EP1184821A2

EP1184821A2 - Entertainment machines

Info

Publication number: EP1184821A2
Application number: EP01307317A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dov Liam Randall
Original assignee: IGT UK Ltd
Current assignee: IGT UK Ltd
Priority date: 2000-08-31
Filing date: 2001-08-29
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Also published as: GB2368444B; GB0021269D0; GB2368444A; GB0120859D0; EP1184821A3

Abstract

A coin-operated entertainment machine, such as a reel-type fruit machine, has a coin hopper for storing coins to be paid out to the player, and a cash box for storing coins to be retained within the machine. The amounts of coins in the hopper and cash box are monitored and, when the amount in the hopper reached a predetermined level further coins are then directed to both the hopper and the cash box in a ratio which changes in favour of the cash box as the amount in the hopper increases.

Description

This invention relates to player-operable entertainment machines.
The invention is more particularly, although not exclusively concerned with credit-operated entertainment machines of the 'fruit' machine or 'poker' machine kind having means for receiving, storing and paying out credit, e.g. coins and a display device for displaying a selected combination of symbols at a win zone. Credit is supplied to the machine, usually in the form of coins or tokens which are inserted via an entry slot, and a game is played resulting in selection of the displayed combination of symbols. An award is made available to the player in the event that the combination is of a predetermined winning nature. If the award is a monetary award, then appropriate means of credit e.g. coins are made available to the player via a payout tray or the like.
Known fruit machines are usually operated such that the range of awards is limited by operational parameters, one of which is the pay-out ratio of the machine i.e. the amount of money retained in the machine relative to the amount of prize money paid out to the player. If the machine accepts coins these are normally directed, by default, to a storage container, commonly referred to as a hopper. When the hopper is full, coins are then automatically directed to a cash box. In the event of a win an appropriate number of coins are directed from the hopper to the payout tray.
However, the problem arises with such known machines, that more experienced players listen very carefully when a coin passes through the coin mechanism, and from the ensuing noises try to detect when the coin is falling into the hopper or whether it is being diverted to the cash box. If coins are diverted to the cash box, the player will then know that the machine is (in all probability) ready to pay out a large win or sequence of wins because the hopper is full and therefore the machine has received considerable coinage. Alternatively, if the coin is falling into the hopper, these players will know that the hopper is not full and that the machine is (in all probability) not ready to pay out a large win. Thus, they will not invest further and the machine fails to receive any further money from that player. In this way, certain players can gain an unfair advantage over the majority of average, inexperienced players.
The object of the present invention is to provide means in an entertainment machine to prevent certain players from gaining an unfair advantage over the average or inexperienced player.
According to the present invention, there is provided a credit-operated entertainment machine, said machine having receiving means for receiving credit, a first storage means for storing received credit to be paid out to the player, and second storage means for storing received credit to be retained in the machine, the receiving means being operable to direct received credit to the second storage means when credit stored in the first storage means reaches a predetermined amount, characterised in that the receiving means is operable also to direct credit to the first storage means when credit stored in the first storage means reaches the said predetermined amount.
With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent certain players from gaining an unfair advantage over the average or new player, in so far as credit can be distributed between the first storage means, or pay-out hopper, and the second storage means, or cash box, at one or more stages in the filling of the pay-out hopper. This therefore prevents or reduces the possibility of a player obtaining an indication of the chances of winning a cash prize by listening to the fall of coins or otherwise monitoring the storage of credit.
As used herein, the term credit is intended to cover operation by coins, tokens or the like, or any other suitable means of supplying credit/monetary value to the machines e.g. an electronic transfer.
However, preferably the machine is a coin operated machine and the term credit refers to coins (or tokens).
In the case where credit is supplied by coins (or tokens) the invention is advantageous in that coins can be directed to either storage means without providing undue information to the player as a consequence of the noises made as the coins pass through the machine.
However, whilst the invention is highly advantageous when used in relation to the coin-operated machine it is not intended to be restricted to the use of coins or even 'physical' credit transfers. Alternative forms of credit may be used to operate the machine and where such credit is distributed within the machine, the invention eliminates or, at least, reduces the risk that detection of such distribution can be used to provide an indication of the possibility that the machine will pay out credit.
The machine preferably includes control means to direct the received credit to the first and second storage means.
On any occasion when credit is inserted into the machine, the proportion of credit directed to the second storage means may be any proportion in relation to the occassion, for example, in the case of coins, it may range from a single coin to all the received coins. Thus the required distribution of credit between the first and second storage means may be attained by distribution of credit on each said occasion and/or between different said occasions.
The amount of credit may be a monetary amount (e.g. cash value) or may be a physical amount, (e.g. the weight, height, volume, etc.) of coins in the storage means. Such physical values may be interpreted to give a monetary value. The said predetermined amount may be determined in relation to a current amount which is preferably the level of coins stored in the storage means when said received coins are inserted/received into the machines.
Preferably, a predetermined proportion of received credit in excess of the said predetermined amount is directed to the first storage means. Preferably also the predetermined proportion differs for different amounts in excess of the said predetermined amount.
There may be any number of different amounts or, indeed, ranges of amounts in accordance with which the said proportion of received credit is directed to the first storage means. Preferably, the proportion progressively decreases for progressively increasing range of amounts in excess of the said predetermined amount. For all other amounts or ranges of amounts e.g. amounts below the said predetermined amount and/or amounts above an upper limit, all the received credit may be directed either only to the first storage means or only to the second storage means as appropriate.
Preferably, the proportion is variable depending on an operational parameter or condition of the machine. In one embodiment the proportion is increased when credit is first received following an out-of-credit condition.
The proportion of received credit directed to the second storage means may be varied according to the amount of credit stored in the first storage means.
The proportion of received credit directed to the second storage means may be predetermined and may be varied according to the amount of credit in the first storage means.
The proportion of received credit directed to the second storage means may be predetermined and may be calculated as a proportion of the received credit.
The proportion of the received credit directed to the second storage means may decrease as the amount of credit in the first storage means increases (or vice versa).
As explained above, credit is normally supplied e.g. by inserting coins into a machine to generate sufficient credit required to play. Also, credit may be awarded by the player during a game.
The proportion of credit directed to the second storage means may also be varied according to the amount of credit supplied to the machines or awarded to a player.
When there is no available credit, the proportion of received credit supplied to the second storage means may be increased or decreased.
The control means may incorporate means for identifying the monetary value of the credit e.g. the or each coin received.
Such identification may be by any suitable means, for example, there may be different sized slots through which received coins fall according to their size (and therefore their monetary value). Alternatively, the value of a coin may be detected by electronic means.
The entertainment machine may be of the 'fruit' machine or 'poker' machine kind i.e. having a display device for displaying a selected combination of symbols at a win zone.
The entertainment machine may be an AWP (amusement with prizes) machine of the reel kind having a main display device comprising rotatable reels (or a video simulation thereof) arranged to display selected symbols, when at rest, through a window.
However, the invention is not intended to be restricted to the selection of winning symbol combinations - other means of winning awards such as prizes may be provided in addition or as an alternative.
The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of an entertainment machine according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a block circuit diagram of the machine, and
Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of part of the machine of Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a fruit machine having a floor-standing box shaped housing 1 having a front wall which includes upper and lower glass panels 2, 3 a number of operating buttons 5,6 a coin slot 7 and a payout opening 8.
Within the housing 1 there are three axially aligned reels 9 having say 20 symbols at regularly spaced positions around their peripheries. The reels 9 are axially rotatable and are drivably connected to respective stepper motors 10. The reels 9 are arranged behind a window 11 defined by a printed region of the lower glass panel 3. Each reel 9 can be arrested by the respective stepper motor 10 in any of 20 stopping positions in which one symbol is in precise registration with a horizontal win line in the centre of the window 11 and two further symbols are visible above and below the win line.
The upper and lower panels 2, 3 are transparent glass panels within which there are printed display regions 15, 15a which can be back-illuminated with a bank of lamps 16. The upper region provides a supplementary games feature.
The stepper motors 10 are connected to a microprocessor-based control unit 12 incorporating memory storage 18. This unit is also connected to a coin-receiving mechanism 13, a first storage means comprising a hopper 19, a second storage means comprising a cash box 14, the buttons 5, 6 and lamps 16. The coin receiving mechanism 13 is connected to the cash box 14 and the storage hopper 19 by chutes 20 (shown schematically in Figure 3). Likewise, the storage hopper 19 is connected to the pay out tray 8 by chutes (not shown).
In use, the player inserts coins into the coin mechanism 13 through the slot 7 sufficient to generate playing credit for one or more games, and the machine is actuated so that a game can now be played. The game commences after a start button 5 has been pressed and the reels 9 spin and then come to rest so as to select a combination of symbols displayed on the win line. The displayed symbol combination is assessed by the control unit 12 and a win indication is given in the event that the combination is of a predetermined winning nature.
The control buttons 6 can be used to perform 'hold' or 'nudge' functions, when made available to the player, so that the player can seek to influence the outcome of a game, in conventional manner.
In the event of a win, an award is made available to the player. Awards vary e.g. monetary payout, free games, scored points, extra 'nudges' or 'holds' or other games features.
If the award is a monetary payout; coins are directed from the hopper 19 to the payout opening 8 thereby being made available to the player.
The received coins are distributed within the machines as follows:-
The monetary value of coins received into the receiving means 13, via the slot, is identified by a coin counter (not shown) incorporated within the coin receiving mechanism. Any suitable means may be used for this purpose such as a conventional coin sorter which sorts coins of different denomination using differently sized slots.
Data regarding the amount of credit supplied by the player is evaluated by the control unit and if sufficient playing credit is supplied the machine is then actuated by the control unit to allow a game to be played.
The received coins are then directed via interconnected pipes/chutes 20 either to the storage hopper 19 or to the cash box 14 according to the current amount of (i.e. cash value) of coins stored in the hopper 19.
The distribution of received coins is under control of the control unit 12, which directs coins along the appropriate pipe/chute 20. This may be effected by any suitable means e.g. mechanically electronically, pneumatically, etc., and may, for instance, utilise a simple switch mechanism which selectively diverts coins of the required monetary value between two chutes (one leading to the storage hopper and one leading to the cash box 14). Coins may proceed down the chutes under gravity of coins in the storage hopper 19.
There are a plurality of predetermined cash amounts (or levels) in accordance with which a proportion of coins are directed to the cash box 14.
Data regarding the amounts and the associated proportion of coins to be directed to the cash box 14 is stored in the memory 18 of the control unit 12.

In this particular embodiment, increasing proportions of received coins are diverted to the cash box as the amount of coins in the hopper increases as follows.

Amount (i.e. cash value) of coins in storage hopper	% (by monetary value) of coins diverted to cash box
<50	0
> ,50 and < ,75	20
> ,75 and < ,100	40
> ,100 and < ,125	60
> ,125 and < ,150	80
> ,150 and < ,	100

Thus there are a number of ranges of amounts of coins stored in the storage hopper 19 in response to which a proportion of received coins are directed to the cash box14, the proportion of coins ranging from 20% to 100% of the received coin value.
However, when the amount is within the range 0 - , 50, no coins are diverted to the cash box and all coins are diverted to the storage hopper 19.
In addition to the above, the proportion of coins directed to the hopper 19 is further influenced by the playing credit level of the machine. The proportion is multiplied by a predetermined factor, e.g. 1.5, if the coin or coins is/are the first input by a player when the machine is in 'an out of credit situation', that is to say when there is no available playing credit.
With the arrangement described above, chances of winning may be more evenly balanced between new/average players and more experienced players.
The invention prevents experienced players from gaining an unfair advantage over new/average players in so far as coins can be directed to either or both the storage hopper or the cash box in a manner which does not indicate the amount of coins stored in the cash box or hopper (and, therefore, the chances of winning a cash prize).
It is, of course, to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only.

Claims

A credit-operated entertainment machine, said machine having receiving means (13) for receiving credit, a first storage means (19) for storing received credit to be paid out to the player, and second storage means (14) for storing received credit to be retained in the machine, the receiving means (13) being operable to direct received credit to the second storage means (14) when credit stored in the first storage means (19) reaches a predetermined amount, characterised in that the receiving means (13) is operable also to direct credit to the first storage means (19) when credit stored in the first storage means (19) reaches the said predetermined amount.
A machine according to claim 1 characterised in that the machine is adapted to receive credit in the form of coins or tokens.
A machine according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that a predetermined proportion of received credit in excess of the said predetermined amount is directed to the first storage means (19).
A machine according to claim 3 characterised in that the predetermined proportion differs for different amounts in excess of the said predetermined amount.
A machine according to claim 4 characterised in that the proportion progressively decreases for progressively increasing ranges of amounts in excess of the said predetermined amount.
A machine according to any one of claims 3 to 5 characterised in that the proportion is variable depending on an operational parameter or condition of the machine.
A machine according to claim 6 characterised in that the proportion is increased when credit is first received following an out-of-credit condition.
A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that the amount of credit constitutes cash value of credit.
A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the machine is of the kind having a main display device comprising rotatable reels (9) arranged to display selected symbols through a window (11).