Amusement devices: games – Surface projectile game; game element – Ball games
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-04
2001-03-20
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Surface projectile game; game element
Ball games
C273S12000R, C273S138100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203009
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of this invention is slot-type gaming machines having a drop zone portion which has one or more dropping balls or other dropping objects which can be received at different positions to affect the action and probabilities associated with winning and playing the game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Slot machines have been a dominant part of the gaming industry world wide for over 50 years. While pachinko machines have seen a great deal of popularity in Asia, they are not as well suited for gaming as the traditional slot machine.
Slot machines have changed very little over the years. Whether mechanical or electronic, they still have reels spinning and coming to stop on a potential jackpot. It appears that a large part of the appeal of slot machines is the “mechanical” nature of the spinning reels which induces a belief in players that they are witnesses to a truly random event and that the “big” jackpot is always just around the corner. While the big jackpot may or may not be just around the corner, slot machines maintain a very accurate payout percentage, usually 92 to 99 percent with the house retaining the rest as profit.
The public perception and reaction to slot machines is a critical part of their acceptance and the perception of the fairness of the machine. When slot machines with video displays showing simulated reels were introduced, the public rejected them in favor of the older slot machines with mechanical reels. Even though the new machines simulated the mechanical slots in every way and used the same random number generating circuit and yielded the same percentages as the mechanical slot machines, they were less attractive to the gaming public.
The biggest problem with the mechanical or electronic slot machines that have mechanical reels is that they have higher mechanical maintenance costs than machines with video displays in place of spinning reels. While prior art machines that replaced the spinning reels with video displays had lower mechanical maintenance costs, they were also less attractive to gamers.
Another problem with traditional slot machines is their size, due to the space requirements of the mechanical reels. Traditional slot machines take up a great deal of floor space and are generally not well suited to being wall mounted. Smaller machines would allow the machines' owners to generate more revenue per square foot. The option of wall mounting a machine is attractive because this allows greater flexibility in the placement of machines.
Yet another problem with traditional slot machines is that the limited number of possible combinations of symbols limits the size of a jackpot that can be offered. In an effort to overcome this limitation and to provide larger jackpots, gaming establishments link multiple machines together in order to offer a progressive jackpot. This is relatively complicated and requires greater costs in setting up and operating the machines.
It is common for the patrons of slot machines and other gaming devices to look for large jackpots in order to win big and make a fortune. Although the progressive slot machines have addressed some of this interest, there are some who are not drawn to this approach. There is still a strong interest in the casino industry for slot machines or similar gaming machines which can offer large jackpots but still provide the consistent entertainment value and steady operation of slot machines, but without the expense and trouble of progressive slot systems. Thus there is a continuing need for improved slot machines which can offer greater combinations of events and greater jackpot amounts.
Finally, the very randomness which makes slot machines attractive also deters some people from playing them because they do not perceive there to be any skill involved in playing the game. Additionally, some people are looking for a more interactive experience than is provided by traditional slot machines. Too much interactivity, such as that involved with video and pinball games, would slow down the cycle rate of the machines to an unacceptable level.
There is a demand for a gaming machine that is as attractive to gamers as slot machines but at lower mechanical maintenance costs. There is a further demand for a gaming machine which would allow for the chance at a large jackpot with a small investment without having to link together multiple machines. There is yet a further demand for a gaming machine which creates a perception of skill while maintaining an accurate payout percentage and a fast cycle rate.
SUMMARY
The present invention is a drop slot game machine that utilizes falling balls or other playing field objects which drop or otherwise traverse across a playing field, such as from the upper part of the playing field to a lower part of the playing field. The playing field is advantageously is divided into user or randomly selectable drop zones which allow the balls or other objects to be introduced onto the playing field in more than one location. The balls can traverse the playing field and be detected, such as at exit positions near or at the bottom of the playing field. The balls preferably encounter deflector pegs which effect, such as randomly effect or change the path of the balls during their fall. As each passes through an exit position it is detected by a suitable sensor (photoelectric, infrared, electric, mechanical, etc.).
The exit or other detector positions have a corresponding symbol which is associated or assigned to the position to enhance play. The symbol can be display on detector displays using suitable symbol representations, such as represented on a liquid crystal display, at or near an exit or other detector position. The symbol display, can be configured to light up or otherwise indicate when a ball passes through or is otherwise detected at that position. A small indicator, such as or more LED's, above each symbol can be used to reflects how many balls fell into a particular position (providing some did). This is used to eliminate doubt which can otherwise arise as to which position has been scored, and to how many balls passed through the associated position. A larger payline display, simulating the payline of a traditional slot machine, shows the series of symbols selected by the balls passing through the exit positions.
If, for example, three balls are dropped, then the symbols representing the three exit positions which the balls pass through are displayed on the larger payline display. The symbols used in traditional slot machines as well as new symbols can be displayed on the exit position symbol display and the payline display. If all three balls fall into a single exit position, then the same symbol will be represented three times on the payline.
Payout in the present invention is controlled by electrical circuits similar to those controlling paying in traditional slot machines, thereby ensuring the same payout percentages.
After passing through the exit positions, the balls recirculate by rolling into a launching position where they will be ejected back to the top of the game machine to drop through the playing field. It is likely that the balls will be launched by electrical solenoid or pneumatic ejector system.
A microprocessor/random number generator determines which symbols appear on which exit positions at the time of each pull. More than three balls can be used and more than three symbols can be represented on the payline (such as a four or greater reel machine). Furthermore, multiple paylines can be used using the appropriate number of balls (i. e., three paylines, three symbols per payline, nine balls would drop). In general, it is possible to simulate almost all current slot machine pay variations.
An additional feature of the machine is to have drop zones so that the balls may be deflected into one specific zone at the upper starting position. These zones may be either randomly selected by the machine itself, or selected by the player just prior to the symbols being shown on the displays.
Other features may include bonus payoffs, such as
Krise David A.
Sines Randy D.
Chiu Raleigh W.
Digideal Corporation
Wells, St. John, Roberts Gregory & Matkin P.S.
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