AU616940B2 - Game machine - Google Patents

Description

$bj fiitli~f II I, -Al lift- COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 T-ORM 616940

TCATTON

C M TP T. vi T RPFC. T F C 0 M P L E T E S P E C I F FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int.Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: S- Priority: SRelated Art: a S ,f Name of Applicant: A a #Address of Applicant: 4 KABUSHIKI KAISHA UNIVERSAL 561 Oaza Arai, Oyama-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan Actual Inventor: Kazuo Okada Address for Service: SHELSTON WATERS, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney e' Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "GAME MACHINE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- 1 f

_I

1.

-i i._i r To THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS.

Kazuo OKADA, a president

I;

4 ~i .p, ~ji

K

,1 GAME MACHINE Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a game machine, and more particularly to a slot machine which pays as many coins as the numbers according to kinds of wins.

Background of the Invention In game machines using coins or tokens, a game starts after inserting coins or tokens and if there is win, as many coins or tokens as the number corresponding to a kind of that win are paid as a prize. A typical example of such game machines is slot machines.

Slot machines of this type have a plurality of symbol rows, such as a plurality of reels having symbols driven at once in rotation or otherwise moved by operating a start handle or a start button. A win is determined by a predetermined combination of symbols appearing on the winning line in a symbol display window when all reels stop at random timings or are stopped by operating stop buttons.

0 In a conventional slot machine, the number of coins 20 paid out as a winning prize is up to approximately 20 to when a game results in a small hit or a middle hit.

However, a great number of coins, for example 200 to 300 or more, are paid out when a big hit, such as a jackpot, occurs in a game. In the event of a big hit, the slot 0machine is disabled to play a game during the payout of a large number of coins, being made difficult to be used efficiently. After the occurence of such a big hit, the slot machine will sometimes be running out of coins, 0 0 o 0 900 8 000 0 0 p.~0 0 00 0 0 00, 0 08 81 4 0 0 i F I t la requiring a supply of coins often.

Obiect of the Invention It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a game machine which prevents a great number of coins from being paid out at once if a game results in a big hit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game machine that dispenses a card usable such as a pre-paid card having a record of the number of coins awarded to the card holder when a game results in a big hit.

Summary of the Invention The above and other objects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a slot machine which has a data recorder for recording the number of coins awarded as a prize to a player on a card when when a game results in a big hit such as a jackpot, and a card dispenser for dispensing the card having a record of the number of prize coins as a payable number of coins. The card having a record of a payable number of coins can be used as a pre- Ii I 20 paid card for playing games in the slot machine or in other slot machines, or exchanged for as many coins as the number corresponding to the recorded payable number of coins. i Brief Description of the Drawings j Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external .o appearance of a slot machine in which the present invention is embodied; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the essential C c c 1 2i t. .t i part of a preferred embodiment in accordance with the 4 present invention; Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an IC card for use with the slot machine shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of microcomputer shown in Fig. 2.

Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now to Fig. 1 showing the outer appearance of a slot machine in which the present invention is embodied, a front door 3 is pivotally mounted on the front panel of a main body 2 of the slot machine for open and close. Symbols disposed on the outer periphery of first to third reels 7 to 9 rotatably mounted on the main body 2, can be viewed through first to third display windows 4 to 6, three symbols in each display window. Each display window 4, 5, 6 has a transparent glass covering it.

When inserting a coin or coins (including tokens) into a slot machine through a coin slot 10, the game starts 6 in accordance with the operation of, for example, a 0 microcomputer, driving the first to third reels 7 to 9 in rotation by pulling a start lever 11. Slot machines of this type are provided with manual stop buttons 12 to 14 for stopping respective reels reels 7 to 9. A player can 0.,o at desired timings push the respective stop buttons 12 to 14 for stopping the reels 7 to 9 independently.

I

Winning lines A to E are provided for use in common with all the three display windows 7 to 9. When all the three reels 7 to 9 stop as described above, a win decision C t cc 1 (3 is made based on the combination of symbols stopping on any one of the winning lines A to E. A win is determined by one of predetermined winning combinations of three symbols appearing on any one of the winning lines when the reels 7 to 9 stop. As a result of the win decision, if in fact there is a win, as many coins as the number corresponding to the kind of that win are paid out into a coin receptacle 17 at the bottom of the slot machine from a payout outlet 16.

The main body 2 of the slot machine has a data writer 21 disposed therein for writing data on an IC card 18 which will be described in detail later. The data writer 21 is actuated to operate when hitting a big hit, such as jackpot which awards a great number of, for example 300 pieces of, coins, in a game to store data of the awarding number in a data memory of the IC card 18. The IC card 18 storing the data of such awarding numbers is dispensed from a card slot 19 in the front door 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the IC card 18 contains a a microcomputer 24 which is well known in the art and a o 20 comprises a central processor (CPU) 26, interface 27, 4 program memory 28 and data memory 29, and an external

'I

contact arrangement 25, all of these elements being burried or sandwiched between base plates 22 made of insulation materials. When the IC card 18 is put in the data writer 21, the data writer 21 is electrically connected to the IC card 18 through the external contact arrangement 25 of the IC card 18, it is enabled to read data from or write data in the IC card 18. Data to be written in includes an 4 I- I identification number of the slot machine, the date and time a jackpot has occurred as well as the number of coins awarded for each game.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there are shown in block a circuitry of the data writer 21 and schematically a card dispensing arrangement. As shown, a stack of virgin IC cards 18 are placed on a support plate 38 and are reserved in a card reservoir 30 and forced upwardly against a first transporting roll 32 by means of a biasing spring 39.

Between the card reservoir 30 and the card slot 19, there is a card guide passage 31 that incorporates the first transporting roll 32 driven by a stepping motor 37a driven by a motor drive circuit 42 (see Fig.2) at its inner end, second and third transporting rolls 33 and 35 driven by another stepping motor 37b driven by the motor drive circuit 42, and pinch rolls 34 and 36 pressing against the second and third transporting rolls 33 and respectively. The first transporting roll 32 press down 0 the foremost IC card 18 and thrusts it out of the card 20 reservoir 30 toward a writing station of the data writer S. 0 21. The IC card 18 thus thrust is bit between the second «a e i transporting roll 33 and the pinch roll 34 to transport the IC card 18 to the writing station. The third transporting 0.00 roll 35 in cooperation with the pinch roll 36 bites the IC card 18 to eject it through the card slot 19 after having written data.

At the writing station defined between the second and third transporting rolls 33 and 35, an electric contact 5

L

0 4 04 1 arrangement 52 of the data writer 21 is disposed. When the IC card 18 is transported to the writing station, the external contact arrangement 25 of the IC card 18 is brought into contact with the electric contact arrengement 52 of the data writer 21. The electric contact arrangement 52 is connected to a read-write circuit 41 of the data writer 21 for reading or writing data into the IC card 18 at the writing station.

A microcomputer 15 receives various signals from a signal generator 51 through an input-output circuit 40 and controls stepping motors 53 to 55 for the three reels 7 to 9 and the data writer 21. The signal generator 51 provides a signal responding to an operation of each of the start lever 11 and stop buttons 12 to 14. The stepping motors 53 to 55 for the reels 7 to 9 are driven by respective motor drive circuits 43 to 45 which receive drive pulses from the 2oo Position sensors 47 to 49 are provided, each detecting one revolution of the corresponding reel 7 to 9 06"6o0 to provide a reset pulse which in turn is sent to the microcomputer 15 through the input-output circuit 40. The microcomputer 15 counts drive pulses applied to each of the motor drive circuits 43 to 45 to determine a rotational or angular position of each of the reels 7 to 9. An angular Ir 6 •6 reference position is fixed on each reel and each symbol on r the reel is predetermined in angular position from the reference angular position. Therefore, it is possible to identify a symbol on a specified reel stopping on a ;i-6-

I'

II

o 0 6 6.440 04.40 o o 0 *4,4, 0@ .4 0 6* B 0~ 4t specified winning line by counting drive pulses applied to the motor drive circuit until the stop button for the specific reel is operated after the reference angular position of the specified reel has been detected by the position sensor. In this way, a combination of symbols appearing on the specified winning line can be determined to make a win decision based on counts of drive pulses applied to the respective motor drive circuits 43 to counted by the microcomputer As a result of the win decision, the mic.rocomputer provides a hopper control circuit 46 with an instruction signal through the input-output circuit 40 if in fact there is a win. The hopper control circuit 46, upon receiving the instruction signal, actuates a hopper 50 to pay out as many coins as the number corresponding to the kind of that win into the coin receptacle 17.

The operation of the slot machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be best understood by reviewing a flow chart illustrated in Fig. 4. When inserting a coin or coins into the slot machine through the coin slot 10, the start lever is unlocked or released. As shown, upon operating the start lever 11, the signal generator 51 provide a start signal and send it to the microcomputer 15. The microcomputer 15 applies drive pulses to the respective motor drive circuits 43 to 45 so as to drive the corresponding stepping motors 53 to 55, thereby starting the respective reels 7 to 9 in rotation at once and a game starts.

40.6 0 00 1 6 6 46 64 46 6 6 1 0 t 'I -7- The drive pulses for driving each stepping motor 53 to 55 are on the other hand cumulatively counted, with resetting to zero the microcomputer 15 every one revolution of a reel responding to the detection of a reference position of the reel by a position sensor.

When each reel 7 to 9 reaches a constant speed of rotation, the stop buttons 12 to 14 become effective. Each time the stop button 12 to 14 is operated or pushed to stop the corresponding reel in rotation, a stop signal is output to the input-output circuit 40 to stop the transmission of drive pulses to the corresponding motor drive circuit, so as to stop the corresponding stepping motor, and hence the corresponding reel. After all of the reels 7 to 9 stop, symbols for the respective reels stopping on a specified winning line A to E are identified based on the numbers of drive pulses applied to the respective motor drive circuits 43 to 45 counted by the microcomputer 15. The three symbols u for the respective reels on the specified winning line which are transformed into a code of pulse numbers are judged as to whether the three symbols of the reels 7 to 9 correspond to a winning combination or not; and if it is not a win, a game termintes to make the slot machine ready for another game.

Otherwise, if it is a small or medium hit, the microcomputer 15 determines the number of coins to be paid and provides the hopper control circuit 46 with a payout signal to cause the hopper 50 to pay out an appropriate number of coins. Then, a game terminates to make the slot -8- 1£ machine ready for another game.

If the game hit a big hit such as jackpot, the microcomputer 15 does not provides the hopper control circuit 46 with a payout signal but provides the motor drive circuit 42 and the read-write circuit 41 with instruction signals, respectively. As a result, the stepping motor 37a is caused to rotate through a certain angle of rotation so as to rotate the first transporting roll 32, thereby thrusting a forwardmost IC card 18 of the stack of IC cards out of the card reservoir 30 and transporting it until the second transporting and pinch rolls 33 and 34 bite it therebetween. When the second transporting and pinch rolls 33 and 34 bite the IC card 18 therebetween, the microcomputer provides a stop signal to stop the stepping motor 37a in rotation and simultaneously a start signal to start the stepping motor 37b. The stepping motor 37a can rotate through a certain angle of n. rotation to transport the IC card 18 to the writing station of the data writer 21. At the writing station the ID card 18 has its leading edge is almost bit between the third transporting and pinch rolls 35 and 36.

st Thereafter, the read-write circuit 41 is actuated to store data fetched from the microcomputer 15, such as the o number of coins for the big hit, the identification number a of this slot machine, and date and time of the occurrence of the big hit, in the data memory 29 of the IC card 18.

-9- V I'

F.

After the storage of data, the read-write circuit 41 of the data writer 21 reads out the data just stored in the data memory 29 of the IC card 18 and compares the data with the data provided from the microcomputer 15. In the event of an agreement between the data from the IC card 10 and the microcomputer 15, the read-write circuit 41 provides the microcomputer 15 with an end signal indicating that the data are completely and correctly stored in the data memory 29 of the IC card 18.

0 Upon the presence of an end signal, the microcomputer actuates again the motor drive circuit 42 to drive the stepping motor 37b for a predetermined certain time so as to transport and dispense the IC card 18 through the card slot 19. The stepping motor 37b stops when the leading end of the IC card 18 comes slightly out of the card slot 19.

A player can pick out the IC card 18 with fingers and pull out it from the slot machine. As soon as the IC card 18 is dispensed, the slot machine is made ready for another game.

Because of dispensing an IC card with readable data 0 of the number of coins awarded to the player in place of paying out a number of coins, the slot machine can avoid suspensions of game due to paying out a great number of coins and realizing a less number of supplies of coins thereinto. The card holder can exchanges the IC card 18 for as many coins as the number recorded in the IC card 18 or for premiums equivalent to the number recorded in the IC card 18. Otherwise, the IC card 18 with readable data of the number of coins may be used as a pre-paid play card.

C 1 (4 C 4 4 1 (141 4~d C: 4 t 10 j It is understood that the IC card is used to play games in place of inserting coins into the slot machine.

It is permissible to pay out a predetermined, but small, number of coins and then record the number of coins left to be paid out on the IC card when a game results in a big hit. It is also permissible to pay out coins as many as possible and record the number of coins being short of the number awarded to a win when the win is a big hit. In this case, a counter is needed to provide to count coins paid out. Furthermore, magnetic cards or paper punch cards can be used in place of the IC card.

Aithough the present invention has been fully described by way of the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be neted that various changes and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as included O. °o therein.

o a a I f I a

I

I I 11

Claims (9)

1. A game machine which pays out as many coins as the number according to a kind of a win, comprising: coin payout means for paying out coins; a controller for determining a kind of a win occurred and controlling said coin payout means not to pay out as many coins as the number corresponding to said determined kind of said win if said win is a big hit; dispensing means for dispensing a recording card; data recording means for recording the number of coins to be paid out upon said big hit of win on a recording card; and said data recording means being further able to read said the number of coins recorded on said recording card.

2. A game machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said data recording means can rewrite said the number of coins recorded on said recording card.

3. A game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said data recording means can renewedly record the number of coins.

4. A game machine as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said recording card is an IC card. A game machine as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said recording card is a magnetic card.

6. A game machine as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said recording card is a paper card to be punched out. 12 number according to a kind of a win, comprising: awarded to said determined kind of said win if said win is a big hit; dispensing means for dispensing a recording card; and data recording means for recording a payable number of coins on said recording card after paying out said predetermined number of coins.

8. A game machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said recording card is an IC card.

9. A game machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said H recording card is a magnetic card.

10. A game machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said recording card is a paper card to be punched.

11. A game machine substantially as herein described with C reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 13th day of August, 1991 KABUSHIKI KAISHA UNIVERSAL ad cAttorney: PETER HEATHCOTE Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SHELSTON WATERS S13 A 1 am mahn al deie in 'li 7,weens *AUHI( KAS n