Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Definitions

• Gaming machine with bonus game displaying means
• the present invention relates to a gaming machine with bonus game displaying means, in particular a gaming machine which allows the user to win the bonus prize through playing a game of skill.
• the simplest kind of the gaming machines comprises only a mechanical assembly working in a random way so as to generate an event of win.
• An improved version of such machines also comprises a generally color, graphical display, referred to as a monitor, for simulating the primary game, in addition to the basic display showing objects associated with the mechanical assembly, wherein said basic display is a panel with transparent walls in most cases,.
• the monitor may include a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma monitor, a touch screen, a projector device, or any other type of image displaying means.
• CTR cathode-ray tube
• LCD liquid crystal display
• plasma monitor a plasma monitor
• touch screen a touch screen
• projector device or any other type of image displaying means.
• the monitor makes the play more spectacular for the player in one hand, and it allows to display additional information, e.g. instructions for the player, for enhancing the use of the machine, on the other hand.
• the monitor may also introduce
• the monitor is not only capable of simulating the primary game, but also provides a possibility to gain bonuses when a predefined winning event occurs in the primary game.
• Document US 2002/0151343 A1 discloses a gaming machine comprising a display adapted to play a bonus game. When a bonus event occurs, the player may further play a game of chance, e.g. a game based on selecting one of several jumbled balls, by utilizing the operating means associated with the primary game.
• the software of the bonus game is stored in a non-volatile memory of a video controller, which causes the bonus game to start automatically when a predefined bonus event occurs.
• the bonus game at the above mentioned gaming machines is a game of chance which is easy to play. However, no game of skill has been offered up to now to win the bonus prize.
• the primary object if the present invention is to provide a gaming machine comprising a monitor adapted to display games of skill in addition to, or instead of a game of chance.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a gaming machine also comprising a controller means adapted to control displaying the bonus game and to switch between the two types of games, e.g. between a game of chance and a game of skill, or between various games of skill.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a gaming machine which have a multifunctional operating means which may be used for playing both of the bonus game of chance and the bonus game of skill.
• a gaming machine comprising a monitor adapted to display a game of skill, and a bonus controller means for interactively controlling at least one game of skill on said monitor.
• the bonus controller has a logic means adapted to switch between different bonus games, in particular between various bonus games of skill, to gain the bonus prize.
• one or more supplementary operating means is connected to said bonus controller means.
• the supplementary operating means associated with the bonus controller means may include a steering wheel, a joystick, a pedal or sensors of a touch screen.
• the operating buttons of the gaming machine are connected to the bonus controller means and they are multifunctional buttons for playing both the primary game and at least one bonus game.
• Fig. 1 shows a prior art gaming machine with a monitor for displaying bonus game.
• Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention, wherein the gaming machine has supplementary operating means for playing bonus games of skill.
• Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the gaming machine according to the present invention.
• Fig. 4 is a simplified flow diagram showing operation of the gaming machine according to the present invention.
• reference numeral 100 generally designates a gaming machine of prior art.
• the gaming machine 100 comprises a housing 110, a display 120 for showing the primary game, a monitor 130 for displaying the bonus game, operating buttons 140, a coin insertion part 150 and a coin receiving part 160.
• the conventional gaming machine of Fig. 1 may have several other facilities which are not shown in the figure. Such a facility may include various safety locks, mechanical or digital counters, indicators, etc.
• FIG. 1 An alternative embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention has the same appearance as shown in Fig. 1 , however, it has different operation in terms of that the monitor 130 is capable of displaying a game of skill in addition to displaying a game of chance.
• the monitor 130 may include a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen or any other graphical image displaying device. Since the monitor 130 of the gaming machine according to the invention is used for displaying games of skill as well, preferably it has grater resolution and greater refresh rate then usual.
• Fig. 2 is a view of an alternative embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention.
• the gaming machine 200 of Fig. 2 also comprises further operating means for playing bonus games of skill, for example a steering wheel 210, a joystick 220, one or more pedals 230, a touch screen, etc.
• Fig. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the gaming machine according to present invention. Operation of the gaming machine is basically controlled by a main controller 302.
• the main controller 302 has a central processing unit (CPU) 304 that receives signals from one or more operating buttons 306 and a coin sensor 308, whereas it sends signals to indicators 307.
• the main controller 302 is in connection with a main memory 310, a mechanical unit 312, a monitor 318 for displaying bonus game through an image processing unit 316, a coin receiving controller 324, one or more stepping motor 322 through a mechanics controller 320 and a bonus controller means 330.
• the bonus controller means has a function of managing the run of bonus games, switching between different bonus games and interactively controlling the games of skill.
• the bonus controller means 330 has two basic components in the form of a logic means 332 and a memory 334.
• the logic means 332 is activated when the central processing unit 304 transfers the control to the bonus controller means 330 in case of the occurrence of a bonus event.
• the logic means 332 receives signals from the operating buttons 306, and, if the bonus game is a game of skill, from one or more supplementary operating means 336.
• the logic means 332 may be responsible for switching between different bonus games, when predefined gaming events occur, as well as returning the control to the main controller 302.
• the switching policy may be based on a selection of the player, a random basis or an algorithm choosing the bonus games to be played in a predefined manner, depending on, for example, the amount of accumulated bonuses or the total playing time consumed by the player.
• the operational means 336 may include a steering wheel, a joystick, a pedal, a touch screen or any other kind of means which may be needed to play a game of skill.
• the provision with supplementary operating means 336 is optional, that is the conventional operating buttons 306 may perform the functions thereof, too. In such a case, the operating buttons 306 are multifunctional buttons, and the selection of a particular function of a button is based on the type of game being played on the gaming machine. Different functions may be associated with a particular operating button 306 in the primary game and in the various bonus games of chance or skill.
• Memory 334 is preferably a non-volatile memory, for example a magnetic or optical storage medium, or any other data storage means which have enough capacity for storing the program(s) of the games of skill, in particular video games.
• the monitor 318 is controlled by the bonus controller means via the image processing unit 316.
• the bonus controller means 330 is a stand-alone hardware unit, although it may also be integrated into the main controller 302 in a distributed way. If the bonus controller means 330 is a stand-alone hardware unit, it will have the advantage that it may be built into existing gaming machines without the need of altering the electronic circuits thereof. In this case, only an update of the main operating program stored in the main memory 310 may be necessary.
• the logic means 332 is to built into the central processing unit 304, whereas the memory 334 may be implemented as a separated memory in the main controller 302, or the main memory 301 must be replaced with a memory of respectively large size.
• Fig. 4 is a simplified flow diagram showing a preferred operation of the gaming machine according to the present invention.
• bonus event When a bonus event occurs, control is transferred to the bonus controller of Fig. 3, which starts a bonus game.
• the bonus game may be a game of chance, e.g. lottery, keno, horse race, etc., or a game of skill, e.g. tetris, various simulators, etc.
• To win the bonus an arbitrary number of bonus game may be needed to play.
• the bonus controller means 330 runs the game-playing program interactively by using the signals from the operating buttons 306 and/or the supplementary operating means, e.g. a steering wheel 210, a joystick 220 or a pedal 230, wherein the bonus game is displayed on monitor 130.
• the control is transferred back to the main controller 330 of Fig 3. If a switching event occurs when a bonus game is running, the logic means of the bonus controller means 330 will determine the next bonus game on the basis of a selection of the player, on a random basis or by a predefined algorithm, and then it starts the program to run.
• the bonus games may be played one after the other until the logic means of the bonus controller means 330 terminates the bonus run. After finishing the last bonus game, the control is transferred back to the main controller 302. It should be noted that operation of the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to that described above, i.e. the operation performed by the bonus controller means 330 may be configured in several ways.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=89980346

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Citations (7)

• 2002
  • 2002-04-15 HU HU0201221A patent/HU0201221D0/hu unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-04-15 WO PCT/HU2003/000029 patent/WO2003088162A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-04-15 AU AU2003224339A patent/AU2003224339A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (7)

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