GB2062923A - Entertainment machines - Google Patents

Abstract

An entertainment machine such as a fruit machine has a number of display devices, such as rotatable reels, which can be operated by a player to display a randomly selected combination of symbols. The machine also has an auxiliary symbol selector (6) and the player can operate control devices (8) to bring one or more of the symbols displayed on the display devices (1) into correspondence with a symbol randomly selected by the auxiliary selector. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Entertainment machines This invention relates to an entertainment machine of the kind, hereinafter referred to as the kind described, having a plurality of display devices each of which is operable to display a symbol selected from a range of different symbols, the object being for a player to try to obtain a predetermined winning combination or combinations of symbols displayed on the different devices by operation of the display devices in a game played with the machine.The invention is particularly although not exclusively concerned with an entertainment machine of the kind described which is a coin-freed gaming machine of the fruit machine type and wherein the said display devices comprise rotatable reels having the symbols (usually pictures of fruit) marked around the peripheries thereof, the reels being arrestable, after rotation for random periods of time, so that symbols thereon are selected at random and displayed in one or more rows through a window of the machine.

It is known to provide a fruit machine as described above with player-operable controls, such as "hold" controls or "nudge" controls which enable the player to influence or modify the operation of the reels, the hold control being effective at the start of a game to prevent rotation of one or more reels, and the nudge control being effective at the end of a game to index one or more of the reels to a next adjacent stopping position so that the symbol originally displayed is replaced by an adjacent symbol already visible to the player.

An object of the present invention is to provide a further kind of player-operable control for a machine of the kind described.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a machine of the kind described further including an auxiliary symbol selector operable to select and display one of a range of symbols, and at least one control device for at least one said display device operable by a player to bring the symbol display produced by such device into correspondence with the symbol display produced by the auxiliary symbol selector.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that a control facility additional to the normal operation of the display devices is made available to the player and considerable entertainment can be derived from the use of such facility having regard to the increased variety of player-operable control functions and also due to the at least apparent possiblity of the player being able to increase his likelihood of winning by the exercise of skill.

The machine of the invention is preferably a fruit machine as described above although it is not intended that the invention should be restricted to such machines.

Preferably also, the auxiliary symbol selector is operable to select a symbol from the same range of symbols displayed by the display devices, and the or each control device is operable to produce a display of the same symbol on the pertaining display device as the symbol displayed with the auxiliary symbol selector.

There may be one control device for each display device and utilisation of the or each control device may be made available regularly, or alternatively on a random basis. Such availability may occur at the end of a game i.e. after normal operation of the display devices, and may be restricted in duration, say for 10 seconds.

Where more than one display device has an associated control device, the arrangement may be such that only the first operated control device is effective or, alternatively such that all control devices can be used.

Also, the arrangement may be such that after each operation of the or one control device the auxiliary selector again operates to select a new symbol, the player then having the opportunity again to operate the or one control device.

The auxiliary symbol selector may take any suitable form and may be the same as or different from the display devices. The selector may operate on a random basis or in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

In one embodiment the selector comprises a reel with symbols around its periphery, the reel coming to rest after rotation for a random period of time to display one such symbol through a window of the machine. In an alternative embodiment, the selector comprises a plurality of transparent or translucent areas which can be individually illuminated at random to display symbols marked thereon.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings which is a diagrammatic representation of parts of one form of a fruit machine according to the invention.

The fruit machine comprises a housing containing three symbol-carrying reels 1 which are independently rotatable about coaxial horizontal axes behind a window 2 in a front wall of the housing. In conventional manner the reels 1 can be set in rotation after insertion by a player of one or more coins or tokens into a coin mechanism of the machine. The reels 1 come to rest after different random periods of time and three horizontal rows of symbols 3,4,5 are displayed in the window 2. In the event that the combination of symbols in the middle row 4 corresponds to a predetermined winning combination, a win indicator and/or a pay-out mechanism is actuated.

Rotation of the reels 1 and stopping of same in proper registration with the window 2 is achieved with individual self-braking motors in conjunction with appropriate electronic con trol circuitry as described in our earlier Patent No. 1,550,745. Identification of the displayed symbols on the stopped reels 1 is achieved with circumferentially spaced magnets on each reel which interact with a group of spaced reed switches fixed alongside the reel thereby to give a unique combination of signals for each of 20 predetermined stopping positions of the reel, each reel having a sequence of 20 symbols around the periphery of same at equally spaced positions corresponding to the said predetermined stopping positions. Such position identification-system is described in our earlier Patent No.

1,550,744.

In addition to the three reels 1 there is a further reel 6 which is rotatable within the machine housing behind a window 7 alongside the window 2. This further reel 6 is driven and randomly stopped in like manner to the reels 1 and also is provided with an identification system like the identification systems of the reels 1. The further reel 6 has 20 predetermined stopping positions and has therearound a sequence of 20 symbols which is identical with the sequence of symbols around each of the reels 1.

Beneath each reel 1 there is respective 'jump' button 8 and on the front of the machine housing there is a 'jump' indicator 9.

The jump buttons 8 may also function in conventional manner as 'hold' buttons.

In use, after the reels 1 have rotated and come to rest, in some cases, as determined on a random basis by appropriate control circuitry of the machine, a 'jump' facility is made available. In such case, the jump indicator 9 is illuminated and the further reel 6 rotates then comes to rest and displays a randomly selected symbol through the window 7, which window 7 is only large enough to reveal one symbol at a time. The player may then operate any one of the jump buttons 8 whereupon the associated reel 1 rotates until such reel 1 displays on the central symbol row 4 the same symbol as is displayed in the window 7.

The reel 6 then rotates again and the player again has an opportunity to operate any one of the jump buttons 8 to bring the display of one of the reels 1 into line with the display of the selector reel 6. This procedure can be repeated throughout a predetermined period of time, say 10 seconds, at the end of which the indicator 9 ceases to be illuminated, and the positions of the reels 1 are assessed by the machine control circuitry to determine whether or not the symbols displayed on the central row 4 represent a winning combination thereof.

When a jump button 8 is operated to rotate the associated reel 1 to bring the display thereof into line with the display of the reel 6, the electronic control circuitry of the machine firstly identifies the signal code pertaining to the position of the reel 6 and obtains e.g.

from a stored memory the code pertaining to the immediately preceding position. All reels 1, 6 have the same symbol sequences and also the same sequences of signal codes for the reel stopping positions. Operation of the jump buttons 8 causes the associated reel 1 to rotate until a signal code is identified which is the same as the above mentioned code for the immediately preceding position. A stop routine is then initiated. With such routine the next occurring gap between signal codes (i.e.

the gap immediately following this preceding position) prepares the reel 1 for stopping and stopping is then effected as the leading edge of the next occurring signal code is detected.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that considerable entertainment value can be derived by a player in attempting to improve the displays of the reels 1 within the very short period of time during which the jump facility is made available.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Claims (8)

1. A machine of the kind described further including an auxiliary symbol selector operable to select and display one of a range of symbols, and at least one control device for at least one said display device operable by a player to bring the symbol display produced by such device into correspondence with the symbol display produced by the auxiliary symbol selector.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary symbol selector is operable to select a symbol from the same range of symbols displayed by the display devices, and the or each control device is operable to produce a display of the same symbol on the pertaining display device as the symbol displayed with the auxiliary symbol selector.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein there is one control device for each display device.

4. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each control device is made available for player operation after normal operation of the display devices.

5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the or each control device is made available for player operation for a restricted period of time.

6. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary symbol selector is of the same form as the display devices.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a coin-freed gaming machine of the fruit machine type as hereinbefore described.

8. A machine shstantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.