NO20160355A1

NO20160355A1 - Gaming machine

Info

Publication number: NO20160355A1
Application number: NO20160355A
Authority: NO
Inventors: Jesus Franco Munoz
Original assignee: Franco Recreativos Sa
Priority date: 2015-03-03
Filing date: 2016-03-02
Publication date: 2016-09-05
Also published as: ES1137792U; NO343426B1; ES1137792Y

Description

GAMING MACHINE

Object of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gaming machine of the type awarding money winnings in the course of the game after introducing an amount of money, whereby the machine allows playing the game of chance, awarding or not awarding cash winning to the player.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine with a high number of combinations and game lines, which allows playing the game either automatically or manually, at the player's discretion.

Background of the Invention

Gaming machines awarding winnings include a front display in which combinations corresponding to different winnings, i.e. amounts of money the machine provides according to the combinations obtained in the game area, are arranged, in which a series of vertically rotating reels with a series of graphical representations are defined.

In this sense, utility model ES 207565 can be mentioned, which corresponds to a game device for gaming and slot machines, disclosing a machine in which there are five "virtual reels" with a single game line, i.e., the figures contained in said reels are only visible through a horizontal alignment of windows, the winning combinations håving to be made in said horizontal game line, håving to that end conventional advance and locking buttons for each reel.

Said utility model envisages the inclusion of an additional window, located above the game line, acting as a "wild card", such that by means of pushing the corresponding buttons, the random figure that is represented in the window of the wild card can be moved to one of the windows defined in the horizontal game line of the machine to obtain different combinations and to access the corresponding games.

Although this "operation mode" is obvious since there is a single game line, and therefore it is done manually, when the gaming slot machine allows playing with a larger number of game lines, i.e., the reels allow playing with three parallel horizontal game lines, as well as defining two other extra game lines corresponding to the V-shaped or inverted V-shaped alignments from the diagonal lines which are defined in the array of five by three figures at play, the positioning of the figure acting as a wild card is not so evident, so some players do not position it in the place statistically håving higher chances of success.

Obviously there are players who base their game on statistics and others who prefer to play entirely according to instinct, so it would be desirable to have a machine which allows playing both in automatic mode and in manual mode according to the preferences of each player.

Description of the Invention

The proposed gaming machine has been conceived to solve the drawbacks described above in a simple but highly effective manner.

To that end, and based on the type of machines previously referred to, i.e., those in which there are preferably defined five virtual game "reels" in which there is defined a game array preferably consisting of three rows by five columns, with five game lines, corresponding to the three horizontal lines defined by the three rows, and the V-shaped or inverted V-shaped alignments from the diagonal lines which are defined in the array, a window being defined for a figure acting as a wild card, which can be moved to any of the positions defined in the aforementioned array, and håving conventional advance/locking buttons for the reels, game buttons, bank buttons, collection buttons, etc, it has the particularity that it incorporates an additional button through which the player himself/herself can choose for the arrangement of the wild card on the game array to be done manually, since they are virtual reels, represented through the corresponding software on a touch screen display, by means of touching the corresponding figure to be replaced, or the machine itself, and according to statistical data calculated by the microprocessor of the machine, can place said wild card-type figure, in a completely automatic manner, in the location that has the highest changes of obtaining winnings during the course of the game.

Accordingly, an auto-move button is defined on the game interface which allows selecting between the two envisaged types of game, according to the preferences of each player.

The microprocessor can be programmed so that, if the player is playing in the manual wild card move mode, if a pre-established time is exceeded without making said move, the machine automatically starts working in automatic mode, moving the wild card to the theoretically most favorable position.

The machine has two digital displays, an upper digital display in which the most significant plays and their winnings are represented, as well as the status of the bank, i.e., the money accumulated, and another lower digital display in which the game area is defined, such that, on the interface or button panel arranged immediately below the game display, there has been envisaged the inclusion of a "bet" button, whereby the money played in each bet, i.e. in each game cycle, can be adjusted such that the winnings represented in the upper display will be updated according to the value of the chosen bet, it being evident that the greater the amount of the bet, the greater the winnings obtained in the case of obtaining one of the combinations marked as winning combinations.

Given that the machine has digital displays, they can be used momentarily for offering games of another type, such as free games, which can attract possible players.

Although obtaining winnings by means of the alignment of figures in one of the five game lines which are preferably defined in the machine has been mentioned in the present specification, the machine can obviously award winnings according to combinations and alignments of another type, which can even not consist of alignments, without this affecting the essence of the invention.

Description of the Drawings

To complement the description made below and for the purpose of helping to better understand the features of the invention according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof a single drawing is attached as an integral part of said description, in which the following is depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character: Figure 1 shows a depiction corresponding to a front perspective view of the machine object of the invention carried out according to the object of the invention.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

As can be seen in said drawing, the machine (1) of the invention includes in the front portion thereof an upper display (2) in which there are shown the different winnings according to the combinations obtained, as well as the bank (3), in which there are shown the winnings obtained, which can be collected or traded in for additional credits, as the player wishes.

Below the upper display (2) there is arranged a lower game touch screen display (4), in which there are defined five virtual reels defining an array of three rows by five columns of game squares on which game figures (5) are represented, such that said array defines five game lines according to which alignments of the same type of figures (5) are to be obtained, and which are the three horizontal lines (5') corresponding to the three rows which are defined in the array, and the V-shaped and inverted V-shaped lines (5'') which can be obtained by means of the diagonal lines which are defined in said array.

In any case, there has been envisaged in said game display (4) an additional window in which a wild card-type figure (6) is randomly represented, which figure (6) can be moved to any of the squares defined in the array to replace the image that appeared in said square.

For playing the game, the machine has, in addition to the conventional coin slots/bill slots (13) through which money is converted into game credits, the conventional game button (7) which can be arranged both in the manual control interface arranged on a projecting surface of the machine casing, and on a lower area for being operated by foot, håving conventional advance/locking buttons (8) for control of the reels, collection buttons (10) and bank buttons (11) for management of the winnings, as well as an additional betting button (9), whereby the amount of each credit or bet can be regulated, such that the greater the amount of the bet the winnings represented in the upper display (2) will obviously be recalculated so that said winnings are greater, specifically so that they are proportional to the amount of the bet.

As discussed above, throughout the course of the game the machine allows re-locating the wild card (6) to the desired square of the game array, such that this operation can be done manually, by means of touching said touch screen display in the position to which it is to be moved, or if the user is not sure, he/she can choose an automatic operation mode, håving been envisaged that to that end the machine has an auto-move button (12), such that once this button is pushed, the machine performs a statistical calculation of which square has the highest chances of winning the maximum winning and automatically moves the wild card (6) to said square.

The microprocessor of the device can be pre-programmed so that the machine automatically goes from one operation mode to the other if the player exceeds a pre-established time without performing said move manually.

A highly versatile machine with a large amount of combinations, and accordingly possible winnings in virtue of said 3x5 square array, with several game modes, according to the preferences of each player, is thereby achieved.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, of the type håving coin slots/bill slots (13) through which money is converted into game credits, one or more game buttons (7), advance/locking buttons (8), collection buttons (10) and bank buttons (11) for management of the winnings,characterized in thatthe machine (1) includes in the front portion thereof an upper display (2) in which there are shown the different winnings according to the combinations obtained, as well as the bank (3) , a game touch screen display (4) being arranged thereunder, in which there are defined a plurality of virtual reels, determining an array of multiple columns and rows in which there are defined respective game squares on which game figures (5) are represented, different game lines being defined, håving been envisaged that in said game display (4) there is established an additional window in which a wild card-type figure (6) is randomly represented, which figure (6) can be moved to any of the squares defined in the array to replace the image that appeared in said square, with the particularity that the machine has an auto-move button (12), whereby two game modes can be selected, one in which the user moves the wild card manually by means of touching the corresponding touch screen display, and another in which the machine calculates the optimal position on the array, carrying out said movement automatically.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1,characterized in thata game array consisting of five columns and three rows is defined in the game display, in which five game lines are defined on which winnings are to be obtained according to the arrangement of the different types of figures (5), specifically the three horizontal lines (5') corresponding to the three rows which are defined in the array, and the V-shaped and inverted V-shaped lines (5'') which can be obtained by means of the diagonal lines which are defined in said array.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1,characterized in thatit incorporates means for automatically changing the game modality from manual to automatic after a pre-programmed wait time.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1,characterized in thatit incorporates an additional betting button (9), whereby the amount of each credit or bet can be regulated such that the greater the amount of the bet the greater the winnings obtained.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1,characterized in thatthe machine is susceptible to incorporating means for offering free games on one of its displays when the machine is not being used in its conventional game mode.