize associated with the win combination 30 lights up on the win plan 4d and is added to the player's credit, while the then applicable total for the 1023944

I 6 I

Player credit is displayed by display means 4c. I

I The quality of a prize can be as high as, for example, I

Amount of money or points including zero or the nature, for example an I

I feature or be a physical product of the price. I

The known game devices are such as to play behavior I

I set or adjusted that the I to pay out by the device

I prize is always a percentage of the players entered by the players

I amount of money. This percentage is also called the payment factor I

I and is always smaller than 1 and can often be 0.7 to 0.99. Furthermore, I

This payout factor has a fixed I for a certain game device

I value, so that the game or distribution behavior of the game device is also I

I is fixed for all players. I

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of an I

I game device according to the invention, which is included in an I

System 10 composed of two or more and here four game devices, I

I indicated by reference numbers A-D. In these embodiments, the I

I game devices identical to each other, namely slot machines such as I

I shown in Figure 1. However, it is also I for understanding the invention

I possible to include different types of game devices in the system 10

I take 20. I

I The various game devices A-D are by means of I

I suitable telecommunication connections 10a-10d in the system 10 with I

I connected. These communication connections can be telephone I

I are connections or are network connections. At the first I

Each connection device can be provided with a suitable connection type

I modem adapter 11a-11d, while in the other embodiment the I

I communication between the various game devices via a network I

I adapter lla-lld takes place. I

I That communication between the different devices can be I

Taking place via a network protocol based on Unix or Novell, I

I or, for example, via the Internet-related TCP / IP protocol. I

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According to the invention, each game device A-D is arranged such that the determining means determine the characteristics of the prizes to be won depending on the number of game devices A-D operating in the system.

More in particular, determining means are arranged to increase or decrease the height of the capacities in dependence on the number of game devices in operation.

In contrast to the known game devices, in which the game or payout behavior has a fixed, unchanging character, it is possible with a game device according to the invention to change this game or payout behavior. This offers an attractive playing option for the player with the chance of higher prizes to be paid out or a game behavior in which a high prize occurs earlier.

The game or payout behavior of a specific game device, for example game device A, depends on or is determined by the total number of game devices included in the system 10 and which game devices are actively operated by a player.

More in particular, the determining means determine the quality of prizes to be won for playing the game partly on the basis of the payout factor, which payout factor represents the percentage of the amount of prizes to be paid out to the players in proportion to the players' payout player credit. The determining means are thereby arranged to increase or decrease the value of this payout factor in dependence on the number of game devices in operation. This is purely illustrative in the table below.

Table 1.

Payout factor versus number of active game devices.

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I 8 I

I # active devices payout factor yield per hour I

I 1 88% € 25 I

I 2 90% _ € 34_ I

I 3 92% _ € 41_I

I 5 I

I 10 98% I € 65 I

If in the system 10 only one game device, I

I, for example, game device B, is played by a player, then I

This game device functions in accordance with a game device I

according to the state of the art, as shown in figure 1. That is I

I say that the game device B are game or game I during play

I distributes payment behavior based on a payment factor of 88%, ie I

I for each currency unit value that is entered as money through the I

I 15 cash entry 6, only 88% is available in the form of possibly on the I

player (or future players) pay out prizes. I

If more than one game included in the system 10

I devices (here A, C and D) are also activated by players and I

I played, the payout factor will increase to 90% for two active in the I

20 system of game devices included, for three active game devices I

the payout factor becomes 92% and if in the system a total of ten I

I game devices are included, the I

payout factor increase to 98% if all ten game devices in the I

I system can be played simultaneously. I

25 Similarly, the payout factor will decrease accordingly, I

If a game device first actively included in the system is inactive I

is, for example, because the player credit of the relevant I

I game device gets the value zero and not by the relevant player

I is further increased, for example because the player no longer wishes to I

30 games. I

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In order to determine whether and how many game devices in the system 10 are actively operated by a player, there are included in the system determining means which are adapted to determine a number of active game devices A-D included in the system. These determining means, which are schematically represented in Figure 2 with the reference numeral 12, can for instance be included as a separate unit 12 in the system 10, which separate unit 12 is in communication connection with all game devices A-D included in the system 10. In another embodiment 10 (which is also shown in Figure 2), the determining means 12 can be included in a game device, here the game device D, wherein the determining means are indicated by the reference numeral 12 '.

The determining means determine the activity of a game device A-D based on, for example, the height of the player credit and / or the number of times or the frequency (during a certain time unit) that the relevant player activates the starting means 20 of the relevant game device.

The height of the player credit can be appropriately transmitted by the display means 4 via the communication links 10a-10d in the form of control signals to the determining means (embodied as a central unit 12 in the system 10, or incorporated as unit 12 ' in the game device D). Similarly, the number of times that the starting means 20 are activated by a player 25 during a certain period can easily be determined and guided to the determining means 12 (12 ') in the form of a control signal.

The determining means determine the number of active game devices on the basis of these control signals. On the basis of, for example, Table 1, the determining means of each game device A-D are set or reprogrammed by means of the different communication connections 30 10a-10d for some 1023944

I 10 I

I concerns the manner in which the means of determination determine the capacities for the I

I determine winning prizes. For example, the determining means I

12 (respectively 12 ') adjust the determining means such that I

I generate these higher or lower prices depending on the number of I

5 active game devices. I

More in particular, the determining means 12 may be I

I (12 'respectively) adjust the determining means such that these I

increase or decrease the payout factor, again in dependence on I

I of the number determined by the determining means 12 (12 ')

10 active game devices. I

I The payout factor can thus be increased by a fixed value

be lowered, for example by ± 1% or ± 2% increase or I

A reduction for each game device which is then activated in the system

I is deactivated. On the other hand, the payout factor can be proportional I

I 15 increase or decrease depending on the number of active / inactive I

I game devices. I

In order to improve the game experience of the game (s) in the system I

I to enlarge multiple game devices according to the invention, I

each game device can furthermore be arranged for the player I

Indicate the value or change of the payment factor, I

I for example by means of light and / or sound. In addition, the I

I display means are adapted to display the I to the player

I value or the change of the payment factor. I

It will be clear that with this game concept the I

I 25 attractiveness and challenge for players increases considerably, I

I because now more (read: more often or higher) prizes can be won if I

Several players simultaneously included in the system 10

I play game devices A-D. I

It will be clear that the I described in this application

The embodiment is not limited to four game devices, but that I

ten or more game devices, possibly different types I

*> 11 game devices can be included in the system 10, as long as they are connected to each other via suitable communication links and are also able to communicate with each other via these communication links.

Although the invention (see the figures) has been described on the basis of a more or less mechanically designed gaming machine, with fruit reels rotating at each game and thus showing a specific combination of fruits to the player, the invention is also very good applicable to gaming machines in which the rotation of the fruit rolls is simulated on a screen and the outcome of fruits is also revealed via the screen.

Also other types of slot machines (ie not specifically belonging to the type of the slot machines), wherein the outcome of the game is "simulated" displayed on a screen and shown to the player are considered to fall within the inventive concept of the invention.

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Claims (12)

Device for playing a game, comprising at least I comprising: player credit storage means for storing the player credit of a player; I - starting means for starting a game in each case, I - determining means for determining the qualities of I to win prizes for playing the game; Display means for displaying, after playing the game, the quality of the prize won by the determining means, as well as I-payout means for possibly paying the won prize to the player, characterized in that the game device is included in a system consisting of two or more game devices connected to each other, wherein the determining means are adapted to determine the capacities I of the prizes to be won depending on the number of game devices in operation . I 20 Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in dependence on the number of game devices in operation, the determining means are adapted to increase or decrease the height of the capacities. 3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the determining means partly determine the characteristics of prizes to be won for playing the game on the basis of a payout factor, the I value of which constitutes the percentage of the players to pay out the amount of prizes in proportion to the players' credit thrown in by the players, and wherein the determining means are adapted to increase or decrease the value of the payout factor in dependence on the number of game devices in operation. 1Q23944 v Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that all game devices are connected to each other by means of telecommunication connections. 5. Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the system comprises determining means which are adapted to determine the number of active game devices included in the system. 6. Device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the determining means are adapted to determine the activity of a game device on the basis of the height of the player credit and / or (the frequency of) the number of times that the player activates of the starting means. 7. Device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the determining means are adapted to adjust the determining means of each active game device on the basis of the number of active game devices with regard to determining qualities prior to playing the game to win prizes. 8. Device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the determining means are adapted to adjust the determining means of each active game device on the basis of the number of active game devices with regard to increasing or decreasing the value of the payout factor. 9. Device as claimed in one or more of the claims 5-8, characterized in that the determining means are included in a game device. Device as claimed in one or more of the claims 3-9, characterized in that each game device is further adapted to indicate to the player the value or the change of the payout factor, for example by means of light and / or sound. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the display means are adapted to show the player the 1023944 I 14 I I value or the change of the payout factor. I A system consisting of two or more game devices connected to each other according to one or more of the preceding claims. I I 5 I I 1023944